Do you have ~BT\system32 folder with ntdll.dll and smss.exe files in it?

Do you have ~BT\system32 folder with ntdll.dll and smss.exe files in it?

Yes I do.

For the record- what's this machine, laptop model or motherboard of desktop?

I'd try also firadisk method and eventually PLoP for faster loading.

For the record- what's this machine, laptop model or motherboard of desktop?

I'd try also firadisk method and eventually PLoP for faster loading.

It's a HP nx6325 laptop.

I just tried the firadisk method with PloP, because otherwise, it was too slow, and I had much success in the text mode portion of the setup. However, after the

first reboot, I loaded PloP, and then I chose to "Continue XP Setup", and the screen showed:

map (hd1), (hd0)

The selected drive does not exist.

Press any key..etc etc...

So, I deleted the two map entries, using the grub4dos editor and it gave me a hal.dll error.

My guess would be that the loader is checking the USB drive, and not finding hal.dll because I removed those map commands.

So, I tried a straight "Continue XP Setup" (without PloP), and it takes forever to load the ISO into memory, and then it shows nothing but a black screen, and the

USB drive light flashes constantly.

Is it possible to map the drives, boot into PloP, and then choose setup like normal, with the map commands under that entry removed? Is this completely incorrect? Or is there an easier solution?

What grub4dos menu entry did you use to start the GUI mode? What about the Text mode entry? Can you post your entire menu.lst, there must be something wrong or omitted in it.

For the GUI mode you even don't have to start from USB if properly used cdob's method, ISO loading by grub4dos is also not necessary, it's loaded later on by imdisk driver, when windows USB 2.0 drivers are loaded and should not take that long at all.

Sorry it took me so long to get back, Thanksgiving and holiday stuff...

What grub4dos menu entry did you use to start the GUI mode? What about the Text mode entry? Can you post your entire menu.lst, there must be something wrong or omitted in it.

For the GUI mode you even don't have to start from USB if properly used cdob's method, ISO loading by grub4dos is also not necessary, it's loaded later on by imdisk driver, when windows USB 2.0 drivers are loaded and should not take that long at all.

Here is the menu.lst I was using:

color black/cyan yellow/cyan
timeout 10
default /default

title Start PLoP boot manager 
find --set-root --ignore-cd /plpbt.bin 
kernel /plpbt.bin

title XP setup from iso
find --set-root /xpsp3.iso
#map (hd0) (hd1)
#map (hd1) (hd0)
map --mem /XP_INST.ima (fd1)
map --mem (md)0x6000+800 (fd0)
map --mem /xpsp3.iso (0xff)
map --hook
dd if=(fd1) of=(fd0) count=1
chainloader (0xff)


title Continue XP setup
find --set-root /xpsp3.iso
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --mem /xpsp3.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (hd0)+1

Edited November 29, 201015 yr by eagle0042

title XP setup from iso
find --set-root /xpsp3.iso
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --mem /XP_INST.ima (fd1)
map --mem (md)0x6000+800 (fd0)
map --mem /xpsp3.iso (0xff)
map --hook
dd if=(fd1) of=(fd0) count=1
chainloader (0xff)


title Continue XP setup
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
rootnoverify (hd0)
chainloader (hd0)+1

And you have to amend the appropriate files for the new file name and location of xpsp3.iso.

Or simply follow the instructions in the first post to the letter and do not introduce any changes unless you get everything working and understand what is what.

And you have to amend the appropriate files for the new file name and location of xpsp3.iso.

My xp installation iso is named xpsp3.iso, and its in the root of the drive.

I tried the menu.lst you posted, and did not get anything more than a black screen, and the USB drive light flashed constantly.

Edited November 30, 201015 yr by eagle0042

My xp installation iso is named xpsp3.iso, and its in the root of the drive.

Then you'll have to edit:

The name \Inst\XP_RAM.ISO is the internal default.

The name can be configured:

The floppy image contains a file \setup\ISOimage.ini. Edit this file.

did not get anything more than a black screen, and the USB drive light flashed constantly.

Did you get grub4dos menu?

Then you'll have to edit:

The name \Inst\XP_RAM.ISO is the internal default.

The name can be configured:

The floppy image contains a file \setup\ISOimage.ini. Edit this file.

Would it not be easier just to rename the iso to the internal default, and change the menu.lst to reflect the default as well?

And if I already completed the text portion of the setup, would I need to re-install to reflect the name changes?

Did you get grub4dos menu?

Nope. Nothing.

Would it not be easier just to rename the iso to the internal default, and change the menu.lst to reflect the default as well?

Sure, that's what I proposed you a few post above, follow the instructions to the letter.

Nope. Nothing.

Then something else must have changed. Booting process hasn't reached grub4dos which loads menu.lst so changes in the latter cannot lead to what you describe.

Then something else must have changed. Booting process hasn't reached grub4dos which loads menu.lst so changes in the latter cannot lead to what you describe.

Ah. I misunderstood you then. It booted into grub4dos, but when I selected to boot to continue the setup, I got nothing more than a blank screen. Thats where the blank screen came from.

And this happened because you didn't use the proper menu.lst entries at first place...

Advice- start from a scratch. Follow instructions to the letter. Do NOT introduce any changes, this means ANY.

When I use the menu.lst that you gave me, using the RAMDISK method with the ISO that I made (renamed to XP_RAM.iso), I get the following results:

• Tried booting into text setup without plop - too slow
  
• Tried booting into text setup with plop - Error 21: Selected disk does not exist
  

EDIT: I did notice that my ISO and IMA arent in the "inst" folder like in the example. Trying that now.

EDIT 2: Same error. What can I do?

Edited November 30, 201015 yr by eagle0042

Are you using the sample menu.lst as in here:

The one I gave you was as per your customizations although you can safely add an entry for the second part if you wish to start from USB stick after Text mode, rather than from the internal hard drive:

title Continue XP setup
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map --hook
rootnoverify (hd0)
chainloader (hd0)+1