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How to install Windows from USB- WinSetupFromUSB with GUI


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I saw that note about replacing files ect in the ls folder.. but I actually didn't have to do anything. When I ran it, I didn't see any warning messages. When it finished, I tried a qemu boot, it did all 3 boots, so I stuck it in my server and installed! I did change the 2nd entry in boot.ini to partition 0/0/0/1 from 0/0/1/1 but not sure if I needed to do that. Also on 3rd reboot I switched boot devices from the flash drive to hd and booted normally from my sata hd. It's a full install and working perfectly, I can't find any missing files ect. I may try it with vista next, I imagine I'll have to modify things there. Oh and this was a new install, what would I have to synchronize if I needed to? Files on the flash drive vs files in the source?

Deletion occurs during Text mode of setup, some of the compressed files. You may manually sync the folders- look at FAQ #5

http://www.msfn.org/board/FAQs-t116766.html

Alternatively you may want to use the program again- it will notice the present installation and ask you whether you want to delete it, sync it, or create a new source folders, renaming the old ones (and patching the necessary files against the new names). The latter is used to prepare up to 10 different Windows sources on the USB disk.

that was it!! i manually slipstreamed sp3 and winsetupfromusb runs fine! thanks for all your help!

:thumbup

BTW- did you try to repair WMI first?

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I have been trying to add a .sif file to my USB without success. Am I correct in assuming the .sif file needs to be in the original iso before using winsetupfromusb? If so I will have to find a way to edit the iso image itself, unfortunately. Placing the .sif file in the USB created from winsetupfromusb doesn't seem to do anything even when I put it in the same folder as winnt.exe.

Any help would be appreciated!

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valkyrie80, the program do not use ISO as a source, it uses directory on your hard disk, mounted ISO or a CD.

I guess you are using mounted in a virtual CD ISO file. You can extract the contents of this ISO to your hard disk and use this directory as a source.

As for the .sif file, I guess again you mean winnt.sif. You can amend it BEFORE using the program. Change it in the directory where you extracted the ISO file and then run the program.

If my guesses are not correct- please provide details, team's crystal ball is for repair and the taro cards set was stolen :realmad:

:)

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ilko-

Thank you for the quick response. I can only guess that the boredom created by waiting for every question on this messageboard has contributed to your sarcastic demeanor. Fortunately, I found a solution with nlite and do not require further assistance.

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You are welcome :)

As for the reason for the joke, which you did not take as such- it's the number of questions, surely not only here, asked without any details in a pretty confusing way, thus making the answering part to guess, ask further, apparently spending own time on that, interpret what the question could mean and so on.

Is it really hard to be informative when asking for help?

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Thanks for the explanation, ilko, but the fact is that you did get enough information, you just didn't know how to use it. You act all confused about my mention of an ISO yet how else would I use an iso for these purposes other than to mount it? You then go further to act all confused about my mention of a sif file despite my added mention of winnt.exe. What other sif file could I mean that would have a relation to winnt.exe? If you don't know enough about a topic to answer the questions properly then don't bother. People will appreciate a well thought out answer more than a quick joke.

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If you want to relate winnt.exe (correct is winnt32.exe for this environment), the file parsed is dosnet.inf.

winnt.sif is used by winnt32.exe only if /unattended:MyUnattendedFile.ext switch is used.

Since usb_prepare8.cmd (looong ago) winnt32.exe is not used at all.

Winnt.sif is expected on different locations depending what media Setup is performed from, for HD-like media in our case, it's read from ~BT folder.

Winnt.sif is read during (text mode) setup process first by setupldr.bin, next by setupdd.sys.

Winnt(32).exe does not play role at all, it's used only to prepare a hard disk so Setup can start with the text part, and is not used in any way during Text or GUI mode parts.

The .sif file, sitting next to winnt(32).exe is supposed to be dosnet.inf.

In my first reply I answered you accurately, guessing what you exactly mean, ignoring all the technical stuff you obviously don't know, did you miss these parts?

I guess you are using mounted in a virtual CD ISO file. You can extract the contents of this ISO to your hard disk and use this directory as a source.

As for the .sif file, I guess again you mean winnt.sif. You can amend it BEFORE using the program. Change it in the directory where you extracted the ISO file and then run the program.

If you expected more, here it is- if you want to amend winnt.sif AFTER the program, then do so with the one in ~BT folder, but be careful not to delete the entries added already, as some of them are critical for the process. Do not add unattended section as well, another important part.

This is the reason I do not prefer winnt.sif to be touched after the program, unless one REALLY know what he/she is doing.

There are people, using directory with XP ISO file as source, complaining that it "doesn't work". After a few posts, it's now clear you are not among them.

There are experienced people, using other .sif file- txtsetup.sif to add drivers or even programs, which location on HD-like media install is confusing, it's now clear you are not among them.

Ask precisely- you'll get precise answers, don't let the other party guess, there could be number of possibilities, which you may not be aware of.

This is what people providing help would appreciate, a well thought out question leads to a precise answer, which is not time consuming at all:

"May I amend winnt.sif on my USB disk after running WinSetupFromUSB?"

"Where can I find this file?"

-Yes, you can. Be careful not to delete the entries added already, as some of them are critical for the process. Do not add unattended section as well.

-Location is \$win_nt$.~bt\

Don't you like this better? Is it easier to answer, without a any guessing involved?
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If you don't know enough about a topic to answer the questions properly then don't bother. People will appreciate a well thought out answer more than a quick joke.

People will also appreciate a less aggressive way to address other members, and expecially when addressing developers that share their knowledge and programs and also spend their time helping members with the problems they may have.

For the record, ilko's joke is quite common, and derives from my "standard reply #32":

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=2587

jaclaz

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Guest cooldown

USB Boot works fine and the Windows installation routine begins, but i cant select a harddrive where i want to install my win XP because windows installation didnt find any other harddrive then my usb stick. I opened grub commandline. root only gives me my USB Stick back. What can i do to fix this problem? Im using HP tx2650eg and integrated driver packages with nlite in my windows installation.

Pls help me and sorry for my bad english.

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What drivers did you integrate?

Is any OS installed at the moment on it, Vista?

What exactly did you type in grub4dos command prompt? It should be root ( followed by TAB key.

Do you have in BIOS option for SATA mode- native, IDE compatible or AHCI off?

Edited by ilko_t
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