Remastering an XP Home Recovery Disk ?

[cdob]

I have managed to use ImgBurn to successfully make a verbatim copy of the Advent 6415 Combo DVD (it shows as a CD image in ISOBuster or ImgBurn). I burnt it to a 700MB Maxell CD-RW disk OK.

I'm confused:

How do you make a verbatim copy?

How much data holds the rescue DVD? How to write a full DVD to CD?

a DVD+RW disk, and I'm getting I/O Error! on the verify cycle.

Trust ImgBurn, distrust the media: destroy the media.

Even though the verify for the DVD+RW disk failed, the Advent 6415 is still able to boot from this disk

..by chance and may cause unpredictable errors in future. Distrust thir DVD+RW media in future.

[JedClampett]

My (educated ) guess, is that it is the SoftThinks thingie PCAngel:

http://www.adventsupport.com/viewtopic.php?t=532

@JedClampett

The idea behind verifying after a burn is to actually believe when it says that the verify failed, and, consequently, try again, NOT to pretend that it's b***§hit and ignore the error.

The screenshot says that that disk has problem accessing sector 213520, it implies that anything before sector 213520 is OK, and that anything after it is "a suffusion of yellow".

OF COURSE it will boot (since normally only first few sectors are used in booting) it may also initiate the install/recovery correctly, but it is LIKELY it will throw an error when it will need to read sector 213520, possibly leaving you with a half-finished, partial install.

jaclaz

Yes - the Copyright Notice when the install starts is SoftThinks 2001.

The reason I tried to see if it would boot up OK, is this disk verified OK when using K3b under Linux. So that makes me wonder about other disks I have burnt using K3b that verified 'OK' ?

[JedClampett]

I have managed to use ImgBurn to successfully make a verbatim copy of the Advent 6415 Combo DVD (it shows as a CD image in ISOBuster or ImgBurn). I burnt it to a 700MB Maxell CD-RW disk OK.

I'm confused:

How do you make a verbatim copy?

How much data holds the rescue DVD? How to write a full DVD to CD?

a DVD+RW disk, and I'm getting I/O Error! on the verify cycle.

Trust ImgBurn, distrust the media: destroy the media.

Even though the verify for the DVD+RW disk failed, the Advent 6415 is still able to boot from this disk

..by chance and may cause unpredictable errors in future. Distrust this DVD+RW media in future.

Although it says DVD on the disk, it's only 640MB in size, so it fits onto the 700 MB CD-RW fine.

Yes - I will trust ImgBurn and seek out some decent media. This is TDK which is supposed to be a good make?

I'll check out the DVD/CD reviews on the ImgBurn forum.

[jaclaz]

I'm confused:

How do you make a verbatim copy?

You use one of these:

jaclaz

[cdob]

Although it says DVD on the disk, it's only 640MB in size, so it fits onto the 700 MB CD-RW fine.

How are disk builded? One 1.2 mm thick disc layer? Or two 0.6 mm thick disc layers glued together?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-ROM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD

I wonder previous assumption: hard disk image and full installation files.

Make a full file list with names, dates and size, either dir or ls. Compress the list and upload it.

This is TDK which is supposed to be a good make?

Read the ATIP. Most good manufacturer dosn't produce CD/DVD discs anymore.

Read at a cdrinfo media section.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/tt.asp?forumid=56

http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/tm.asp?m=141854

[JedClampett]

OK - the plot thickens - LOL.

I created another Boot ISO for another recovery disk - an Advent 7113 laptop that takes Windows Vista Home Premium. This is a 3 GB DVD image. I then burned the Vista DVD image to the 'faulty' DVD+RW disk, after cleaning my DVD drive laser lens.

This TDK DVD is now showing no verify errors, and I also did a second verify of the DVD against the ISO image I burnt the disk from. Again no errors whatsoever. I only use these DVD+RW disks for temporary purposes, like Linux OS installations, and then re-use them to burn a later release of the said OS.

So my apologies to TDK

I need this Vista recovery disk anyway, as I have 3 Advent 7113 laptops that all have their license stickers for Vista, but only one recovery disk. I'm burning the Vista ISO to a DVD+R disk to save with one of the other 7113 laptops.

Next is to try to burn a modified copy of the original Advent 6415 Recovery disk, and see if that will boot up OK. I cannot see why it wouldn't ?

Thanks for all the help with this!

Jed

[JedClampett]

I have now made 2 verified copies of the following Recovery Boot disks.

• Advent 7113 Vista Home Premium (DVD+R)
  
• Advent 6415 Combo XP Home Edition (CD-R)
  

I have verified them both twice, and they both boot up OK to the installation screen. The XP edition actually did a full installation, and this was copying from the I386DIST\ folder. I have nuked the HDD on the 6415 again with vivard.

Now I understand how to burn bootable Windows restore disks that actually work, I will have a go later at modifying the contents of the Advent 6415 XP ISO, and then rebuild the ISO image to add those missing drivers for the Advent 7096.

Any suggestions where to put any files I want to be copied onto the HDD during the recovery procedure please?

Thankyou for all the help in getting me this far!

Jed

[jaclaz]

The XP edition actually did a full installation, and this was copying from the I386DIST\ folder. I have nuked the HDD on the 6415 again with vivard.

Now I understand how to burn bootable Windows restore disks that actually work, I will have a go later at modifying the contents of the Advent 6415 XP ISO, and then rebuild the ISO image to add those missing drivers for the Advent 7096.

Any suggestions where to put any files I want to be copied onto the HDD during the recovery procedure please?

And - again - you are confusing things.

Those CD/DVD's are seemingly at the same time Install and Recovery media, they are made of TWO parts, "Recovery" and "Install".

Recovery is NOT Install and Install is NOT Recovery.

You managed to make verbatim copies of the original disks "as-they-are".

Then you -again seemingly - tested the "install" part of them AND NOT the Recovery part.

What you have been told till now is that most probably there is NO problem whatsoever to modify the "install" part (even if it runs from a non-standard folder such as I386DIST\ ), adding to it new drivers and what not, BUT that we have NO way to modify the Recovery part.

This because seemingly Advent used for the Recovery part a specific software we are not familiar with and that normally is not available to the "final user".

jaclaz

[cdob]

Any suggestions where to put any files I want to be copied onto the HDD during the recovery procedure please?

As jaclaz indicated already: that's a strange revocery cd.

True contents are unknown so far. No idea to set recovery procedure.

Ask the creator Advent, If you like to follow this route.

At the other hand, you may create a common known installation media.

There are knwon working tools to add drivers to a installation media.

Make a full file list with names, dates and size. Use either dir or ls.

Compress the list and upload it.

[submix8c]

Um, Jed, as has repeatedly been stated (I have a couple of those "PC Angel" recovery AND Supplied OEM Install CD/DVD) you CAN NOT "create" a "modified recovery DVD" with what you have. You CAN, however, create an "OEM Install" CD (NOT DVD, unless ADDING unattended Program Installs or MANUAL after Unattended!).

In my experience, the additional folders on an ORIGINAL OEM cd (beyond the I386DIST folder, which is a RENAMED I386 folder, AS PREVIOUSLY STATED) might even appear on the "C:\" drive AFTER a "Full PC Angel Restore".

The following folders are additional to the I386 on an ORIGINAL:

DOCS

DOTNETFX (not on an RTM, only SP1 and up)

SUPPORT

VALUEADD

Normally unnecessary for an install. DOTNETFX (contents obvious) and SUPPORT (Pre-Install tools) contents are freely available at MS. VALUEADD is (usually) unnecessary anyway (pertains to lesser-used software/tools).

Additionally, in the ROOT of the OEM cd are:

AUTORUN.INF <-starts SETUP.EXE

SETUP.EXE <-normally NOT any good for an OEM install due to Special Files, EXCEPT when Add/Remove

xxxx.HTM <-Just some ReadMe stuff

WIN51 <-required (look in I386DIST\TXTSETUP.SIF)

WIN51IC <-required (look in I386DIST\TXTSETUP.SIF)

WIN51IC.SPn <-required (look in I386DIST\TXTSETUP.SIF)

Note1 - the "n" is an indicator of what SP-level the CD is at.

Note2 - the "required" will probably be in the ROOT of your DVD.

Bottom line, DO WHAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED

1 - make a FOLDER of any name on the HDD

2 - COPY the I386DIST folder to it and RENAME it to I386

3 - Copy the "required" to it

4 - Create a BOOTABLE ISO, pointing to FOLDERNAME and try it

(you may or may not need the INTERNAL OEM key for Pre-Activation, depending on the existence of a I386\WINNT.SIF, usually NOT on your type of DVD - use a KeyFinder on your PC-Angel Recovered OS to get it)

...or else you are wasting your time. (Been there, done that, as have others...)

Note - there MAY (and probably are) be additional files/folders above-and-beyond the STOCK OEM CD (for your SP-Level) due to Integration of Drivers, Hotfixes, etc. Dates inconsistent with the majority of Files in the I386 are undoubtedly additional.

Peace, Jed! 'Nuff Said!

Edit - additional note - the KEY on the COA is YOUR Key and will require activation. The Internal Key is the OEM Key and does not. In Both case, the install must be CLEAN (boot to CD and Install to empty HDD, not an Upgrade). A simple VALID WINNT.SIF can be generated using nLite as well as slipping SP3 (for the XP one). Dig a little deeper before asking any further - All of this info has been hashed/rehashed everywhere on MSFN and the Net.

Edited February 3, 2012 by submix8c

[JedClampett]

Thanks for all those very helpfull replies. This a very interesting learning experience for me

submix8c: Um, Jed, as has repeatedly been stated (I have a couple of those "PC Angel" recovery AND Supplied OEM Install CD/DVD) you CAN NOT "create" a "modified recovery DVD" with what you have. You CAN, however, create an "OEM Install" CD (NOT DVD, unless ADDING unattended Program Installs or MANUAL after Unattended!).

I think the confusion about using the term recovery disk comes from these laptop Windows installation & recovery disks being generally referred to by the less well-informed (including myself) as simply 'the recovery disk' - like as in "do you have the recovery disk with this laptop as well?" Please accept my apologies for this

So what is the correct name to call these laptop OEM installation & Recovery Disks please?

Yes submix8c, all I want to do is to create an OEM installation CD, that will also allow me to copy the missing drivers to the hard drive, and then install those drivers directly from the hard drive.

I'm out of upload space here

Used 1.08MB of your 1000K global upload quota (Max. single file size: 64MB)

So here is is a link to the directory tree for the Advent OEM Installation & Recovery disk, as requested by cdob.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?8fvq7d4j8kzp6wg

Jed

Edited February 3, 2012 by JedClampett

[jaclaz]

I think the confusion about using the term recovery disk comes from these laptop Windows installation & recovery disks being generally referred to by the less well-informed (including myself) as simply 'the recovery disk' - like as in "do you have the recovery disk with this laptop as well?" Please accept my apologies for this

So what is the correct name to call these laptop OEM installation & Recovery Disks please?

Strangely enough "OEM installation & Recovery " discs.

What you failed to take notice of was that most common are EITHER "Oem installation" (ONLY) OR "Recovery" (ONLY) discs.

The former are usually an "*almost* standard" (where the degree of *almost* is inversely proportional on how big the OEM is, meaning that "small OEM" make installation disks that are 80% to 99.99% alike the MS OEM discs, whilst "big" OEM's like - to name one - DELL, tend to make less standard OEM installation discs).

Big OEM's like SONY and HP ship with ONLY recovery disc, or, even worse, ONLY recovery partition on HD and a tool to make ONLY Recovery discs.

So, you are in a "special" case.

As said, given the peculiar way the "Recovery" part of your "OEM installation & Recovery " disc was created, there are very little (please read NO) chances currently to fiddle in any way with the "Recovery" part, whilst it should be relatively easy to deal with the "OEM installation" part.

Yes submix8c, all I want to do is to create an OEM installation CD, that will also allow me to copy the missing drivers to the hard drive, and then install those drivers directly from the hard drive.

And this brings you back EXACTLY on the path that was suggested to you threee months ago :

jaclaz

[JedClampett]

Um, Jed, as has repeatedly been stated (I have a couple of those "PC Angel" recovery AND Supplied OEM Install CD/DVD) you CAN NOT "create" a "modified recovery DVD" with what you have. You CAN, however, create an "OEM Install" CD (NOT DVD, unless ADDING unattended Program Installs or MANUAL after Unattended!).

Dig a little deeper before asking any further - All of this info has been hashed/rehashed everywhere on MSFN and the Net.

OK - thanks to all for pointing me in the right direction. I felt it was appropriate to start a new thread with this, as what I'm trying now is another option not to do with nLite or slipstreaming SP's.

My main reason for this new thread was not being able to burn bootable Installation media, but that's fine now, thanks to jaclaz pointing out ImgBurn to me. I'll do some more testing by burning modified ISO images of the installation disk. I'm not bothered about the recovery part of the disk, as I always do a sector by sector wipe of the HDD and then install Windows fresh onto that. I'll report back when I have made more progress!

Jed

[Tripredacus]

I must have missed the part of the other post that mentions this being a SoftThinks creation. Agreed you can't "remaster" that disc but its because you don't have the tools. Even so, I don't think a CD can be redone even with the tools... but I've never tried to make a SoftThinks recovery CD/DVD before.

Submix8c's idea is your best bet.