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RMPrepUSB now has an 'install grub2 to MBR' option

rmprepusb grub2

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#26 nguyentu

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Posted 12 May 2017 - 09:49 AM

Cache time seems to be quite long.


#27 steve6375

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Posted 12 May 2017 - 12:47 PM

Sorry, I forgot to update v2.1.739 with RMPartUSB.exe v2.1.739!

Please download v2.1.739A



#28 alacran

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 02:59 AM

@ steve6375

 

I have XP on one PC for old games, and I am updating software to last available versions for XP before there is too late.

 

Can you tell me wich is last version good for XP SP-3?  Preferable portable version.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

alacran



#29 steve6375

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 05:11 PM

Look on the List of tested ISOs page on my E2B site for a link



#30 alacran

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 09:26 PM

@ steve6375

 

Thanks for your quick answer, but I think I was not very clear on my request, I want to run RMPrepUSB on XP, not install XP.

 

alacran



#31 steve6375

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 10:58 PM

What makes you think any version of RMPrepUSb does not run on XP? They all should?



#32 alacran

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 10:41 AM

As actually almost all programs/programers are just assuming it is a walking dead, it was better to ask.

 

It is very good news for me to confirm you still support it.

 

Thanks for your quick response.



#33 adric

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Posted 21 May 2017 - 10:45 AM

An update checker I use indicates there is a newer version of RMBootSect.exe (1.2.0.0). The latest beta of RMPREP v2.1.739A still has version 1.1.0.15. Is the info from the update checker correct?



#34 steve6375

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Posted 21 May 2017 - 10:57 AM

It does have a slightly older version and has had for some time.

I will update RMPrepUSB in the next version.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Steve



#35 matrix.rebooted

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 11:01 AM

Hello,

I'm a little confused: how many bootloaders can their be in the MBR?! I was thinking their can be only one and when others are installed, they are just 'added' to the stick like standalones, allowing to be loaded, afterward.

So, let say it seems to me more simple, perhaps more wise too, to have many different bootloaders available, then, using RMPrepUSB I install syslinux, grub4dos and then grub2, and possibly clover or others, I was thinking the last installed will overwrite the previous, not adds itself to the MBR, although some could installed in boot sector of a partition. If it works like this, how can I set a default bootloader, for example syslinux which I would like to keep as first booting loader or is it the first installed being loaded first?

Thank you



#36 steve6375

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 03:16 PM

There is usually only one bootloader in the MBR - grub, grub2, syslinux, grub4dos, clover, etc.

But there can also be bootloaders in each partition PBR.

 

So you can boot to the MBR bootloader and from that boot to one of the partitions using the bootloader in that partition PBR.

 

So you could install syslinux to the MBR and grub4dos to the PBR of the first partition.

Systems which boot to the MBR (most BIOSes but not all!) will boot to syslinux. From syslinux you can boot to the first partition boot sector PBR which will then load grub4dos.

HTH



#37 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:18 PM

Hello,

I'm a little confused: how many bootloaders can their be in the MBR?! I was thinking their can be only one and when others are installed, they are just 'added' to the stick like standalones, allowing to be loaded, afterward.

So, let say it seems to me more simple, perhaps more wise too, to have many different bootloaders available, then, using RMPrepUSB I install syslinux, grub4dos and then grub2, and possibly clover or others, I was thinking the last installed will overwrite the previous, not adds itself to the MBR, although some could installed in boot sector of a partition. If it works like this, how can I set a default bootloader, for example syslinux which I would like to keep as first booting loader or is it the first installed being loaded first?

Thank you

At the risk of confusing you :w00t: (in order to make things more clear, hopefully) strictly speaking NO bootloader is usually put in the MBR. :w00t:

 

What you normally have in a MBR can be any among:

1) a bunch of code chainloading a (fixed) PBR <- Most "common" MBR like all the DOS, 9x/ME NT family only chainload the PBR of the "active" partition

BIOS->MBR->PBR of active partition-> whatever bootloader or bootmanager is invoked by the PBR code

 

2) a bunch of code chainloading a (selectable) PBR <- a good example is  MBLDR https://sourceforge....rojects/mbldr/ 

BIOS->MBR->PBR of *any* partition -> whatever bootloader or bootmanager is invoked by the PBR code.

 

3) a bunch of code chainloading a bootmanager<- a good example (not very known/used) is is the UMBR http://reboot.pro/to...-gpt/?p=197690 

BIOS->MBR->a given extent on disk corresponding to the grub4dos grldr file

 

All the above actually "fit" in the MBR (i.e. the very first sector, 512 bytes of the hard disk device, and the code is 440 bytes or less), whilst the last one:

4) a bunch of code chainloading some other code that loads a bootmanager <- GRUB, grub4dos and GRUB2 use this approach.

uses also a number of "hidden sectors" immediately following the MBR.

BIOS->MBR->Some more code in hidden sectors-> the rest of the bootmanager (grub, grub4dos, grub2)

 

Syslinux comes with an "own" MBR but that one behaves exactly like the "normal"  #1, it chainloads the PBR of the active partition, and it is the code in the PBR (Partition Boot Record or more commonly bootsector) that actually invokes the ldlinux.sys (Syslinux) bootloader. 

MBR->PBR of active partition->ldlinux.sys

 

Now, most of the "advanced" bootmanagers (Syslinux, GRUB, grub4dos, GRUB2) can chainload one another in some ways, but you have to know which specific "boot sequence is peculiar to each, in order to be able to determine how to install in such a way that the last one doesn't prevent the one before to be accessed/chainloaded.

 

:duff:

Wonko



#38 matrix.rebooted

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 06:10 PM

thank you Gentlemen,

ok, this clarify my mind (a little :) ) but this mainly help me to orient my searches in the good direction!

I was going to ask some more questions but the more I write, the more I have questions so I will keep on reading first.

In any case the best thing to do is to click 'add grub2' :) and see what will happen, it will be even more clear!

thank you again
 



#39 alacran

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 06:54 PM

I think you better start using grub4dos wich is more versatile and more documented.

 

Anyway from it you can call almost any other boot loader.

 

alacran



#40 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 07:16 PM

I think you better start using grub4dos wich is more versatile and more documented.

Yep, and I would also suggest grub4dos personally :thumbup: , but I believe the point was not about "what" to use, but rather on the "how" what one (already) prefers behaves.

 

Also, using grub4dos you can have it:

a. with a bunch of code loading it from the MBR AND a few hidden sectors <- default

b. with a bunch of code loading it from a given fixed place (the UMBR) <- IMHO better but "rare")

c. through a "normal" MBR chainloading the "active partition" PBR that loads grldr <- IMHO still better than #a, but again "rare"

d. through a "special" MBR such as MBLDR chainloading the *any* partition PBR that loads grldr <- very "rare"

e. chainloaded by (already installed) normal MS MBR, chainloading a PBR invoking a "normal" bootmanager (such as NTLDR or BOOTMGR) <- IMHO better than *everything else* IF (and only IF) you are going to boot a NT Windows system anyway[1]

 

... decisions, always decisions ... ;)

 

:duff:

Wonko

 

 

 

[1] this only because I presume that IF the *whatever* motherboard and device was tested for bootability, surely it has been tested with the MBR code by MS, and anyway, I will always when possible, prefer a MBR code that is "self-standing" in the first sector over code spanning over several "hidden" sectors. 






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