Run bartpe ISO in RAM

=============================================================================
Run bartpe ISO in RAM
=============================================================================

HI

In this page i am going to talk about running BartPE ISO from Ram.I have uploaded
needed files as Needs.zip in attachment.It is essential to download that and use
it's files and folders during your exprement,If you do not use them,May be your ISO
will not work (Ofcourse they are not special files,i just placed XP 2003 sp1 files
inside needs.zip pluse other needed files).

I have tried this tutorial several times ,all were OK (Ofcourse my checks was
done by QEMU ).

Please do your first test of tutor,as i explained in steps below,then you can do it
by your favorite changes.

I suppose that you have installed "pebuilder 3.1.10a" in D:\PE\


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Step_1:
----------

_.Run D:\PE\pebuilder.exe ,select your favorite plugins,Select output pathes
as figure_01 (see attachment).

_.Click build button.Program will Make files needed to make ISO in D:\PE\BartPE\ directory.

_.Close PEBuilder.

Step_2:
---------

_.Copy D:\PE\BartPE directoy to C:\,(so you will have C:\BartPE).

_.Delete files below from C:\BartPE\I386\ directory:

SETUPLDR.BIN
NTDETECT.COM

_.Copy SETUPLDR.BIN and NTDETECT.COM from needs folder (get from attachment) to
C:\BartPE\I386\ directory

_.Delete file RAMDISK.SYS from C:\BartPE\I386\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ directory and
copy RAMDISK.SYS from needs folder (get from attachment) to there.

_.Open C:\BartPE\I386\txtsetup.sif by notepad and add be sure that you have line
"ramdisk=ramdisk.sys" in [ScsiClass.Load] section.it should be some thing like:

[ScsiClass.Load]
cdrom = cdrom.sys
disk = disk.sys
floppy = sfloppy.sys
ramdisk = ramdisk.sys

Step_3:
---------

_.Copy RamPE folder from attachment to C: (you will have C:\C:\RamPE).

_.Open UltraIso ,select C:\BartPE\ contents to make iso (see figur_02),use file
C:\BartPE\bootsect.bin as boot loader.

_.Go to file in menue and click on properties,then in comming window (see figur_03),
uncheck "Allow lower case" and click on OK

_.Save ISO by the name of RAMPE in C:\RamPE\

Step_4:
---------

_.Copy mkisofs.exe (from attachment) to C:\

_.Run MakePE.bat (from attachment),it will make C:\PEB_ram.iso (183M in my exprement)
from contents of C:\RamPE folder.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx

That is all,check that then burn it and enjoy.

Hope will help some

have nice times

shirin zaban

THE ATTACHMENT CONTAINS MICROSOFT FILES THAT ARE NOT REDISTRIBUTABLE

jaclaz

==========================
Modification
==========================
Hi

1.Thanks jaclaz for informing me.

2.As dear jaclaz mentioned and i did not know,I can not send you the real files
but you can continue as below to do that your self:

================================================================================

-------------------------------------------------
Making RamPE folder and needed files for tutoial
-------------------------------------------------

A).Make directory C:\RamPE

.Make directory C:\RamPE\I386

C).Copy D:\PE\BartPE\bootsect.bin, make it upper case (BOOTSECT.BIN) and paste in
C:\RamPE\ directory.

D).Open notepad and type lines below on it ,then save it as WINNT.SIF (upper case)
in RamPE\ directory

[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportascd /rdpath=RamPE.iso"

E).Copy files below from windows 2003 sp1 to C:\RamPE\I386\

NTDETECT.COM (upper case)
SETUPLDR.BIN (upper case)

================================================================================
------------------------
Making MakePE.bat file:
------------------------

Type lines below on notepad,then save it as MakePE.bat (not MakePE.bat.txt !!!)

----------

c:
mkisofs.exe -iso-level 4 -volid "shirin" -A shirin/MKISOFS -sysid "Win32" -no-emul-boot -b BOOTSECT.BIN -hide BOOTSECT.BIN -o PEB_ram.iso "C:\rampe"

-----------
================================================================================

------------------------
Other needs:
------------------------
After Deleting file RAMDISK.SYS from C:\BartPE\I386\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ directory
Get RAMDISK.SY_ from windows 2003 sp1,extract it some where ,you will have
RAMDISK.SYS (make it upper case).

Copy this RAMDISK.SYS and paste it in C:\BartPE\I386\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ directory .

You can get file mkisofs.exe that is used in tutor from winbuilder in address below:

Winbuilder directory\\Projects\Tools\

================================================================================

thats all
have nice times

shirin zaban[/quote]

Hi 'm still really having problems doing this.

can you repost the needs.zip please.

thank you

Lee

Shirin is unable to post the zipped file because it has MS files that are not allowed for redistribution outside the MS site.

However, you can download a trial version of windows 2003 straight from the Microsoft site and use the ramdisk files from there.

http://www.microsoft...llinstruct.mspx

A bit boring to grab a whole trial just for two files but at least it's legal and won't get this site into troubles.

---

Also, if you use LiveXP - the option to boot and run from RAM option is also available whenever you use this windows 2003 as source without need for manual steps.

Shirin is unable to post the zipped file because it has MS files that are not allowed for redistribution outside the MS site.

However, you can download a trial version of windows 2003 straight from the Microsoft site and use the ramdisk files from there.

http://www.microsoft...llinstruct.mspx

A bit boring to grab a whole trial just for two files but at least it's legal and won't get this site into troubles.

---

Also, if you use LiveXP - the option to boot and run from RAM option is also available whenever you use this windows 2003 as source without need for manual steps.

Hi i keep getting txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing. please can you post me a new step by step.

many thanks Lee

Hi i keep getting txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing. please can you post me a new step by step.

many thanks Lee

You may want, after having read the "common sense advice" within Rules:
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules

post again, describing with some more detail what you did before you got the error.

More generally, TXTSETUP.SIF is a bit "picky" did you open/modify it with ANY program BUT Notepad?

Can you try with an "untouched" TXTSETUP.SIF?

jaclaz

Thanks Shirin,

What is the max size of bartpe build that can be used using your method? ie, the max size of iso?
is there a limit ........... 500 meg ??

NeTTecH

Thanks Shirin,

What is the max size of bartpe build that can be used using your method? ie, the max size of iso?
is there a limit ........... 500 meg ??

NeTTecH

Hi NeTTecH

This is a long time ago that i have done this project,any way:

1.I do not think to have size limit

2.I searched in my archives about this exprement,at the time that i have made
that , my ISO size was 182.98MB

Hope will help

have nice exprements

shirin zaban

The limit is 512 Mb.

There is a "workaround" provided that you have plenty of Ram, which is using a compressed .is_ image:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=19737

jaclaz

What was he saying here was that the final ISO file is missing the TXTSETUP.SIF in \\\\I386 folder, if to follow the Shirin\\\'s giudelines. The error present on a screen, if booted from that ISO, is following:

INF file txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing, status 14
Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit

It seems to me, that that file must be copied over from BartPE\\\\I386 to RamPE\\\\I386 before creating the final ISO file... I am going to test that in few minutes.

UPDATE: Well, here it goes more. Now it is the new error:

File \i386\system32\biosinfo.inf could not be loaded.
The error code is 14

Seems I need to read the Shirin\\\'s guide one more time, because I am missing here something.

Hi i keep getting txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing. please can you post me a new step by step.

many thanks Lee

Hi melvin

A few minutes ago i have read your notes.

Note that :
-----------
_ All the times ,i test my exprements,then if it was ok,i try it one more time
and during this try i write my tutor.

_ I keep mostly all my test files in my archive.

-------------------
After seeing your note ,i searched in my archive , then placed placed ISO i have
made for this tutor in c:\ and tested it again .it is ok.(see pic_01 from attachment).

So ,I think you are missing some thing during your exprement,any way,may be notes
below will be helpfull.

1.I do not know why (and hope some body For example jaclaz tell me the reson),in making
some ISO files it is nessesory to have some files names in "Upper case" form,and if we
don't ,it will give errore.You should change the name of files i told in tutor to upper case.

2. Make sure you have used files (NTDETECT.COM,SETUPLDR.BIN,and RAMDISK.SYS ) from windows
2003 sp1 only and they are upper case too.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For easy and fast testing your iso file (PEB_ram.iso in this example),in QEMU,you can do as below:

1.Place PEB_ram.iso in C:\
2.Get qEmu.zip from attachment and extract it in C:\qEmu\ directory.
3.Run qemu.bat (Get from attachment)

your Iso will be run in qemu if every thing is done ok

==========================
shirin zaban

Thank you Shirin, I appreciate you prompt answer!

I will definitely attempt to use QEMU, otherwise I spend too much time erasing and burning a CD-RW

I created one CMD file to create two ISO files using MKISOFS, and I added " -force-uppercase " key to it's command line to make the file names all upper-case. So here I hope I am covered.

Also I noticed, that I am using either XP SP2 or 2003 SP2 slipstreamed CDs as the sources. Your comments says to use 2003 SP1, would that be a hard requirement?

Mike.

hi mlevin

1.sorry in next post i had typed your name wrong,i am very sorry fo this

2.using xp 2003 (JUST sp1 version) is essential

2.In making iso file just make upper case only the files i said,but you should not change all names to upper case ,use just the ones i said.other files names should be as they were.

have successful exprement,and inform me please

shirin zaban

Thanks Shirin, no problem, I got that you were speaking with me

I am trying to find one 2003 SP1 disk now, going to be a challenge, looking through all old TechNet CD bins

I'll let you know what I could do with it.

Mike.

R2 will work as well, NOT SP2.



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

(just in case)

and here:
http://www.boot-land...wtopic=6655st=3
http://www.microsoft...;displaylang=en

jaclaz

Hello jaclaz and Shirin,

It is just un-believable. I tried those versions of Windows:

1) BartPE builts on Windows XP SP2 and SP1. Integrating files from XP SP2 and SP1; also 2003 R2 SP2 and 2003 SP1 -- no luck

2) BartPE builts on Windows 2003 R2 SP2 and 2003 SP1. Integrating files from XP SP2 and SP1; also 2003 R2 SP2 -- no luck

The only combination which worked was: BartPE built off Windows 2003 SP1 and integrating files from Windows 2003 SP1 (really, did I need to re-integrate the same files in this case .

I am going to continue testing this combination to get my Automatic Ghost Deployment CD finished. Without your help, I would not be able to run Ghost off the BartPE and be able to change disks !

If you are interested, the attached is the CMD script I use to create the final ISO, and the list of files to replace into BartPE and to place into the RamPE (so-called Needed files)

Thanks a lot Shirin!

R2 will work as well, NOT SP2.
...

FYI: Windows 2003 SP2 can be used as source as well - you only need setupldr.bin from SP1 or R2