Install XP from a ISO file

[tonyzg]

@ ilko_t

Thanks for the image. I'll test it today or tomorrow.

@ wimp

Thanks for your testing and advice. I'll test your method too and post about results.

EDIT: OK, here is test result. I installed GRUB4DOS on new stick manually and used ilko_t's winvblock image

and settings wimp proposed and I passed over the "starting Windows" massage in the botoom. SO no blue screen now

But the problem is that this USB won't boot on few test PC's here where I work (HP 8000 CMT and older workstation HP COMPAQ W6000)

My old USB stick from which I first tested this method of installing Windows from USB did boot in HP 8000 CMT (didn't try it in W6000)

That old bootable USB was made with "MultiBootISOs-2.1.5.1.exe" and that app puts syslinux on USB (I think) so maybe that kind

of bootable USB is producing blue screen error. Maybe someone will know why is that so.

Now, my question is how can I make bootable USB stick that can run this method of installing Windows and that can boot on many

different PC configurations preferably on those that don't have BIOS option to boot from USB (like that workstaion W6000).

Maybe if some of you who have bootable USB stick that works on almost every PC and work with this method of installing Windows

can point me in right direction of making that kind of stick.

Thanks in advance

Edited February 17, 2011 by tonyzg

[wimb]

You can use Make_USB.exe of U_XP_SET package.

In that case use Format Stick button and NTFS format

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21883

Edited February 17, 2011 by wimb

[jaclaz]

Now, my question is how can I make bootable USB stick that can run this method of installing Windows and that can boot on many

different PC configurations preferably on those that don't have BIOS option to boot from USB (like that workstaion W6000).

Maybe if some of you who have bootable USB stick that works on almost every PC and work with this method of installing Windows

can point me in right direction of making that kind of stick.

The usual recommendations (by me) are:

The 1st recommended solution is to flip the "Removable" bit and have a "Fixed" device.

The 2nd recommended solution is to use RMPREPUSB to partition/format it.

The 3rd recommended solution is to use FBINST to partition/format it.

More details here:

http://reboot.pro/13675/page__st__126

The above equates to:

Try using RMPREPUSB first thing:

http://reboot.pro/7739/

http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/

More tools:

http://reboot.pro/9460/

jaclaz

[tonyzg]

@ wimp & @ jaclaz

Thanks guys, I'll try those solutions, hope at least one of them will give the result I need.

I've been playing with bootable USB for last few weeks but so far none of the methods

I tried were good enough for me. Good thing is that every time I'm step closer to my goal

[davlak]

I've tested it and works, setup goes on in text mode but after reboot I needed to build the MBR before step 2.

But I seriously suppose there must be a bug into the bios of my old test machine (mobo foxconn cpu intel p4).

as usual no way to repair the unknown device (winvblock) in device manager into XP.

[cdob]

after reboot I needed to build the MBR before step 2.

Setup writes MBR to hd0.

You may have to adjust the mapping:

map (hd0) (hd1)

map (hd1) (hd0)

Overall there seems to be a BIOS, USB, windows and winvblock confusion.

I consider this experimental still.

@all

Which hardware and windows do you use?

[tonyzg]

OK, here's what I've managed to do so far.

With RMPREPUSB I wasnt able to produce USB that can boot on all my PCs.

On newer machines I was getting blinking cursor.

At the end I formated the USB through Windows format to NTFS and tha installed

grub4dos through RMPREPUSB and clicked NO when installation asked do I

want to install it to MBR so it installed to PBR instead.

Other USB I made with Make_USB and left "Standard" MBR BootCode install option on.

Both USB sticks now boot on all PCs I've tested so far (except that workstation W6000)

and the Windows installation pass the point where I got blue screen before, but when I press

ENTER to select where I want to install Windows I'm only getting partition C: and that

is my USB stick.

menu.lst is the one wimb suggested. Do I have to change mapping in menu.lst?

I'm guessing that device (USB) was probably not made as it should be but maybe

some other type of mapping could solve this. I'll leave that to experts...

@ cdob

I'm on Windows XP SP3 Professional. What info about the hardware do you need?

Type of motherboard, BIOS, RAM...?

[wimb]

but when I press

ENTER to select where I want to install Windows I'm only getting partition C: and that

is my USB stick.

You are missing MassStorage driver needed to see your Harddisk.

http://driverpacks.net/downloads

For Install of XP on a modern system with SATA Drives it is needed to use DPsBase.exe

for Integrating in your XPSOURCE BTS DriverPack Massstorage with TXT Mode Enabled.

[tonyzg]

You are missing MassStorage driver needed to see your Harddisk.

http://driverpacks.net/downloads

For Install of XP on a modern system with SATA Drives it is needed to use DPsBase.exe

for Integrating in your XPSOURCE BTS DriverPack Massstorage with TXT Mode Enabled.

That is probably right because on older PC with IDE disk that I tested 30 minutes ago everithing was OK.

I have mass storage driver integrated in my iso file from the start.

I downloaded "DriverPack Mass Storage 11.01 for Windows 2000/XP/2003 (x86)" and integrated them

with my source, but with nLite. Does it realy have to be made with DPsBase.exe? If it have to be it

do I use method 1 or method 2 of slipstreaming?

Another thing I noticed when I try to install on a newer machine is that I didn't see winvblock drivers

loading at starting point of Windows installation. I remember that few times on older USB setup I noticed

that winvblock drivers are indeed loading. Could it be that my bootable USB wasn't made the

right way? I'll try to test some more after I get answers to upper questions.

Edited February 18, 2011 by tonyzg

[wimb]

Does it realy have to be made with DPsBase.exe? If it have to be it

do I use method 1 or method 2 of slipstreaming?

You need the MassSorage as boot driver.

I would advise to use DPsBase.exe and MassStorage + TXT-mode enabled (gives boot driver)

and use method 2 (as always).

@cdob

I am using AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4800+ and ASUS M2A-VM HDMI mobo

and Windows XP SP3 Professional (with and without UpdatePack)

I found that if the WinVBlock virtual floppy is defined in RAM using --mem option,

then the virtual CD on USB will survive install of devices in GUI mode and XP Setup is OK.

Without --mem for virtual floppy then the virtual CD on USB is lost just after install of devices in GUI mode and XP Setup will FAIL.

Edited February 18, 2011 by wimb

[Doodoo]

as usual no way to repair the unknown device (winvblock) in device manager into XP.

If you look carrefully, I think the device is working absolutely fine, there is no exclamation mark on the device icon.

It is just an unknown device, and it comes with a question mark; XP does not know in which correct category it should put it (SCSI and RAID controllers). But it is really working fine and does not need repairing.

[cdob]

I am using AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4800+ and ASUS M2A-VM HDMI mobo

and Windows XP SP3 Professional (with and without UpdatePack)

I found that if the WinVBlock virtual floppy is defined in RAM using --mem option,

then the virtual CD on USB will survive install of devices in GUI mode and XP Setup is OK.

At a ASrock N68C-S UCC (AMIBIOS) map --mem fails still. CD-ROM disappear at PNP.

Idea: Open a handle to virtual CD-ROM drive.

Compare

Press shift F10 to open command console at a default install ISO.

Change directory to virtual CD ROM drive.

This opens a handle CD ROM drive. Keep this windows open. PNP dosn't truncate access.

At DriverPacks edit presetup.cmd

:DPsFound
start /b "Open handle to virtual CD-ROM drive." pushd "%CDDRIVE%"

Another cmd.exe is launched in context to running hidden presetup.cmd.

Hence this cmd.exe is hidden too.

At driver February 14 I don't use virtual floppy at first reboot anymore.

Driver and txtsetup.oem was updated. Add file winvblk.cat to virtual floppy too.

title 2 Continue Windows XP setup

map /Inst/XP_RAM.ISO (0xff)

checkrange 0x80 read 0x8280 && map (hd0) (hd1) && map (hd1) (hd0)

map --hook

chainloader (hd0)+1

[tonyzg]

You need the MassSorage as boot driver.

I would advise to use DPsBase.exe and MassStorage + TXT-mode enabled (gives boot driver)

and use method 2 (as always).

Thanks, that worked just fine and I passed the point of blue screen now on newer machines.

I didn't tried to finish the installation on that PC thou.

I'll try on older PC today at work... (I reedited my post if you saw it few minutes ago because

I have to try it again... I made mistake in menu.lst)

Edited February 22, 2011 by tonyzg

[steve6375]

I had similar issue to Wimb. See my tutorial on RMprepUSB website at http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/tutorials/install-xp-from-an-iso

Step 1 works fine when directly mapped to the ISO

Step 2 GUI stage crashes unless iso is mapped using --mem :-(

@tonyzg - re. RMPrepUSb and flashing cursor. Did you try latest version of RMPrepUSB = v2.1.617. This should be fixed. If not can you send me the contents of the MBR of your working USB drive as it seems that the systems that give a flashing cursor do not like the RMPrepUSB MBR??? The latest version has a modified version of grub4dos too so you can install to MBR or PBR. I would be interested to know if they both worked on all your systems?

[Doodoo]

Step 1 works fine when directly mapped to the ISO

Step 2 GUI stage crashes unless iso is mapped using --mem :-(

Have you tried cdob's trick ?

Presumably this applies to a vanilla XP ISO:

Press shift F10 to open command console at a default install ISO.

Change directory to virtual CD ROM drive.

This opens a handle CD ROM drive. Keep this windows open. PNP dosn't truncate access.

and this to a modified ISO with DriverPacks integrated:

At DriverPacks edit presetup.cmd

:DPsFound
start /b "Open handle to virtual CD-ROM drive." pushd "%CDDRIVE%"

Another cmd.exe is launched in context to running hidden presetup.cmd.

Hence this cmd.exe is hidden too.

It would be very useful to know if this trick solves the problem in your case.