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#1 XICO2KX

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 09:58 AM

Nice list! :cheers: Thanks! :dubbio:
And what about the PeToUSB tool? :cheers:

#2 Immortal

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 10:18 AM

Some more ”tools”:

WinToFlash
http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

SARDU
http://www.sarducd.it/downloads.html

Unetbootin
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

#3 was_jaclaz

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 11:53 AM

Nice list! :cheers: Thanks! :cheers:
And what about the PeToUSB tool? :w00t:

For the record:
PeToUsb is nowadays a bit dated:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=13784
because:
it is (intentionally) limited to FAT16
thus it can only create a 2 Gb partition (with "standard" settings) or a 4Gb one with the "UNstandard" 64 Kb clusters.
There exists a Russian originated version:
http://www.houseofhe...amp;postcount=5
http://eaz.nm.ru/dow...USB_3.0.0.8.zip
that allows formatting as NTFS, though.



Some more ”tools”:

WinToFlash
http://wintoflash.com/home/en/

SARDU
http://www.sarducd.it/downloads.html

Unetbootin
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/


WinToFlash is a "complete" install Windows XP from USB kind of app:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9502
http://www.msfn.org/...sh-t137540.html
not a USB formatting utility "only".

SARDU:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9169
is as well a "all-in-one" or "many-in-one" kind of application

Unetbootin:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=79
DOES NOT make a USB stick bootable, it only helps in making an ALREADY made bootable stick become an install media for a number of Operating Systems.


I am splitting these few posts from the "main" sticky:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9460

It's up to maanu to add the suggestions to his thread or not. :dubbio:

:cheers:

jaclaz

#4 maanu

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 12:23 PM

well Jaclaz has made it clear enough . so i have no comments . and no , i guess it is not necessery to add them to my thread .

i was kind of confused that why people are posting to my thread ,. i was going to pm you . but you did the job . thanks .

is there any way to close the sticky topic , or something so that people cant post . i ll mention there that if someone has any issues /suggestion he can pm or post a new topic .

sounds fine or not ?

by the way my another noobish batch attempt is in your pm somewhere since a month now , had any time to see it ? it was a boot fixing thing..

#5 was_jaclaz

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 12:41 PM

well Jaclaz has made it clear enough . so i have no comments . and no , i guess it is not necessery to add them to my thread .

i was kind of confused that why people are posting to my thread ,. i was going to pm you . but you did the job . thanks .

is there any way to close the sticky topic , or something so that people cant post . i ll mention there that if someone has any issues /suggestion he can pm or post a new topic .

sounds fine or not ?

by the way my another noobish batch attempt is in your pm somewhere since a month now , had any time to see it ? it was a boot fixing thing..


There is no suh an option AFAIK.

I can "close" the thread allright, but when you will need to access it to update your post you will need to PM me to re-open it. :cheers: I don't know if you have the permissions to open and close it yourself. :dubbio:

I am closing it, see if you can re-open it.

I completely forgot about your batch, sorry. :cheers:

I'll have a look at it and let you know....

:w00t:

jaclaz

#6 XICO2KX

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Posted 19 November 2009 - 03:37 PM

Where did the original post go?! :cheers:
It says I was the "topic starter" and it is pinned... :dubbio:

#7 was_jaclaz

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Posted 19 November 2009 - 04:13 PM

Where did the original post go?! :cheers:
It says I was the "topic starter" and it is pinned... :dubbio:


You posted originally here:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=9460

and I splitted your post to the present new thread, that is also pinned.
Try reading attentively in this view:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=71
AND what has already been posted.

jaclaz

#8 Holmes.Sherlock

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Posted 26 November 2010 - 03:06 AM

@jaclaz & maanu

Can WinSetupFromUSB be a possible candidate to get added to maanu's Index of USB boot Making Applications?

#9 breaker

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Posted 26 November 2010 - 11:26 AM

Unetbootin:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=79
DOES NOT make a USB stick bootable, it only helps in making an ALREADY made bootable stick become an install media for a number of Operating Systems.


Jaclaz, it does make a USB stick bootable, using syslinux. Of course for the sole purpose of making a Live USB stick.
I've used it, see FAQ section here: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

FAQs

How does UNetbootin work, and what does it do?

For the Live USB creation mode, UNetbootin downloads and extracts an ISO file to your USB drive, generates an appropriate syslinux config file, and makes your USB drive bootable using syslinux.

For the Hard Disk / "frugal install" mode, UNetbootin uses a Windows or Linux-based installer to install a small modification to the bootloader (bootmgr and bcdedit on Vista, grldr and boot.ini for NT-based systems, grub.exe and config.sys for Win9x, or GRUB on Linux, uses the bootloader to boot the desired distribution's installer or to load the system utility, no CD required. After the distribution has been installed, or once done using the system utility, the modification to the bootloader is then undone.


:)

breaker

#10 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 26 November 2010 - 11:52 AM

Jaclaz, it does make a USB stick bootable, using syslinux. Of course for the sole purpose of making a Live USB stick.
I've used it, see FAQ section here: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

NO, it doesn't.

A stick when it comes from the factory, it is usually NOT partitioned and formatted as FAT32 as "superfloppy".

*something* must:
  • delete the superfloppy filesystem
  • write a MBR
  • write one (or more) partition entries in the MBR partition table
  • format at least first, active, primary partition

Under Linux, this is possible with "system tools".
Under NT based systems up to XP/2003 this is NOT possible with "system tools" (due to the "Removable bit", it becomes possible using a filter driver or "flipping the bit").
Starting from Vista :)/7 this should be possible with Diskpart.

The good news are that once the stick has a MBR and a partition table all NT based systems will be able to "deal with it" properly (at least for first, active partition).

The bad news are that a number of BIOS will have problems with these sticks partitioned with "standard tools".

All the recommended utilities have different ( ADDITIONAL to the standard tools) settings/tricks/code/whatever to attempt being able to boot to a wider number of systems.

So, if you mean that Unetbootin can make bootable a partitioned stick, you are correct.

But since most (please read as 99.999%) sticks will come as NOT partitioned, it WON'T make them bootable, or, to be more exact, it WON'T make them bootable as HD-like device, a setting that roughly 97.86% of motherboards need and that 99.83% of the Tutorials you can find here also need.

So, if you have ALL your motherboards in the 2.14% range AND you plan to use on the baran new stick ONLY the 0.17% of tutorials/guides/methods you can find on boot-land, you are very welcome to use Unetbootin ONLY.

If you check the screenshots, you will see that in examples the target is eithe D:\ under windows or /dev/sdc1 under Linux, in other words, Unetbootin deals with \\.\LogicalDrive and NOT with \\.\PhysicalDrives, or if you prefer with Volumes and NOT with Disks.

If using a "normal" stick, you will find yourself with a perfectly bootable with syslinux/isolinux volume :) , that your BIOS will NOT be able to boot :D (NOT always, but in about 97.86% of cases :D).



:D
Wonko

#11 breaker

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 06:39 AM

NO, it doesn't.

A stick when it comes from the factory, it is usually NOT partitioned and formatted as FAT32 as "superfloppy".

*something* must:

  • delete the superfloppy filesystem
  • write a MBR
  • write one (or more) partition entries in the MBR partition table
  • format at least first, active, primary partition


Interesting. I never knew. What's interesting is this is possible with DOS system tools. The first bootable stick I made I did with a DOS USB driver, Win98 DOS fdisk, format, and sys.com. Now it boots up as drive "C:" I did this with the Win98 SE tools. I even get the Win98 startup logo. Do you know where that logo lives? The mbr, vbr, io.sys?

My desktop PC has trouble booting any bootable stick using the BIOS settings for USB-FDD, USB-HDD, or USB-ZIP (Award I think), but it works fine when the stick acts as a HDD then I make it the first drive in the BIOS order, but what a pain. I was going to play with Syslinux and RMPrep to see if I could make a stick that the BIOS would actually use under USB_FDD or ZIP. There are some Syslinux switches.

My Dell machines are VERY good at booting any stick made bootable. I know I used Unetbootin to make a stick bootable, but I don't know if it was a "superfloppy" (first) or not.

I'll have to get a stick or zero a stick and watch the behavior of Unetbootin again.


This was a good read just now: http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=4560

Under Linux, this is possible with "system tools".
Under NT based systems up to XP/2003 this is NOT possible with "system tools" (due to the "Removable bit", it becomes possible using a filter driver or "flipping the bit").
Starting from Vista :)/7 this should be possible with Diskpart.

The good news are that once the stick has a MBR and a partition table all NT based systems will be able to "deal with it" properly (at least for first, active partition).

The bad news are that a number of BIOS will have problems with these sticks partitioned with "standard tools".

All the recommended utilities have different ( ADDITIONAL to the standard tools) settings/tricks/code/whatever to attempt being able to boot to a wider number of systems.

So, if you mean that Unetbootin can make bootable a partitioned stick, you are correct.


I suppose that must have been my experience, not knowing about the superfloppy.

Doesn't Syslinux also create a partition table? I will have to investigate. Perhaps I will zero out a stick and find out exactly what is going on here.

This thread was cut from another one so, and it has been a while since I read the initial list, I will revisit.

I do agree Unetbootin has a very specific purpose, however it does seem the author intended
But since most (please read as 99.999%) sticks will come as NOT partitioned, it WON'T make them bootable, or, to be more exact, it WON'T make them bootable as HD-like device, a setting that roughly 97.86% of motherboards need and that 99.83% of the Tutorials you can find here also need.

So, if you have ALL your motherboards in the 2.14% range AND you plan to use on the baran new stick ONLY the 0.17% of tutorials/guides/methods you can find on boot-land, you are very welcome to use Unetbootin ONLY.


Well, I would never use Unetbootin only, not when there is RMPrep. The right tool for the job and all of that. As I said I seemed to think it would make the stick HD-like. Hmm.

If you check the screenshots, you will see that in examples the target is eithe D:\ under windows or /dev/sdc1 under Linux, in other words, Unetbootin deals with \\.\LogicalDrive and NOT with \\.\PhysicalDrives, or if you prefer with Volumes and NOT with Disks.

If using a "normal" stick, you will find yourself with a perfectly bootable with syslinux/isolinux volume :D , that your BIOS will NOT be able to boot :D (NOT always, but in about 97.86% of cases :)).



:)
Wonko



Aha very true about the logical drive.

Since I don't have the scope yet of all of this, are there some tools that use the nomenclature you wrote here: \\.\Logical \\.\Physical ??

Thanks!


;)


breaker

EDIT: msdos.sys is a text file in 98.... :)

Edited by breaker, 27 November 2010 - 07:15 AM.


#12 breaker

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 08:23 AM

Since I don't have the scope yet of all of this, are there some tools that use the nomenclature you wrote here: \\.\Logical \\.\Physical ??


Found one. OK, Tiny Hexer. Maybe MS in their docs?

EDIT: Reading about diskpart in XP :) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Yup, zeroed out a 1G UFD, used uNetbootin - Dell says no boot sector on usb device... Tiny Hexer still shows all zeros on the device.

Yeah, I probably used Gparted or something similar on a lot of my UFD at some point to write the ms-dos boot label.

Edited by breaker, 27 November 2010 - 09:07 AM.


#13 breaker

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 09:57 AM

Yup, zeroed out a 1G UFD, used uNetbootin - Dell says no boot sector on usb device... Tiny Hexer still shows all zeros on the device.


OKAY, Since unetbootin works on logical devices, I should have formatted after the zero. So, I right clicked on the usb drive in explorer, and selected format. I formatted it FAT16. A hex dump shows the first sector is formatted as FAT16+ntldr. Not sure if this is what you get when you buy a new UFD @ 1Gig and it is a "superfloppy."

So, then I used unetbootin again with a Clonezilla Live iso and it worked fine.

I was able to boot the stick using a Dell Optiplex GX260 which is a common PC in schools around here.

The first sector is now a syslinux one, the hexdump shows MSDOS 5.0 like before, but now it has "boot error" for the error message.


Thanks,

breaker

Edited by breaker, 27 November 2010 - 10:01 AM.


#14 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 10:10 AM

EDIT: Reading about diskpart in XP :) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Yep.

JFYI:
HdHacker:
http://dimio.altervi.../eng/index.html
DSFOK toolkit:
http://members.ozema...eezip/freeware/


Yup, zeroed out a 1G UFD, used uNetbootin - Dell says no boot sector on usb device... Tiny Hexer still shows all zeros on the device.

Yeah, I probably used Gparted or something similar on a lot of my UFD at some point to write the ms-dos boot label.


Just to show how most of these infos are NOT exactly "news", a (nice :D) paper from 2005 :D:
http://jaclaz.alterv...B/USBstick.html

Interesting. I never knew. What's interesting is this is possible with DOS system tools. The first bootable stick I made I did with a DOS USB driver, Win98 DOS fdisk, format, and sys.com. Now it boots up as drive "C:" I did this with the Win98 SE tools. I even get the Win98 startup logo. Do you know where that logo lives? The mbr, vbr, io.sys?


You must be joking. :)
It's one of the most talket topic about IO.SYS:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=77019

Are you trying to establish a record for thread hijacking or what ;)?

AFAIK the GX260 (one of the most uncompatible BIOS ever made :)) is EXACTLY part of the mentioned 2.14%.


:)
Wonko

#15 breaker

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Posted 27 November 2010 - 10:32 AM

Yep.

JFYI:
HdHacker:
http://dimio.altervi.../eng/index.html
DSFOK toolkit:
http://members.ozema...eezip/freeware/




Just to show how most of these infos are NOT exactly "news", a (nice :)) paper from 2005 :D:
http://jaclaz.alterv...B/USBstick.html



You must be joking. :)
It's one of the most talket topic about IO.SYS:
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=77019

Are you trying to establish a record for thread hijacking or what :D?

AFAIK the GX260 (one of the most uncompatible BIOS ever made :)) is EXACTLY part of the mentioned 2.14%.


:)
Wonko


Thanks.. Uh, sorry about the thread jacking, I got carried away!

So, I just rebooted and the stick boots on my USB-ZIP option! This is good, maybe the Syslinux loader is getting better.

Well, so the GX260 booted the stick made by unetbootin and no partition table (getting back on sub-topic) ;)

I knew about HDHacker, thanks for the dsfok link!

:)

breaker

Edited by breaker, 27 November 2010 - 10:34 AM.





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