10 replies to this topic

[Mike69]

hi,


is it possible to use grub4dos with an usb hdd or usb pen??

and if yes how?


ps. ive managed to get wingrub working on this but not grub4dos


tks in advance

[Mike69]

i´ve suceeded to make a working grub4dos on a pen drive!!


but now i have another question!!

it can boot just fine... but in some computers it can find menu.lst and in others it cant!!!!
ive tried to put menu.lst in the root, /grub, boot/grub with no sucess
help please!!!!!!!!!

[was_jaclaz]

Provided you are using a later build of Grub4dos, i.e. one of those you can find here:
http://grub4dos.jot.com/WikiHome

the menu.lst file goes on ROOT.

You should try:
1) put a

find --set-root /menu.lst

line in entries related to booting from the ROOT
2) otherwise, on the PC's that don't work, go to command mode (by pressing "c") and issue this commands:

find /menu.lst

Grub4dos will reply with a list of devices where it found menu.lst, like "(fdx)" or "(hdx,y)"
then issue the command:

config-file (device)/menu.lst

jaclaz

[Mike69]

nop i still cant make it load menu.lst on a few motherboards!!


i found another thing, if i load grub to mbr of a usb pen drive it boots
on every motherboards except on the ones that cant load menu.lst.
it shows up with a "disk error" message

but it isnt a motherboard problems to boot, because if i create a msdos boot system into the pen drive it works just fine.

[was_jaclaz]

but it isnt a motherboard problem

Well, yes, it is, most probably the USB stick is mapped by BIOS in some non-standard way.

Try booting from grub4dos, press "c" for command and type:

find (

and press the [TAB] key.

Command will autocomplete with a list of available devices, typically (fd0) (hd0), (hd1) and (cd).

The USB stick should be (hd0,0).

Try making it root manually:

root (hd0,0)

if you get the same error, ot means that somehow the BIOS does not map the drive correctly.

Also, the USB stick shold be FAT16 and formatted with a "06" BIGDOS partition, rather than FAT32 or VFAT 16 "0E" to have maximum compatibility with most motherboards.

Please do report exact make/model of the motherboard(s) you find not working and check the manufacturer for any BIOS update, always try the stick WITHOUT hubs and connect it to the USB ports on the BACK (i.e. those soldered to the motherboard).

If you can boot on those motherboards with DOS, try using grub.exe.

You can also try with Windows NTLDR+grldr.

jaclaz

[Mike69]

one of the motherboards is asus p4c800 deluxe and the other is asus p5ld2 se


when i load grub to the mbr in this motherboards it says disk error and doens´t do anything else... if i use grub.exe or ntldr+grldr it cant find menu.lst but in other motherboards it works just fine!

[Mike69]

i solved the problem!!!!!!!!!!


dont know exactly why this happens but....

i was creating the msdos boot system in the pen drive with the hp storage format tool, and as a result the pen boot fine and load grub.exe from autoexec.bat, but didn´t find menu.lst on some mobos...

then i tried creating the msdos boot system with winimage... and all works fine!!!


again i have to say i dont know what´s making this to happen... and hope someone could explain it to me!!


tks jaclaz for all your help

[was_jaclaz]

again i have to say i dont know what´s making this to happen... and hope someone could explain it to me!!

Also, the USB stick shold be FAT16 and formatted with a "06" BIGDOS partition, rather than FAT32 or VFAT 16 "0E" to have maximum compatibility with most motherboards.

See my FAQs, expecially #10
http://home.graffiti...SB/USBfaqs.html
and this thread:
http://www.911cd.net...o...0806&st=326

Some of your motherboards can boot both type of partitons, and some will only boot from one of them (either "06" or "0E") it is also possible that the values in the MBR in the CHS part are not "consistant" with the ones in the LBA part.

jaclaz

[Mike69]

how can edit permenatly the menu in grub where it searchs for menu.lst??


becouse i really need to the ignore floppy option...


tks in dvance

[was_jaclaz]

Try here:
http://www.911cd.net...o...c=19025&hl=

(cannot say if the hexediting method FM-81 used works for what you need)

Otherwise you will need to modify source code and re-compile it.

jaclaz

[euhenio]

chainloader - sdi

It does not work for me.

Probably there are additional options?

Somebody is a success?

What your ideas?