Why won't my compact flash card boot?

[jcalow]

I have built up an windows xp embedded image and copied it to a compact flash card to run in a thin client pc. I formatted the card in xp as FAT32 and copied the image files across. However, it won't boot. I just keep getting disk errors. The compact flash sets itself as the secondary slave. I have run bootprep on the compact flash card from a floppy but this had no effect. I see people mentioning about the flash card needing to be fixed not removeable. Is this the problem?

Many thanks in advance.

[jaclaz]

Is this the problem?

How can we know?

I formatted the card in xp as FAT32 and copied the image files across. However, it won't boot. I just keep getting disk errors.

This amount (more or less ) to:

I frimbled the card, then trockled it, and I get wintryqs instead.

Please :

Post an EXACT, DETAILED description of what you did, AND an EXACT, DETAILED description of the disk error(s) you get.

Compare with:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com./jonathan.deboynepollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html

jaclaz

[Andromeda43]

No-place did you mention formatting the flash card as a boot disk. It must contain the three DOS boot files in order to boot to DOS, if that's your desire.

Also, the motherboard must be able to boot from cards and/or USB devices. Many won't do that. *

There is a program from HP that will format any Flash Drive or SD Flash memory card. I've done both.

But you have to have the three DOS boot files available, for the program to put them on the card, flash drive, etc.

and you must tell the program where to find those files. Originally I used a DOS boot floppy disk. Now I have the three boot files

in a folder on my HD. I've also put them in a zip pack, on an internet FTP server, for easy download.

* Then again, some motherboards will not boot from a flash card. My Acer One Netbook, will only boot from a Flash Drive in a USB port, not from a formatted SD Flash Memory Card in its card reader. However, I can boot from my SD Flash Card, if I first put it into a memory card to USB adapter.

Go figure!

Please be more detailed in what you've done and what you want to get done, if you want us to help you further.

I probably have all the answers, if I only understand the questions. I've done this stuff a lot.

The Doctor B)

Edited June 21, 2011 by Andromeda43

[Ponch]

I probably have all the answers, if I only understand the questions.

No-place did he mention booting to DOS. This is the "Windows XP" forum and from his 1st line on, he clearly tries to boot XP or "a" version of it.

[jaclaz]

But you have to have the three DOS boot files available, for the program to put them on the card, flash drive, etc.

and you must tell the program where to find those files. Originally I used a DOS boot floppy disk. Now I have the three boot files

in a folder on my HD. I've also put them in a zip pack, on an internet FTP server, for easy download.

Just for the record, and OT 7-zip may be enough

http://reboot.pro/6492/page__st__18

jaclaz

Edited June 22, 2011 by jaclaz

[Phenomic]

Use HP utility to make flash drive bootable.

[Andromeda43]

Use HP utility to make flash drive bootable.

I kinda got the impression from his first post, that he wanted to boot Windows directly from a flash memory card.

I'm not aware that's even possible. But I am aware that the card reader is not the same as a USB port.

I did mention that my own Netbook WILL NOT boot from a flash card in the card reader slot, but if I put the same

bootable card in a card to USB adapter, it works.

If the computer is not set up to boot from the card reader, it won't make any difference what you do to that card

it's still not going to boot the computer, to DOS, or to Windows xx, or anything else.

Good Luck,

B)