440 replies to this topic

[wimb]

Use Make_USB.exe from U_XP_SET package to make bootable USB-stick, so that you can Boot from USB-stick with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file loaded in RAMDISK in about 4 minutes.
No problem.

http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5306

Booting with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file loaded from Harddisk into RAMDISK is possible as well and allows Booting with LiveXP in only 30 seconds, very useful as Emergency Escape Boot Option in boot.ini Menu e.g. for System Backup or Restore with Ghost (from Harddisk to Harddisk the speed can be 3 GB / min , allowing System Restore in only 1 minute)
For this purpose you use BOOT_IMG.exe to Install LiveXP as Boot Option in boot.ini Menu on your Harddisk.

[Lancelot]

but the method almost the same as in the BootSDI method:
the RAMDISK.SYS from w2k3sp1 goes to system32\drivers
these lines goes into txtsetup.sif
[ScsiClass.Load]
ramdisk=ramdisk.sys
(BartPE always writes this ramdisk=ramdisk.sys so no need extra step as in LiveXP)

No need these, they are automatically added if you enable "Add win2k3sp1 setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys" on Create ISO script

and nowadays found:
fbwf.sys and fbwflib.dll extracted from winpe.wim of the newer WAIK
6001.18000.080118-1840
works fine in my XP based PE)

Thank you for useful info

[dera]

No need these, they are automatically added if you enable "Add win2k3sp1 setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys" on Create ISO script

I just wanted to explain what the 'pe2usb.cmd' do in BartPE

[Lancelot]

dera

sorry for my explanatoin, i just want to remind others than you (i should indicate that sorry) the checkbox at create iso script which does the thing you described with 'pe2usb.cmd' do in BartPE for ramdisk.sys etc adding.

[dera]

ok

[amalux]

Use Make_USB.exe from U_XP_SET package to make bootable USB-stick, so that you can Boot from USB-stick with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file loaded in RAMDISK in about 4 minutes.
No problem.

http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5306

Booting with LiveXP BootSDI.img IMAGE file loaded from Harddisk into RAMDISK is possible as well and allows Booting with LiveXP in only 30 seconds, very useful as Emergency Escape Boot Option in boot.ini Menu e.g. for System Backup or Restore with Ghost (from Harddisk to Harddisk the speed can be 3 GB / min , allowing System Restore in only 1 minute)
For this purpose you use BOOT_IMG.exe to Install LiveXP as Boot Option in boot.ini Menu on your Harddisk.

Well, after messing around with ram loading iso's for a few hours I was about to give up when I saw this post. I am once again humbled by your greatness wimb - Thank you for this AWESOME tool!!! - Your method (I'm sure you'll correct me if someone else 'invented' this but you're the one who perfected it and made it accessible) of loading the bootsdi.img to ram from ufd/usb is brilliant and your GUI's nothing short of professional, your a genius my friend!

Now a few questions which may only indicate my ignorance, that's ok, want to learn...

1) Is it possible to setup the bootsdi.img on the UFD alone without the source folder being included? or better, have these two be independent i.e. setup the UFD with only bootsdi.img (ex. boots just LiveXP without included source folder) or with source folder included and the option of 'changing out' one or the other independently (if the reason isn't obvious I'll explain). This can probably be done 'manually', I haven't played with it yet but I'm really wondering why this isn't optional through your interface - you can't proceed without choosing source for inclusion:
 wimb1.JPG   43.7KB   80 downloads

2) A couple things seemed odd with the boot menu:
Start Windows XP HD-1 Part 1 --> Should be normal XP install but causes BSOD _7B
Start Windows XP HD-2 Part 1 --> No install exists here, is this just generic template?
--

The other two ops made sense (Start grub4dos; PE1- bootsdi.img) but could this boot menu be made optional? IOWs could (can?) the user choose whether this boot menu comes up at each boot? - back to 1) question, if only setting up ex. LiveXP bootsdi from RAM, would be better to boot directly to that if UFD present (like a 'normal' UFD boot disk wout grub/boot menu). This points to whether you see any benefit in having a UFD that only boots to ex. LiveXP; I do! Thanks for considering these ideas wimb; you have my respect and thanks for these great tools, regardless.

[wimb]

Hi amalux,

Thanks for your reply

1) For Install of the LiveXP BootSDI.img file only some files are needed from the XP Setup Source Folder.
So it is needed to Select your XP Setup Source,
but at the same time you can Uncheck it in front so that it
will NOT be copied to your USB-Drive, which saves some 10 min of time.

2) You can modify easily the boot.ini file on your just made USB-stick and Remove Unwanted entries of the [operating systems] Section of the boot.ini Menu,
thus only keeping the PE BootSDI.img entry.
In that case you will direct boot with LiveXP without the appearance of boot.ini Menu.

I hope this will help you to customize your USB-drive for booting Direct with LiveXP

[amalux]

Hi amalux,

Thanks for your reply

1) For Install of the LiveXP BootSDI.img file only some files are needed from the XP Setup Source Folder.
So it is needed to Select your XP Setup Source,
but at the same time you can Uncheck it in front so that it
will NOT be copied to your USB-Drive, which saves some 10 min of time.

2) You can modify easily the boot.ini file on your just made USB-stick and Remove Unwanted entries of the [operating systems] Section of the boot.ini Menu,
thus only keeping the PE BootSDI.img entry.
In that case you will direct boot with LiveXP without the appearance of boot.ini Menu.

I hope this will help you to customize your USB-drive for booting Direct with LiveXP

Thanks wimb,

1) Uncheck it in front, I'm so sorry but I don't understand - I feel dumm but is this on the same gui or... ???

2) Understood, no problem to edit boot.ini, just thought it might be nice on gui since I think many people will choose this option (at least for testing).

Any thoughts on BSOD from first boot menu option? Seems like a bug, no? or did I set something wrong somewhere?

[wimb]

1) After you Select your XP Source folder,
there appears a Checkmark (Below Copy), which you can UnCheck
(e.g. in your Image of the GUI you see the LiveXP as Checked for Copy which is needed and OK)

2) The Program Make_USB.exe can be used to make USB-sticks for various purposes and enables to make MutiBoot USB-sticks.

On some motherboards booting is tricky, common example are many Dell systems which without using modified ntdetect.com can cause BSOD.
If you want to use a modified ntdetect.com then put it in folder U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\makebt\
The programs of U_XP_SET will use then this modified ntdetect.com instead of from your XP Source

You may try the modified ntdetect.com as mentioned here
http://www.msfn.org/...-...0.html&st=3
Or use File U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\Help_Info\Hex_NTDETECT_COM.txt
Copy and paste all in Tiny Hexer (freeware), select HEX TEXT,
save as ntdetect.com and put it in USB stick root, filesize must become 47,596 bytes.

[amalux]

1) After you Select your XP Source folder,
there appears a Checkmark (Below Copy), which you can UnCheck
(e.g. in your Image of the GUI you see the LiveXP as Checked for Copy which is needed and OK)

- I failed the I.Q. test, thanks

2) The Program Make_USB.exe can be used to make USB-sticks for various purposes and enables to make MutiBoot USB-sticks.

OK.

On some motherboards booting is tricky, common example are many Dell systems which without using modified ntdetect.com can cause BSOD.
If you want to use a modified ntdetect.com then put it in folder U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\makebt\
The programs of U_XP_SET will use then this modified ntdetect.com instead of from your XP Source

Just put it in U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\makebt (none there now) and auto-detected? Got it, thanks again wimb

[yggdrasil]

@Run and boot sdi-image from ram + removing USB stick

If I understand issue here right, several users like to load/run LiveXP_RAM.iso (I recommend LiveXP_RAM.iso instead of BootSDI.im_ itself as it seems more reliable).

I managed to load and run my LiveXP_RAM.iso from Usb thumbdrive(stick).
It has the usual folders and files (folder i386 and ModelRam.exe inside boot.sdi-image as usual).

I can also (as expected) remove USB stick and choose to plug it in (or a different one as well) and the - from RAM running LiveXP - system finds USB stick as expected.
Note: I reduce size (run makecab) to bootsdi.img (bootsdi.im_) before bootsdi.script creates LiveXP_RAM.iso it works perfect from RAM/USB stick.

I boot USB stick using grub and also load LiveXP_RAM.iso using grub.

Everything is done in an automatic way using a script. I recommend download type C as first choice. Download script here

Note script can be used to any ISO file that’s bootable via grub. Please read help in script.

yggdrasil

[amalux]

@Run and boot sdi-image from ram + removing USB stick

If I understand issue here right, several users like to load/run LiveXP_RAM.iso (I recommend LiveXP_RAM.iso instead of BootSDI.im_ itself as it seems more reliable).

I managed to load and run my LiveXP_RAM.iso from Usb thumbdrive(stick).
It has the usual folders and files (folder i386 and ModelRam.exe inside boot.sdi-image as usual).

I can also (as expected) remove USB stick and choose to plug it in (or a different one as well) and the - from RAM running LiveXP - system finds USB stick as expected.
Note: I reduce size (run makecab) to bootsdi.img (bootsdi.im_) before bootsdi.script creates LiveXP_RAM.iso it works perfect from RAM/USB stick.

I boot USB stick using grub and also load LiveXP_RAM.iso using grub.

Everything is done in an automatic way using a script. I recommend download type C as first choice. Download script here

Note script can be used to any ISO file that’s bootable via grub. Please read help in script.

yggdrasil

Thank you yggdrasil

As you've seen, I like wimb's method and tools very much but would like to try your way for comparison. I find the options and help page a bit confusing, could you give a brief, step by step, 'how to'? Please be specific and explain exactly what to do; which options to be checked, which files required and if modded, how. Remember, I've spent hours trying to do this with ISO's already with very limited success so I'd really appreciate your guidance here. Please keep it simple, assume I have a LiveXP_RAM ISO and a UFD ready to go, what's the next step? Note: I have an internal USB HDD so any formatting must be done manually with a way to verify the disk drive letter. Thanks again yggdrasil

[wimb]

RAM ISO's for BartPE and UBCD4Win can be Created and Installed on USB Flash Drive
by using my old Batch Program BOOT_IMG.cmd still available for use in USB_XP_Setup Folder.

This works quite well for BartPE and UBCD4Win,
allthough they are slow loading into RAM, because of their size,
but anyway they can boot from USB Flash Drive.

I have tried LiveXP RAM ISO's made with WinBuilder or Created with BOOT_IMG.cmd
but was never successful in Booting with such LiveXP RAM ISO files .....

However, I prefer to boot with the LiveXP BootSDI.img files,
because they boot faster than BartPE ISO's and they allow to be changed more easily by simply Mounting as Virtual Drive for adding small programs,
which would NOT be possible with the RAM ISO's

[Lancelot]

wimb

I am not sure what do you mean with "RAM ISO'S" ?
if you mean LiveXP.iso loading to ram (like in bartpe pebuilder.iso) with ramdisk.sys method
there is plenty of space on X: with fbwf enabled (max ~130mb)

[wimb]

@Lancelot,

Yes you are right,
I was too much thinking of ordinary BartPE ISO's .....

[yggdrasil]

@amalux

Well first of all, push help button in script to take a new brief overlook how script works.
You have help button in all 3 types of script. Please press help button

Note: As usual, all scripts should be used with “eyes wide open”

Settings for script type C (the simplest one)
Note: The only differences between script type C and type B is that B has support for HP format Tool. The script “full version” works basically as type B with some more option for the advanced user.

For all 3 scripts following settings can (or should for new bee) be used:
I suggest you check: Run script in "Safe Mode"
I suggest you uncheck: G-zip and load ISO to memory (This is only for small ISO files = less than 5 Mb).
I suggest you uncheck: Use built in AeroStudio test-ISO

As you are stating that a UFD is the target for this “operation” you shell also uncheck: “Check this to avoid formatting or for hard-disk via USB-adapter. Please run format manually”.

Note1: As script now will be running in “Safe mode” no formatting is done and no mbr-record implemented automatically. That means that these settings are literary disconnected from the “scene”. These two settings are now fully controlled by your self.
Note2: Be sure to "Set USB device drive letter" to right drive letter. It wont harm your computer, but script might during process complain if you set wrong drive letter. That means that script halts.

You may now ask: How to set these format and mbr-record parameters?
First of all, if using script type C you will be asked for what drive letter to format. Let’s say your UFD is [F:] you use your keyboard and set in F not F: (script only need the letter itself) and press Enter.

If you are using script B or the (“full version”) you have option to use HP format tool instead of windows format.com. If you then check for using HP format tool Windows format.com is not used, instead you are presented the look of HP format tool.

How to set parameters for mbr-record (Grub 4dos installer), look here
Note1: this tutorial shows how to setup AeroStudio ISO file, but it’s the same procedure to any ISO file.
Note2: You can also follow procedure for how to set parameters in HP format tool (if used by you).

Final note: As script in menu.lst does not use option to load ISO to memory it’s sensitive to "File for drive emulation must be in one contiguous disk area". This means that UDF device must be in good “condition”. As we format UDF there shouldn’t be any problems. But as I pointed out, sensitive is the word.

English is not my native language – have patience
regards yggdrasil

[wimb]

After reading the site of yggdrasil http://web.telia.com...l/tutorial.html
I tried to use some of his info for slightly changing an USB-stick made with Make_USB.exe

Booting with LiveXP_RAM.iso from GRUB4DOS Menu on USB-stick was realised as follows:

• Download grub4dos here: http://download.gna....-2008-11-11.zip
• Update U_XP_SET\USB_XP_Setup\makebt\grldr with grldr from Extracted grub4dos Download
• Run Make_USB.exe from PStart Menu
• Format stick with HP Format Tool and use NTFS Filesystem
• Select LiveXP_RAM.iso from your <WinBuilder>\ISO folder
• Select XP Setup Source folder and Uncheck the Copy CheckBox
• Select USB-stick as Target Drive and use GO to make the USB-stick
• Change menu.lst on stick with Notepad by Adding Entry for LiveXP_RAM.iso

title Start LiveXP_RAM.iso

find --set-root --ignore-floppies /LiveXP_RAM.iso

map /LiveXP_RAM.iso (hd32)

map --hook

chainloader (hd32)

boot

Result corresponds to what Galapo published in http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5041

You can Remove Any Unwanted / Obsolete boot entries
in menu.lst and boot.ini Menu

[amalux]

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Thanks guys, even I can get it right the first time with instructions like that!

Very nice and helpful for anyone who would like to try this and I for one, really appreciate it

[yggdrasil]

@wimb

Exactly what my script is doing wimb.
It’s exactly this approach I use in mentioned script. But not only that, my script can be used in a fully automatically way (if you have “Runs script in safe mode” unchecked) and as bonus, my script can basically boot any ISO file bootable via grub. And another bonus is that my script also can implement this to hard-disk connected via USB-adapter (IDE or SATA) with some rare exceptions.

Make_USB.exe is a nice and stable piece of program but with some limits.

I have my own guideline: script to be as versatile as possible.
Note: you can also choose to use AeroStudio and use this as “boot manager” to start applications. And AeroStudio sure has a nice graphic look to my opinion.

Anyway, thanks for clarifying I was right in my conclusions

yggdrasil

[Lancelot]

yggdrasil
You know I love your scripts from the first day
Just reminding, purpose of wimb and yours are different

Since i saw your scripts iso in iso is in my mind to make LiveXP.iso be more easly added to grub4dos menu.lst , maybe LiveXP_Ram_ISO.iso
I hope you understand the idea, but later, i will inform you when added (if Galapo agrees and when i find time, it is in my todo list like many things )

Cu .

[yggdrasil]

@Lancelot & wimb

@wimb your ”know how” in the matters of op-system is far over my head - I do have a big head - but not so bright as yours I think
Best of this is that we succeed in boot LiveXP_ram.iso

@Lancelot I understand

regards yggdrasil

[wimb]

Best of this is that we succeed in boot LiveXP_ram.iso

Yes

As compared to LiveXP_RAM.iso files,
the LiveXP BootSDI.img files have the advantage that they can be changed more easily
by simply Mounting them as Virtual Drive e.g. for adding small programs.

Anyway it is nice that both types are Bootable from UFD

[dera]

My question:
how can i use the file 'BootSDI.img' directly in the grub4dos?
i mean if don't want to use the 'LiveXP_RAM.iso'
but i want to use only the 'BootSDI.img'
what menu.lst entries needed?
what is the benefit or the drawback of it?

[wimb]

You can use Make_USB.exe to make USB-stick bootable with LiveXP BootSDI.img file
Boot Option made in boot.ini Menu and GRUB4DOS menu.lst

If you have an existing Bootable USB-stick, which was formatted with HP Format Tool,
then you can also use simply BOOT_IMG.exe to Add LiveXP BootSDI.img
as extra BooT Option to boot.ini Menu and GRUB4DOS menu.lst

In any case it means that Win2k3 SP1 setupldr.bin is renamed as RMLD1 and
patched for ramx1.sif file with the SetupData instead of winnt.sif
The index in RMLDx can range from 1-9 for support of 9 different LiveXP Boot Image Files.

The advantage of the BootSDI.img files is that they can easily be changed
by mounting them as Virtual Drives as described in the Tutorial
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=5306

Moreover, the BootSDI.img files need not be contiguous as needed for the LiveXP_RAM.iso files.

menu.lst Entry

title PE 1 - Boot BootSDI.img from RAMDISK

chainloader (hd0,0)/RMLD1

[Lancelot]

dera

LiveXP on a USB External HD with BootSDI+wimpack:
After making usb mbr to boot with xp ntldr (modified etc)
copy files from LiveXP_Ram.iso as shown in picture

Code for boot.ini:

[Boot Loader]

timeout=0

default=C:\grldr



[Operating Systems]

C:\grldr="Start GRUB"

Code for menu.lst

title LiveXP SDI

find --set-root /SETUPLDR.BIN

chainloader /SETUPLDR.BIN

boot

PS: This is the simplest explanation, important thing is making usb bootable. After geting livexp work with this method, you can make some other changes that looks better.
Personally i make the arrangements and put BootSDI.img and WIMs.vmdk to the root of usb. With some trials you can do the same.