Problems with WinsetupfromUSB GUI

[Rob K]

Hi,

This is my first post here. I am having problems with trying to get my new Acer Revo to install XP Pro from a USB stick. I have been browsing several forums, and tried several different pieces of software and methods of implementing it, but so far, nothing has worked.

This is the PC that I am trying to install on:-

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167153

I followed the instructions listed at the beginning of this thread. I made a USB stick and it appeared to work on the desktop that I made it on. I used an original XP Pro installation disk with SP2 included on it. (Question:- Is this necessary? Can I use a previous installation disk that does NOT have SP2 on it?). That PC already has XP Pro (SP3) installed on it. When I booted from the USB key (before removing the USB key from the XP Pro PC), it started by displaying new text on the screen that I had not seen before when the PC booted from the hard drive.

It started with text listings, like “cmain()”, and “No PXE stack”.

Then it appeared to boot with a two-part boot sequence, listing:-

“Windows XP Pro part 1” amd “Windows XP Pro part 2”.

It then went to the usual light-blue Windows installation DOS text screen that gives the options to partition and install XP in the usual way, or abort the installation by pressing F3 twice. This all appeared to be the same as a regular installation from the CD ROM. Great!

I then ran the re-boot sequence a second time, as instructed in the instructions above, and this time, it booted to a list of XP boot options. The highlighted one was at the top, and was listed as:-

“boot from HD0, sector 1”, or something like that.

Anyway, in 4 seconds it auto-booted to the Windows XP Pro “Welcome” screen in the usual way from my hard drive. It did not attempt to INSTALL Windows this time, it just booted via the USB, then went ran the regular installation of XP that is already on the hard drive, complete with my regular desktop, etc.

I un-mounted the USB key, and tried to install XP Pro on my Revo. I have set the BIOS to boot from USB first. I have dis-abled te “RevoBoot” function. The Revo will boot initially, but then it stops at a screen showing “GRUB4DOS 0.4.4 etc…” and there is a DOS type prompt, which just reads :-

“ grub >”

I have tried several of the commands listed by the “TAB” function of the GRUB utility, but whey give me an error code, and do nothing.

So, what am I missing? Why does this boot sequence stop at this GRUB thing? Why does it not go as far as the light-blue Windows XP Pro install options screen? I know that those files are on the USB stick, as they came up in the initial boot sequence on the USB stick after I had removed the XP PRO install CD from the CD-ROM drive.

It appeared to work in the original PC that I made it on, but will not do the same thing in the Acer Revo.

Anyone got any ideas on this variation, and how I can correct it?

Cheers, and thanks in advance,

Rob

:wacko:

[ilko_t]

While in grub4dos prompt issue:

find /winsetup.lst
cat (fd0)/winsetup.lst
cat (hd0,0)/winsetup.lst

Please post the output of each.

Next- try replacing file GRLDR (without extension!) in USB stick root with one from the latest releases here:

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/

For example:

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/grub4dos-0.4.4-2009-10-06.zip <--- latest one

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/grub4dos-0.4.4-2009-05-13.zip <--- randomly chosen

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/ :

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/grub4do...-2008-05-14.zip

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/grub_for_dos-0.4.2.zip

Please report if you have success with any of them, mention grub4dos version, it also appears at the top of the

"light-blue Windows XP Pro install options screen".

[Rob K]

Hi,

I tried the stuff that you mentioned as far as I could make sense of it. The last part was not clear to me, so I did not change anything there.

This is what I did, and what results I observed:-

My grub4dos version is 0.4.4

When in the “grub > ” prompt, I entered:-

find /winsetup.lst

The response was :-

(fd0)

I entered:-

Cat (fd0)/winsetup.lst

The response was long! This is what came up:-

color black/cyan yellow/cyan

timeout 10

default /windefault

title First part of Windows XP professional setup

root (hd0,0)

chainloader (hd0,0)/$WIN_NT$,~BT.SETUPLDR.BIN

savedefault 1

title Second part of Windows XP professional setup

root (hd0,0)

chainloader (hd0,0)/NTLDR

save default

The last command that I entered was :-

Cat (hd0,0)/winsetup.lst

The response was :-

Error 15: File not found

I then downloaded the GRLDR file from the nufans site and replaced the one (dated 31 March 09) with the latest one, dated 6th Oct 09.

I was not sure what you wanted me to do with the following three lines in your previous e-mail. These are the three lines with the word “history” in them.

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/ :

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/grub4do...-2008-05-14.zip

http://nufans.net/grub4dos/history/grub_for_dos-0.4.2.zip

Did you want me to update any of these files in the same way as the GRLDR file?

I tried booting off the USB key in the Revo. There was a change in the boot sequence, but it still did not boot to the install screen.

I still had the Revo set to boot from USB first. In my BIOS, in the page where I set the boot device priority, there are two entries at the top of the page, for QUICK BOOT and QUIET BOOT. Both are enabled. Does this make any difference? Should they be enabled or disabled, or does it not matter?

When I tried booting, I got the first line of text like I did when I used the USB key in the PC that I made it on. The first line displayed read:-

Starting cmain()…

However, this appeared to hang for about 15 seconds, then it would attempt a re-boot again, getting to the same place. This “Starting cmain()…” is now an infinite loop. The grub4dos page does not display now.

Has this helped to narrow down the problem at all?

Cheers again,

Rob

Cheers, and thanks in advance,

Rob

[ilko_t]

Your BIOS shows the USB stick as a floppy, rather than a hard disk which is needed.

Check in BIOS if there is an option about USB mode- USB-HD, USB-ZIP, USB-FD or something similar. You'd need HD mode.

Google- ing around it appears that option should be in Integrated Peripherals-->USB Storage emulation set to HDD.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-cinema...ml#post10480758

What program did you format the USB stick with, RMPrepUSB?

Grub4dos version should not be relevant for your problem. As for the "history" links- those are older grub4dos versions. No need to play with that for now.

BTW- thanks for the detailed reports, it's pleasure to help people who post all the relevant information.

[Rob K]

Hi,

SOME MORE PROGRESS, but not there yet!

I formatted the USB stick with RMPrepUSB, as listed in the link at the beginning of this thread. I used a 1GB Maxell USB drive, formatted as NTFS, “XP bootable” and “boot as HDD (2PTNS)”, and “Force target disk type set to “removable” “.

I entered the BIOS and changed the emulation for the USB from “Auto” to “Hard Disk”. This made a big difference. The Revo booted through the “First part etc…” and the “Second part etc…” DOS screen texts, but it hung up with a new error message. This message reads:-

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.

<Windows root>System32\hal.dll.

Please re-install a copy of the above file.

I was not sure where it was referring to by the <Windows root> path, so I browsed the USB key and found the Syetem32 folder under this path:-

E:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\system32

I looked in there and did not find the file called “hal.dll”.

So, I browsed into my Windows installation on my desktop (XP Pro) PC, and found a file called “HAL.DLL” (in upper case letters). My System32 folder on my desktop is very full. It contains 300 folders and 5366 files, totalling 1.12 GFB. By contrast, the System32 folder on the USB stick contained only two files, called “ntdll.dll” and “smss” (an application, no extension listed).

Is that normal? Is there a huge chunk of something missing from my USB installation?

Anyway, I copied and pasted the HAL.DLL file into the System32 folder on my USB key. I was concerned with case sensitivity, so I tried to make another copy of the same file in the same place and re-name it in lower case. I could make the copy OK, (auto-named as “Copy of HAL.DLL”), but the PC would not let me re-name in lower case, as it stated that there was already a file of that name in there. So, I just tried re-naming it (without copying) to “hal.dll”.

I tried this in the Revo, but got the same error message (hal.dll. missing from <Windows root>, or corrupt) . It is definitely there. Why is it not being recognised?

Thanks for the help so far. It feels like we are closing in on a success!

Cheers,

Rob

[ilko_t]

Did you complete the first part of Setup, the text based?

Did you install Windows on the first partition of the internal disk?

Do you have any other partitions on the internal disk? This can be seen on the partitioning screen during Text mode. It clearly displays partition Y [FILE_SYSTEM] TOTAL_SIZE (AVAILABLE_SPACE). You are interested in partition Y, the one you are installing Windows to. That number Y should be present in BOOT.INI--> partition(Y).

If you have used the latest versions of the program you should have a few entries below the line "TRY THESE IF YOU ATE GETTING HAL.DLL...error". Just test them all one by one.

The error about missing hal.dll means that NTLDR did not find next files required to continue boot in the path specified in the selected entry in BOOT.INI. Since we are booting from the USB stick, the boot.ini file which is applicable is the one on the USB stick.

Check FAQs, Q4/A4:

http://www.msfn.org/board/faqs-t116766.html

Amend BOOT.INI on the USB stick accordingly, or use the pre-made entries if used the latest version of the program.

[Rob K]

Hi, again,

I do not think that the first part of the setup was completed. The first text screen to display read:-

Windows XP/2000/2003 setup First and Second parts (or words to that effect, displayed in yellow text)

It then counted down a few seconds and showed a text screen with two separate lines listing the first and second parts. It read:-

First part of Windows XP Professional setup (displays in black text on the screen)

Second part of Windows XP Professional setup (displays in yellow text on the screen)

I never got as far as seeing a listing of hard disks that had been found, or partition information, or whatever. I think I know which screen you are referring to; the one that usually displays in blue when using an XP Pro installation disk and you can exit from the installation by pressing F3 twice, yes?

I have looked at the boot.ini file on the USB stick. I am not sure what I am supposed to edit here. I have looked at the FAQ website, but that did not clear it up for me. I have cut-and-pasted the text from the boot.ini file on the USB stick at the end of this posting. Both my "rdisk" and "partition" parameters are set to the value "1`".

I did get the screen displaying the line :-

TRY THESE IF YOU ATE GETTING HAL.DLL...error

I re-booted 6 times and tried all of the options. For all of the first three options, using “disk 0”, I got the same error message (missing hal.dll). When I tried it with the last three entries, for disk 1, I got a different set of error messages. These read :-

Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.

Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information.

I set the BIOS options for “Quick boot” and “Quiet boot” to “disabled”, thus allowing me to read the POST messages as the Revo booted. The POST displays only one internal disk, of 160GB capacity. I do not believe that there are any other partitions on it. None were mentioned in the advertising literature. It only mentioned “a hard disk of 160 GB capacity”

See my boot.ini, below. None of the lines with an equals ( = ) sign in it are commented out with asterisks, or whatever, so I am not sure what this file is doing. Does it just use the first line it reads in that contains an "equals" sign?

Cheers,

Rob

[boot Loader]

Timeout=5

Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[Operating Systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 1" /FASTDETECT

c:\="-------------------------"

c:\="Try entries below if getting HAL.DLL/NTOSKRNL.EXE not found errors"

c:\="--------------------------"

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 0 part 4" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 1" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 2" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 3" /FASTDETECT

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 1 part 4" /FASTDETECT

[jaclaz]

Since it's going to be a loong thing, I guess it would be advisable to split Rob K's posts/replies to another specific thread.

@Rob K

Is it OK with you?

Then, back to business.

I re-booted 6 times and tried all of the options.

Rob K,

there are a few things that are not clear.

Please answer these questions:

Is the internal hard disk of the Revo already partitioned/formatted?

If yes how (how many partition, which types, which filesystem)?

Start again from scratch, and yes, re-partition the stick with RMprepUSB and re-run the app.

Boot from the stick on the Revo just ONCE.

What do you see on this first boot?

If you see the two lines:

First part of Windows XP Professional setup

Second part of Windows XP Professional setup

choose first one:

First part of Windows XP Professional setup

Describe what happens.

jaclaz

[Rob K]

Hi,

OK by me to split the thread. ... as long as I get to the bottom of this problem... ;-)

Before I do this, there is one thing that I need to clarify. When I fomatted and prepared the USB stick with RMprepUSB, it finished by displaying a message which said something like:-

"Do not remove USB stick. Re-boot TWO more times before removing the USB stick...etc..."

So, do you want me to boot my desktop (XP Pro) PC twice with the USB stick to finalise the preparation, THEN boot the Revo just once?

OR...

Is the instruction at the end of the RMprepUSB utility assuming that I want to boot the SAME PC (desktop) using this USB key, and so is instructing me to boot it twice in the desktop PC before removing it?

Should I just pull it out of the desktop and do the first ever re-boot (for this USB stick) with it in the Revo?

Cheers,

Rob

[jaclaz]

Topic splitted.

Sorry, I hadn't been clear, what I meant was trying to separate things.

Forget for a moment about WinsetupfromUSB GUI.

Get RMprepUSB from here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showforum=95

and run it.

After, you will have a properly partitioned/formatted key.

THEN, run WinsetupfromUSB GUI, it should find and let you use the pre-partitioned/formatted stick allright.

Then, after WinsetupfromUSB GUI has finished, boot the stick on the Revo only once, and go on as per previous post.

But I still need the answer to the questions I made, as I am not familiar with the Revo (i.e. if it comes with a recovery hidden or non-hidden partition) and cannot know if your particular Revo has been re-partitioned/re-formatted by you.

jaclaz

[Rob K]

Ok,

Cheers for the spilt and explaination!

So, I will try the re-formatting of the USB key and booting from it once.

As for the hard drive in the Revo, I am not sure. It came with a version of Linux pre-installed. As there is no CD ROM drive, there were no disks with it. I have not formatted, or re-formatted the hard drive. As far as I know, there was only one partition, and I have not done anything with it.

I booted the Revo up straight fro the box. It booted to a desktop with a utility called "RevoBoot". This displayed a few icons for media-related tasks, like a web browser, movies, music and photos. I could not see or find any form of file browser. Right-clicking with the mouse seemed to do nothing. I was not able to browse the hard drive or anything in the file structure of the machine.

Other than that, I have done nothing with it. It appears to have a Western Digital 160 GB hard drive, but that is all I know so far. I have not added any software to it, or modified anything other than BIOS settings for this USB project.

I will re-format the USB stick and try the operation you have requested.

Cheers,

Rob

[jaclaz]

I booted the Revo up straight fro the box. It booted to a desktop with a utility called "RevoBoot". This displayed a few icons for media-related tasks, like a web browser, movies, music and photos. I could not see or find any form of file browser. Right-clicking with the mouse seemed to do nothing. I was not able to browse the hard drive or anything in the file structure of the machine.

From the scarce informations around, it has a "dual OS", a simil "instant on" (Linux based? ) OS and Windows Vista. (or Linux Linpus)

http://www.testfreaks.co.uk/desktop-comput...ire-revo-r3600/

Most probably it's a two (or more) partitions setup.

See here also:

http://www.revouser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=114

http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=78783

Actually seemingly 4 (four) partitions:

http://finster.co.uk/tag/revo/

http://finster.co.uk/2009/07/05/swapping-h...e-in-acer-revo/

jaclaz

[Rob K]

Hi,

OK, here is what I have done so far:-

Visited this web link:-

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showforum=95

I registered on the site and downloaded RMprepUSB version 2.0.602

I unzipped, installed and ran the application. I set the “XP bootable” parameter, and the “emulate as hard disk” by checking the tick boxes, as per the previous instructions.

I then ran the WinSetupFromUSB version 0.2.3 with an original XP Pro SP2 disk in the CD ROM drive.

I then replaced the file GRLDR dated 31 March, with the one that I downloaded from the nufans.org site yesterday, dated 6 Oct 09.

I put the USB key into the Revo, without booting my main desktop PC from it (I just “exited” the WinSetupFromUSB utility… assuming this wes the correct thing to do)

THIS TIME, I got the usual blue installation screen for Windows XP Pro. It went as far as asking me if I wanted to setup XP PRO. This is the first screen to wait for user input to decide whether to install, repair, or abort installation by pressing F3. This is the screen you would be familiar with if you had installed XP a billion times, like I have… Normal, so far…

HOWEVER, it did not find any internal mass storage devices (hard disks).

The text displayed was as follows:-

Windows XP Professional Setup

Setup has recognised the following mass storage devices in your computer

<none>

• to specify an additional SCSI … etc

• If you do not have any additional support disks from a mass storage device…etc…

Any ideas on this one? Ther eis DEFINITELY a 160 GB Western Digital hard drive in there.

My Revo is currently sat there showing only the USB key as a mass storage device, and asking me if I want to install XP PRO on to it. I have not gone further than this, as I do not want to in stall XP on the USB stick. I want it to find the hard drive, and re-format it with one large, 160 GB partition.

So, where to next?...

Cheers,

Rob

[cdob]

Windows XP dosn't support your mass storage controller.

Use a USB floppy drive. Load drivers.

Or add drivers to XP.

http://www.msfn.org/board/88-t51140.html

Or use a virtual floppy http://www.msfn.org/board/3-t137461.html

Or goto BIOS, set IDE emulation mode.

[Rob K]

Hi,

OK, here is what I did next:-

I re-booted the Revo and went into the BIOS and set the AHCP parameter to IDE emulation. When I re-booted the Revo again, the First Part of the Windows Setup program ran, and found FOUR partitions. One was ”unknown”, which I am assuming is the Linux one. One was OS/2 (inactive), and the other two were NTFS partitions. One partition was a coupe of GB, and the other one was more than 144 GB, essentially the whole disk. The others were 2 or 4 G Beach.

So, the blue-screen DOS text part of Windows Setup ran. I formatted the large partition in NTFS, and the setup continued to copy files.

I went to make a cup of tea, and when I came back, the “missing hal.dll” error message was there again.

I am assuming that the Windows Setup process had re-booted the Revo, and then the boot.ini file might be pointing to the wrong partition, as there are actually four of them on there.

What should I do with this? Should I keep re-booting and trying all of the alternative booting-lines under the “missing hal.dll” message, or edit the boot.ini file (…and how???), or is there something else that needs to be done?

Cheers,

Rob