Win XP installation problems on thinkpads

[autopilot]

Hi to all,

i have a strange problem with my unattended multiboot usb xp installation. On normal pc's the installation starts and run without problems, but when i try to boot on a thinkpad e.g. r50, r500 or t41 the installation do not start only a flashing cursor is on the screen.... nothing happens.

i used:

USB-Stick: 4GB Corsair Flash Voyager

nlite

USB_MultiBoot_10

question:

is there any difference by installing windows xp from usb sticks on thinkpads or do someone know how i can solve this ?

thanks !

[jaclaz]

IBM thinkpad's (read Lenovo) normally use a "strange" 240 heads geometry (instead of the "normal" 255 one).

The flashing cursor is normally related to a mismatch/unbalancing between CHS and LBA addresses.

What you can try to do is to patch the bootsector to avoid checks for CHS,

a way through grub4dos is detailed here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=23844&st=9

derived from an original idea by Clemens Fruhwirth:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21702&st=129

http://blog.clemens.endorphin.org/2007/12/removing-chs-based-access-from-windows_3170.html

which dencorso nicely compiled as a .exe:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8528&st=21

First thing you need to do is to check the geometry seen by grub4dos, press C and then issue:

geometry (hd0)

and

geometry (hd1)

and report feedback.

Also check the data in the current partition table.

These Lenovo's are making some troubles, cannot really say if we are missing something in the way they boot/behave.

Compare with these:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=23408&hl= (solved)

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?&showtopic=5306&st=215 (solved)

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11320 (UNsolved)

jaclaz

[allen2]

I'll also check if they have the lastest bios and if the bios settings are set correctly as some bios might emulate floppy/zip/hd when booting from usb and sometimes only one works.

[autopilot]

@jaclaz:

thanks for the quick answer, i will give you a feedback.

@allen2

the bios settings are ok, from another stick (which is probably broken) i can boot.

[cdob]

from another stick (which is probably broken) i can boot.

Which data space does this stick provide?

How did you partition and format this stick?

How did you partition and format the 4GB Corsair Flash Voyager stick?

The 4GB stick may need other settings.

[jaclaz]

I must have misunderstood the problem.

I thought you were meaning that the install (once copied to HD) didn't boot.

If I am understanding right now, it's the USB stick that doesn't boot at all.

If so, this is another problem, about stick bootability, as cdob pointed out.

I guess your best bet is to re-partition/re-format the USB stick with RMPREPUSB and just verify it's bootability on those machines:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7739

or, if it doesn't work, try the other utilities listed here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9460

What you want/need is a stick with:

• NTLDR
  
• BOOT.INI (with at least two entries in it)
  

that can boot up to the BOOT.INI choices.

FAQ #10 in my old page:

http://jaclaz.altervista.org/Projects/USB/USBfaqs.html

still provides a reasonable troubleshooting path.

The news are (see my previous post) that if for any reason CHS and LBA are not "balanced" the stick may boot with FAT16 (06 or 0E) and may not with FAT32 or NTFS due to the additional check in the bootsector.

The DOS/Win9x bootsector (for FAT32) appears like more tolerant, but it's all about how different BIOS behave.

jaclaz

Edited May 18, 2010 by jaclaz

[autopilot]

good news it works !!

fist of all thanks to all of you!

@cdob

the old broken stick (loosing datas everytime) has one partition with 2gb ntfs also a flash voyager.

the new stick is one big partition with 4gb ntfs.

@jaclaz

i format the usb stick with RMPREPUSB and now it works!

i think the "hp usb disk storage tool v2.0.6" has a littel problem to format the stick and make it bootable.

[cdob]

the old broken stick ... 2gb ntfs

the new stick ... 4gb ntfs

Different size is a different condition at USB booting.

A BIOS may use different mapping.

i format the usb stick with RMPREPUSB and now it works!

Congratulations.

i think the "hp usb disk storage tool v2.0.6" has a littel problem

Basically the HP tool does support a HP BIOS.

The formated USB stick may fail at other BIOS.

This was the reason to develop different USB format tools.

RMPREPUSB is one example.

USB_MultiBoot.cmd author wimb offers a enhanced format version too.

U-XP-SET can format a USB stick nowadays.

[jaclaz]

I may add that should anyone want to know what problems (and "features") the "HP Format Tool" has, and the problems about CHS and LBA balancing, the info is available (besides the problems with bootsectors code of NTFS and FAT32 invoking NTLDR, already discussed), read here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2246&st=15

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21702&hl=

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21049&st=14

To this you add that some motherboards apparently need a fake second partition:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7512&hl=

And you will have an idea of how "crazy" is this whole "USB booting" staff.

jaclaz