[ilko_t]

Without the exact error message before I can only guess what the problem was.
On second though- similar message would come if you started second part of setup first, did you?
First part (Step 1)- Text mode, the one without mouse, where you format disks etc.
Second part (Step 2)- GUI mode, the one with mouse and better graphic.

Fat32/16 can be painfully slow on some systems, USB stick matters too, it seems. NTFS really makes huge difference in those cases.

Reminder again- start from USB 3 times- Text, GUI mode and first start of windows. This is important.

[thegr8anand]

I think I am right track then. At first it started GrubDos and I had to select 1st part of Setup or Second part, i selected first. Then i had to choose where to install XP i selected the target drive H which was detected. I quick formatted it and now it is copying files. SO i guess after this i will move to the GUI part.

Also ilko i didnot try your suggestion of grubdos_gui.exe as that time i was running your program after formatting the usb to FAT32. Then i tried to boot from USB and it ran. So i am pretty sure it was because of NTFS file system.

EDIT: Have a problem now. When i first selected 'First part of Windows XP Pro Setup from partition 0' in Grub4Dos, i selected the partition and it copied some files. Now after it restarted and i boot from USB again and select 'Second part of Xp Pro Setup + Start 1st time from partition 0', I am getting an error. It says: "Windows couldnot start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Couldnot read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware."

So am stuck with this error and dont know how to proceed. Just a guess but shouldn't it be Start 1st time from partition 2 or something?

This post has been edited by thegr8anand: 11 October 2008 - 02:30 AM

[wimb]

ilko_t, on Oct 11 2008, 09:30 AM, said:

However, there is quick and dirty workaround- the problem with unattended section is that if it's present, even if empty, Text part of setup doesn't ask where to install windows to and puts it on the USB drive, where ~BT and ~LS folders are.

Hi ilko,

Might it be that this problem is solved with

[Data]
AutoPartition=0

This works for me in USB_XP_Setup, where [Unattended] Section can be used as normal.

[ilko_t]

thegr8anand, on Oct 11 2008, 01:10 AM, said:

So am stuck with this error and dont know how to proceed. Just a guess but shouldn't it be Start 1st time from partition 2 or something?

BOOT.INI has improper entry, pointing to non existing location.
Can you post here winsetup.lst from USB stick root?
Was this hard disk partitioned from Vista disk management?

On second read- back to your external disk, I guess you have eSata port, right? Are you sure Windows will start from it? Have you had any operating system on it? Are we sure you can boot from it?
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...ic=3366&hl=

wimb, on Oct 11 2008, 03:27 AM, said:

ilko_t, on Oct 11 2008, 09:30 AM, said:

However, there is quick and dirty workaround- the problem with unattended section is that if it's present, even if empty, Text part of setup doesn't ask where to install windows to and puts it on the USB drive, where ~BT and ~LS folders are.

Hi ilko,

Might it be that this problem is solved with

[Data]
AutoPartition=0

This works for me in USB_XP_Setup, where [Unattended] Section can be used as normal.

Works because msdosinitiated=0
msdosinitiated=1 combined even with an empty section [unattended] results in that behavior. I'd love to be proved wrong, it would save sooo much trouble.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 11 October 2008 - 10:48 AM

[ilko_t]

@thegr8anand

Another test- when you start from USB and see any of the menus, press C on your keyboard, it will go into command prompt.
There you type exactly:

root ( <---and press tab key

It should return something like "Possible disks are hd0 hd1..."
Post the result here.

Next type:

find /windows/system32/$winnt$.inf <----press enter

Should return something like "(hd1,1)"
Post the result here.

[thegr8anand]

Ok i tired your suggestions.

Root ( TAB gives me: hd0, hd1, rd

find /windows/system32/$winnt$.inf says: file not found.

find /ntldr gives me: (hd0,0), (hd1,1),(hd1,2)

I guess it's not seeing the external HD now, even though the first part of setup completed successfully where i chose my external HD partition 2. Also, yes this drive was partitioned in Vista. But it worked in first part and not in second part...

When i try chainloader /ntldr in the grub command window it says: Will boot NTLDR from drive=0x80, partition=0x0(hidden sectors=0x3f)

This is what Boot.ini says:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=15
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second part of XP Professional setup + Start Windows from hd 1 part 2" /FASTDETECT

This post has been edited by thegr8anand: 11 October 2008 - 03:54 PM

[ilko_t]

hd0 is your USB disk, hd1 is the internal disk with Vista.
Why NTLDR is found on both hd1,1 and hd1,2? Do you have there another XP or recovery partition?

Seems your laptop doesn't provide BIOS extension for the esata disk, hence it's not seen by grub4dos and ntldr-->that's why the error "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem..." and why grub4dos is not displaying it.

First part goes fine, because the sata driver helps installer see the disk, but more important is if BIOS provides arcpath for it, it seems not.

There is a slight possibility this to happen because of the new Vista partition rules, this is a random shot of mine:
http://www.multiboot...partitions.html

If you can, backup whatever you have on the external disk, and use other tool to delete all partitions on it and create new ones, even by using Text mode of XP setup for the purpose.

What is the exact model of this laptop? Have you googled if other people managed to have AND boot XP from esata disk, connected to it?
Do you have any setting in BIOS, regarding esata ports?

[thegr8anand]

My laptop is Dell XPS M1710. IT doesnt have an esata port but i am using an ExpressCard which provides me sata connections. I think my internal hard drive is 160GB SATA 150.

Well I have USB 2 connection with my HD as well so i can use that somehow if this doesnt work???

EDIT: Hey ilko, I found these posts from the link you gave me where they have got it working. can you please help me understand that.

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...ost&p=40707
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...ost&p=46779

This post has been edited by thegr8anand: 11 October 2008 - 04:48 PM

[ilko_t]

Quote

IT doesnt have an esata port but i am using an ExpressCard which provides me sata connections

Ahh, you should have started with this

It should be possible to make the Windows work from the esata, but needs some experience and time:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=21242

cdob has even made a batch file, which automates the process, haven't read details or tested, should be in that thread somewhere.

As for the USB port- we are back to square 1- look a few posts above the links I gave you, they are for XP installed on USB drive.

edit:

Quote

EDIT: Hey ilko, I found these posts from the link you gave me where they have got it working. can you please help me understand that.

In simple words- integrated in the motherboard esata, actually just another external sata connector- good chances you can boot from it since BIOS provides extension.

esata port via external card or PCMCIA card- no. Unless manufacturers implement this functionality. It's like using SCSI card, which doesn't have it's own BIOS, extending your motherboard BIOS.
This is not something I can comment thoroughly, little experience with it.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 11 October 2008 - 05:05 PM

[thegr8anand]

Hmmm. Stuck. Dont know what to do...

Just one thing, The second part of XP setup in Grub, where is the file NTLDR loaded from? Doesnt it have to be loaded from USB drive which has it? So why does it matter if Grub can't see my sata drive as like first part setupldr.bin from USB did the rest...

[ilko_t]

thegr8anand, on Oct 11 2008, 05:45 PM, said:

Just one thing, The second part of XP setup in Grub, where is the file NTLDR loaded from? Doesnt it have to be loaded from USB drive which has it? So why does it matter if Grub can't see my sata drive as like first part setupldr.bin from USB did the rest...

grub4dos starts ntldr on the usb disk which fails. Error message is from the latter, which cannot see your esata disk.

You still have the option to install XP on the same disk, but using the USB interface, links were given above.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 11 October 2008 - 06:53 PM

[Vially]

Hello guys and thank you for this great tool

I think I might have came across a bug. Whenever I start LiveXP from my stick prepared with this tool I only have two empty folders in the start menu, Administrative tools and Startup, and PENetwork does not start. This does not happen if I use PEtoUSB or the bootable ISO, so something must go wrong with the tool. I have attached the log file, maybe you can find out something interesting from it. Please let me know if I need to provide any useful info.

Thanks, Vially

P.S. The logfile is attached because I could not copy/paste it, the post becomes empty.

Attached File(s)

•  WinSetupFromUSB.zip (23.53K)
  Number of downloads: 14

This post has been edited by Vially: 16 October 2008 - 01:10 AM

[ilko_t]

Thanks, bug indeed.

Quick fix- create in USB drive root winbom.ini:

[Factory]
WinBOMType=WinPE
Reseal=No
[WinPE]
Restart=No
[PnPDriverUpdate]
[PnPDrivers]
[NetCards]
[UpdateInis]
[FactoryRunOnce]
[Branding]
[AppPreInstall]

and delete winnt.sif in \minint.

BartPE/UBCD4Win/WinFLPC were tested and did not need winbom.ini. Seems WinBuilder does need it.

Will fix that asap, winbom.ini doesn't seem to interfere if Windows setup coexists in the same partition.

edit: Apparently forum software was updated, there was a post above yours, which disappeared magically while I was trying to log in and reply.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 16 October 2008 - 02:28 AM

[Vially]

Wow, thanks for the quick answer . Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to resolve the problem. I have deleted winnt.sif from the minint folder and created the ini in the USB drive root, but there's no change. I have attached my winbom.ini, just in case something's wrong with it.

If you think there's something wrong with my livexp folder, I can upload the iso on a ftp and you can take a look, maybe there's something special with it... ?

Attached File(s)

•  winbom.zip (237bytes)
  Number of downloads: 10

This post has been edited by Vially: 16 October 2008 - 03:03 AM

[Vially]

I must also ad that the tool is reported as being infected with Worm.Win32.Autorun.pze by Kaspersky Antivirus. I have submitted a support request asking that they either confirm it is infected (which I doubt) or fix the false alarm...

This post has been edited by Vially: 16 October 2008 - 03:55 AM

[ilko_t]

Antivirus software for some reason is sensitive to AutoIt scripts, there are always false alarms. To stay on the safe side you may cross-check on virusscan.jotti.org or virustotal.com.
winbom.ini looks file, need to investigate further what else it could be.

edit: What's the exact version of WinBulder you used?

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 16 October 2008 - 11:30 AM

[Vially]

Kasersky support staff says it's ok, so no problems here I just thought they might solve the issue so that it doesn't show up as a false alarm.
Winbuilder used was the latest 0.75beta5, build l. I have just downloaded beta 5o and will try again. I needed the beta to test a vistape, that's why I'm using beta WB.

[Vially]

I have checked and cross-checked the iso and target folder of Winbuilder, and it is quite clear. Using the CD-ISO or PEtoUSB, everything is fine. Using WinSetupFromUSB I get a blank startmenu, no network... etc. Can anyone please confirm that the latest version of WinSetupFromUSB is properly installing LiveXP to an USB stick and you can run PE from it without problems ?

Thanks, Vially.

[ilko_t]

Please copy ModelRam.exe from liveXP folder to root of USB disk and let me know if that works. This was the only change I did, just tested 075 beta E and it worked, not using winbom.ini.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 16 October 2008 - 07:00 PM

[Kaida]

1st of all, i like to thank you for the great speedy tool for those not so computer inclined.

I have a little problem when using the program, i had just wanted a simple usb installation with sp3 and i used nlite to use a oem copy of xp pro to slipstream it to sp3. after which i had copy the iso to a cd and is using the winsetupfromusb to make the usb files.

I noticed that when i install the windows from the usb drive, the session somehow became unattended and there was a preassign code to it. did i do something wrong in the setup? not sure if its a nlite prob or the winsetupfromusb. but all i did from nlite was to install sp3 and make bootable disk.