Problems adding Bart PE to my Multi-Boot DVD

[VoXiE]

Hi:

I'm having trouble adding the option to load Bart PE into RAM on my Multi-Boot DVD. My first problem is that I can't replace TXTSETUP.SIF with TXTSETUP.RAM in my BPE2.DAT file, since there are no instances of the string TXTSETUP.SIF in my original BPE1.DAT file. I tried replacing only SETUPLDR.BIN with SETUPLDR.RAM in BPE2.DAT and building the AIO-DVD iso, but when I try to boot Bart PE in RAM, I get errors saying that certain files can't be loaded (e.g., \BPE1\ntkrnlmp.exe, \BPE1\halacpi.dll, and \BPE1\kdcom.dll). I've copied each file listed above into the BPE1 directory and rebuilt my iso, but I just keep getting more "file can't be loaded" errors. Any and all help on this frustrating problem would be greatly appreciated! Thanks...

[LiquidSage]

WHoa! You are really off on doing this correctly. To load PE in ram, make your PE copy and have your boot folder point to it in the normal fashion. Then open txtsetup.sif and find the line that says

OsLoadOptions ="/fastdetect /minint"

change it to

OsLoadOptions ="/fastdetect /minint /inram"

and that's it. Just that one line needs to be changed in that one file. If you are trying to have two seperate copies of PE, one that is in ram and one that isn't, add another copy of PE like you would in the normal multiboot fashion and use optimization during build.

[Jito463]

He's going by the instructions on http://flyakite.msfnhosting.com:

Extra Boot Option

Thanks to gosh from MSFN for this tip. If you would like to be able to switch cds while using BartPE, you have to set up a special boot option that will load BartPE into ram.

First of all, you'll need to make copies of 2 files, txtsetup.sif and setupldr.bin. Rename the copies, changing the extensions to .ram and leave the copies in your BPE1 folder. Then, edit the "OsLoadOptions" line in txtsetup.ram to read:

OsLoadOptions ="/fastdetect /minint /inram"

Now, create a copy of the BPE11.DAT file, place it in the AIO-DVD folder and rename it to BPE2.DAT. Open it in Hex Workshop and this time replace the strings SETUPLDR.BIN and TXTSETUP.SIF to reflect our new files, SETUPLDR.RAM and TXTSETUP.RAM. Since we have Hex Workshop open, load up SETUPLDR.RAM. Replace all instances of TXTSETUP.SIF with TXTSETUP.RAM. We also need to setup our boot menu to be able to load BartPE. Only do this once you have read through "Creating a Boot Menu" and you are somewhat comfortable with CD Shell.

In your "menu:" section you should add something along these lines: Of course edit the code to display whatever you want.

print "8) BartPE \n"

print "9) BartPE /inram \n"

Now in the "MainKey:" section add something along the lines of:

if $lastKey == key[8]; then chain /BPE1.DAT

if $lastKey == key[9]; then chain /BPE2.DAT

[LiquidSage]

hmmm...i guess that is useful

[VoXiE]

Well...I did as you said LiquidSage. I made the adjustments to txtsetup.sif and rebuilt the iso. Now I have a version of BartPE that works, but it still doesn't seem to be loading into RAM. I'm saying this because the A43 File Manager doesn't show the BartPE files loaded in the RAMDisk and because all my BartPE programs stop functioning properly when I eject the AIO-DVD from the drive. Any other suggestions?

[LiquidSage]

That's usually the case. There isn't too much benefit from running inram because everything needs to be running before you eject for it to work

In general /inram just puts core files in ram not everything on your PE build by default.

The /inram switch does not put PE on an actually RAM disk, it just keeps accessed files in memory thereby speeding up (marginally off cd) I/O ops. The Ram disk is used by Bart PE/ M$ PE as a writeable temp space so you don't leave a footprint on damaged HD's and also so the majority of programs adapted to PE don't whine and complain about not having any temp space to work with.

All paths still point to the DVD so your only option would be to put a copy of PE on the next DVD so it finds it there or install to HD and make bootable.

I put PE on a seperate disk than OS builds as I use it for repair/recovery and just pack it with useful apps. Sure you can install an OS off of PE but why? It is faster just to boot directly and let setup do it's thing instead of waiting for PE to boot and then do a slow copy of your OS build off of cd while PE uses the cd at the same time to run.

Only time I would think about using inram was if Ii needed to burn something, in which case i would just install winpe to hd due to the usual need for either temp space, a paging file, or needed ram to fill the buffer (like Nero for example). There are a few burners that are exceptions to this.

Mainly if you know you need to access another cd drive, plan ahead.

Edited August 10, 2005 by LiquidSage

[VoXiE]

"Only time I would think about using inram was if I needed to burn something, in which case i would just install winpe to hd due to the usual need for either temp space, a paging file, or needed ram to fill the buffer (like Nero for example). There are a few burners that are exceptions to this."

This is exactly why I'm interested in using inram. How would I install winpe on the hd after booting into BartPE from my DVD? And which burners are the exception? Thanks again!

[LiquidSage]

MagicISO or this seems to work easily....

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=7564

lot of reading but you might find this thread useful.

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=8640

When you d/l BartPE, Bart has a pluging called PEinst. That pluging automates the install of PE on to a HD

Edited August 10, 2005 by LiquidSage

[VoXiE]

Great advice LiquidSage!

Any idea where I can get the complete plugin for MagicISO? I tried this one (http://www.bootcd.us/BartPE_Plugin_Details/161/MagicIsoMaker.html), but it's incomplete. Also, any idea why Small CD Writer doesn't recognize my DVD drive when I run it in Bart PE? Thanks once more!

[LiquidSage]

Not sure why small CD writer isn't working for you...have you install an ASPI layer using the plugin included w/ BartPE? Run ASPIchk and see if it's loaded if you did include it.

I saw that MagicISO plugin and you are right about it being incomplete. So I authored my own. It will put links in both XPE plugin and nu2menu for MagicISO and MagicISO Burner.

I would post it here, but code tends to get screwy in posts. Send a PM my way w/ your e-mail and I will send it to you (that goes for anybody else interested in it as well)

.

I have tested the burner w/ basic BartPE build and ERDCommander 2005, no problems burning so far.

Just follow the directions in the .MagicISO.htm file

Edited August 12, 2005 by LiquidSage

[LiquidSage]

VoXiE, regarding your first post, I attempted the inram way as described by the guide. No problems at all. I am making the /inram file set according to your structure so just add them in and append the cdshell menu w/ the addition.

If a system does not have enough memory, /inram will fail (obviously) due to lack of resources. I would use /inram w/ confidence on machines having 196+.

You can run it with less but memory will be needed to carry out tasks in the ERD environment.

Check you email for the modified files. (If anyone else is interested just PM me).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The /Inram method used just adds 3 files to an existing ERD /WinPE/ BartPE build.

1. The bin/dat file to boot from which points to...

2. loader.bin (which load the initial system files) which points to...

3. txtsetup.sif which when modified has OSLoadOption /inram

1 is named whatever you want as the bootable file name.

Going by the guide, 2 & 3 are renamed w/ extension .RAM.

When editing these types of files always use a hex editor with duplicate letter capitalization and be sure to overwrite values, not append. Using a text editor will corrupt the boot files upon save.