kof94

@google44 I nearly forgot.... NwDsk... The reason your using that FreeDOS NwDsk image is to execute apps from your boot CD/DVD, hens why there is a folder called 'dosapps' on the UBCD disc. Basically all you've got is a modular DOS boot disc that you can add as many drivers as you want to, to achieve your goal i.e sata,aspi,usb,keyboard(if your not in the US),mouse,DPMI etc and some utils if you like. Personally I don't want or need a networking DOS boot disc so I ripped all of that out. I also removed NTFS and LFN support as well as Volkov Commander for the same reasons. To do this I took the FreeDOS UBCD NwDsk 3.42 from Erwin's site (you need to look in the beta section) and just started cutting. You really need to read the little section about how the boot process works i.e. what level you want you're cab's at and you need to look at what each cab contains. This may take a while but once you've got the general idea about how this works you'll realise it's quite simple, for the user anyway. The next part is easier than you might think. The first thing you want to happen after all your drivers and stuff are load is to find your boot CD/DVD and set a variable for it . You can do this quite simply with a command like this: for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\autorun.inf set bootdrv=%%i: This command basically looks at all your drives for a file called autorun.inf at the root of it and sets a variable called %bootdrv%. The second thing you want to happen is to execute your app. This is also rather simple and wouldn't be possible without using memdisk. Whist booting your FreeDOS image it is possible to set an environment variable that is recognised in DOS. Some thing like this: LABEL hdat2 MENU LABEL HDAT2 4.52 KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=boot/freedos.igz setup=hdat2 The bit your interested in is setup=hdat2, that is your variable! From there it's just a question of how to use it. Now this is were I confess I have stolen some idea's from UBCD. Here is my entire setup.bat that is execute by autorun3.bat. Autorun3.bat is contained in the 'etc' folder on the NwDsk and executes what ever you want at the end of the boot process. I chose to launch my setup. @if "%debug%"=="" echo off for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\autorun.inf set bootdrv=%%i: if "%bootdrv%"=="" goto _msg %bootdrv% cd \ if "%setup%"=="" goto _msg if not exist \dostools\%setup%\setup.bat goto _msg cd \dostools\%setup% call setup.bat goto _end :_msg echo. echo Floppy Drive = %srcdrv% echo Ram Drive = %ramdrv% echo Boot Drive = %bootdrv% echo. :_end It's not the best batch in the world but it does the job. Finds my boot DVD finds the app I want to execute by it's folder name and launches it. the batch contained in that folder can do this how ever you like I chose to keep all my apps in zip files and decompress them into ram for use but it's up to you. Here's an example: @echo off cls unzip -qq -uo estest.zip -d %ramdrv%\estest\ %ramdrv% cd \estest estest.exe /? There's alot more to it than this including tweaking settings here and there, but I feel I might drown you with info at the mo. Have a mess around with it and if you have any specific questions drop me a line. -kof94

@google44 Thanks buddy, I'll be taking a look at that asap. @Jotnar As memdisk is still in active development it wouldn't surprise me if a new version would require you to use a switch to make an image boot where as before you didn't require one. I'm only really stabbing in the dark here to give you plausible answers to the the problem, it could be any number of things really. @Sir Jet If diskemu could be ported for use with isolinux it would be fantastic. The original diskemu binary does hold the key to booting those images that memdisk can't touch e.g. DocMem. In an ideal world you'd really want the updated version contained in CDShell. The author added extra features that even enabled you to directly boot an .iso image . We can but dream.........

I have to say Jotnar, that is one sexy menu you have there . On to the more technical stuff... The raw and bigraw switches are required when your boot images have been created using Windows. I have to use raw to boot ViVARD and CopyWipe because of this reason! This isn't a failing of VPC, you'll probably find you require these switches on a real machine as well. In fact I have found in a lot of cases VPC replicates a real machine more closely than VMWare or VirtualBox. As for your Disc Manager programs, none of them will boot via memdisk it just one of those things. @google44 Your better off building your own NwDsk for executing DOS tools. It isn't difficult, you could even take the UBCD images apart to do this, I did to start with. Everything is modular so you can add and remove particular components as required. I would recommend using the FreeDOS versions though since they seam to be more stable. @jetman/google44 What version of isolinux/vesamenu are you using to provide help info/code box? Thanks.

I'm glad you've managed to fix the problem. These are my params for CDImage: cdimage.exe -l"AIO" -h -j1 -b"E:\Disc\isolinux\isolinux.bin" -x -o -m "E:\Disc" "E:\Disc.iso" If you download CDImage GUI it makes things a whole lot easier.

NO ! Incorrect. ISOLINUX is just a loader, a facilitator to get your CD-based systems started. It's just like GURB, BCDW, or CDSHELL. I've been using BartPE for years and no way would I ever do an ISOLINUX plugin. ISOLINUX+GRUB+CDSHELL+whatever start bef any CD-based app/system and exist solely for that purpose. Do as you will with your computer, but you've missed the point of the exercise....Jet I thought there was something a miss. Fair enough, can't hurt but when you boot isolinux you are rooted in that location and effectively call files from other locations. So if all your files are located with isolinux.bin you don't really need the full paths. The only thing that puzzles me is google44 has decided to put all the files at the root of the disc instead of one of the folder locations. I wondered if this could cause a problem because a path like this KERNEL /memdisk is then identical to this KERNEL memdisk. I have to say CDImage as never failed me and I've been using the same commands of eighteen months now. I would like to use mkisofs but there are just far too many switches for me to work out whats best for all concerned. And I nearly forgot... THE SUPER-MEGA-GLOBAL-GALACTIC-DESTROYER-OF-WORLDS . Now your scaring me

I just built a test build using just isolinux.cfg. isolinux.cfg: PROMPT 0 DEFAULT vesamenu.c32 MENU MARGIN 0 MENU ROWS 19 MENU TABMSGROW 24 MENU CMDLINEROW 24 MENU TIMEOUTROW 24 MENU BACKGROUND backgrd.png MENU COLOR border 37;44 #00000000 #00000000 none MENU COLOR title 37;44 #ffffffff #00000000 std MENU COLOR unsel 37;44 #80ffffff #00000000 std MENU COLOR sel 34;47 #ffffffff #10ffffff std MENU COLOR scrollbar 37;44 #80ffffff #00000000 std MENU COLOR tabmsg 30;40 #00000000 #00000000 none MENU COLOR cmdline 37;40 #80ffffff #00000000 std MENU COLOR cmdmark 37;40 #f0d60000 #00000000 std MENU COLOR timeout_msg 37;40 #ffffffff #00000000 std MENU COLOR timeout 31;40 #f0d60000 #00000000 std MENU TITLE The First .img I saw! LABEL seatools MENU LABEL Seatools 1.09 (Seagate) KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=seatools.igz Contents of isolinux folder: isolinux.cfg memdisk vesamenu.c32 seatools.igz backgrd.png chain.c32 isolinux.bin All works A-OK. I'm not quite sure where your going wrong to be honest.

Visual communication saves the day, I think. Create a folder at the root of your disc called isolinux, put everything in it then boot this config, then tell me if it works. DEFAULT vesamenu.c32 PROMPT 0 TIMEOUT 300 MENU BACKGROUND splash.png MENU TITLE Test MENU COLOR title 1;36;44 #ff0000ff #00000000 std MENU COLOR unsel 37;44 #ff0000ff #00000000 std MENU COLOR sel 7;37;40 #c0ffffff #ff000000 std MENU COLOR hotkey 1;37;44 #ffff0000 #00000000 std MENU COLOR hotsel 1;7;37;40 #ff00ff00 #ff000000 all LABEL test MENU LABEL ^test KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=setup98.img I know... I've only made two changes and I know... you can have everything at the root of the disc but please just indulge me. EDIT: Sorry I made a few more changes! EDIT: And again. Avoid using tab!

Ok, fair enough. I take it "Test" is a label for an app you want to boot, are you completely sure your commands are correct. For example: - You don't have two identical labels in your config file - All your files conform to 8.3 standard - You have the correct locations set e.g. /menus/main.cfg looks for a folder in the root or the disc called menus menus/main.cfg looks for the menus folder in the isolinux dir. I know I might be asking silly questions here but simple things can really mess things up. If your really not sure post your isolinux.cfg and any other config files your having troubles with and I'll take a look.

Sorry buddy I'm lost. When I boot my AIO DVD I boot straight to isolinux, I'm not quite sure what your trying to do here! Are you trying to boot isolinux from a PE environment or am I missing something? Could you also provide a link the full size image of your folder setup as well.

Hate to tell you "I told you so" but... And as always the right honorable gentleman jetman continues to be a bastion for common sense. Next topic: First up you don't need to add the isolinux folder location because you're already in it and you don't move from it. So if all your boot files are in the isolinux folder including all modules i.e. memdisk then your command should look like this: KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=docmem.img Incidentally, Docmem plainly won't work via memdisk and I haven't found a viable solution that works properly yet. IMO memtest86+ does a good enough job, even if it is slow. As for vesamenu not working, could you post your complete config files. -kof94

I've never need to use DetachedProgram before but if you can only launch one thing from it why don't you try using a .cmd or an AutoIt script.

To be honest your better off reading the README.menu file. It's a text file from the syslinux package and it explains it all quite well! You can download it here (you want syslinux-3.36.zip) and you can read some of it here. The main values you are interested in are MENU width and MENU margin and possibly MENU rows . If you get stuck post back.

You need to mess about with the margins and the size of the display area. It's a bit of a pain really because each setting effects the other. I did manage to align everything to the left so that I could have a pic running down the right hand side but that's about as creative as you can get. It isn't exactly inspiring but is the "simple menu system" after all.

Isolinux all the way baby . IMO it beats all boot loaders by far and I've used most of them.

Hmm... just to be sure, if he used "his" method, he specified SET PP=%SystemDrive%\Install\ So why should he use REG ADD %KEY%01 /V 1 /D "%PP%\install\acrobat\ar6.exe /qn" /f Then his folder should be "C:\Install\install\acrobat\" for example, or not ? But he said So i think that this should be correct then: REG ADD %KEY%01 /V 1 /D "%PP%\acrobat\ar6.exe /qn" /f Or not ? You are correct . Although I would edit your variables to these: SET PP=%SystemDrive%\Install SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\ ...to sort out your missing and double backslashes!

No offense but I think you need to be posting this over at the DriverPacks.net forums .

Back in the light . Txtmode to GUI mode is the main issue. Windows recognise the correct Silicon Image drivers for formating and copying files in txtmode but it all goes tits up after the first reboot. Windows decides it doesn't actually like the drivers anymore and tries to install some other random driver instead then BSOD. It's a known issue with the MassStorage DP. I'm happy to live without them so-long-as a have a floppy drive. No, I've only ever used ERD and UBCD4Win. What's Python about? I'll try to find a link for you. Edit: search for "XPSetupLauncher" on this page There isn't a download or link so it must be a member contribution.

I only use Ryan's updates/addons (M$ updates/addons) and of course my little config addon. I'm lost? What I meant was, a full install booting from disc! UBCD4Win already does this and I believe there is a pack based on Bâshrat's DriverPacks that you can add to your own BartPE on that site. The DriverPacks Base at some point will support this as well. One word of advice if your considering using said DriverPacks, don't bother with MassStorage. It's still not compatible enough to rely on! You can do this simply with the little util that comes with UBCD4Win (I'm starting to become an advert here ) Later.

Yes, just put them with i386 folder, txtsetup.sif does the rest. If you followed flyakite's guide it would be something like this -Setup |Professional |$OEM$ |I386

I knew that would get you going . I've used many, many different ways to run an unattened/Modded XP setup and now finally after nearly two years of p***ing around I've settled on the simplest setup going. At present my setup consists of: RyanVM's Update Pack, WMP10 addon and DirectX 9c addon. Bâshrat's DriverPacks (all of them except MassStorage). Windows Post-Install Wizard to install all my apps. To bind all this together I have my own custom addon to use with the RyanVM Integrator. It consists of files to add/update unattened setup and integrate the MediaCentre Royale theme. Included in this package is an inf I made to update reg settings at specific stages of install and to finally run RunOnceEx to finish the DriverPacks setup and execute WPI. It's clean and (even if I do say it myself) professional. Most of this is easy to do i.e adding Ryan's updates/addons and the DriverPacks. The fun really starts when your learning how to build your own addons, write inf's and configure WPI. They're a bit more time consuming. All-in-all the $OEM$ folders, and a batch file could do the small things I've done with my little addon, I'm just being a know-it-all (let the flaming commence). The only real benefit with integration is you don't have to use oemprecopy, or what ever it's called, that messes up F6 driver installation during txtmode. You can also run an upgrade install with the /makelocalsource switch and everything works as it should ($OEM$ folders only work on a full OEM install!). Not that I ever do but you can. If you want some help I'll be more than heppy to barrage you with links . Later.

$OEM$ folders, those were the days. Everything I do now is integrated into the Windows setup but thats a whole new topic for discussion. Catch ya later.

Test this for me would ya. Downoad the UBCD 4.0 .iso, extract it's contents and add a folder in the dosapps folder called docmem. Place docmem.exe from the floppy image in this folder and put a batch file in there called startup.bat. Write this in the batch file: cls cd \dosapps\dosmem docmem Then edit mboard2.cfg in the menus folder to read: LABEL docmem MENU LABEL DocMem RAM Diagnosic V3.1beta (Use "no UMB (ultra-defensive)" at bootup!) KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=/images/fdubcd.igz ubcdcmd=docmem Burn and test. This also works fine in VMware. I've created my own NwDsk, very similar to the fdubcd image without the networking gumf and stuff. I did this primarily for the drivers support (ASPI/SCSI/SATA/CDROM/LFN/NTFS/HIMEM etc) so I could boot dos tools that didn't want to play ball. When/If you've got the time take a look at the NwDsk site. I thought it would be really difficult to create my own disc but it was surprisingly easy and very modular. You just need to learn what cabs you want/don't want and where to put things so they execute the way you want them to. The rest is just a simple batch to find your cd/dvd and execute your app. Anyway I've waffled on too long, just test this out... kof.

Very funny . I figured out how to do that whilst fixing up UBCD. I don't know if this will help you but here's what I did: *Took the docmem.exe from the floppy image and placed it in a folder called docmem in the dosapps folder. *Wrote a startup.bat that looked like this: cls cd \dosapps\docmem docmem ... and placed that in the docmem folder. *Executed it by changing the the entry in mboard2.cfg to read: LABEL docmem MENU LABEL DocMem RAM Diagnosic V3.1beta (Use "no UMB (ultra-defensive)" at bootup!) KERNEL memdisk APPEND initrd=/images/dosubcd.igz ubcdcmd=docmem ... as you'll notice the main reason why this works is because I used "Boot no UMB (ultra-defensive)" when the freeDOS image boots. Oh, and I nearly forgot, I modded things abit so all the dosapps use the FreeDOS image instead if the LZDOS image which doesn't boot. *Rename dosubcd.igz to lzdos.igz and fdubcd.igz to dosubcd.igz and then edit locations in bootdsk1.cfg to reflect changes. IMO it's easier to just use the binaries for memtest86 and memtest86+ and a lot less messing about. But hey, here's to determination!!!

THIEF!!! The hdd pic was my idea. Only one problem though, yours looks better than mine . Nice work Jet. The text in red at the bottom, is that a static comment... how did you do that?