i have tried the USB_MultiBoot2. it works most of the time except a few problems (minor ones)
then PE2USB dont seem to allow me to select my WinPE2.0 folder...
then since i am installing on a test partition my 3rd partition on my main hard disk,
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="2. GUI Mode Setup Windows XP, Continue Setup + Start XP" /FASTDETECT
wont work, it shld be something like
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="2. GUI Mode Setup Windows XP, Continue Setup + Start XP" /FASTDETECT
i guess, but this is a minor problem most ppl will install XP on the 1st partition

but it'll be good if i can somehow change this entry.
i noticed a few things. since i am testing, the install wipes out my old OS (main) entry from the boot.ini. such that my boot.ini (in C:) becomes
[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
this looks all right but it does not work... it gives me some error when booting... then i booted from the USB drive and selected the 2nd entry
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="2. GUI Mode Setup Windows XP, Continue Setup + Start XP" /FASTDETECT
then it works, is the error because of the missing "/noexecute=optin /fastdetect" ? from the "default" line? and did u do something such that the timeout changes to 1?
then i am just curious about somethings...
since i am booting from a USB Thumbdrive, the C: will be the thumbdrive's 1st partition? not the C:\ where my WINDOWS is?
i think since GRUB4DOS can do most of the work, or am i wrong, y not just use it? or is the .bs files used in boot.ini only?
i remember u mentioned somewhere i can use something MakeBS or something like that to make these .bs files from SETUPLDR or BOOTMGR files isit?
if i am thinking of doing one without so many things, for a start, so only XP install and WinPE, how shld i go abt doing it the manual way? i have done it b4 but i have forgotten many parts...
1) did a winnt32 /makelocalsource /noreboot /unattend:G:\XPPRO3\I386\winnt.sif (where G:\XPPRO3\I386\winnt.sif is the file created by nLite i suppose)
2) copy the folders $WIN_NT$.~BT and $WIN_NT$.~LS to my USB HDD/Thumbdrive XPPRO folder (where all my XP installation files are)
then from here i forgot how to continue... so the GRUB4DOS/menu.lst parts... and maybe i need to copy SETUPLDR to the root and rename it or something?
---UPDATE---
i tried booting WinPE2.0 using the steps then it bust brings me to the boot.ini menu. what does this mean?
-- err i guess i need the WinPE files in the root of the partition?
then the XP SETUP fails showing an error that the txtsetup.sif is missing or corrupt. mine txtsetup.sif files are created by nLite that wont be a problem right?
-- similarly, the $WIN_NT$.~BT and $WIN_NT$.~LS folers need to be in the root partition?
can i have these files in folders?
thanks
This post has been edited by iceangel89: 09 February 2008 - 08:40 AM