Install xp from flash drive boot.ini

[midnight rambler]

I'm using a program called usb_prep8 to install XP from a usb flash drive seems to work good.

The first part of setup textmode works and then I select the disk and partition to install at disk 0 partition 4 and then it copies the files and reboots. When it reboots it gives an error setup cannot continue becouse of a hardware configuration problem.

So I restart the system and toggle to my backup operating system and see that the boot.ini file is instructing the new operating system to disk 1 partition 4 instead of disk 0. If I correct it ,setup continues as it should to disk 0 and the partition 4.

Could the fact that the flash drive is plugged into the machine when setup writes the boot.ini be causing this?

[midnight rambler]

Could it also be that I did not prep the usb drive with diskpart?

Edited March 5, 2009 by midnight rambler

[Ponch]

The config you use is probably such that it will install correctly to the 1st partition of your HDD. You have to change a parameter to install to 4th partition. Normally, when the install reboots, you skip "boot from cd" and boot from HDD. Here, you reboot from USB with no way to skip, and so the USB config has to know which partition to boot the HDD. As everything is artificially read only, there is no indication from previous text mode boot that says you install to 4th partition.

I only use Prep8 once and I can't remember where the parameter for "default reboot" are.

Anyway, there is a subforum called "install XP from USB" where you can get more help.

[jaclaz]

usbprep_8 is an old release, made obsolete by better and fixed ones.

Here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=157

jaclaz

[midnight rambler]

Ponch, I may have misunderstood you; setup copies windows to the partition and disk I specify but after text mode the only problem is boot .ini = disk 1 when it's supposed to be disk 2 and no problem with the partition value. Which config would I have to change? Edit: you said about the config you can't remember but it could be default reboot.

You said that press any key to boot from cd would interfere since it's automatic without key press but my HP pavillion has a BIOS option that allows you to set a temporary one time boot priorty or else I would have a texmode first phase copy loop.

Edited March 5, 2009 by midnight rambler

[jaclaz]

You say that press any key to boot from cd would interfere since it's automatic without key press but my HP pavillion has a BIOS option that allows you to set a temporary one time boot priorty or else I would have a texmode first phase copy loop.

Well, no.

Half the trick is that grub4dos virtually re-maps hard disks in order to have the "right" disk/partition, it is possible that your HP on-the-fly boot device change confuses the HD.

However, your problems is also strangely similar to FAQ #9:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=116766

jaclaz