How to install Windows from USB- WinSetupFromUSB with GUI

[Raboo]

I copied the XP CD to D:\

It didn't help much... still get the same errors

I've attached the log files

WinSetupFromUSB.zip

[Raboo]

I tried to do the same thing on a windows XP 32bit in vmware, i still get the same errors... maybe it's my WindowsXP that is messed up

[Raboo]

I've found the problem, the problem is in my DOSNET.INF

[Directories]
d1 = "\I386"
d2 = "\cmpnents\tabletpc\I386"
d3 = "\cmpnents\mediactr\I386"

It should be

[Directories]
d1 = \I386
d2 = \cmpnents\tabletpc\I386
d3 = \cmpnents\mediactr\I386

[ilko_t]

Please test the attached version. Extract the file in WinSetupFromUSB folder and launch it.

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-2c3b0317.html

Yep, the problem must be there, I haven't seen quotes in that section of DOSNET.INF, and included removal if present anyway.

[Raboo]

The new version mostly works except for 2 important files:

2008/08/06 22:56:20- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\ntdll.dll could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\"system32\ntdll.dll"
2008/08/06 22:56:20- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\usetup.exe could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\"system32\smss.exe"

and it's from this part of DOSNET.INF

[FloppyFiles.3]
d1,disk1,disk104
d1,ntdll.dll,"system32\ntdll.dll"
d1,usetup.exe,"system32\smss.exe"

And again this works if I remove the quotation marks, ex. d1,ntdll.dll,system32\ntdll.dll

And btw the qutation marks is something nlite have added since my original windows source doesn't have them.

[ilko_t]

Heh, quotes were not expected there too

Here is a version, which should take care of them.

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-4bf62239.html

BTW what version of nLite is that? It rather seems like nLite bug, I wonder if winnt32.exe would accept that syntax.

Edited August 6, 2008 by ilko_t

[Raboo]

BTW what version of nLite is that? It rather seems like nLite bug, I wonder if winnt32.exe would accept that syntax.

1.4.5 Final I think.

btw this latest one fixed the quotation marks issues but introduced a new error:

2008/08/07 03:29:51- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\Bootfont.bin could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\

[ilko_t]

btw this latest one fixed the quotation marks issues but introduced a new error:

2008/08/07 03:29:51- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\Bootfont.bin could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\

Good

You can safely ignore that error if bootfont.bin doesn't exist in \i386.

Did you perform installation, any issues there?

[Raboo]

Did you perform installation, any issues there?

I actually installed Windows with the old version, I edited the DOSNET.INF first of course..

But I tested the TXTsetup with this new one (with the old DOSNET.INF) and it works.

[Raboo]

btw while we are at it I have a question regarding nlite+USB Sticks.

nlite has a feature "RunOnce" to run commands after first install.

And it usually gets it's "Source Drive info" from the registry and it tells the CD/DVD drive letter from where the installation CD is.

for /f "tokens=3" %%i IN ('reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup /v "SourcePath" ^| findstr "REG_SZ"') do set SOURCE=%%i

But the SourcePath is set to A:\ when using USB-stick instead of a CD/DVD.

Is there any way of determining the SourcePath of the USB-stick?

And another thing i noticed that when booting GRUB4DOS "First part of Windows XP Professional setup from partition 0" is the set to default.

I just think that it would be better to have "Second part of XP Professional setup+Start it first time from part 0" as the default to autoboot after 30 seconds.

The reason is if like you are about to start a new installation it's most likely you are monitoring the screen to start the setup and then you can manually select "First part". And then you start the install and format the C: drive or whatever.. And after that it's mostly unattended I think. It copies a bunch of files and then it reboots. After reboot it would be good if GRUB4DOS runs the second part without user intervention after 30 seconds. That way you don't have to monitor your installation. Of course I know this can be done by setting "default 1" in menu.lst. But I thought perhaps this can be changed in your next version?

[ilko_t]

This is part of Binifix4.cmd, which is launched at GUIRunOnce, you may include your stuff inside or use the code.

Mind you- when multiple windows sources are on the USB stick, tagfile is different- WIN_00.BT, WIN_01.BT etc. etc. You may use your own tag file.

SET USBDRIVE=
SET TAGFILE=\WIN_NT.BT

FOR %%h IN (C D M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y) DO IF EXIST "%%h:%TAGFILE%" SET USBDRIVE=%%h:

if "%USBDRIVE%" == "" (
   FOR %%h IN (E F G H I J K L) DO IF EXIST "%%h:%TAGFILE%" SET USBDRIVE=%%h:
)

menu.lst will be fixed in next version, by the end of september when I will have spare time- have a look at the posts at bottom of first page and firsts on second page of this thread- they are all about menu.lst and the default entry.

edit: similar part for finding USB drive you will find in ren_fold.cmd, launched from SetupParams in winnt.sif.

edit2: It would be good idea ren_fold.cmd or binifix4.cmd to set the found drive letter in

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup SourcePath

Need to investigate when it is created, and will include it in the next version, thanks.

Edited August 7, 2008 by ilko_t

[edie209]

I have been following this project and decided to give it a go, but I have run into a problem.

The install to Flash Drive seems to work fine I have opted to have XP, BartPE, and Vista. XP boots and starts to install but blue screens on "Starting Windows" (text section) the error is

Stop 0x0000007b (0xf7c80524, 0x00000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

Vista works fine I have yet to try BartPE

The PC is a Dell 755 with sata hard drive

[jaclaz]

The PC is a Dell 755 with sata hard drive

And you have integrated the specific sata drivers, right?

Can you try again setting in BIOS "ATA or IDE" compatibility mode?

jaclaz

[cdob]

The PC is a Dell 755 with sata hard drive

That's a well known troublemaker.

Use a edited ntdetect.com http://www.msfn.org/board/-t112630.html&am...st&p=738009

[edie209]

Ok I have done that and it works but install is really slow Usb 2.0 flash drive is there anything known to speed things up ?