every method of installing from usb that i have come across requires that the setup files be extracted from the ISO to the bootable USB. is there a way to just dump the ISO onto the bootable USB and maybe chainload xpboot.ima and get the setup to run out of an map/hooked image?

when i try to load iso straight from grub4dos i get error: CDBOOT cannot find NTLDR

when i boot syslinux, then run grub4dos, and then load the iso, it gets through the initial part of the textmode, but BSOD 7B when it gets to "starting windows" in txtmode

thanks,

Leon

disappointingly, this seems to be the answer:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...st&p=139631

hopefully someone can tell me otherwise.

You can't.

Even if you start the ISO, when it goes in protected mode it will BSOD 0x0000007B, unless someone writes NT drivers, which work for grub4dos emulation.

Even if one makes those drivers, at some point Setup reads BIOS devices, your emulated ISO is ignored. Winnt.sif is read from BIOS device...

Even if you pass the Text mode part, how GUI mode will find files? You need to mount that ISO again and point GUI mode to the emulated device...

Using ram drivers from 2003 does not help as well, read here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...st&p=776205

This question has been asked and answered numerous times in details, search here, at 911cd.net and boot-land.net.

Possible path to take, many questions, no answers:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6010

Actually the explanation of WHY it cannot work is here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...=3287&st=52

At the moment it is NOT possible, but hopefully someone with the right attitudes/capabilities will write the needed driver and prove me wrong soon in the future.

jaclaz