Ramdrive visible to 2000/XP Install

[gijor33]

Hi guys,

This is my first post... i finished my XP install DVD and love it, so handy. I'd just like to enhance it a little.

I would like to setup a win98 boot disk that has a ramdrive and was wondering if there is a way that the windows 2000/xp setup process can see that ram drive. I want to store something on it that the cmdlines.txt file needs to access during the install.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Andrew

[prathapml]

Yes, its possible, but your win98 ramdisk doesn't at all matter here. Only a WinPE-based setup can give this feature... You can try searching the forums for details - it has been well-discussed in the past.

[jaclaz]

You just took me off balance.

I am trying to do the same thing.

If you are not in a hurry, I reckon in a few days I will be able to post some results of my work.

If you want to go your way in the meantime, this is how I am working on it (briefly):

1) Make a minimal win98 working filesystem, along the lines of what published

here:

http://www.etek.chalmers.se/~e8gus/nano98/

and here:

http://www.winimize.com/

2) use either of this techniques to make it in a bootable CD filesystem:

a) Qualystem Qualystem? Rescue 1.2

http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html

NOW FREEWARE

B) RAMWIN 98

http://www.geocities.com/politalk/rmdrv/ram98.htm

c) ct' magazine c't 11/99, page 206 - Booting Windows From CD-Rom original or derivative work:

http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm

3)Run the NT/2K/XP setup from within the Win98 booted from disk

Progress so far:

1) Made a "modular" list of needed Win95/98 files, ranging from a true minimal thingie, about 5Mb, to a semi full install, (working system + possibility to run many apps + needed Control Panels + Possibility to install Printers and Network) about 40 Mb

2) Succeeded in making this minisystem without using Micro$oft setup, extracting files and registry from working Win98 install

3) Succeeded in making it boot from CD

To do list:

1) fix the drive lettering

2) test it and make it work on more real systems (Progress done on Virtual Machines only)

3) fix the batch files used

4) write down howto in plain english

if you want to make your own try, please post your progresses here.

jaclaz