Jump to content











Photo
- - - - -

TFTPD32 from loooong ago, not working with Win10 - Solution?


  • Please log in to reply
16 replies to this topic

#1 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 11 January 2018 - 09:34 PM

Right, so i realize that the topic is, at best, a bit cryptic.

So, i'll start at the top, and try to work through it.

 

I got a HP Data Vault X310. It is a headless server, with Windows Home Server on it. Or, well, not really on it right now, which is why i'm here.

It is supposed to be installed by launching HP's software, doing a magic "insert poky bit in poky receptacle" to set the server to PXE boot, and try and connect to the TFTPD32 (v3.29) service the setup launches on the local system you run it on. Since HP cant leave well enough alone, they went and modified the TFTPD32, but to what extent is unknown. They only say they added a message to the log that indicates that the X310 tried to connect before the local host had been added to the pool. Sort of makes sense i suppose, no local host, no local files, no file transfer. If they did anything else is to me unknown. And i suppose it doesn't really matter.

It simply doesn't work for me on windows 10, and i just don't have any alternative to run it on.

I'm not sure if this could be circumvented with a setting, i just couldn't figure it out.

 

What i did figure out, is that 4.52 works. I can simply paste it in the folder for HP's variant, and rename it to their default name, and the launcher calls it, and it has... some settings right. It got the IP wrong. (the old variant has this in the .ini under DHCP: IP_Pool=623191465. For what ever reason that made the TFTPD32 software assign 37.37.37.169, which the server refused.) I'm still going on guesswork, but since the old version wanted the "local" ip to be 169.37.37.37, i put that there. And that worked. Now the server connects, but of course, still no happiness. And, at this point i'm sort of stuck. So... I came here. Hoping someone could help me. (Or even understand the text above. That is probably a good start.)

 

A short log from the "log viewer":

Spoiler

 

The ini for the HP original:

Spoiler

 

If the "HP version" can be made to work with windows 10, then that is great. If not... Is there anyway one can, based on whats in the ini, figure out what should be the "right stuff" for the new version, and make IT work?

Right now i'm sort of dead in the water, which is a unhappy place...

 

A big thank you for your time and effort, if you made it all the way down here.

 



#2 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 12 January 2018 - 11:30 AM

This is Greek Swedish to me ;):

 

 

En befintlig anslutning tvingades att stänga av fjärrvärddatorn. 

Is the Google Translate "good enough"?

 

 

An existing connection was required to turn off the remote host computer.

 

About the IP configuration, TFTP32 is "queer", it uses a decimal notation, that needs quite a few "hops" to be converted/understood.

This tool:

https://www.subneton...-calculator.php

converts:

169.37.37.37 to A9252525 BUT Dec623191465 converts to 0x252525A9

Maybe there is an issue with Big Endian/Little Endian?

Same goes for the net mask, 65535 is 0x0000FFFF, but it should really be FFFF0000, i.e. 255.255.0.0 (which is also unusual as in local lan's normally 255.255.255.0 is used :dubbio:)

 

In any case, the 169.37.37.37 is "queer" (but in the years anything that comes from HP, Dell and similar OEM's is usually "queer", so it is not that much a surprise)  it is seemingly connected specifically to "Windows Home Server" :w00t: for PXE booting on HP machines.

 

Which settings for network did you use for the PC running TFTP32?

Recommended should be a static:

169.37.37.38

255.255.0.0

See:

http://www.mediasmar...opic.php?t=8133

 

Maybe (cannot say if it works on Windows 10) the idea of Safe Mode with network support is not that bad :unsure: to limit the crap running on the PC side.

 

:duff:

Wonko



#3 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 12 January 2018 - 02:00 PM

This is Greek Swedish to me ;):

 

To me to. Makes sense, since i am, after all, Swedish. Dunno if that is a good or bad thing.

 

 

Is the Google Translate "good enough"?

 

I actually "understand" the error message. I just don't know what it means, or what to do about it.

(The Swedish translation is in the first place, odd. It's another machine translation, i suppose. It's more along the lines of "caused" rather then "was required", but...)

 

 

About the IP configuration, TFTP32 is "queer", it uses a decimal notation, that needs quite a few "hops" to be converted/understood.

This tool:

https://www.subneton...-calculator.php

converts:

169.37.37.37 to A9252525 BUT Dec623191465 converts to 0x252525A9

Maybe there is an issue with Big Endian/Little Endian?

Same goes for the net mask, 65535 is 0x0000FFFF, but it should really be FFFF0000, i.e. 255.255.0.0 (which is also unusual as in local lan's normally 255.255.255.0 is used :dubbio:)

 

In any case, the 169.37.37.37 is "queer" (but in the years anything that comes from HP, Dell and similar OEM's is usually "queer", so it is not that much a surprise)  it is seemingly connected specifically to "Windows Home Server" :w00t: for PXE booting on HP machines.

 

For what it's worth, i changed the IP pool entry from the default, to 169.37.37.37, and that worked. So i guess it doesn't have to be decimal or what ever. (I'm the first to admit this all flies straight over my head.)

 

 

Which settings for network did you use for the PC running TFTP32?

Recommended should be a static:

169.37.37.38

255.255.0.0

See:

http://www.mediasmar...opic.php?t=8133

 

I didn't change anything. It's set to DHCP for the home network. I disabled the WiFi, and connected the LAN to a Dell Powerconnect 2724, and connected the WHS to the same switch. The switch is reset to factory default, so acting like any dumb switch. Nothing else is connected to the switch.

And that part works. The PC with TFTPD32 tries to ship data out to the WHS, there is just something with the way it's being shipped, or where the stuff is located, that fails me. Could it be something with big vs little endian things again? (And what does small or big indians have to do with computer issues anyway?) I'm thinking the oack tsize thing. 25068 seams like a fairly random bit, size. But since i don't really understand what the error actually means, i'm not sure about anything.

Also... No idea if the flipped numbers have anything to do with what HP did to the software, or if there was a significant change somewhere along the development. Just for good measures i tried setting the PC with TFTPD32 to 169.37.37.37 as static, but at that point the WHS just requests an ip, and the software tries to tell it what to use, and the WHS just keeps asking...

Spoiler

 

As a side note... Wonko, how is the patient doing? any signs of recovery?


Edited by Mr B, 12 January 2018 - 02:19 PM.


#4 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 12 January 2018 - 03:14 PM

I know, the Greek/Swedish was just for fun, JFYI:

http://reboot.pro/to...-arabic-for-me/

 

And naah, I was only trying to give a possible explanation to the "inverted" address, the contents of the .ini are set through the TFTP32, for all we know it is possble that an older version used internally - say - Big Endian in the conversion and the newer 4.52 uses the opposite.

 

One of the things mentioned on the given page:

http://www.mediasmar...opic.php?t=8133

 is that NO switch (dumb or not) should be between the PC and the (stupid) HP server.

 

The server seemingly NEEDS to have 169.37.37.37 so the ONLY address that the PC should NEVER have is 169.37.37.37.

 

Again, try setting the PC to the given static address and net mask 169.37.37.38 255.255.0.0 and use a direct connection.

 

 

:duff:

Wonko



#5 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 12 January 2018 - 05:33 PM

One of the things mentioned on the given page:

http://www.mediasmar...opic.php?t=8133

 is that NO switch (dumb or not) should be between the PC and the (stupid) HP server.

 

The reason for the "no switch" is "people are dumb" and they connect the pair to a system with a DHCP server on it already. A switch is fine. But regardless, i simply dug the darn WHS out of the corner it was crammed in to, and wired it directly to the laptop. No switch. Also set the LAN to 169.37.37.38. And ran the setup software.

 

 

Spoiler

 

We ARE making progress. It still fails the actual transfers, but it seems to at least try. And since it finds the files it starts with trying to transfer, it would seem it's working out of the right directory structure. Well, it does ask for boot.ini, and hiberfil.sys, which are not present, no idea there. They aren't on the original install media. I added a translation for the error message on the two files. (- Edit: Translation "File not found")

Now then. Any ideas as to why it aborts? I'll suspect transfer mode, or data packet size. But there doesn't seem to be anything in the old ini that tells us what this "should" be? Another change behind the facade, or something HP did?



#6 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 12 January 2018 - 06:13 PM

The BOOT.INI part is strange, but all in all "logical" or however making (marginally) some sense.

BOOT.INI is the "booting configuration file" for NT 4/2k/XP/2003.

The actual "booting configuraton file" for Vista (and up) is \boot\BCD which is loaded/transferred successfully and the booting continues through the "fake" NTFS mounting filesystem \boot\boot.sdi and the actual \boot\boot.wim which is the "real thing", i.e. the PE image that will (should) actually be the booting OS for the install.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a script (or whatever) has remained and still asks for BOOT:INI (though it has no meaning nor use).

 

It is the request for hiberfil.sys that is puzzling, hiberfil.sys is the file used to backup data when going in sleep mode (hibernation) it makes no sense (and it has no use) unless the process is a "wake up" from hibernation, it doesnt sound plausible that it is a "relic" of some old, re-used script by HP. :dubbio:

 

Anyway, since the booting goes on and actually the BOOT:WIM is transferred successfully, those two "File not found" are irrelevant.

 

As you noticed, something is "wrong" in the transfer.

 

It is not possible that a (relatively) "huge" file such as BOOT.WIM:

 

<Boot\BOOT.WIM>: sent 240076 blks, 122918747 bytes in 44 s. 0 blk resent [12/01 18:12:00.666]

goes through successfully and quickly, 123 MB in 44 s is pretty much fast at almost 3 MB per second and soon after a small file:

 

 

Read request for file <\Boot\Fonts\wgl4_boot.ttf>. Mode octet [12/01 18:12:01.151]
OACK: <tsize=47452,> [12/01 18:12:01.182]
Using local port 54727 [12/01 18:12:01.198]
Connection received from 169.37.37.37 on port 4501 [12/01 18:12:01.229]
Peer returns ERROR <TFTP Aborted> -> aborting transfer [12/01 18:12:01.229]

fails.

 

But soon after the actual wgl4_boot.ttf is transferred successfully at next try.

 

Then what happens?

The log stops right there?

Any sign of blinking lights changing colour or timing on the  actual device?

How long have you waited after the last TFTP log entry?

Again in the given thread they are talking of expecting 15 ot 20 minutes (or so), but it is not clear if that is the "booting time" in recovery mode or the actual recovery time :unsure:

 

:duff:

Wonko



#7 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 12 January 2018 - 06:39 PM

Then what happens?

The log stops right there?

Any sign of blinking lights changing colour or timing on the  actual device?

How long have you waited after the last TFTP log entry?

Again in the given thread they are talking of expecting 15 ot 20 minutes (or so), but it is not clear if that is the "booting time" in recovery mode or the actual recovery time

 

After that, it's doing nothing untill the setup software that launched TFTPD32, also shuts it down. Approximate 15 minutes later. At which point the WHS flashes a red light indicating that process has failed.

 

About changing lights... It flashes "blue" and red on power on. After the wizard trick with pokey bit in pokey receptacle, it flashes white and red. Once it has connected to the TFTPD32 software, it flashes only white. And then turns to a solid red once it decides it has failed.

 

I'm assuming it's the failed transfers that gets it. Once the initial tranfers have been done, i think it's supposed to try and boot from pxeboot.n12 & boot.wim somehow, and then connect back to the setup software, not the TFTPD32, and get the content of a  "recovery image" directory, that is at a different location on the media, and cant be accessed by the TFTPD32 service.

It contains a "partition.table" and "volume.image", the later being 4gB and some, so i suppose the actual OS is in there. (The boot directory TFTPD32 is getting it's files from, is a grand total of 140MB.)

 

Oh, and about time... 15'ish minutes is the time the setup software allocates to "this step" before it fails it. So pretty much the maximum time allocated to transferring the 140MB it should need to "boot" in to an actual recovery mode.


Edited by Mr B, 12 January 2018 - 06:41 PM.


#8 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 12 January 2018 - 07:03 PM

From what I have read on the relevant forums:

http://www.mediasmar...ver.net/forums/

https://homeservershow.com/forums/

there is some kind of voodoo involved.

 

If you check over there you will see "strange" and "queer" things, like the "direct connection", and static IP that actually - up to a point - worked, but also "no longer than 6 foot network cable" :w00t: , need to have NOT the "connector" (whatever it is) software installed and a few more, here and there, including one hinting that in some cases the actual disk drive inside the "server" needs to be "wiped" (actually most probably just blanking the MBR will be enough).

 

Anyway, from what you report it seems like the TFTP part completes successfully, the booting files are transferred successfully and (presumably) the boot.wim is actually started.

 

It is very possible that the type of "later" connection is either not available on Windows 10 (or it is available but  blocked by some policy or *whatever*).

 

Most probably it would be possible to take the disk out of the device and image "directly" the "partition.table" and the "volume.image" to it, but we don't know if the setup (through its "mysterious ways") post processes it, so there is the risk to lose time (in understanding how to deploy those) and at the end have anyway a non-booting, not-configured system.

 

The "partition.table" file, assuming that is -as the name would suggest - a copy of the MBR (or of just the partition table in it) should be 512 bytes in size (or less).

If you compress it in a .zip and upload it to somewhere providing a link to it I can have a look at it.

As well, if you could extract from the "volume.image" the first 100 sectors, i.e. 51200 bytes, and do the same, it would be enough for me to understand if - as probable - it is a known format (either a RAW image or a compressed one or a .wim. etc.) and thus see if this alternate route can be taken.

 

If you could procure, borrow or steal :w00t: :ph34r: an older machine with a (slightly less) stupid OS, possibly other than the one you have now with Windows 10 it would be IMHO an easier attempt to make.

 

Questions:

Which kind of ethernet port/nic is there on the device? I mean 100 Mb or 1000 Mb?

Which kind of ethernet port/nic is there on your PC? (Being Windows 10 it is likely to be 1000 Mb)

 

Maybe there is a negotiation issue between the two cards (if they are not matched)?

 

:duff:

Wonko



#9 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 12 January 2018 - 07:52 PM

If you check over there you will see "strange" and "queer" things, like the "direct connection", and static IP that actually - up to a point - worked, but also "no longer than 6 foot network cable" :w00t: , need to have NOT the "connector" (whatever it is) software installed and a few more, here and there, including one hinting that in some cases the actual disk drive inside the "server" needs to be "wiped" (actually most probably just blanking the MBR will be enough).


The "connector" software, is Microsoft server connector. I guess it could interfere with later stages of the setup.
 

Anyway, from what you report it seems like the TFTP part completes successfully, the booting files are transferred successfully and (presumably) the boot.wim is actually started.

 
Okay... This where the woodoo stuff comes in. I tried this 3 times in a row, and finally it actually triggered something. Now the setup software is doing "something" presumably copying the partition.table and volume.image to the system. I'm going to hope that it actually works. Fingers crossed, and all that. Now i REALLY wish i had it on the switch, so i could peek at what is being done. While typing, it says "success" but that it might take 5 minutes for the WHS system to finalize, and reboot.
 

Most probably it would be possible to take the disk out of the device and image "directly" the "partition.table" and the "volume.image" to it, but we don't know if the setup (through its "mysterious ways") post processes it, so there is the risk to lose time (in understanding how to deploy those) and at the end have anyway a non-booting, not-configured system.
 
The "partition.table" file, assuming that is -as the name would suggest - a copy of the MBR (or of just the partition table in it) should be 512 bytes in size (or less).
If you compress it in a .zip and upload it to somewhere providing a link to it I can have a look at it.
As well, if you could extract from the "volume.image" the first 100 sectors, i.e. 51200 bytes, and do the same, it would be enough for me to understand if - as probable - it is a known format (either a RAW image or a compressed one or a .wim. etc.) and thus see if this alternate route can be taken.

 
At this point it seems to be an academic matter, for me. Truth be told, if a fix for this could be permanently documented, i think a lot of people would be happy. I have NO idea how to go about extracting the first 100 sectors, but i DO have the image of the install media on hand, i could easily hook you up with a link. That said, it is currently an almost 3gB archive, i could break out the iso for the server recovery alone, but it is still 4.4gB, so most of those 2.8gB is that image, compressed.
Or, here is a thought... Any idea on how to extract those 100 sectors for you?
 
 

If you could procure, borrow or steal :w00t: :ph34r: an older machine with a (slightly less) stupid OS, possibly other than the one you have now with Windows 10 it would be IMHO an easier attempt to make.

 
I had a XP laptop stored for this, and this alone. But, it wont boot anymore, and after opening it up, there is a bit of a mess on the motherboard, that looks like electrolyte... or cat pee, and i don't have cats.
 

Questions:
Which kind of ethernet port/nic is there on the device? I mean 100 Mb or 1000 Mb?
Which kind of ethernet port/nic is there on your PC? (Being Windows 10 it is likely to be 1000 Mb)
 
Maybe there is a negotiation issue between the two cards (if they are not matched)?

 
The Data Vault X310 is a 1.6Hz Atom, with gigabit networking.
The laptop doing the heavy lifting, as it were, was a Acer 3100, that i've given a bit more RAM & CPU. It's a sempron 3200+, and i stuck a Turion TL-64 X2 in it. The laptop is a spare i had laying around, and was "willing" to have tied up in this project. If , like now, something managed to work out, the laptop would be stuck there for a couple of hours, and i didn't want my daily driver stuck like that. Anyway, being a Acer aspire 3100, it has a Realtek 10/100 NIC.
 
At this point the connector is installed on the laptop, and the server supposedly is downloading updates, and installing them. I can SEE the unit on the network from anything on the local LAN, but i can not yet log in to it. Since the connector is stuck in limbo, while the updates are applied. Once that all is done, i'll use the connector, to remote desktop in to the system, and add my personal user, with remote desktop rights, and set up filesharing and so on. I think you got it fixed for me. Still, as i wrote above. If you want to take a look at the image and stuff, let me know how, and i'll do what i can. If the thread i started can end with a permanent fix that anyone can apply, then all this might not have been for nothing.
 
 
Edit
Fixed as per pro tip below.
/Edit

Edited by Mr B, 12 January 2018 - 08:41 PM.


#10 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 12 January 2018 - 08:33 PM

 

I had a XP laptop stored for this, and this alone. But, it wont boot anymore, and after opening it up, there is a bit of a mess on the motherboard, that looks like electrolyte... or cat pee, and i don't have cats.

No cats? :w00t:

Then it may be mouse pee ;).

 

To get part of a file you can use *any* dd-like software you have handy or are familiar with, I personally use dsfo (part of the dsfok toolkit):

http://members.ozema...ware/index.html

which would amount to:

dsfo C:\mydir\volume.image 0 51200 C:\myotherdir\myfile51200.bin

The command takes out of C:\mydir\volume.image, starting at offset 0, 51200 bytes and saves them to a new file C:\myotherdir\myfile51200.bin

 

Or would you prefer a GUI tool?

 

In any case, let's keep fingers crossed, maybe in the meantime the stupid device mumbling led to a working system :).

 

About the quote, if you edit your post and click the button in top left that looks vaguely like a paper clip you will have the post in "plain" bbcode, you can copy the [ quote etc---] and the [ / quote] from a later quote and paste it before and after the part.

Then press again the same button and you should be back to a WYSIWYG view.

 

:duff:

Wonko



#11 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 12 January 2018 - 08:55 PM

I actually doubled the dump. Mostly since it seemed like the content wasn't useful. Just a lot of german ÿ stuff.
Here is a Mega, for now. Will kill it when you've had a look, since, you know, mega limits your bandwidth... I don't want people wasting my bandwidth with this massive... 9kB download. ;- )

#12 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 13 January 2018 - 01:42 PM

I had a quick look.

The format is not a "common" one, most probably it is specific to the stupid Windows Home Server.

The partition.table is not "plain", and it has not even a particular header/format.

The volume.image has a "Svs" header, which is again seemingly not common, even TriD has no idea about what it could be.

It seems like noone in the "Windows Home Server" community had the same "crazy" (actually pretty much "normal" as I see it) idea of bypassing the (IMHO overly complex) install/setup procedure and deploy directly the image.

Most probably somewhere in both the PE deployed via TFTP or in the actual recovery/install DVD (or maybe in the related OEM OPK) there is some prpgram that can interpret the data.

 

Anyway, if the problem at hand is solved, and given that seemingly the good guys using the system never managed to come up with something like this, I would call it a day, leaving the (now entirely "academic") exercise for a later time/when someone will actually *need* it.

 

As a side note, maybe we put too much blame on the good HP guys (that remain however responsible for the worst installers ever seen on Earth), while looking around I found this Lenovo page:

https://support.leno...utions/ht071074

which describes what cannot but be called as a nightmare procedure, but indirectly confirms that the need to have not/uninstall the "connector" is actually something that the good MS guys put together by design, JFYI ;)

https://web.archive....t.com/kb/147373

 

:duff:

Wonko



#13 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 13 January 2018 - 03:53 PM

Yeah, the last stages of the setup looks suspiciously much like a RDP-app in a window. Since the connector is at least parts of it, based on the RDP, i can see how having it's services running in the background could screw you over.

Thank you for the time and effort spent on this.
I wrote a short, and somewhat messy explanation of what was done, and posted on Mediasmartserver.net, since that is where i usually go for help with the X310.
If nothing else it means i might have a chance of getting it running the next time i try to do this.

#14 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 13 January 2018 - 05:45 PM

Yeah, the last stages of the setup looks suspiciously much like a RDP-app in a window. Since the connector is at least parts of it, based on the RDP, i can see how having it's services running in the background could screw you over.

Thank you for the time and effort spent on this.
I wrote a short, and somewhat messy explanation of what was done, and posted on Mediasmartserver.net, since that is where i usually go for help with the X310.
If nothing else it means i might have a chance of getting it running the next time i try to do this.

Good :)

Just in case - and for future memory - the thread is this one:

http://www.mediasmar...php?f=5&t=14604

 

:duff:

Wonko



#15 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 13 January 2018 - 05:57 PM

That would be the thread i started, and somewhat collected my end result in, yes.

#16 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

    The Finder

  • Advanced user
  • 16066 posts
  • Location:The Outside of the Asylum (gate is closed)
  •  
    Italy

Posted 13 January 2018 - 05:59 PM

That would be the thread i started, and somewhat collected my end result in, yes.

Sure :), just trying to have people that land here after a google search to be able to find easily the sum up.

 

:duff:

Wonko



#17 Mr B

Mr B

    Newbie

  • Members
  • 17 posts
  •  
    Sweden

Posted 14 January 2018 - 01:10 AM

Ah. Yes, you are right. Never thought of that.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users