15 replies to this topic

[spoOx]

Hi,

I'm new around here so apologies if this is in the wrong section or if it's been answered (I have searched and cant find anything similar). Basically, I have tftpd on a XP box with pxe etc serving xp over network. Now, when I boot a client machine via F12, it gets IP address and finds the default file, it then loads up saying Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration" and after a few seconds it just pops up with an error message:

INF file [jumbled up text] is corrupt or missing, status 21.
Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.

Checking the tftp log, I see the following:

Connection received from xx.xx.xx on port 44774
Read request for file <j8ëj9ëj:ëj;ëj<ëj=ëj>ëj?é
Ž>. Mode octet
File <j8ëj9ëj:ëj;ëj<ëj=ëj>ëj?é
Ž> : error 123 in system call CreateFile The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

The filename is all jumbled up so I cannot really recognize what is exactly causing this issue. Having googled, I found that another user is having similar issue and below is his tftp log which is almost the same as mine:

Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:22:15:5D:5E:F3 [16/02 21:31:44.000]DHCP: proposed address 192.168.0.103 [16/02 21:31:46.500]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:31:46.546]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:31:46.609]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:31:46.656]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:31:46.703]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:31:46.750]Rcvd DHCP Rqst Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:22:15:5D:5E:F3 [16/02 21:32:00.140]Previously allocated address 192.168.0.103 acked [16/02 21:32:02.500]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 2070 [16/02 21:32:02.500]Read request for file <pxelinux.0>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.500]OACK: <tsize=15888,> [16/02 21:32:02.500]Using local port 3804 [16/02 21:32:02.500]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:32:02.546]Peer returns ERROR <TFTP Aborted> -> aborting transfer [16/02 21:32:02.609]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 2071 [16/02 21:32:02.609]Read request for file <pxelinux.0>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.609]OACK: <blksize=1456,> [16/02 21:32:02.609]Using local port 3805 [16/02 21:32:02.609]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:32:02.656]<pxelinux.0>: sent 11 blks, 15888 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:02.781]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:32:02.812]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57089 [16/02 21:32:02.843]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/80c345f9-c555-dd81-2beb-0022155d5ef3>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.843]File <pxelinux.cfg\80c345f9-c555-dd81-2beb-0022155d5ef3> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.843]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57090 [16/02 21:32:02.859]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/01-00-22-15-5d-5e-f3>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.859]File <pxelinux.cfg&#92;&#48;1-00-22-15-5d-5e-f3> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.859]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57091 [16/02 21:32:02.859]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A80067>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.859]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A80067> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.859]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57092 [16/02 21:32:02.859]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A8006>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.859]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A8006> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.859]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57093 [16/02 21:32:02.859]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A800>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.859]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A800> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.875]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57094 [16/02 21:32:02.875]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A80>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.875]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A80> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.875]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57095 [16/02 21:32:02.875]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A8>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.875]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A8> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.875]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57096 [16/02 21:32:02.875]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0A>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.875]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0A> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.875]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57097 [16/02 21:32:02.890]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C0>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.890]File <pxelinux.cfg\C0> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.890]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57098 [16/02 21:32:02.890]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/C>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.890]File <pxelinux.cfg\C> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:02.890]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57099 [16/02 21:32:02.890]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/default>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.890]OACK: <tsize=63,blksize=1408,> [16/02 21:32:02.890]Using local port 3816 [16/02 21:32:02.890]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:32:02.906]<pxelinux.cfg\default>: sent 1 blk, 63 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:02.953]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57100 [16/02 21:32:02.953]Read request for file <menu.c32>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:02.968]OACK: <tsize=55220,blksize=1408,> [16/02 21:32:02.968]Using local port 3817 [16/02 21:32:02.968]3276 Request 2 not processed [16/02 21:32:03.015]<menu.c32>: sent 40 blks, 55220 bytes in 1 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:03.140]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57101 [16/02 21:32:03.140]Read request for file <pxelinux.cfg/default>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:03.140]OACK: <tsize=63,blksize=1408,> [16/02 21:32:03.140]Using local port 3818 [16/02 21:32:03.140]<pxelinux.cfg\default>: sent 1 blk, 63 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:03.265]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 57102 [16/02 21:32:06.500]Read request for file <XPP.0>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:06.500]OACK: <tsize=22454,blksize=1408,> [16/02 21:32:06.500]Using local port 3819 [16/02 21:32:06.500]<XPP.0>: sent 16 blks, 22454 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:06.562]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 2072 [16/02 21:32:06.656]Read request for file <XPPRO>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:06.656]OACK: <blksize=1456,> [16/02 21:32:06.656]Using local port 3820 [16/02 21:32:06.656]<XPPRO>: sent 166 blks, 240640 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:06.812]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 44772 [16/02 21:32:07.015]Read request for file <BOOTFONT.BIN>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:07.015]File <BOOTFONT.BIN> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [16/02 21:32:07.015]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 44773 [16/02 21:32:07.015]Read request for file <ntdetect.XPP>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:07.015]OACK: <blksize=1432,tsize=47564,> [16/02 21:32:07.015]Using local port 3822 [16/02 21:32:07.015]<ntdetect.XPP>: sent 34 blks, 47564 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [16/02 21:32:07.078]Connection received from 192.168.0.103 on port 44774 [16/02 21:32:07.484]Read request for file <j8ëj9ëj:ëj;ëj<ëj=ëj>ëj?é&#381;>. Mode octet [16/02 21:32:07.484]File <j8ëj9ëj:ëj;ëj<ëj=ëj>ëj?é&#381;> : error 123 in system call CreateFile The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. [16/02 21:32:07.484]

Any help on this would be highly appreciated.

[was_jaclaz]

What I would try (and mind you not necessarily part of the solution) would be to eliminate any possible hardware problem by hooking Server to client with a crossover cable, thus removing lines/hubs/switches in the middle.

What is the source filesystem on the Server?

Maybe the problem is related to this:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=6514

jaclaz

[spoOx]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, the server filesystem is NTFS. Will try with a crossover, however, I did manage to get everything to work with WINNER, XP installed etc with WINNER but the reason I want to move away from WINNER is because it is not completely unattended, you still have to fill in details before install begins and the project has since been abandoned so no possibility of this being fixed.

[was_jaclaz]

Still, if it works with WINNER, if you do not change the TFTPd32 settings it should work as well with a different "payload".

Next steps to try (as well if I were you ):
1) check that Server NTFS filesystem is sound an properly defragged
2) try with an alternate source FAT32 (it can even be an image mounted with IMDISK or VDK)

jaclaz

[Gareth Edwards]

spoOx/jaclaz

I'm having a similar problem with a Dell Precision T3400. Having set up a remote installation service using tftp32d, BINL and an nLite/DriverPacks WinXP installation (based on instructions at http://oss.netfarm.it/guides/ and more than a little of the brilliant information on this and other forums, mostly from you jaclaz! ) which has been working great for a variety of Dell, Viglen and home-built machines I now get the following:

Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:22:19:24:14:12 [24/02 10:48:21.718]DHCP: proposed address 192.168.0.2 [24/02 10:48:24.015]3824 Request 2 not processed [24/02 10:48:24.078]Rcvd DHCP Rqst Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:22:19:24:14:12 [24/02 10:48:28.062]Previously allocated address 192.168.0.2 acked [24/02 10:48:30.015]Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 2070 [24/02 10:48:30.015]Read request for file <startrom.0>. Mode octet [24/02 10:48:30.015]OACK: <blksize=1456,> [24/02 10:48:30.015]Using local port 4823 [24/02 10:48:30.015]3824 Request 2 not processed [24/02 10:48:30.078]<startrom.0>: sent 16 blks, 22454 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [24/02 10:48:30.140]Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 2071 [24/02 10:48:30.328]Read request for file <ntldr>. Mode octet [24/02 10:48:30.328]OACK: <blksize=1456,> [24/02 10:48:30.328]Using local port 4824 [24/02 10:48:30.328]<ntldr>: sent 166 blks, 240640 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [24/02 10:48:30.406]Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 38906 [24/02 10:48:30.546]Read request for file <BOOTFONT.BIN>. Mode octet [24/02 10:48:30.546]File <BOOTFONT.BIN> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [24/02 10:48:30.546]Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 38907 [24/02 10:48:30.546]Read request for file <ntdetect.com>. Mode octet [24/02 10:48:30.546]OACK: <blksize=1432,tsize=47564,> [24/02 10:48:30.546]Using local port 4826 [24/02 10:48:30.546]<ntdetect.com>: sent 34 blks, 47564 bytes in 0 s. 0 blk resent [24/02 10:48:30.687]Connection received from 192.168.0.2 on port 38908 [24/02 10:48:32.703]Read request for file <øÎbøÎcøÎ>. Mode octet [24/02 10:48:32.703]File <øÎbøÎcøÎ> : error 2 in system call CreateFile The system cannot find the file specified. [24/02 10:48:32.703]

It's very frustrating - everything has been working fine and still works fine for other boxes, just not this particular model! I've tried disabling some likely BIOS settings relating to security etc. I've even tried creating an empty file with that random name, but it hangs - so it's looking for something specific, it just isn't asking for it properly.

Any suggestions would be greatly received. I've googled the random filename that comes up - only one other person on the whole internet seems to be encountering the same problem!

[Gareth Edwards]

spoOx - are you trying to install 32bit XP onto a system that already has 64bit XP on it?

[Gareth Edwards]

Actually, just tried to recreate the problem by manually installing XP 64bit onto a PC then doing a RIS install - but it worked fine. So much for that idea!

[spoOx]

Apologies for late reply, managed to fix the problem. The issue was with NIC drivers. I dont know how, but, WINNER actually pre-installs or pre-loads the NIC drivers but doing it without WINNER, you must use the BINL Server for NIC drivers. All working now

This guide explains it a lot better than I've done above lol: http://www.tzim.net/?win_netinstall

[was_jaclaz]

All working now

This guide explains it a lot better than I've done above lol: http://www.tzim.net/?win_netinstall

VERY,VERY good find!

I'll put the link in a sticky.



jaclaz

[Gareth Edwards]

Glad someone's having some luck, unfortunately I'm no nearer a solution

Although wish I'd seen that link before, it would have pre-empted quite a few of the head-scratching moments I had putting this together!

Just tried a build on another machine, this one a Dell Optiplex 745 with Vista and I've had the same problem, this time failing to find a file called ÎcøÎ.

This problem, as before, comes immediately after loading ntdetect.com. I've followed some of the advice around of using the Server 2003 boot files instead of the XP ones, but with no luck.

[spoOx]

Glad someone's having some luck, unfortunately I'm no nearer a solution :(

Although wish I'd seen that link before, it would have pre-empted quite a few of the head-scratching moments I had putting this together!

Just tried a build on another machine, this one a Dell Optiplex 745 with Vista and I've had the same problem, this time failing to find a file called ÎcøÎ.

This problem, as before, comes immediately after loading ntdetect.com. I've followed some of the advice around of using the Server 2003 boot files instead of the XP ones, but with no luck.

Hmm odd, you've probably done this but just a double-check: did you parse the driver files by using infparser? did you place the nics.txt in root of your RIS share? Did you place the sys file in the i386 folder? BINL Server running and WIndows Firewall either disabled or add BINL Server and TFTP to exceptions?

Also, are you using startrom.n12 as the bootfile?

I used the xp boot files and they worked fine...

My issue was pretty similar and it occured after ntdetect.com as well so i'm persuming it is NIC drivers causing the issue but I could be wrong...

[Gareth Edwards]

Drivers parsed, bootrom provided (tested both XP and 2003), BINL running okay, TFTPD32 running okay - this all runs on other hardware fine! BINL usually reports requests and responses received - but it's not saying anything. My experience is also that BINL comes into play later on in the process, after more files have been tftp'd.

Have just tried a new problem machine (Dell Optiplex 745 with Vista) but using a 3com NIC, turning off the built-in broadcom one. But it's exactly the same result, right down to the same filename. So now I'm truely baffled!

I'm confident in saying the test above rules out the possibility of it being a NIC driver issue, at whatever stage of the process. I've also tested the possibility it's an existing OS issue.

Although what I haven't done is checked whether it's an existing OS and hardware combo...

[was_jaclaz]

This problem, as before, comes immediately after loading ntdetect.com. I've followed some of the advice around of using the Server 2003 boot files instead of the XP ones, but with no luck.

Again, probably unrelated, but please note:

Server 2003 SP1 or R2 NOT "gold", NOT SP2!

http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=4952

jaclaz

[Gareth Edwards]

Yep, got the disk in front of me, MS Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition with Service Pack 1. Unless it needing a volume license is an issue!

Slowly coming to the conclusion I don't really have the time to mess around with this sadly - thinking I'm going to have to have a two-pronged approach and use a USB install to start off trouble machines.

[was_jaclaz]

Gareth, why don't you try a test with WINNER?

Just to make sure it is something "peculiar" to those machines....

jaclaz

[Icecube]

Here are some post of the Syslinux mailing list:

Hello

I'm working on my RIS server; I got a problem when I use pxelinux.0 to
load setupldr.exe from windows XP 32bits (both home and corporate)

Here is how I configure a working server, then how to modify it to
reproduce the bug:
=========================

I suppose you got
-a dhcp server configured to load pxelinux.0 to client computer.
-a working tftp server (mine is tftpd-hpa, with a rule to convert
backslashes to slashes ans to convert uppercase to lowercase)

First, let start textmode setup without pxelinux

use cabextract to get startrom.n12 from your windows source
(/i386/startrom.n1_). Rename it to pxelinux.0, put it in your tftp root
use cabextract to get setupldr.exe from your windows source
(/i386/setupldr.ex_). Rename it to ntldr, put it in your tftp root
copy from your windows source ntdetect.com to your tftp root.

Start the client computer the windows textmode setup will fail because
he cannot find winnt.sif. I'm using the french windows source: the error
message is
"Le fichier INF winnt.sif est endommagé ou manquant, statut 21"
The PXE server is working.

Reproducing the bug
=========================


Create in yout tftp root a folder named pxelinux.cfg
Create pxelinux.cfg/default with thid content

DEFAULT menu.c32

TIMEOUT 0
PROMPT 0

MENU TITLE Multiboot

LABEL Windows XP Home
KERNEL startrom.0

MENU END

rename pxelinux.0 in yout tftp root into startrom.0 (this is
startrom.n12 from windows source)
copy from syslinux 3.81 the file pxelinux.0 into yout tftp root
copy from syslinux 3.81 the file menu.c32into yout tftp root

When you launch your client computer and select "Windows XP Home" the
textmode setup will start and stop on the message
"Le fichier INF j8??j9,,j:??j;??j<??j=??j>??,???? est endommagé ou
manquant, sta."
The filename cannot be reproduced: most of characters are non
alphanumerics characters. I replaced them by question marks.
Here is the filename as received by the TFTP server :
RRQ from 192.168.0.173 filename
j8ë#002j9ë#002j:ë#002j;ë#002j<ë#002j=ë#002j>ë#002j?éq<8D

The bug can be reproduced with syslinux strictly later than version 3.75

I cannot investigate more about the bug.

If you replace pxelinux.0 and menu.c32 with version 3.75 and earlier,
the textmode setup works fine.

Thierry Bugier

http://syslinux.zyto...ust/013110.html

Good day Thierry,

Regarding your RIS-like setup for Windows XP using PXELINUX:

The Windows XP RIS setup code is known to read and use a portion of
memory which is uninitialized. Nobody but MS would know why for sure,
but at least one person suspects that it is filled-in by some process
and expected to persist after a reboot. Or perhaps it is expected to be
populated by a previous process which chains to this point. The memory
read is at 0x000FAF0. It appears that this memory location is expected
to be a null-terminated string for an alternative filename for
WINNT.SIF. If a previous boot-loader has used that memory for something
else, it is filled with garbage, but still used as the alternative
WINNT.SIF filename, which results in failure, of course. I suspect that
this alternative filename logic is intended to support either a
language-specific alternative filename, or a client/model-specific
filename, to allow for different setup options for different clients.

H. Peter recently addressed this in PXELINUX here:
http://git.kernel.or...mit;h=18ca4d8cc
87761c6a5ab763069fad562fec69b59. It might be worth trying with a
PXELINUX built after that source code change.

You might also enjoy Gianluigi's information at:
http://oss.netfarm.i...s/ris-linux.php and
http://oss.netfarm.it/guides/pxe.php and
http://oss.netfarm.i...s/ris-linux.pdf. You might also search the
Boot-Land forums for relevant discussion.

You might also enjoy the pxechain.com COMBOOT module included with
Syslinux. You can use it to chain startrom.n12 from PXELINUX, where RIS
lives on a different box than your TFTP box. Details are in its source
code at Syslinux/modules/pxechain.asm.

Good luck in your PXELINUX-enabled Windows XP RIS adventures!

- Shao Miller

http://syslinux.zyto...ust/013127.html

This commit fixes this issue for PXELINUX:

bootsect: zero memory above a chainloaded boot sector/NBP

Windows RIS has been reported to make inappropriate use of data found
in uninitialized memory. To avoid that, clear memory between
a chainloaded boot sector or NBP and Free Base Memory.

http://git.kernel.or...mit;h=18ca4d8cc