Install XP from a RAM loaded ISO image

[robekia]

Windows setup hang at partition detection/mounting.

Does internal hard disk contain partitions already?

Does a Memory stick 8GB/1GB/4GB work at the ACER5738 ?

That's what i thought about, partition detection hang.

yes the HDD already contain partitions on which the XP already installed and some are free.

the HD is 320GB and currently working fine and i devided it to (C: 20, D: 20, E: 20, F: 20, G: the rest)

i want to install windows on C: or D:

I tried also with some other HD with the same results

yes, the Memory Sticks working fine on this ACER and all other mentioned Laptops in case reading and writing

yes, the Memory Sticks working fine on all other mentioned Laptops in case installing windows

NO, the Memory Sticks didn't work on this ACER5738 in case installing windows

Edited October 27, 2009 by robekia

[cdob]

the HD is 320GB and currently working fine

Windows setup is more picky than windows. Installation may reject the hard disk anyway, partition detection hang at more reasons.

Can you try a installation CD?

I tried also with some other HD with the same results

Did you zero the hard disk first? e.g. WinDlg http://support.wdc.com/download/windlg/WinDLG.zip

Or a ACPI issue. Try press F7 at F6 message.

Disconnect as much hardware as possible.

Or try different map (hdN) (hdN). Actually no idea, I don't use a ACER5738.

[kDn]

cdob

Diff are spaces in most cases

Yes, you may ignore this strings

I like to keep this lines: if exist c:\Inst\XP_*.ISO set reassign=true

Idea, USB drive got letter c:, let windows reassing drive letters. Internal hard disk may get c: or windows assign c: for USB again.

Do you have different results? Can you describe the conditions?

I don't use ...\Inst\... path, as you can see earlier I use write --offset=0 (fd0)/setup/ISOimage.ini \\boot\\XP_RAM.ISO\n;\n;\n;. If follow script logic then can see:

  set ISO_file_search=\Inst\XP_RAM.ISO
  if exist ISOimage.ini for /f "eol=;" %%a in (ISOimage.ini) do if not %%a.==. set ISO_file_search=%%a
  if exist c:%ISO_file_search% set reassign=true
  if defined reassign if /I %SystemDrive%.==C:. set reassign=

1. Set default path

2. Read new path from ISOimage.ini

3. If exist c:\boot\XP_RAM.ISO then reassign=true (in my case)

4. If defined reassign and %SystemDrive%.==C: then reassign not needed

I'm glad to keep the fixBoot.USB section, actually I might have deleted this part.

Now this is usefull at some conditions.

Do you have some examples? Which systems dosn't initialize USB properly.

When people testing yours method they feedback error in some cases when installing XP from USB-HDD or USB-Flash as HDD... First stage (txt-mode-setup) running absolutly correct, but after reboot they give error like: Needed file 'asms' on Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 CD and after Shift+F10 and looking presetup.log we can see that USB device where placed XP_RAM.ISO not found...

Error feedback:

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...p;start=1560#20

http://greenflash.su/forum/2-331-4647-16-1256148181

Another idea for multiple installation:

add several floppy images XP_INST.IMA to multi boot ISO image.

Load the ISO image to RAM first, and load a appropiate floppy image from ISO image next.

That's about unattended install? I not sure... As I think - correct some values outside ISO and IMA winnt.sif more simplest way. This solution founded when I tested wrong winnt.sif placed inside ISO and which give error like that: setup cannot copy the file: firadisk.sys ... and other from IMA

Problem description:

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...mp;start=1640#7

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...p;start=1700#15

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...p;start=1720#16

[robekia]

Sorry for late reply because i was out for some reasons.

today, i did some tests and hereunder the findings:

Can you try a installation CD?

YES for sure i tried to install the same nLite iso using CD and it works perfectly.

Did you zero the hard disk first? e.g. WinDlg http://support.wdc.com/download/windlg/WinDLG.zip

i did ZERO to another hard disk which is 80GB used for testing but still the same results (Blank Black screen) as my current HD which means that either something wrong with MYSELF or with the bios of the Laptob

Or a ACPI issue. Try press F7 at F6 message.

Disconnect as much hardware as possible.

of course No ACPI issue as i believe no issues with the hardware of my computer.

Also, pressing F7 at F6 message doing nothing, the Laptob continue without giving me any choices, it seems it didn't recognize F7 at all.

Or try different map (hdN) (hdN). Actually no idea, I don't use a ACER5738.

Grub is giving error for any tries to map different Hard disk than (hd0, hd1) because the SD is hd0 and the physical hard disk is hd1

i still insist that there is always a solution

[cdob]

@kDn

It's fun to read http://forum.ru-board.com/ with google translation.

I don't understand some translation parts.

I understand: a Asus A6Q00VM, Pentimum M call, I915 chipset does require fixBoot.USB.

I expect a USB boot nightmare (Dell Dimension 5150) would require this too.

fixBoot.USB. does require a addional reboot and is disabled by default therefore.

I may change fixBoot.USB settings at setup.cmd: detect missing USB drive

Understood finally, I'll add too: if exist c:%ISO_file_search% set reassign=true

Need some time. This includes mkISO_RAMload_sort.cmd, read below.

Yes, winnt.sif [MassStorageDrivers] and floppy txtsetup.oem fails. Driver not found.

Another idea: write to winnt.sif inside RAM ISO, disable [MassStorageDrivers].

Recovery Console:

Sort some files at mkISO_RAMload_sort.cmd

rem sort some recovery console files
FOR %%a in (autochk.ex? autofmt.ex? kbd*.dl?) do (
 call :sort_boot ./%boot_directory% %%a)

if exist ASMS echo ./%boot_directory%/ASMS/* -7000>>%sort_lst%

And load first 20mb: map --mem (0xFE)+10000 (0xFF)

Does mentioned recovery console start by default?

Do you have to press F10 at F6 message?

Compare: Adding Windows Recovery Console, Without having to press F10 or R in setup

http://www.msfn.org/board/adding-windows-r...le-t139069.html

There was a question about mkisofs -input-charset utf-8 and -duplicates-once.

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...mp;start=1680#3

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...p;start=1720#19

I don't understand clearly: does this refer to windows or another operating system?

Alex Kopylov (former bootcd.ru) added -duplicates-once and -force-uppercase in 2004.

This mingw32 version isn't supported since 2004. There is no charset utf-8.

Mkisofs uses iconv nowadays http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconv.

And cygwin file cygiconv-2.dll does offer charset utf-8.

Integrate -duplicates-once source code to current cdrtools version and compiled at cygwin:

Source code cdrtools-2.01.01a66-bootcd.ru-mkisofs.tar.gz

Win32 binaries cdrtools-2.01.01a66-bootcd.ru-mkisofs.7z

This version support -input-charset utf-8 and -duplicates-once, however russian characters are not tested.

@robekia

Sorry, no more idea. There is a strange BIOS.

[tjcinnamon]

Is it possible to use this for other applications such as:

XP install

7 install

UBCD

Memtest x86

ect...

It would be nice to have a number of images on a USB stick and then pick them from grub.

Also, it would be easy to upgrade the versions of the ISO's because all you would have to do is replace the ISO with the most recent version (and maybe modify the bootloader, if the image name changed).

Not sure if this is capable of this but if it was that would be awesome.

[jaclaz]

Is it possible to use this for other applications such as:

XP install

7 install

UBCD

Memtest x86

ect...

You are reading "this" and "this" is the XP install one, nothing less, nothing more.

If the question is "is it possible to multiboot from USB choosing among several .iso images?":

The UBCD is possible and documented.

The Memtest also.

Start reading here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5041

BUT read here also:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8944

There is not a definite "windows 7" report/tutorial/howto:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...=5041&st=26

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...ic=9038&hl=

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9076

If you are "windows 7" oriented you may want to try the workarounds and contribute to the solution, or experiment with "this" porting the method to Windows 7.

jaclaz

Edited November 5, 2009 by jaclaz

[travis_san]

I'm getting errors in the text setup that say these files can't be found:

advpack.dll.mui

icardie.dll.mui

iedkcs32.dll.mui

ieframe.dll.mui

iepeers.dll.mui

iernonce.dll.mui

iesetup.dll.mui

ieui.dll.mui

ieunatt.exe.mui

inetcpl.cpl.mui

inseng.dll.mui

msfeedsbs.dll

mshta.exe

mshtml.dll.mui

mshtmled.dll

mshtmler.dll.mui

urlmon.dll.mui

winfxdocobj.exe.mui

wininet.dll.mui

If I skip each of these files, the setup continues ok until the GUI setup where I receive the error "The file 'asms' is needed" and I cannot proceed further.

The source I used to create XP_RAM.iso was an nlited XPSP3 with IE7 slipstreamed and an $OEM$ folder just containing a cmdlines, a batch script and reg files. I have no issues with this source when mounting it as a CD. Testing done in Virtual Box and the ISO was loaded via a usb flash drive. I feel like I'm missing something obvious...

[ilko_t]

Please post/compress&attach \I386\txtsetip.sif and the grub4dos' menu.lst used.

Do you have the SP tag files in root of the CD/ISO?

[cdob]

I'm getting errors in the text setup that say these files can't be found:

Use clean source files. Don't integrate IE7.

As ilko_t requested already: which txtsetup.sif and menu.lst do you use?

until the GUI setup where I receive the error "The file 'asms' is needed" and I cannot proceed further.

Which hardware do you use?

Try fixBoot.USB, compare first message and http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=888710

Testing done in Virtual Box and the ISO was loaded via a usb flash drive.

Did you try RAM load that way?

How do you integrate the usb flash drive? A virtual physicaldrive isn't a USB drive anymore.

[jaclaz]

@cdob

please be aware that the board "linking to post" does not work properly.

Your link gives "a suffusion of yellow" and just points to the thread.

Use this style of links:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=137714&st=71

hxxp://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=137714&st=71

jaclaz

Edited November 9, 2010 by jaclaz

[kDn]

cdob

Sorry for the late answer, I was too busy last days...

Russian forums hard to translate becouse all forum posts filled with technical jargon.

Recovery Console:

Sort some files at mkISO_RAMload_sort.cmd

...

I don't test running recovery console from sorted iso yet, becouse I use isolated iso (~15Mb) with integrated mass storage drivers.

title cmdcons.iso
map --floppies=1
map --mem /boot/_ima/firadisk.gz (fd0)
map --mem /boot/_iso/cmdcons.iso (0xFF)
map --hook
ls (fd0)/firadisk.sys
chainloader (0xFF)

There was a question about mkisofs -input-charset utf-8 and -duplicates-once.

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...mp;start=1680#3

http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=...p;start=1720#19

I don't understand clearly: does this refer to windows or another operating system?

This posts in forum not about using XP_Inst method, only general talk about making bootable CD whith grub4dos as boot loader.

[travis_san]

Thanks ilko_t and cdob for helping me out.

until the GUI setup where I receive the error "The file 'asms' is needed" and I cannot proceed further.

Oops, this is not a problem. I had been resetting the vm between text and gui setup.

Do you have the SP tag files in root of the CD/ISO?

There is a 'WIN51IP.SP3' file in the root if that is what you mean.

Did you try RAM load that way?

How do you integrate the usb flash drive? A virtual physicaldrive isn't a USB drive anymore.

Yes, I did RAM load this way by linking the usb drive as a virtual drive. Between the text and gui setup I could not change the boot order of physical drives without resetting the vm, so I tried adding this to menu.lst:

title find and load NTLDR of Windows NT/2K/XP
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr

This does not work ("File not found" in VirtualBox, instantaneous reset in Qemu). However, this entry does work if booted from a mounted ISO (I'm puzzled as to why) instead of a linked usb drive. This was the method I used to create a successful install. Is this how you tested it in a vm or did you use a different method?

Use clean source files. Don't integrate IE7.

I tried this as you said and the install works perfectly. What can I do to slipstream IE7 without generating missing file errors in text setup? Can you help me understand why these errors exist with the RAM loaded version and not when mounted as a CD?

I've attached txtsetup.sif from my IE7 slipstreamed source. Here is my menu.lst (it's just the same as in cdob's first post):

title Loading XP RAM install - /Inst/XP_RAM.ISO
ls /Inst/XP_RAM.ISO || find --set-root /Inst/XP_RAM.ISO
map --mem /Inst/XP_INST.IMA (fd0)
#(fd1) optional, required at some BIOS
#map --mem /Inst/XP_INST.IMA (fd1)
map --mem /Inst/XP_RAM.ISO (0xFF)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
chainloader (0xFF)/I386/SETUPLDR.BIN

TXTSETUP.7z

Edited November 10, 2009 by travis_san

[ilko_t]

...Between the text and gui setup I could not change the boot order of physical drives without resetting the vm, so I tried adding this to menu.lst:

title find and load NTLDR of Windows NT/2K/XP
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr

This does not work ("File not found" in VirtualBox, instantaneous reset in Qemu). However, this entry does work if booted from a mounted ISO (I'm puzzled as to why) instead of a linked usb drive. This was the method I used to create a successful install. Is this how you tested it in a vm or did you use a different method?

To start the second phase (GUI mode) from the same drive, you'd need to "swap" hard drives order using grub4dos:

title Start GUI mode
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
find --set-root /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr

Or boot MBR on HD0 (hd0 after mapping/swapping) directly, not chainloading ntldr:

title Start GUI mode
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
rootnoverify (hd0)
chainloader +1

NTLDR expects NTDETECT.COM in the active partition of the first disk, not on the second, as would be if no swapping is made, hence the need of swapping.

Use clean source files. Don't integrate IE7.

I tried this as you said and the install works perfectly. What can I do to slipstream IE7 without generating missing file errors in text setup? Can you help me understand why these errors exist with the RAM loaded version and not when mounted as a CD?

There are several reports that nLited sources do NOT work well when booted not from a CD, search this board with few of the file names reported as missing, here is one hit:

http://www.msfn.org/board/integration-ie7-...icardie.dll.mui

http://www.msfn.org/board/error-winxp-winn...;hl=icardie.dll

Here were several similar reports, somewhere in the last pages:

http://www.msfn.org/board/32-t120444.html

No idea why RAM loaded ISO would differ from a regular CD, seems Setup is picky when detecting source media used and makes additional checks, or the double dotted files matter, or the long file names...

Can you attach \I386\layout.inf as well, from the modified source?

[doveman]

Well I'm not sure exactly what I did, but I've made some progress.

I use a dual-boot and I've made a third (primary) partition to store the ISO and IMA on, so that I can format the other two partitions if I feel like it. TXT-mode setup goes OK but after rebooting, it says:

"Couldn't open drive multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

NTLDR: Couldn't open drive multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)"

This is after trying to install to the first partition, so those parameters seem correct. Any idea what's going on there?

I'm also trying to test this in Vmware. Again I've made a third (primary) partition to store the ISO and IMA on but trying to install either "Vanilla" XPSP3 (558MB) or nlited-XPSP3 (381MB) to either the first or second partition in VMware, after selecting Quick Format I get:

"Setup cannot format the partition

Your computer may not have enough memory to perform this operation or your Windows XP CD-ROM may contain some corrupted files."

I've given the VMachine 1GB RAM, so lack of memory shouldn't be a problem. Installing with either of the ISO's mounted to the V-CD-ROM works fine.

If I format the partition manually and select "Leave the current file system intact (no changes)" in XP setup, I get:

"Setup was unable to verify drive C:

Your computer may not have enough memory to examine the drives or your Windows XP CD-ROM may contain some corrupted files.

To continue, press ENTER"

and pressing Enter gets me:

"Setup cannot access the CD containing the Windows XP installation files"

Has anyone had any success testing this in a Virtual machine?