Installing XP onto usb hdd but unable to boot!

[JP09]

Ah I just realised didnt mention this earlier; didnt want to edit over your edit jaclaz :lol, my bad for putting the link up for ntfs4dos iso.

to change the active partition from the fat partition,

copy the boot.ini, ntdetect.com, ntldr to the windows xp partition, then open up diskmanagement right click the windows xp partition and then active. For others just incase they have any concerns, i'm still testing the xp install will post up an updated tut later.

JP

[JP09]

Ok couple of faults with this install, it hangs at the intial boot thus leading to sndvol32.exe not created, accessories folder not created both are fixed by obtaining msls31.dll from the XP source or from another XP install and putting it into system32 as this dll didnot copy during the txt phase of setup. This is required to run add/remove windows components from add/remove progs as well as other apps...

I've been reading through the links and browsing the net think right now my head is going to split again..

the other issue i'm having is that I cant run usb multiboot on the laptop i get BSOD in order to create the migrate.inf and modify it.

The other options would be to reinstall or run mkmigrate.cmd which i cant find and mkmigrate2.cmd in usb boot doesnt seem to do anything... then again would a partition (1st primary) on a usb hdd take drive U? as its seen as a 'fixed' disk (i have an inkling it won't)..

JP09

[jaclaz]

The other options would be to reinstall or run mkmigrate.cmd which i cant find and mkmigrate2.cmd in usb boot doesnt seem to do anything... then again would a partition (1st primary) on a usb hdd take drive U? as its seen as a 'fixed' disk (i have an inkling it won't)..

I am not sure to get what you mean.

You connect your USB stick/drive to a working, booted XP.

You copy to the device mkmigrateinf.cmd or mkmigrateinf2.cmd, starting it from the USB device (that you want to have letter U: in MIGRATE.INF)

mkmigrateinf.cmd (link ALREADY given):

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19663

or you make it manually, as described in the same link for a Fixed Device, by exporting the appropariate key in MountedDevices hive.

This part :

set Drive=%~d1
if %Drive%.==. set Drive=%~d0

set FileName=%~2
if %FileName%.==. set FileName=MIGRATE.INF

set MigrateDrive=U:
if not %~d3.==. set MigrateDrive=%~d3

more or less means in plain English:

This batch allows for three parameters passed:

1. drive letter (as currently mounted) for the USB device/partition
   
2. name of the file to write
   
3. letter to be assigned to the chosen drive in the chosen file
   

If run woithout parameters,

1. is assumed to be the same drive from which the batch is run
   
2. is assumed to be MIGRATE.INF in the same drive and path from which the batch is run
   
3. is assumed to be U:
   

jaclaz