[ilko_t]

I think boot.ini will be read by bootmgr if there is already an entry for ntldr in BCD.
In other words- simply creating boot.ini does not guarantee that you will be able to start PLoP this way.

[jaclaz]

ilko_t, on Jan 7 2010, 07:05 PM, said:

I think boot.ini will be read by bootmgr if there is already an entry for ntldr in BCD.
In other words- simply creating boot.ini does not guarantee that you will be able to start PLoP this way.

Yep.

As graphically explained in the linked page:
http://www.multiboot.../multiboot.html

Normal NT 4.x/5.x booting:
MBR->bootsector->NTLDR->BOOT.INI->NTDETECT.COM->Windows 5.x

Normal NT 6.x/7 booting:
MBR->bootsector->BOOTMGR->BCD->WINLOAD.EXE->Windows 6.x/7

Normal NT6.x/7 with NT 4.x/5.x dual booting:
MBR->bootsector->BOOTMGR->BCD->WINLOAD.EXE->Windows 6.x/7
or:
MBR->bootsector->BOOTMGR->BCD->NTLDR->BOOT.INI->NTDETECT.COM->Windows 5.x

The bolded part should be the link you are missing, you need an entry in BCD for booting a previous NT system.

Or if you prefer BOOT.INI is read by NTLDR and not by BOOTMGR.

There might be an exception, possibly a LONGHORN version, if I remember correctly.

jaclaz

[ilko_t]

jaclaz, on Jan 7 2010, 10:23 AM, said:

...Or if you prefer BOOT.INI is read by NTLDR and not by BOOTMGR.

On a working Win7 system, which already has an entry for NTLDR in BCD, I added c:\dummy="test" to boot.ini, alongside the existing c:\grldr="Grub4dos".
"Test" was displayed upon reboot in bootmgr's menu.

Next try- rename ntldr to ntldr.bak. Upon reboot the new entry in boot.ini "test" is still displayed. Ntldr is not used in order to display contents of BOOT.INI, which is apparently read by BOOTMGR.

Haven't tested whether contents of BOOT.INI will be displayed if there is no entry for NTLDR in BCD.

What's interesting- selecting "Grub4dos" in BOOTMGR menu leads to error from BOOTMGR's

Quote

Windows failed to start...
...File: \grldr...
....status 0xc000007b..
...the application is missing or corrupt

, although it's present, next to NTLDR, BOOTMGR and BOOT.INI. It does work when selected from NTLDR's menu.

Rename NTLDR.BAK to NTLDR. Add to BOOT.INI:

d:\grldr="Grub4dos D"
e:\grldr="Grub4dos E"

and remove c:\dummy="test".

BOOTMGR displays

Quote

Earlier versions of Windows
Windows 7
Grub4dos

What happened to Grub4dos D and E?

Go figure. First partition is hidden primary. It might be ignored by NTLDR, but counted by BOOTMGR. Won't go any deeper, this is improper way of adding new boot menu entries.

Proper and documented ways are:
Add the desired entry in BCD.

Or add an entry for NTLDR in BCD if not present, next add whatever you need to BOOT.INI and use BOOTMGR's "Earlier versions of Windows" menu to launch NTLDR, next launch whatever is needed from NTLDR's menu. This is only in case 2000/XP/2003 are already present, otherwise no point of going through all this.

[jaclaz]

I seem to remember that in BOOTMGR you need to chainload grldr.mbr and not grldr with latest grub4dos versions.

jaclaz

[Siginet]

Yeah I had the same issue with grub when I tried to create a boot.ini. But when I just create a boot.ini with plop it works. I did not have any ntldr files on my Windows 7. I have no idea why it doesn't work with grub but it works perfectly with plop.

Delete your test files and use my tool and you will see it should work on your system too.

[ilko_t]

Siginet, on Jan 8 2010, 09:31 AM, said:

...Delete your test files and use my tool and you will see it should work on your system too.

Deleted test entries in boot.ini and left this:

;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
c:\grldr="Grub4dos"

Run the program, gave admin privileges when asked and rebooted- no new entry in boot menu.
Checked boot.ini- it was not modified. Win7 x64.

Partition layoutand drive letters from 7:


Boot.ini is on E:\ as seen in Win7. PLoP folder is present in C\Windows with 2 files inside.

[ireneuszp]

Current version PLoP Boot Manager this 5.0.7 (stable)

2009-12-22
http://download.plop...plpbt-5.0.7.zip

@Siginet in your installator is v5.0.5 20091205

Can you update your installator??

[jaclaz]

ireneuszp, on Jan 22 2010, 04:02 PM, said:

@Siginet in your installator is v5.0.5 20091205

I guess the bolded part is exactly to avoid a continuous "running after" the new releases:

Siginet, on Dec 15 2009, 04:10 AM, said:

Release Notes:
v0.9.9.0 12/17/09
GRUB4DOS removed. Now it uses only PLoP!
Added support for Vista, 2008 and Windows 7!
Fixed a potential bug with the uninstall process.
If you want to use your own PLoP files put them in a folder called PLoP inside the directory with SiginetUSB.exe

jaclaz

[nickblame]

I am currently using a floppy disk to use plop on systems without the usb boot bios option. So this is great since if the system still boots to windows I can now use this to get plop running and boot my savior usb right?

excellent idea and work! thanks man

[xul]

@Siginet or someone other who has set up plop under win7.

if the win7 install was not an upgrade then there is no ntldr and ntdetect.com which are needed for the {ntldr} option in the BCD settings.

can someone please write the output of a working setup from bcdedit.ecxe /enum ?

[ionbiryu]

ey as I have understood "USB Boot Siginet's PLOP" only works when windows is installed.idont have installed windows .my hhd is clear ,no os installed as I can do?
i want to install windows on a pentium 3 that has no cd drive and you have not installed any system os

please helpme

and another thing no one speaks Spanish?

[dencorso]

Some of us do. But forget it, this is an English-only forum.

[bphlpt]

nickblame, on 11 February 2010 - 01:40 PM, said:

I am currently using a floppy disk to use plop on systems without the usb boot bios option.

Sorry to be a noob, but could someone explain how to do this, or provide a link to an explanation? That would fix the problem of trying to use this on a "blank" or "clean" system where Windows is not installed.

Cheers and Regards

[cdob]

bphlpt, on 30 April 2010 - 10:34 AM, said:

provide a link to an explanation?

PLoP: Run from Floppy with a disk image
http://www.plop.at/e...ger.html#runflp

[bphlpt]

Thanks! Hopefully this will help ionbiryu, too.

Cheers and Regards

[Mr001]

i have installed plop into computer and when i try to boot from usb after restart it only displays one msg, XO i dont know what the hell is this and why it doesn't boot from usb.

[Ponch]

Mr001, on 31 January 2011 - 02:55 AM, said:

i have installed plop into computer and when i try to boot from usb after restart it only displays one msg, XO

Do you get the (PLOP) boot menu then choose "USB" ?

[bhishmar]

Siginet, on 14 December 2009 - 09:10 PM, said:

Siginet's PLoP USB Boot Manager Installer
..........................
Release Notes:

Quote

v0.9.9.0 12/17/09
GRUB4DOS removed. Now it uses only PLoP!
Added support for Vista, 2008 and Windows 7!
Fixed a potential bug with the uninstall process.
If you want to use your own PLoP files put them in a folder called PLoP inside the directory with SiginetUSB.exe

Which all PLoP files need to be put inside PLoP folder for using the latest version? Only plpbt.bin?
There is a confusing array of files within PLoP downloads!

[legenderycity]

I installed this software and made a win xp bootable USB. When i insert the usb and select Boot from USB, nothing runs. Only two alphaberts, xe comes out. Whats wrong?

[ilko_t]

You may try a newer PLoP version from here:
http://download.plop...lpbt-5.0.14.zip

Replace plpbt.bin with the one from the archive.