WinXP Pro SP3 and WinXP Pro x64 on Multiboot USB Problem

[doodddoo]

Hello everyone

First I'd like to thank everyone involved in the USB_Multiboot project, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere near where I am now without it.

I'm trying to create a multi-boot USB stick consisting of:

Windows XP Pro SP3

Windows XP Pro x64 SP2

I've used USB_MultiBoot_10 to successfully create the XP Pro SP3 installation, however I'm having problems with x64. (I also used USB_MultiBoot_10 - second run to build the x64 installation) I get the "NTLDR is corrupt. The system cannot boot." error when trying to install x64. I realise that setupldr.bin has a checksum built in and I already tried to replace a cracked setupldr.bin from geitonaki: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=58410

I don't know quite what to do at the moment. Can someone help or point me the right direction? Can these two versions of Windows co-exist on the same USB stick?

I've also looked here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=58446&st=0 to try and build my own directories from geitonaki's batch file but I'm totally confused how to integrate the results of that batch to my USB stick contents.

This is my directory structure and files on the root so far: (from the two USB_Multiboot_10 runs)

$WIN_01$.~BT

$WIN_01$.~LS

$WIN_02$.~BT

$WIN_02$.~LS

INSTALL_PRGS_WPI

btsec

INSTALL_PRGS

images

INSTALL_DRIVERS

grldr

boot.ini

menu.lst

NTDETECT.COM

NTLDR

txtset01.sif

txtset02.sif

usbflash

XAT01

XAT02

XPS01

XPS02

Any help greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance

[jaclaz]

ilko was working on the x64 install some time ago, he found a way to have it working using this workaround:

http://blogs.sepago.de/nicholas/2008/03/13...on-windows-x64/

Success, just finished x64 install and msdosinitiated was properly set to 0, using start64.exe

presetup.cmd

....
%CDDRIVE%\$WIN_NT$.~LS\AMD64\start64.exe "%systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe" "/c %systemroot%\syswow64\binifix5.cmd C: /norepair /msdosinit0"
....

Cannot say if the mod has been "ported" to USB_MultiBoot_10.

You may want to (momentarily) forget about dual install and USB_Multiboot_10 and restart from scratch with just the x64 install using this:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444

and, if it works, re-use the same to add the x32 soource.

jaclaz

[doodddoo]

Wow! I wasn't expecting a reply so quickly I'll look into it. Thanks!

Btw, just wondering... could Vista or Windows 7 beta be put alongside the Windows XP 32-bit install too?

[jaclaz]

Wow! I wasn't expecting a reply so quickly I'll look into it. Thanks!

Btw, just wondering... could Vista or Windows 7 beta be put alongside the Windows XP 32-bit install too?

Definitely Vista/Server 2008, tested and working, cannot say about Windows 7, but since its setup is similar to Vista it will probably work, but really cannot say.

jaclaz

[wimb]

USB_MultiBoot_10 was adjusted for Install of x64

but something like start64.exe was NOT implemented.

It seems to me your problem occurs already at TXT-mode of XP Setup,

whereas start64.exe is used in presetup.cmd at GUI-mode of XP Setup.

Personally I cannot test x64 Install, but you find some more Info

here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=114022

Install Multiple XP versions is supported for different x32 versions. Mixing with x64 might give a problem.

Did you try to Install XP x64 from USB-stick without adding additional sources ?

I am not sure, but I think that start64.exe is also NOT used in WinSetupFromUSB.

Install of x64 XP was also implemented in the NEW approach:

Install XP from USB AFTER Booting with PE from HDD or USB

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=5306

The advantage of this technique is that the XP source folders can be copied

unchanged to your USB-stick and different sources do NOT interfere. No problem for x32 and x64 to coexist.

Also you do NOT have the problem of loosing files on USB-stick

as occurs in $WIN_NT$.~LS on Install of x64 with WinSetupFromUSB or USB_MUltiBoot_10

Edited January 15, 2009 by wimb

[ilko_t]

x64 is already supported in WinSetupFromUSB. Start64.exe was for reducing number of boots from USB and avoiding renaming of BT and LS folders twice. I did not have the spare time to implement all the changes I wanted at once, so instead I'll be doing it by piece as next weeks will be less busy with the real work.

The method is fine with x64 for one-off installs. If you need to carry an USB stick around and perform setups many times have a look at Wimb's links.

x64 and XP SP3 setups can coexist, just put x64 last, and make sure ntdetect.com and ntldr in root of USB are the ones from x64, they can boot 32 bit versions, but not vice versa.

Edited January 16, 2009 by ilko_t

[doodddoo]

Funny... after a couple of days lurking around in the forums, I never realised WinSetupFromUSB even existed! Anyway, had a little more time today and started from scratch again using Ilko's fine creation. I managed to get the x64 installation running, but I'm still having problems when I try to get XP SP3 and x64 to play nice together. My procedure is as follows:

Execute WinSetupFromUSB 0.1.1

Select Windows XP SP3 as source

Format drive FAT32

Check 'Copy setup boot files only'

Click Go

I then tested the USB stick to boot my machine. Setup enters fine.

Execute WinSetupFromUSB 0.1.1 again

Select Windows XP x64 as source

Check 'Copy setup boot files only'

Click Go

Dialog box 'Folder $WIN_NT$.~BT exists' opens -- YES to rename to .BKP, NO to delete, Cancel to return to menu

I select Yes to rename.

I return to boot my machine with USB and everything seems fine, but when selecting XP SP3 to install, it looks like the SP3 setup is pulling the files from the x64 install. That is, when I put my USB stick into a 32-bit machine, XP SP3 cannot load the setup fully. (Error is: Ntkrnlmp.exe Could Not Be Loaded. The Error Code Is 7)

Thing is, I can get the x64 setup working by itself without other Windows installations on USB... but ultimately, I'd like to use this for more than just one-off installs! I'm still very new to multi-booting and USB installs and still need a lot more understanding in these subjects. I'm definitely going to investigate Wimb's links and do more background reading on PE while I'm at it!

Btw, what other MS OSes are one-off installs without the PE environment? Just the 64-bit OSes?

Thanks again

[ilko_t]

Copy Setup boot files only is just to check boot ability of the flash disk, without having to copy the full source and is not made for multi setup sources.

Format the stick, use NTFS when possible, why:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125116

Place XP SP3 files. When done select x64 files, choose 'NO to rename them and patch setup and startup files'.

When installing x64 keep in mind that Setup will delete some of the compressed files when copying them. This happens with versions different than XP SP2 or 3 as USB write protection via registry entry does not work.

After such setup, if you need to start another setup, you will have to run the program again, select x64 source and select "synchronize" at the dialog box in order to copy the missing files.

Or just do it manually, with KillCopy or any other similar program, which can skip existing files. Copy from your x64 source folders I386 and AMD64 to USB_drive\$WIN_NT$.~LS\I386 and AMD64 respectably.

This behavior is not present in the way of setting up from PE.http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=128659&st=0&gopid=827649

Edited January 16, 2009 by ilko_t

[doodddoo]

Thanks Ilko, I was already aware to format the stick using NTFS. I was using FAT32 for now since from what I understood, NTFS increases drive wearing from write operations... so for testing purposes, I was using FAT32

Copy Setup boot files only is just to check boot ability of the flash disk, without having to copy the full source and is not made for multi setup sources.

Ahhh! thanks!! I was using this option purely to test whether if the multi-setup options worked. (also was very attractive to use without introducing more drive wear and save time) Anyway, I followed your instructions and have it working perfectly now. Thank you Ilko really, you're a star!

Btw... at what stage in the Windows x64 setup do the compressed files get deleted? Is it after selecting the partition and formatting the drive?

Thank you!

Edited January 17, 2009 by doodddoo

[ilko_t]

Btw... at what stage in the Windows x64 setup do the compressed files get deleted? Is it after selecting the partition and formatting the drive?

Yep, during the file copy phase in text mode. When Setup is placing them on the internal disk, Weirdly, non compressed files stay intact, but compressed ones are deleted. The idea is to keep down disk space requirements, as ~BT and ~LS are considered temporary and expected to be in the same partition, where Windows would be installed. Edited January 17, 2009 by ilko_t

[jaclaz]

Now that everyone is happy , can I put some "spice" in the thread?

Install of x64 XP was also implemented in the NEW approach:

Install XP from USB AFTER Booting with PE from HDD or USB

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=5306

The advantage of this technique is that ....

May I claim this approach being NOT really new, but simply an evolution/fork of method #2) here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=81788&st=6

And still noone actually took the time and hassle to take the challenge :

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=644

of making the smallest possible PE buiild capable of installing XP/Server2003

jaclaz

[wimb]

Methods for Install of XP are always more or less related and evolve,

but the difference with method #2 is that the present Install of XP is done

without booting from USB and without using winnt32.exe and that

one can use the full XP source folder unchanged and simply copied to USB-stick.

The smallest possible PE build as you propose would boot most likely NOT much faster

than the 30 seconds for booting from RAMDISK with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file

as loaded in a few seconds from your internal harddisk.

LiveXP BootSDI.img file of only 115 MB provides a full XP-like desktop with Disk Manager

and handy programs for Partioning and System Backup or System Restore.

The present approach comes very close to the challenge of booting with a small PE

and then prepare your harddisk for Install of XP. In this way you only need to

create the XP Setup BootFolder $WIN_NT$.~BT of 12 MB on the Install Drive

by parsing dosnet.inf and need to specify in TXTSETUP.SIF where to find

the FULL unchanged XPSOURCE on your USB-stick.

Edited January 18, 2009 by wimb