Install XP from USB: conquering ASUS M4A78 Pro

[jaclaz]

Is it normal/OK that Grub4Dos is not in the menu?

Yes, if there is no entry for it in BOOT.INI.

Open BOOT.INI in Notepad and add an entry like this:

C:\grldr="Grub4dos"

READ this:

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/...all_windows.htm

From what you report you are currently in situation #1:

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/...ws.htm#windows1

(but without an appropriate entry in BOOT.INI)

MBR->bootsector->NTLDR->BOOT.INI->grldr

After all it seems we managed to have the ASUS booting (but somehow losing compatibility on the laptop , we'll see why and hopefully fix it later , please post a copy of your current MBR)

jaclaz

[Tulert]

please post a copy of your current MBR.

Attached.

And yes, Grub4Dos is now in the menu after following your instructions about boot.ini.

For the record: if I use HDD option on ASUS in BIOS I am stuck with Motherboard logo. Option Auto works as discussed. Option Forced FDD -- same as Auto.

Tulert090729.rar

Edited July 29, 2009 by Tulert

[jaclaz]

please post a copy of your current MBR.

Attached.

Well, NO.

The file you posted contains FAT16 bootsector CODE and DATA, not a MBR.

If you got it from first sector of the device (which seems plausible, since the number of hidden sectors in the DATA is 0) it means that you formatted the device as "superfloppy", thus there is NO surprise it doesn't boot as HDD, and that it doesn't boot on the laptop.

You must have totally skipped:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...35364&st=58

or I completely failed to explain the difference between a HD-like device and a superfloppy one.

We are exactly back to square one.

Let's try again, OK?

Instead of:

At the moment I did

fsz 200_sectors.bin 102400

dsfi \\.\Physicaldrive1 0 0 200_sectors.bin

'Disk Management' => Format

Copied boot.ini, ntldr, grldr to the stick

DO this:

fsz 200_sectors.bin 102400

dsfi \\.\Physicaldrive1 0 0 200_sectors.bin

'Disk Management' => Format run fuwi's utilities, or RMPREPUSB.EXE: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...87993&st=17

Copied boot.ini, ntldr, grldr to the stick

As an alternative:

1. confirm that you are using one particular stick
   
2. run dsfo on that stick as detailed here:
   http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...c=5000&st=1
   
3. post the exact number of bytes tranferred
   

And I'll create manually a valid MBR for you.

jaclaz

[Tulert]

Well, NO.

The file you posted contains FAT16 bootsector CODE and DATA, not a MBR.

Lol.

If you got it from first sector of the device

I got it with HDHacker with options 'Physical Drive (MBR)' and 'First Sector (Boot Sector)'; 'Read Sector from Disk', 'Save'.

it means that you formatted the device as "superfloppy", thus there is NO surprise it doesn't boot as HDD, and that it doesn't boot on the laptop.

Ok, implications make sense. What exactly I had to do to have it differently I am not sure:

If the device is now "Fixed", you should be able to use "normal" Disk Management to partition/format it.

So when I go to 'Disk Management' I see my test stick and when I select 'Format' I only observe the following options:

• Volume Label:
  
• File System: {FAT} or {FAT32}
  
• Allocation Unit Size: I've used {Default}
  
• Perform a quick format {left} unchecked
  

It didn't even feel like I have a choice between Super Floppy or HDD so I assumed that it "knows" it deals with HDD as a result of UT165 1.65.17.0.

You must have totally skipped:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...35364&st=58

No, I didn't skip it. I guess I got confused about <<"normal" Disk Management>>

We are exactly back to square one.

Not exactly as before ASUS didn't boot with option Auto...

Let's try again, OK?

Will do in the evening

confirm that you are using one particular stick

Yes, it is the same stick all the time.

[jaclaz]

Yep.

Evidently the utility did not "flip the bit".

Quick check:

Open Regedit.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

Find the key that identifies your USB stick Drive Letter, say "L:", i.e. \DosDevices\L:, does it's values look something like:

1C AE 1C AE 00 7E 00 00 00 00 00 00

or something like:

5C 00 3F 00 3F 00 5C 00 53 00 54 00 4F 00 52 00 
41 00 47 00 45 00 23 00 52 00 65 00 6D 00 6F 00 
76 00 61 00 62 00 6C 00 65 00 4D 00 65 00 64 00 
69 00 61 00 23 00 37 00 26 00 32 00 63 00 34 00 
30 00 63 00 38 00 32 00 34 00 26 00 30 00 26 00 
52 00 4D 00 23 00 7B 00 35 00 33 00 66 00 35 00 
36 00 33 00 30 00 64 00 2D 00 62 00 36 00 62 00 
66 00 2D 00 31 00 31 00 64 00 30 00 2D 00 39 00 
34 00 66 00 32 00 2D 00 30 00 30 00 61 00 30 00 
63 00 39 00 31 00 65 00 66 00 62 00 38 00 62 00 
7D 00

If the first, the device is seen as "Fixed", if the second, the device is seen as "Removable".

This:

File System: {FAT} or {FAT32}

is another hint, if the device is seen as Fixed, you should have NTFS as an option too.

If the device is seen as "Fixed" in disk management you should be able to create a new partition:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000/en-us

BEFORE formatting it.

jaclaz

[Tulert]

look like:

5C 00 3F 00 3F 00 5C 00 53 00 54 00 4F 00 52 00 
41 00 47 00 45 00 23 00 52 00 65 00 6D 00 6F 00 
76 00 61 ...

[Tulert]

it means that you formatted the device as "superfloppy", thus there is NO surprise it doesn't boot as HDD, and that it doesn't boot on the laptop.

What was different before when it wasn't "a HDD" but did boot on a laptop?

[jaclaz]

it means that you formatted the device as "superfloppy", thus there is NO surprise it doesn't boot as HDD, and that it doesn't boot on the laptop.

What was different before when it wasn't "a HDD" but did boot on a laptop?

When did it happen?

Even if it wasn't seen as "Fixed" it was PARTITIONED (by using the HP utility) and had a MBR.

Quick reminder:

• if first sector on the device is a MBR, BIOS sees it as "HD-like"
  
• if first sector on the device is a MBR, Windows sees it as "HD-like", BUT it won't let you re-partition it, unless ADDITIONALLY the "bit is flipped" and the device is seen as "Fixed"
  
• if first sector on the device is a bootsector, BIOS sees it as "superfloppy"
  
• if first sector on the device is a bootsector, Windows sees it as "superfloppy"
  

Let's go to "plan D":

As an alternative:

1. confirm that you are using one particular stick
   
2. run dsfo on that stick as detailed here:
   http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...c=5000&st=1
   
3. post the exact number of bytes tranferred
   

And I'll create manually a valid MBR for you.

jaclaz

[Tulert]

As an alternative:

1. confirm that you are using one particular stick
   
2. run dsfo on that stick as detailed here:
   http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...c=5000&st=1
   
3. post the exact number of bytes tranferred
   

• yes, it is the same stick
  
• dsfo \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 0 0 NUL
  
• 4043309056 bytes
  

Edited August 5, 2009 by Tulert

[jaclaz]

• yes, it is the same stick
  
• dsfo \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE1 0 0 NUL
  
• 4043309056 bytes
  

OK, let's try this (sorry for the delay):

The attached zip contains 4 slightly different MBR's:

• tulert1P.mbr <-this is a "plain" MBR with one partition 0-0B-80-0-1-1-490-254-63-63-7887852
  
• tulert1Php.mbr <-this is a same as above but with the "HP hack"
  
• tulert2P.mbr <-this is a "plain" MBR with two partitions 0-0B-80-0-1-1-489-254-63-63-7871787 and 1-21-00-490-0-1-490-254-63-7871850-16065
  
• tulert2Php.mbr<-this is a same as above but with the "HP hack"
  

Procedure is following:

1. zero out first, say 100 sectors of the USB stick
   
   • fsz 100_sectors.bin 51200
     
   • dsfi \\.\Physicaldriven 0 0 100_sectors.bin
     

[*]copy the MBR to stick

• dsfi \\.\Physicaldriven 0 512 tulertxx.mbr
  

[*]disconnect stick

[*]re-connect stick

[*]right click on the stick drive letter and choose Format (as FAT32)

[*]copy to the stick NTLDR NTDETECT.COM and BOOT.INI (the BOOT.INI needs to have two entries at least)

[*]try booting

it is very possible that you get:

a. nothing

b. an error like:

 Disk error
 Press any key to restart

c. booting works and you get up to the BOOT.INI choices

if c. everything is good

if b. try, using Beeblebrox to change the partition ID from 0B to 0C (from FAT32 CHS mapped to FAT32 LBA mapped)

if a. try "next" MBR

Once you have looped through the above unsuccessfully, re-do from beginning, but between 6. and 7. do the following:

copy the bootsector to a file:

• dsfo \\.\x: 0 512 bootsector.dat
  

run killchs:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...=8528&st=21

on the resulting file

restore the file to the bootsector:

• dsfi \\.\x: : 0 512 bootsector.dat
  

Report.

jaclaz

tulert_MBRs.zip