[wimb]

pucelle, on Dec 27 2007, 03:54 PM, said:

"The specified Setup script file (C:\XPSOURCE\i386\winnt.sif) is inaccessible or invalid. Contact your system administrator."

It might be that your winnt.sif file is causing the error. Check this file in Notepad Editor.
You used usb_prep6.cmd where you had to give and change the product key in the given winnt_sif.txt file
and copy this file as winnt.sif in your XPSOURCE\i386 folder.

There is a newer version of the program named usb_prep8.cmd which makes the XP Bootfolder quite differently,
without running winnt32.exe . It might well be that in this case you don't have your problem.
In this case the given winnt.sif file needs to remain located in the usb_prep8 folder.
The winnt.sif file provides the answers needed for Unattended Install of Windows XP and needs your Product Key !
Did you try to use usb_prep8.cmd ?

Regards,

wimb

[pucelle]

I'm pretty certain I'm using version 8 as I had downloaded it based off the link in wimb's sig. I am using an OEM {Dell} xp s2 source and a customized winnt.sif that I made using a combination of nlite & my knowledge of the available options/commands in said file. I didn't use the nlite created nor the usb_prep ones, I just cut & paste as well as compared versions for things I was missing.

I wasn't sure where I was supposed to put the drivers so I put them in both places (the usb_prep $oem folder & the one in the XPSource\$oem folder). But I didn' t get that far in the installation. Sorry it took so long to reply but until I can get a "stable" copy of XP running I don't exactly have a working PC at work.

I reimaged my machine but the image we have is bad so I still need to figure out how to get this to work as I need to create a new image as well.

Oh, I also slipstreamed the recent updates into the OEM folders as there are like 60 of them for the version I have.

Thanks & Happy New Year (Joyeux Noel & Prospero Ano)!

This post has been edited by pucelle: 01 January 2008 - 12:02 AM

[wimb]

pucelle, on Jan 1 2008, 07:01 AM, said:

I'm pretty certain I'm using version 8 as I had downloaded it based off the link in wimb's sig. I am using an OEM {Dell} xp s2 source and a customized winnt.sif that I made using a combination of nlite & my knowledge of the available options/commands in said file. I didn't use the nlite created nor the usb_prep ones, I just cut & paste as well as compared versions for things I was missing.

In your Private communication you were speaking of errors when using usb_prep6.cmd
So I supposed that you did not use version 8, but it is clear now that you did use version 8

Can you post your winnt.sif file (after wiping the product key) ?
Where did you put your winnt.sif file ?
And what did you do with the well working winnt.sif file provided in the usb_prep8 folder ?

It is worthwhile to try the winnt.sif file provided in the usb_prep8 folder
and keep it there and change only the product key.
And I prefer not to use nLite.

Try first usb_prep8.cmd on a clean xp sp2 source and if successfull
then use RyanVM Integrator for integrating post-sp2 Update Pack, IE7 and WM11 Addon
and after that use DPs_Base for integrating only DriverPack Mass Storage with text mode enabled.
Everything is described in the provided Help_usb_prep.txt file, see section D.

Regards,

wimb

This post has been edited by wimb: 01 January 2008 - 02:00 AM

[ilko_t]

Happy New Year everyone

@pucelle- your information is confusing

pucelle, on Dec 27 2007, 03:54 PM, said:

So I tried this and I'm getting the following error message:
"The specified Setup script file (C:\XPSOURCE\i386\winnt.sif) is inaccessible or invalid. Contact your system administrator."

I have no idea why I'm getting this message. Then when I hit ok, I get Making of LocalSource folder $WIN_NT$.~LS Ready Press any key to continue... Copying custom files to temp drive.... The system cannot find the path specified. It then takes forever to CRTL+C out before getting :

Does T:\$WIN_NT$.~LS\I386 specify a file name or directory name on the target (F = file, D = directory)?

C:migrate.inf 1 file copied
same question as above

more files are copied and then I get an error message about not being able to read/edit the tstsetup.sif file.

I checked the names, locations, cases, & attributes on said files, what else am I missing?

The above message indicates that there is something wrong within your winnt.sif, look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247882

At the same time you said that you used USB_Prep8, which doesn't use winnt32.exe parsing winnt.sif. In version 8 winnt.sif is simply copied, in all previous versions it's parsed by winnt32.exe.
The rest of your errors are because winnt32.exe didn't complete it's job creating ~BT and ~LS folders from your source.

pucelle, on Jan 1 2008, 07:01 AM, said:

I'm pretty certain I'm using version 8 ....

Regards,
ilko


edit:
wimb, may be you should remove the check for winnt32.exe in source and check for some other file(s), since it's no longer used and there are people, which remove this functionality from their source.

if exist %src_ok%\i386\winnt32.exe (
		SET xpsource=%src_ok%
) else (
	echo.
	echo  Error: The path %src_ok% does not contain Windows XP Source Files

Another idea is not to use tmpdrive and vdk anymore, either copy to a temporary folder or right to the USB destination, this will simplify the procedure and give x64 compatibility.

Just a quick remind to anyone with 64bits source and USB hard disk- rdummy.sys won't work on 64 bit windows. If there are requests for it I will compile it for x64 too.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 01 January 2008 - 02:52 PM

[wimb]

ilko_t, on Jan 1 2008, 09:41 PM, said:

Happy New Year everyone

wimb, may be you should remove the check for winnt32.exe in source and check for some other file(s), since it's no longer used and there are people, which remove this functionality from their source.

if exist %src_ok%\i386\winnt32.exe (
		SET xpsource=%src_ok%
) else (
	echo.
	echo  Error: The path %src_ok% does not contain Windows XP Source Files

Another idea is not to use tmpdrive and vdk anymore, either copy to a temporary folder or right to the USB destination, this will simplify the procedure and give x64 compatibility.

Just a quick remind to anyone with 64bits source and USB hard disk- rdummy.sys won't work on 64 bit windows. If there are requests for it I will compile it for x64 too.

I will change the program such that dosnet.inf file is used as a marker to indicate a valid xp source directory.
It is a very good idea to change that since winnt32.exe is no longer used.

At the moment I am working on integrating USB_MultiBoot.cmd in usb_prep8.cmd.
In the new concept I removed already the use of a Virtual tmpdrive,
since it is no longer needed and gives problems with x64 versions of XP.

I am very interested in rdummy.sys version for 64 bit windows,
so that we can use this in the usb_prep8.cmd program and so improve the compatibility.
It would be very helpfull ilko_t if you can make that, because I have no experience about this subject.

@ilko_t
I thank you very much for your pioneering effort in this project and for your helpfull comments.

Cheers,

wimb

This post has been edited by wimb: 02 January 2008 - 02:22 AM

[Sancho]

Why is the virtual drive even used and how is it being made? Funny enough, before seeing the tempdrive made, I made my own temp drive with the Windows source files in it so there wouldn't be spaces in the name. I think I saw that vdk.exe is being used, but why do this? I just put "subst O: C:\[xp files source]" for mine. Is it not different somehow?

[ilko_t]

In first scripts winnt32.exe was used, will it like subst? If yes- good idea, where were you a few months ago ? Why virtual drive was used- post #295 and the next few.
Anyway, winnt32.exe is no longer used and virtual drive will not be used in next versions.

About rdummy.sys- I hoped for a simple recompiling, but that was no go, the code must be rewritten/changed, so we need a proper programmer to do this. I have something in mind, but am not sure at all whether I can get him to do that.

This post has been edited by ilko_t: 07 January 2008 - 11:01 PM

[wimb]

There is a complete New Program Available: USB_MultiBoot2.cmd

I have integrated usb_prep8.cmd in USB_MultiBoot2.cmd Batch Program, which:
- Prepares MultiBoot USB-Drive provided with Windows XP Setup LocalSource
- Supports Booting: MS-DOS FREEDOS BartPE WinPE 2.0 and Setup Windows XP
- Supports GRUB4DOS with DOS FLOPPY IMAGES + Linux and Supports SYSLINUX Menu
- Supports Portable WinTools which run direct from GO-Menu button

Changes:
- Virtual Drive is no longer used
Instead in MultiBoot2 Folder a Temporary Folder usb_xpbt is made with all Custom made Files,
and where the XP BootFolder $WIN_NT$.~BT is created by parsing DOSNET.INF from XP Source.
The XP Source is copied direct to the $WIN_NT$.~LS Folder on the USB-Drive
and not to the Temporary Folder usb_xpbt.

- Install of BartPE by PeToUSB is supported, where a 2-byte hexedit of peldr enables its use
in combination with coexisting XP Setup files, thus resolving possible conflict.

- New is the USB Content Source Folder U_CONTENT which is copied to USB-Drive,
and which can contain additional DOS, Linux and Win PE 2.0 files,
but one might also select the complete Content of an earlier made USB-stick.
Or one may select an empty Content Folder containing a needed empty usbflash TAGFILE.
The Bootsector Files, Install of Syslinux, peldr and migrate.inf are Renewed to make the MultiBoot USB-Drive.

- New is also the wintools folder with Portable win32 WinTools.
Double-click on GO_WINTOOLS_MENU.BAT on USB-drive provides WinTools Menu from GO button.

ilko_t, on Jan 8 2008, 06:00 AM, said:

About rdummy.sys- I hoped for a simple recompiling, but that was no go, the code must be rewritten/changed, so we need a proper programmer to do this. I have something in mind, but am not sure at all whether I can get him to do that.

Very interesting, Hopefully the next version of MultiBoot2.cmd will also support rdummy.sys necessary
for Install of 64-bit version of XP from USB-Harddisk

Regards,

wimb

***** NOTE *****
The Attachment contains USB_MultiBoot2_X.zip with limited U_CONTENT folder due to Upload limitation.
The Full Version USB_MultiBoot2.zip with U_CONTENT folder containing a lot of FREEWARE programs
is available at the CD Forum: http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=20089

Download Direct USB_MultiBoot2.zip from CD Forum: USB_MultiBoot2.zip

Attached File(s)

•  USB_MultiBoot2_X.zip (198.76K)
  Number of downloads: 683

This post has been edited by wimb: 09 January 2008 - 02:21 AM

[Sancho]

Every time I try this I end up with an error before GUI setup:

Windows could not start because of the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

This happened with both of the latest versions. I was doing the fix at the end to make the USB drive U:, and the textmode setup would default to asking me if I was to install to the U: drive, and I would have to hit Esc and pick C. Is this normal? I tried without the fix at the end and it wouldn't ask anything at all before writing to the USB drive.

I don't understand why it always says that the file is missing. I'm using an nLited version of Windows Server 2003. I just want to install Windows. I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work and I don't know how I can just copy the files to the hard drive and somehow have it enter the textmode setup at boot.

[ilko_t]

How many partitions you have you your HD?
Where do you install windows to?
Do you have any hidden or non-standard ones?
Try in BIOS to play with LBA and LARGE mode if it is AUTO.
Do you have any other USB mass storage devices plugged, including card readers, smartfones etc.
What do you mean

Quote

I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work

?

Did you change winnt.sif AFTER usb_prep...? You have to remove the whole section [UNATTENDED], so the installer would prompt you where to install. Also make sure in [DATA] AutoPartition=0

[Rudi1]

First,big Thanx for your work with this tool "wimb"!
I'am not try your latest one:USB_MultiBoot2.cmd,but yesterday I try usb_prep8.cmd,the boot from usb is going well,but I have an error when windows prepare to install and the error message say something about:can't find corred cd drive,please quit with F 3.
I will try today with your latest version.

[Sancho]

ilko_t, on Jan 9 2008, 04:35 AM, said:

How many partitions you have you your HD?
Where do you install windows to?
Do you have any hidden or non-standard ones?
Try in BIOS to play with LBA and LARGE mode if it is AUTO.
Do you have any other USB mass storage devices plugged, including card readers, smartfones etc.
What do you mean

Quote

I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work

?

Did you change winnt.sif AFTER usb_prep...? You have to remove the whole section [UNATTENDED], so the installer would prompt you where to install. Also make sure in [DATA] AutoPartition=0

I tried it both with and without the Unattended sections and I always get the same error about that one file. I've made at least 10 builds with this utility alone and it hasn't worked.

Winnt32.exe doesn't work because of nLite, most likely. I've seen this happen before when I tried to run setup from inside Windows and it would skip to the last step and say it didn't work, and have me click Finish. Despite this not working, I have always been able to install Windows when I boot from the CD.

Like I said, I can copy the setup files to the HD in BartPE, but does that get me anywhere?

[Rudi1]

I try the latest version and now not have the error with cd drive and I can select the partition to install,but after that I have this error message:
The following value in the .SIF file used by setup is corrupted or missing:

Value 0 on the line in section (SourceDiskFiles)

Setup cannot continue,press F3.

I'am not change anything in sif file.What I'am doing wrong to have this error?

[wimb]

Sancho, on Jan 9 2008, 07:08 AM, said:

Every time I try this I end up with an error before GUI setup:

Windows could not start because of the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

This happened with both of the latest versions. I was doing the fix at the end to make the USB drive U:, and the textmode setup would default to asking me if I was to install to the U: drive, and I would have to hit Esc and pick C. Is this normal? I tried without the fix at the end and it wouldn't ask anything at all before writing to the USB drive.

I don't understand why it always says that the file is missing. I'm using an nLited version of Windows Server 2003. I just want to install Windows. I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work and I don't know how I can just copy the files to the hard drive and somehow have it enter the textmode setup at boot.

I prefer not to use nLite.

Try first USB_MultiBoot2.cmd on a clean xp sp2 source and if successfull
then use RyanVM Integrator for integrating post-sp2 Update Pack, IE7 and WM11 Addon
and after that use DPs_Base for integrating only DriverPack Mass Storage with text mode enabled.

XPSOURCE Space Saving Tips see: http://unattended.ms...xp/view/web/57/
You can Safely Remove the XPSOURCE folders:
WIN9XMIG, WIN9XUPG and WINNTUPG - This will free up 37.6 MB
LANG - 99 MB and cmpnents - 22.6 MB ( Needed for MCE / Tablet PC only )

Regards,

wimb

This post has been edited by wimb: 09 January 2008 - 12:37 PM

[wimb]

Rudi1, on Jan 9 2008, 01:36 PM, said:

First,big Thanx for your work with this tool "wimb"!
I'am not try your latest one:USB_MultiBoot2.cmd,but yesterday I try usb_prep8.cmd,the boot from usb is going well,but I have an error when windows prepare to install and the error message say something about:can't find corred cd drive,please quit with F 3.
I will try today with your latest version.

Did you use the winnt.sif file supplied with usb_prep8.zip ?

It seems that Setup is looking for a CD which occurs when MsDosInitiated="0"
The Correct value for Setup from USB-Drive is MsDosInitiated="1"

wimb

[Rudi1]

I'am made a new usb image with new version USB_MultiBoot2 and still not worked correct.
I have the new Asus EeePC and I have only options to install xp from Usb disk.I'am try 2 times with clean XP SP2 disk and I'am not use any other tool like nlite!When I boot to Usb and begin to install work just fine,but when the labtop is restarted I have this error message in both try the same:

Windows could not start becouse the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>system32\hal.dll
Please re-install a copy of the above file


I just like to know why just the same xp disk work really fine when use it from CD boot,but fail in usb?
I can use another method explained from Lambo,but this is to slow and it take hours to install xp to this asus toy!
link:

Quote

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2...;t=1979&p=0

This post has been edited by Rudi1: 09 January 2008 - 03:11 PM

[Rudi1]

I'am just fix this problem.Looks like that I'am read the instruction to fast and not see that I must in restart choose the gui mode.I'am boot again and choose usb disk and then the gui mode and the setup is continue!
Thanx guys for this great tool and your work!Now I have windows xp installed to Asus EeePC from usb.
Maybae you can do it just better if we can use nlited xp too.I'am not try nlited xp yet,but for shure we can save a lot of free space in this slim disk.Thanx again,you save me a lot of time and some money too!

[ilko_t]

Sancho, on Jan 9 2008, 01:37 PM, said:

ilko_t, on Jan 9 2008, 04:35 AM, said:

How many partitions you have you your HD?
Where do you install windows to?
Do you have any hidden or non-standard ones?
Try in BIOS to play with LBA and LARGE mode if it is AUTO.
Do you have any other USB mass storage devices plugged, including card readers, smartfones etc.
What do you mean

Quote

I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work

?

Did you change winnt.sif AFTER usb_prep...? You have to remove the whole section [UNATTENDED], so the installer would prompt you where to install. Also make sure in [DATA] AutoPartition=0

I tried it both with and without the Unattended sections and I always get the same error about that one file. I've made at least 10 builds with this utility alone and it hasn't worked.

Winnt32.exe doesn't work because of nLite, most likely. I've seen this happen before when I tried to run setup from inside Windows and it would skip to the last step and say it didn't work, and have me click Finish. Despite this not working, I have always been able to install Windows when I boot from the CD.

Like I said, I can copy the setup files to the HD in BartPE, but does that get me anywhere?

You did not answer most of my question, neither confirmed if the other suggestions were tried...how can I help you?!

Sorry, but you should do 10 rebuilds with Nlite, not with usb_prep.., since the problem is in your source.
Deleting [unattended] is to prevent TXT Setup NOT asking you where to install windows to and has nothing to do with ntoskrnl.exe error.

Nlited sources do work, just you have to be careful and understand what you are removing.

@Rudi1- thanks for feedback

[Sancho]

ilko_t, on Jan 9 2008, 07:16 PM, said:

Sancho, on Jan 9 2008, 01:37 PM, said:

ilko_t, on Jan 9 2008, 04:35 AM, said:

How many partitions you have you your HD?
Where do you install windows to?
Do you have any hidden or non-standard ones?
Try in BIOS to play with LBA and LARGE mode if it is AUTO.
Do you have any other USB mass storage devices plugged, including card readers, smartfones etc.
What do you mean

Quote

I tried using the BartPE and UBCD4Win environments and had no luck, the setup with winnt32.exe doesn't work

?

Did you change winnt.sif AFTER usb_prep...? You have to remove the whole section [UNATTENDED], so the installer would prompt you where to install. Also make sure in [DATA] AutoPartition=0

I tried it both with and without the Unattended sections and I always get the same error about that one file. I've made at least 10 builds with this utility alone and it hasn't worked.

Winnt32.exe doesn't work because of nLite, most likely. I've seen this happen before when I tried to run setup from inside Windows and it would skip to the last step and say it didn't work, and have me click Finish. Despite this not working, I have always been able to install Windows when I boot from the CD.

Like I said, I can copy the setup files to the HD in BartPE, but does that get me anywhere?

You did not answer most of my question, neither confirmed if the other suggestions were tried...how can I help you?!

Sorry, but you should do 10 rebuilds with Nlite, not with usb_prep.., since the problem is in your source.
Deleting [unattended] is to prevent TXT Setup NOT asking you where to install windows to and has nothing to do with ntoskrnl.exe error.

Nlited sources do work, just you have to be careful and understand what you are removing.

@Rudi1- thanks for feedback

Well that makes no sense. If the nLite build is perfectly fine, then there's only the possibility of the problem being at this tool. If it can't accept an nLited source, nLite still doesn't have any reason to change for this. Clearly the install method is doing something that is very different from what would normally happen for the textmode and GUI steps.

Frankly I guess I ignored the top section where the bulk of your questions were, because I was in a rush and they don't seem to apply in my case. I have a single SATA drive with nothing on it. I couldn't get AHCI mode to work at all, so it's in IDE mode. Really nothing else I can configure there.

[ilko_t]

Install form a CD and install using winnt32.exe, which you reported not to work differ. Why- ask Microsoft.
Here, for now, we can use only the winnt32.exe approach, in earlier versions using directly winnt32.exe, in latest by "cloning" its functionality.
If you can help to develop a way to prepare stick like if using CD- please do so, you are more than welcome.
Why your nlited source didn't work with winnt32.exe you have to figure out. Start with a clean, not Nlited source, and find when functionality gets broken. This may take you more than 10 builds.

The questions I asked may not seem relevant for you, but to ask them I have reasons. If have to explain in details, this is going to take time, more than the one I could afford, so feel free to pay or not attention at all.
And I asked you to check LBA and LARGE hard disks mode, not AHCI or SATA. In some cases when hard drive is not seen properly this may lead to all kinds of "not making sense" results, as are their resolutions, this is not very likely, as I believe the problem is in your source, but would have taken you way less time to check settings, than the time I've spent to type all this.