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Acronis ISO Boot on UEFI PC


zamarac

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I'm claiming amnesia next.

 

Don't do that!!! Thanks for your detail replies! :angel

 

I know, I'm always asking silly questions.  :realmad:  Though they tend to attract quality answers... and such topics become instant hit. Say, this one was read 700 times for the last 5 days - it might be a forum record given its not a new OS, major update or device announcement. When I imaging, how many people will learn from it useful skills and in-depth understanding of the subject nowhere else discussed for the next 2 years - it drives me crazy to ask even more questions, of course stupid ones.  :whistle:

 

It also shows btw, how many folks are interested to keep booting various service images to RAM from HDD - the option so familiar with Grub4DOS on BIOS PCs, but much less available on UEFI PCs due to under-developed tools - instead of following the MS footsteps of now suddenly booting everything from USB Flash, even though for years they blocked that option either.  :ph34r:

 

User interest shows, booting disk images on UEFI systems requires a lot more boot tool developers attention, both in Linux and Windows world, especially given the fact PC & laptop sales are growing again.  :thumbup

Edited by zamarac
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Temporarily, try this modified batch (this is really @§§ed :w00t:, it will list on "normal" .iso's with a "small" no-emulation bootsector the EFI image twice).

 

Once the results are clearer, I may re-write the thingy with some more checks to avoid double detection (and possibly with some better structure).

 

I wonder if the results are clearer by now to "re-write this thingy" as promised?  :ph34r:  It sounds like a useful free tool for folks interested in the subject.  :P

Edited by zamarac
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@jaclaz, @cdob

Maybe you can start a new thread where we discuss our findings on the quirky El Torito limitations and implementations, starting from your feedback on the IsoBuster version I shared ?

If it leads to ways where IsoBuster can creatively work around 'some' of the El Torito limitations, then in the end it may serve its purpose better as an engineering tool for this particular field of interest.

It's something that sparked my interest so I'm willing to put in some time (actually did that already on Wednesday). Yesterday I only had so much time, so I made some small changes (can share that version in the other thread if interested ?).

Cheers.

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@jaclaz, @cdob

Maybe you can start a new thread where we discuss our findings on the quirky El Torito limitations and implementations, starting from your feedback on the IsoBuster version I shared ?

If it leads to ways where IsoBuster can creatively work around 'some' of the El Torito limitations, then in the end it may serve its purpose better as an engineering tool for this particular field of interest.

It's something that sparked my interest so I'm willing to put in some time (actually did that already on Wednesday). Yesterday I only had so much time, so I made some small changes (can share that version in the other thread if interested ?).

Cheers.

Sure :).

 

Done!

 

Here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/172655-strange-or-odd-multi-or-single-boot-cddvd-el-torito-images/

 

I hope that the place I made it in:

http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/82-multi-boot-cddvds/

is appropriate (but a Mod can always move the whole thread to somewhere else).

 

jaclaz

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If you decide a new thread, I can split off posts from this thread to the new one. Just tell me which posts and where the new thread is.

Back to this topic, no kidding on slow download. Might not get to it today. I have already prepared the testing system, it uses this board:

http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=1371&MenuID=17&LanID=0

It is UEFI that does not allow a 64bit boot, I just confirmed I can't PXE boot with it.

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If you decide a new thread, I can split off posts from this thread to the new one. Just tell me which posts and where the new thread is.

 

I guess it would be very difficult to do this splitting without "losing too much" in the one or the other thread.

It is better IMHO to leave this as is, and start from scratch on the new one, people interested in the details/making of up to the current status will surely be able to get here as I posted a reference to this one on the new thread.

 

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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I have already prepared the testing system, it uses this board:

http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=1371&MenuID=17&LanID=0

It is UEFI that does not allow a 64bit boot

 

... and it is able to boot in 32bit UEFI mode.

That's interesting:

The CDC-I/D2550 uses a 64 bit CPU ATOM D2550 http://ark.intel.com/products/65470/

So far I know:

CPU matches UEFI code:

the manufacturer implements a 64 bit UEFI firmware at a 64 bit CPU

Or the manufacturer implements a 32 bit UEFI firmware at a 32 bit CPU. E.g. a tablet with a Z2760 http://ark.intel.com/products/70105/

Appearantly a manufacturer can implement a 32 bit UEFI firmware at a x86-64 CPU too.

It's getting more confused.

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I know what you mean regarding the CPU. Yes that board is entirely capable of running 64bit code. When I first got it, I couldn't boot to WDS because all my PEs are 64bit. If you attempt to boot to WDS in this fashion, the boot rom is downloaded but the menu never appears and the system then proceeds to the next boot device. In order to use this board, we had to request a custom BIOS from ECS to allow us to boot x64 OS.

However, using the stock BIOS, or the updated one from their website will result in a CPU architecture error if you try to boot say, Windows 7 x64 on a HDD. Something like "OS is 64bit but CPU is 32bit." That message comes from Windows itself, in a black screen similar to a BCD error.

Regarding the floppy image part, this was what I meant by needing instructions. Tell me exactly what I need to look at and what software to use to do it and I can check for you.

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In order to use this board, we had to request a custom BIOS from ECS to allow us to boot x64 OS.

However, using the stock BIOS, or the updated one from their website will result in a CPU architecture error if you try to boot say, Windows 7 x64 on a HDD. Something like "OS is 64bit but CPU is 32bit."

In addition: http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=1371&MenuID=17&LanID=0#fragment-SPEC

OS Support Windows 7 32-bit

The manufacturer supports 32 bit Windows out of the box only.

I understand: the stock one is a 32 bit UEFI firmware at a x86-64 CPU, searches a file /efi/boot/bootia32.efi

Break: there is no UEFI Windows 7 32-bit. No, I don't understand this configuration.

And the custom BIOS from ECS is a 64 bit UEFI firmware.

Yes, a very nice testing board.

 

Regarding the floppy image part, this was what I meant by needing instructions.

IsoBuster free part list file names, there should be a (virtual) folder FAT(BootImage.img)

If not, then enable: Options, File System(s), El Torito (Boot), Check boot-images(s= for FAT and list files and folders if present.

Acronis docments 64 bit UEFI firmware only so far.

Edited by cdob
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Cdob, I disagree. This particular firmware for the board is 64bit, but that they change it to identify the CPU as being 32bit. It is true there is no Windows 7 32bit UEFI support, however the board does allow a Legacy boot where Windows 7 32bit should work fine if the OS is in the first partition.

I checked with ISObuster, these results. FAT with boot files:

acronisx64efi_zpse88f6ccb.jpg

The other FAT (Deleted Files and Folders) is empty.

Here is their EFI application:

acronis_bootwiz_efiapp_zps3f493f92.jpg

As a comparison, here is the boot file for Windows 8 32bit EFI:

efiWin8DVD_zpscd981b05.jpg

That Windows 8 DVD is also able to boot on the ECS board.

So, unless I missed something, you can boot both the 64bit and 32bit EFI file on this board. Also, the UEFI boot file doesn't seem to care about the architecture of the CPU.

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  • 3 weeks later...

look here

i must decode ACT 2015 & ADD rev.12

EFI & grub4dos multi boot usb

 

 

Boot grub4dos

1. format usb fat32

2. use bootice.exe install MBR (Windows NT 6.x MBR) & install PBR (grub4dos 0.4.5c/0.4.6a fat/fat32/ntfs/exfat) to usb

3. put some files (ATI15.IMA & ADD12.IMA) to /HBCD/Image

 

Boot EFI

1. put some files (bootx64.efi, bootx64.xml, dat8.dat, dat9.dat, dat12.dat, dat13.dat) to folder /efi/boot

 

Link download (copy all files & same folder to usb)

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bw1WFl6gXiOhMkhPNEZkR1FjYVU&usp=sharing

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  • 3 months later...

 

Bootimage.img LBA (as seen in IsoBuster) 145671 *4 = 582684 (here you are simply transforming the address expressed in 2048 bytes/sectors - standard for .iso and CD/DVD media - into 512/bytes sectors - used in floppy and hard disk like devices)

Lowest next LBA is 221702, hence 221702-145671= 76031 and 76031*4=304124

 

Great explanation, but ith IsoBuster in version 3.5 showing actual size, what works is (much easier to calculate):

 

loopback ElTorito (loop)582684+285374

 

(146111488 / 2048 * 4)

 

http://postimg.org/image/rlxi29z0v/

 

sebus

Edited by sebus
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Great explanation, but ith IsoBuster in version 3.5 showing actual size, what works is (much easier to calculate):

 

 

Good mooorning :), Mr. de La Palice:

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

 

Sure :yes:, guess WHY newer version of Isobuster have this feature/WHO asked for it to its Author? :unsure:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/172655-strange-or-odd-multi-or-single-boot-cddvd-el-torito-images/

 

And - at least for these Acronis .iso's - the little batch here:

http://reboot.pro/topic/20004-boot-a-acronis-true-image-2014-iso-image-with-grub2-at-uefi/

http://reboot.pro/topic/20004-boot-a-acronis-true-image-2014-iso-image-with-grub2-at-uefi/?p=189345

adds the possibility of using iso-hybrid booting with GRUB2.

 

jaclaz

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