[ilko_t]

@jaclaz

Thanks, that's very good idea.
Using tag file could be tricky- I can't think of any file in root, which gets renamed or deleted after install is completed. If it's in a folder, then may be yes, but what about people changing their windows or program files folders...

May this is a solution, even though we are getting into too many submenus:
menu.lst:

title Windows Install
configfile /windows.lst
savedefault

windows.lst:

default /windefault

title Text mode Windows XP
chainloader ....
savedafault 1

title GUI mode Windows XP
chainloader /ntldr
savedefault

title Text mode Windows 2003
chainloader ....
savedafault 1

title GUI mode Windows 2003
chainloader /ntldr
savedefault

All Text mode entries will make default the second entry, even though it's name is for XP, but it loads the same NTLDR/BOOT.INI.
Then the second entry will open BOOT.INI entries, which makes one more menu. I will try to put all that and see how it feels when using it.

[Raboo]

I agree with ilko_t, keep it simple.
All I want to do is able to install my nlited + driverpacks Windows XP from a USB Stick exactly as I would from a CD/DVD drive with no changes or as little changes as possible. No extra options or such..

Nice work ilko_t and everyone who contributed to and inspired this project.. Keep up the good work.

/Raboo

[Raboo]

I'm stuck
I managed to create the a bootable USB-stick with windows XP and BartPE.
I'm using my friends asus eee.
I get into the grub4dos menu and select the first line... it did not work, it simply reloads the grub4dos menu.
The second line, part 2 of windows setup simply won't work without the first part, it says no OS basically when I try it.
The third line, BartPE worked...

Any ideas whats wrong and or how I can be more verbose?

/Raboo

[ilko_t]

Can you attach your log file:

ilko_t said:

- detailed log file is created in the folder, where program is executed from. Use it for troubleshooting. Upon next execution if log file is found, it's compressed in MS cab format, removed to BACKUPS folder and renamed with current DATE/TIME stamp.

as well as screenshot of contents or result of dir X: of USB stick root directory, and contents of menu.lst again in USB root.
Did you run the program multiple times or everything was done in one go?

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 05 August 2008 - 03:36 PM

[Raboo]

I've tried several times, with only XP, with HP format util, PEtoUSB util, ie fat32, NTFS & fat16..
With XP, BartPE, gparted...

But when i try to select "First part of Windows XP Professional setup from partition 0", it prints out:
Filesystem type is fat, partition typ 0xc
and goes back to GRUB4DOS

I've attached the log file.

Here is the content of menu.lst without the comments:

color black/cyan yellow/cyan
timeout 30
default /default

title First part of Windows XP Professional setup from partition 0
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)/$WIN_NT$.~BT/SETUPLDR.BIN

title Second part of XP Professional setup+Start it first time from part 0
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)/ntldr

title Start BartPE/WinBuilder from partition 0
root (hd0,0)
chainloader /minint/setupldr.bin

Here is the content of the USB-stick:

 Volume in drive K has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 62E8-2568

 Directory of K:\

2008-05-07  00:45		   188 049 grldr
2008-08-05  18:07			 2 447 menu.lst
2007-10-15  23:18			 2 048 default
2008-08-05  20:35			   232 BOOT.INI
2008-04-14  00:02		   250 560 NTLDR
2008-04-13  22:13			47 564 NTDETECT.COM
2008-06-02  03:08		   482 043 TXTSETUP.SIF
2008-08-05  18:07	<DIR>		  $WIN_NT$.~BT
2008-08-05  18:07	<DIR>		  $WIN_NT$.~LS
2001-09-28  14:00			 4 952 BOOTFONT.BIN
2008-08-05  19:50	<DIR>		  OEM
2008-08-05  19:54	<DIR>		  minint
2008-08-05  20:21	<DIR>		  programs
			   8 File(s)		977 895 bytes
			   5 Dir(s)	 863 223 808 bytes free

/Raboo

Attached File(s)

•  WinSetupFromUSB.zip (103.27K)
  Number of downloads: 195

[ilko_t]

For some reason program fails to create the folder and copy from D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\ where ~BT files are placed temporarily.
What windows are you using? Do you have rights to write in this folder?
Are you using limited account?
Is the folder TEMP created and only copy to it fails?
Can you try to install the program in let's say D:\WinSetupFromUSB and see if the long path is the problem?

To save time and write cycles to the USB stick you may use COPY BOOT FILES ONLY option and eventually QEMU option to test until the problem is fixed.

[Raboo]

ilko_t, on Aug 6 2008, 02:15 AM, said:

What windows are you using? Do you have rights to write in this folder?
Are you using limited account?
Is the folder TEMP created and only copy to it fails?
Can you try to install the program in let's say D:\WinSetupFromUSB and see if the long path is the problem?

Vista x64
Yes, I have rights
Administrator privilege account
Yeah TEMP is created
Tried from D:\WinSetupFromUSB, did not help, same error messages.

This post has been edited by Raboo: 06 August 2008 - 06:20 AM

[Raboo]

Ok I manually copied & extracted all files that failed to copy using WinSetupFromUSB. And the TXT setup starts but I run into another problem now.. while loading drivers/controllers when it reaches Silicon image SATA something... SI3132B4.sys
It says roughly translated:

Not enough memory for SI3132B4.sys.
Press any key to continue.

And when I do that it says

Installation Failed. Press any key to reboot.

I don't think the whole 1 gb of ram would be full with drivers.. :S

And somehow it worked with USB MultiBoot 10.

The question is, is it the memory or something else?
Did I do something wrong while i copied the missing files?
The $WIN_NT$.~BT is 24mb so I don't really think that the drivers takes 1 gb of ram....

[wimb]

The parsing of dosnet.inf fails. The double quotes are the problem.
Try to copy first complete XP Source from CD/DVD to Folder on Harddisk e.g. F:\XPR3
Then run WinSetupFromUSB again.

Quote

2008/08/05 18:07:25- ERROR!!!----F:"\I386"\ntdetect.com could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\

This post has been edited by wimb: 05 August 2008 - 11:40 PM

[ilko_t]

Thanks Wimb, I should have seen that, guess jet lag is killing me more than I realize.

It's an AutoIt issue with x64 or Vista, under XP i386 using DVD/CD as source does not fail in that part, I took care of that while coding. Just tested it again under XP with Windows files in CD:

...
2008/08/06 01:27:39- DOSNET.INF parsed, 125 files for ~BT folder
2008/08/06 01:27:39- D:\I386\disk1---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\disk101
2008/08/06 01:27:39- D:\I386\ntdetect.com---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\ntkrnlmp.ex_ ---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\setupldr.bin---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\txtsetup.sif---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\biosinfo.inf---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\disk1---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\disk102
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\hal.dl_ ---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\halacpi.dl_ ---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:40- D:\I386\halapic.dl_ ---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:41- D:\I386\halaacpi.dl_ ---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:41- D:\I386\drvmain.sdb---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
2008/08/06 01:27:41- D:\I386\setupreg.hiv---> C:\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\
....

At the same time I tested a while ago the program under XP x64 with source on the hard disk and that worked fine.
Quites are not needed in AutoIt for file paths and are not added in the script anywhere, I am curious where they came from.
May have to compile separate version for x64 when I get back home, will investigate further.

Thanks for the accurate reports Raboo, it's pleasure responding to such.

[Raboo]

I copied the XP CD to D:\

It didn't help much... still get the same errors

I've attached the log files

Attached File(s)

•  WinSetupFromUSB.zip (2.02K)
  Number of downloads: 47

[Raboo]

I tried to do the same thing on a windows XP 32bit in vmware, i still get the same errors... maybe it's my WindowsXP that is messed up

[Raboo]

I've found the problem, the problem is in my DOSNET.INF

[Directories]
d1 = "\I386"
d2 = "\cmpnents\tabletpc\I386"
d3 = "\cmpnents\mediactr\I386"

It should be

[Directories]
d1 = \I386
d2 = \cmpnents\tabletpc\I386
d3 = \cmpnents\mediactr\I386

[ilko_t]

Please test the attached version. Extract the file in WinSetupFromUSB folder and launch it.

http://www.datafileh...d-2c3b0317.html

Yep, the problem must be there, I haven't seen quotes in that section of DOSNET.INF, and included removal if present anyway.

[Raboo]

The new version mostly works except for 2 important files:

2008/08/06 22:56:20- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\ntdll.dll could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\"system32\ntdll.dll"
2008/08/06 22:56:20- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\usetup.exe could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\"system32\smss.exe"

and it's from this part of DOSNET.INF

[FloppyFiles.3]
d1,disk1,disk104
d1,ntdll.dll,"system32\ntdll.dll"
d1,usetup.exe,"system32\smss.exe"

And again this works if I remove the quotation marks, ex. d1,ntdll.dll,system32\ntdll.dll

And btw the qutation marks is something nlite have added since my original windows source doesn't have them.

[ilko_t]

Heh, quotes were not expected there too
Here is a version, which should take care of them.
http://www.datafileh...d-4bf62239.html

BTW what version of nLite is that? It rather seems like nLite bug, I wonder if winnt32.exe would accept that syntax.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 06 August 2008 - 04:13 PM

[Raboo]

ilko_t, on Aug 7 2008, 12:13 AM, said:

BTW what version of nLite is that? It rather seems like nLite bug, I wonder if winnt32.exe would accept that syntax.

1.4.5 Final I think.

btw this latest one fixed the quotation marks issues but introduced a new error:

2008/08/07 03:29:51- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\Bootfont.bin could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\

[ilko_t]

Raboo, on Aug 6 2008, 06:35 PM, said:

btw this latest one fixed the quotation marks issues but introduced a new error:

2008/08/07 03:29:51- ERROR!!!----F:\I386\Bootfont.bin could not be copied to D:\Private\Projekt\USB\WinSetupFromUSB\TEMP\$WIN_NT$.~BT\

Good
You can safely ignore that error if bootfont.bin doesn't exist in \i386.
Did you perform installation, any issues there?

[Raboo]

ilko_t, on Aug 7 2008, 09:44 AM, said:

Did you perform installation, any issues there?

I actually installed Windows with the old version, I edited the DOSNET.INF first of course..
But I tested the TXTsetup with this new one (with the old DOSNET.INF) and it works.

[Raboo]

btw while we are at it I have a question regarding nlite+USB Sticks.
nlite has a feature "RunOnce" to run commands after first install.
And it usually gets it's "Source Drive info" from the registry and it tells the CD/DVD drive letter from where the installation CD is.

for /f "tokens=3" %%i IN ('reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup /v "SourcePath" ^| findstr "REG_SZ"') do set SOURCE=%%i

But the SourcePath is set to A:\ when using USB-stick instead of a CD/DVD.

Is there any way of determining the SourcePath of the USB-stick?


And another thing i noticed that when booting GRUB4DOS "First part of Windows XP Professional setup from partition 0" is the set to default.
I just think that it would be better to have "Second part of XP Professional setup+Start it first time from part 0" as the default to autoboot after 30 seconds.
The reason is if like you are about to start a new installation it's most likely you are monitoring the screen to start the setup and then you can manually select "First part". And then you start the install and format the C: drive or whatever.. And after that it's mostly unattended I think. It copies a bunch of files and then it reboots. After reboot it would be good if GRUB4DOS runs the second part without user intervention after 30 seconds. That way you don't have to monitor your installation. Of course I know this can be done by setting "default 1" in menu.lst. But I thought perhaps this can be changed in your next version?