[toja92]

I had partial success after writing the working bootsect & mbr, but Windows was only "half installed" and after that I tried to boot which failed with a bluescreen. I will try again soon. Here are three different mbrs and bootsectors, one none working, one working and one after win xp setup. The tutorial I'm following is available on WinUSB (I downloaded tutorial 5, but you can choose "tutorial" from the menu at top to just read). Big thanks for your help so far

Attached File(s)

•  HDHacker.rar (3.11K)
  Number of downloads: 4

[jaclaz]

Hmmm, still something is strange...

The three bootsectors are IDENTICAL (exception made for volume serial that is irrelevant).

The three MBR's are ALMOST identical:
Bad_MBR_HardDisk1.dat and MBR_HardDisk1.dat are identical.

Win_XP_MBR_HardDisk1.dat, instead has partition type set as 0E instead of 06.

The non-booting of the couple Win_XP_MBR_HardDisk1.dat+Win_XP_BootSector_DriveH.dat can be attributed to the partition type change (it should mean that your motherboard BIOS does not like LBA addressing on USB stick).

But there is NO reason why the couple Bad_MBR_HardDisk1.dat+Bad_BootSector_DriveH.dat does not boot while the couple
MBR_HardDisk1.dat+BootSector_DriveH.dat works, as they are IDENTICAL.

Maybe in the haste of testing you "mixed" versions? Or a "cold" or "warm" reboot was needed?

Just in case I am attaching a "fixed" MBR that implements the same "hack" the HP USB formatting utility uses, see here for reference:
http://www.boot-land...opic=2246&st=15

It should be "more" compatible and hopefully let you boot with both 06 and 0E as partition type.

jaclaz

Attached File(s)

•  MBR_HardDisk1_fixed.zip (525bytes)
  Number of downloads: 5

[toja92]

Do you have any idea why windows only gets "half installed" ie. It copies the files and when I rewrite the working boot sectors, it think windows already is installed but it isnt, so I end up with a bsod.

[jaclaz]

You do not get "a" BSOD, you get a BSOD with an error number.

If it is 0x0000007b "Inaccessible boot device", first thing to try is the modified NTDETECT.COM:
http://www.msfn.org/board/0x0000007B-Blue-...xt-t112630.html

However, besides tutorial 5, you may want to look here:
http://forums.ngine....ewforum.php?f=4
http://www.ngine.de/...jsp?pageid=4176

And here, a "less known" page that may clear some points:
http://www.nedprod.c...uff/BootWinUSB/

And even try the "fully automated" way:
http://www.usboot.org/tiki-index.php

Just in case I am attaching an archive containing the (supposedly working, UNTESTED by me) .sif and .in_/.inf files.

jaclaz

Attached File(s)

•  USBBOOT_files.zip (130.64K)
  Number of downloads: 37

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 05 July 2008 - 03:59 AM

[toja92]

Now here's something I got it partially working (installed, and booting). But after I logged in (only have one account except administrator acc.) logonui.exe freezes. I tried pressing ctrl+alt+delete and task manager turns up. Two seconds later, I get a POOL_BAD_DRIVER bsod, and I can't boot in safe mode (after logging in, whole windows crash, no bsod). Any clue about whats wrong?

[toja92]

please remove this post, thanks

This post has been edited by toja92: 06 July 2008 - 09:05 AM

[jaclaz]

Check, re-check, and triple check EVERYTHING.

Set the BIOS to use as less "advanced" options as possible, disable in it any device that is not vital, like audio, parallel ports, network card, etc.

Boot with /BASEVIDEO and /BOOTLOG
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinte...s/bb963892.aspx

Check the the file %SystemRoot%\Ntbtlog.txt

POOL_BAD_DRIVER says nothing to me, post the CODE of the BSOD, and any other reference.
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Windows-XP-...des-t43519.html
http://northtechs.com/blscreen.htm
http://www.updatexp....p-messages.html

Check the Event Viewer files on a working machine:
http://support.micro...kb/165959/en-us

i.e. *.evt under %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\

This app has a FREE personal license:
http://www.eventlogxp.com/

A good idea could be that of starting again from scratch.

I assume you ALREADY tested the nliting by installing from the modified source on a "normal" HD, didn't you?

Use the files I posted, after having re-chacked them.

jaclaz

[toja92]

"I assume you ALREADY tested the nliting by installing from the modified source on a "normal" HD, didn't you?" Actually, no. I don't have any spare / extra harddrive laying around here. I have a external drive, but I don't want to "challenge destiny". That's why I want to install to my usb drive, so I don't have to use a extra harddrive.

"POOL_BAD_DRIVER says nothing to me, post the CODE of the BSOD, and any other reference." Tricky part, the bsod flashses by one second and then my computer restarts. Should I disable "reboot on system errors" when I press F8 before windows tries to boot?

Actually, it works (partially) with your .sif and .in_/.inf files. And no, I can't use the automated way, I don't know which computer I should do these steps on (it changes some system files, right? plus I can't NLite the files also )

I attached ntbtlog.txt (Or, one "normal" and one in "safe mode")

Attached File(s)

•  ntbtlog.rar (1.79K)
  Number of downloads: 1

This post has been edited by toja92: 06 July 2008 - 09:30 AM

[jaclaz]

toja92, on Jul 6 2008, 05:27 PM, said:

jaclaz said:

"I assume you ALREADY tested the nliting by installing from the modified source on a "normal" HD, didn't you?"

Actually, no. I don't have any spare / extra harddrive laying around here. I have a external drive, but I don't want to "challenge destiny". That's why I want to install to my usb drive, so I don't have to use a extra harddrive.

Yes, but the result is that you cannot boot from it, and we have several "layers" of possible causes:
1) the "quality" of the source (meaning the number of integrated SP's and KB fixes/security updates)
2) the "entity" of your nliting (did you remove too much? )
3) hardware drivers
4) "my" .sif and .inf's

You should AT LEAST try installing your source (WITHOUT and WITH) the USB mods, in a Virtual Machine, VirtualBox should be allright:
http://www.virtualbox.org/

toja92, on Jul 6 2008, 05:27 PM, said:

jaclaz said:

"POOL_BAD_DRIVER says nothing to me, post the CODE of the BSOD, and any other reference."

Tricky part, the bsod flashses by one second and then my computer restarts. Should I disable "reboot on system errors" when I press F8 before windows tries to boot?

YES, it is VITAL to know which exact error is, it may help in finding what the problem is.
You can change the Registry Entry:
http://www.pctools.c...try/detail/229/
autoreboot to 0
(Offline you will need to access ControlSet001 instead of CurrentControlSet)

toja92, on Jul 6 2008, 05:27 PM, said:

Actually, it works (partially) with your .sif and .in_/.inf files. And no, I can't use the automated way, I don't know which computer I should do these steps on (it changes some system files, right? plus I can't NLite the files also )

No, it does not change system files, only cannot say if it would run under Vista.

toja92, on Jul 6 2008, 05:27 PM, said:

I attached ntbtlog.txt (Or, one "normal" and one in "safe mode")

As expected, (since you get to the logon screen) the initial loading appers to be OK, the error happens later, do check the Event Logs.

jaclaz

[toja92]

Just remembered, have Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 Lol,... Will try right away...

EDIT: Seems like it's removed, trying virtual box instead.

EDIT2/update: Virtual Box is better than Virtual PC 2007, I have to admit. Now I can do the "fully automated" way, because I can "insert" my usb drive to the virtual XP. Here's the error message I got by the way:

***stop: 0x000000c2 0x00000007 0x00000CD4 0x00000000 0xE15D0004

I will try the automated way & report back

EDIT3: Oh noes, I managed to write the MBR of the stick to my external drive, so now windows thinks it needs to be formatted and acronis disk director suite only finds a 1.91 gB (exactly the size of my stick) of the drive. Do you know how to recover my data? I'm searching with acronis disk direcor suite now to see if I find a deleted partition, but how should I do if it can't find it?

Nevermind. Will backup necessary files to various mp3's, my stick and my internal drive, so I'll work it out. Besides I will probably buy another 500 gB tomorrow, or in two days

EDIT4: Installed a nlited xp sp 3 in a virtual machine. It runs good. Used USBoot, worked good. Copied the files to my stick. Worked good. Trying to boot. Total failure. I tried replacing the bootsector with bootsect /nt52 <driveletter>, before doing that, it said invalid system disk. Now I only see a black screen, no "_" or something. So I don't know how to continue. Any clues?

This post has been edited by toja92: 06 July 2008 - 04:08 PM

[jaclaz]

You can use testdisk:
http://www.cgsecurit...g/wiki/TestDisk
to recover your partition table.

SP3 is YET ANOTHER variable that you added. WHY?

...and possibly slipstreamed with nlite under Vista, which adds YET ANOTHER variable.

Try with XP SP1 or SP2, NOT SP3.

To make the stick bootable, since for unknown reasons the programs that work for everyone do not work on your hardware/software, you can as you already did, re-use the MBR manually made, then re-format the stick and apply bootsect /nt52, make sure it boots with NTLDR+NTDETECT.COM+BOOT.INI before copying the files to stick.

REMOVE ANY OTHER USB DEVICE (excluded Mouse and Keyboard if USB) when working with bootable USB sticks.

As expected, the error is IRQ/Driver related.

Search for "0x000000c2" with google.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 07 July 2008 - 01:46 AM

[Ponch]

Just to add to the confusion, I once had a bad_pool_driver BSOD, the cause was a bad memory stick. Now maybe this can have other causes too.

[toja92]

"REMOVE ANY OTHER USB DEVICE (excluded Mouse and Keyboard if USB) when working with bootable USB sticks." Actually the only other usb device connected to my computer while trying, is my usb adapter (usb -> PS/2). I will try without SP3 now, and see how it goes. If it works, I'll try installing SP3 in portable XP instead.

[jaclaz]

Just for the record, and should anyone have the same type of problems, the "magic numbers" in partition table I gave before can be easily calculated with the spreadsheet you can find here:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=2959

toja92 said:

Actually the only other usb device connected to my computer while trying, is my usb adapter (usb -> PS/2).

Yep, but besides testing booting from the stick, it is a good idea to have anything removed also when "fiddling" with it, as you appear to have learned the "hard" way :

toja92 said:

EDIT3: Oh noes, I managed to write the MBR of the stick to my external drive, ....

jaclaz

[toja92]

Total success! Using USBoot with SP2 worked perfect, now its working exactly as it should Big thanks for your help, jaclaz Now I need to find alot of drivers, but that is not a problem. Thanks!

This post has been edited by toja92: 07 July 2008 - 05:21 AM

[jaclaz]

Happy to hear a story of success!

jaclaz

[toja92]

Hmm is it possible you can help one more time? I bought a new 8gb usb stick, and it won't boot, and I have no idea why. I did a bootsect /nt52 but it didn't work, so I think the problem is within the MBR. Thanks in advance

Attached File(s)

•  HDHacker.rar (867bytes)
  Number of downloads: 2

[jaclaz]

toja92, on Jul 9 2008, 11:33 AM, said:

Hmm is it possible you can help one more time? I bought a new 8gb usb stick, and it won't boot, and I have no idea why. I did a bootsect /nt52 but it didn't work, so I think the problem is within the MBR. Thanks in advance

I will , if you tell me what the heck did you use to fdisk/format the stick this time.

The MBR code is NOT a standard NT/2K/XP/2003 nor Vista one.

Open the stick in beeblebrox, and try setting the "Boot" to 80 (currently it is 00, i.e. you have currently NO partition active).

Then, your geometry is once again "gone beserk"!
You have:
0B-00-0-1-1-243-32-63-32-15974368

Should be one of the following:
0B-80-0-1-1-243-254-63-63-3919797
0B-80-0-1-1-243-254-63-63-3919797
0C-80-0-1-1-242-254-63-63-3903732
0C-80-0-1-1-242-254-63-63-3903732

SO:
1) Use beeblebrox to write one of the given set of values
2) Eject and reinsert stick
3) Format the stick
4) Run bootsect.exe /nt52 against the stick
5) Copy to the stick NTLDR/NTDETECT.COM/BOOT.INI
6) Try booting from the stick
7) if it does not boot, loop to 2) and try another set of values

If it still does not boot,
Use MBRFIX:
http://www.sysint.no...ting/mbrfix.htm
http://www.sysint.no/Download/tabid/162/la...NO/Default.aspx

MbrFix /drive <num> fixmbr

to fix the MBR code
and loop back to 1)

Report.

jaclaz

[toja92]

Acutally, it was preformatted from factory (brand new). If possible, is it necessary to format the stick? Oh well...

EDIT: If you want to know, it took a half hour to move 606 MB via virtualbox. My other usb memory, older, took maybe 3-4 minutes...

This post has been edited by toja92: 09 July 2008 - 05:21 AM

[toja92]

Hmm... writing either of those MBR's makes Vista lag incredibly. If I remove the drive vista becomes normal but as soon as I insert it it becomes slow. I managed to make it "half-working", it doesent display "System error, press ctrl+alt+delete to reboot", but instead a "_".