17 replies to this topic

[cdd]

I want to put my LiveXP on a flash memory stick, so I created a bootable LiveXP CD with "PE to USB" scipt on it. I ran the "PE to USB" while in PE, the program window said "No USB Disk Found". There is an icon in the tray indicating the presence of a USB stick inserted. I can examine the USB stick contents with a file explorer.

What could be the problem? Is this the wrong way to create a bootable LiveXP on an USB stick?

Any help would be appreciated.

[amalux]

I want to put my LiveXP on a flash memory stick, so I created a bootable LiveXP CD with "PE to USB" scipt on it. I ran the "PE to USB" while in PE, the program window said "No USB Disk Found". There is an icon in the tray indicating the presence of a USB stick inserted. I can examine the USB stick contents with a file explorer.

What could be the problem? Is this the wrong way to create a bootable LiveXP on an USB stick?

Any help would be appreciated.

A little more information is needed:

How was the stick formatted? Should be clean format with this tool. (thinking ahead) Is your BIOS setup to boot from USB, can you see the device as a 'hard drive' in the boot order list? If it's in the list, set it to first priority. Plug the stick directly into a MB port, not PCI card (may work, depends on card) or extension hub (won't work).

[cdd]

A little more information is needed:

How was the stick formatted? Should be clean format with this tool. (thinking ahead) Is your BIOS setup to boot from USB, can you see the device as a 'hard drive' in the boot order list? If it's in the list, set it to first priority. Plug the stick directly into a MB port, not PCI card (may work, depends on card) or extension hub (won't work).

amalux,

Thanks for the reply. It was formated some time ago, possibly with HP format tool; if I remember correctly. It is in FAT 32 format and there are some misc program files on it.

It was plug directly into a MB port. I have created & used bootable USB mem stick with Bartpe before, so I am familiar with Bios settings to boot USB. I beleive I have created bootable Bartpe mem sticks successfully to show up either as hard drive or floppy depending on what I choose to emulate (HDD or floppy) during the formating process.

What bothers me is why, in LiveXP, I can see and read the files on the mem stick, yet the"PE to USB" program told me that "No USB Disk found"

I'll clean format it as you suggest and report back.

[cdd]

I have just reformated the mem stick to Fat 32 with the HP formating tool. Did a retest with the cleanly formated mem stick, same result. No go.

Correct me if I am wrong, this looks more like a software rather than hardware issue to me.

[ilko]

Have you tried swapping the radio button USB Removable - USB fixed?

[carfan]

I want to put my LiveXP on a flash memory stick, so I created a bootable LiveXP CD with "PE to USB" scipt on it. I ran the "PE to USB" while in PE, the program window said "No USB Disk Found". There is an icon in the tray indicating the presence of a USB stick inserted. I can examine the USB stick contents with a file explorer.

What could be the problem? Is this the wrong way to create a bootable LiveXP on an USB stick?

Any help would be appreciated.

Ive had this happen before. Some usb stick architecture is not compatible with the software just like some usb hard drive systems are not. Ive had good luck with pny sticks.

-c

[cdd]

Have you tried swapping the radio button USB Removable - USB fixed?

Yes, same result, no difference.

[pscEx]

As to be seen:

Some users are successful, others are not, inspite using the same method.
Therefore the success seems to be directly depend on the user's equipment, rather than on the method.

I personally have only an USB PCI adapter with a hub in the front of my (old) PC. Therefore I cannot take part on this discussion.

But to help others, I suggest

• Admin (Nuno, Jaclaz ?) generates a new forum with a pinned post 'USB Boots'
• The forum allows write access to every user to give his entry of
  • USB stick name
  • Source CD
  • Preparation Method
  • Physical format
  • How prepared
  • ...
• ...
• Works Y/N

I do not know whether the forum allows a table for this, but that would be nice.

Peter

[cdd]

A Kingston 1GB, a BTC 1GB flash sticks and a Seagate 250GB (with 3 partitions) external usb hdd were tested, none of them work!

"USB Mass storage devices" & "Hot Plug USB keyboard & USB Mouse" scripts were added and removed for testing, same result, no go.


Question:

I use "Boot SDI" to create the CD, its script options were left at default. Is there anything I have to set correctly in the "Boot SDI" script in order for this to work?

[pscEx]

I use "Boot SDI" to create the CD, its script options were left at default. Is there anything I have to set correctly in the "Boot SDI" script in order for this to work?

In the first idea: If you have an ISO, it does not matter how it has been made.

After thinking a bit: (As telled above, I have no experience with booting from USB):
Maybe the supplied boot image makes some troubles.

Peter

[was_jaclaz]

Some users are successful, others are not, inspite using the same method.
Therefore the success seems to be directly depend on the user's equipment, rather than on the method.

Maybe the "same" method is not really used, or the method is in itself partly wrong.

Is the "Pe to USB" .script:

I ran the "PE to USB" while in PE,

supposed to be run from a booted LiveXP CD?
..or is it intended to be run at build time, like any other .script?

jaclaz

[cdd]

Maybe the "same" method is not really used, or the method is in itself partly wrong.

Is the "Pe to USB" .script:

supposed to be run from a booted LiveXP CD?
..or is it intended to be run at build time, like any other .script?

jaclaz

After trying to create a bootable USB key from a LiveXP CD unsuccessfully, I did actually run "PE to USB" script alone in the project. It appears that all it did is installed the "PE to USB" program in the project's "Target" folder. An USB key was inserted while I was doing that, no window or prompt of any kind to indicate that it was writing something to the USB key.

Can someone who has created a LiveXP on a flash key successfully let us know how you did it in detail please?

[amalux]

The program which the script is created from is a win32 app available here which can run from windows XP/W2K3. It has worked fine for me in the past from both XP and LiveXP but I'll have to experiment and refresh my memory before saying more. Just because you can 'see' files on the disk from explorer doesn't mean it's bootable! I can remember spending hours on one machine coaxing It to recognize the boot sector; this isn't an exact science but if the machine can boot from a UFD, this app should work to set it up. From the readme:

To make a UFD bootable requires it to be formatted to FAT16,
the partition set as bootable AND the volume boot sector id
to be set to 0x80. If all this is done the UFD should be
bootable on any system whose BIOS can boot to USB-HDD. Some
UFDs partition tables have been set to a starting offset of
32 sectors, this will not be bootable under USB-HDD. It seems
that USB-ZIP requires this, USB-HDD requires offset of 63
sectors.

If your UFD still won't boot after this type of format then
either your UFD's chipset isn't capable or the BIOS on the
system you are trying to boot is either set incorerectly or
incapable of booting to UFD.

I'll try and set it up again from scratch and get back with more info and screen shots

[cdd]

amalux,

Thanks for the link to get the win32 app. This version of "PE to USB" runs a lot better under WinXP on HDD. It was able to detect the Kingston 1GB flash key, format it and copy files to it. I have no idea of what and where to pick files to copy to the flash key, I just pointed it to the "Target" folder of the poject. The flash key was able to boot show a message about starting Windows PE .... then it turned into a Windows XP screen for a few second and crash into a blue screen. I wish there is a guide some where so that I am not doing it by guessing.

[amalux]

amalux,

Thanks for the link to get the win32 app. This version of "PE to USB" runs a lot better under WinXP on HDD. It was able to detect the Kingston 1GB flash key, format it and copy files to it. I have no idea of what and where to pick files to copy to the flash key, I just pointed it to the "Target" folder of the poject. The flash key was able to boot show a message about starting Windows PE .... then it turned into a Windows XP screen for a few second and crash into a blue screen. I wish there is a guide some where so that I am not doing it by guessing.

If you're seeing the XP boot screen (even for a few seconds, then crashing with Stop 0x0000007B) you've, almost certainly, done everything right! The problem is more technical and machine related; having to do with how your PnP fails at setting up the UFD device stack (PCI bus/bridge/controller). These issues are difficult to troubleshoot and usually can't be 'fixed'. You can try a different UFD or try the current UFD in differant machines (if available) for confirmation of this. Welcome to the world of UFD booting

[ilko]

The modified ntdetect.com very often helps with those 0x7B BSODs.
Look there for details:
http://www.msfn.org/...009#entry738009

[amalux]

The modified ntdetect.com very often helps with those 0x7B BSODs.
Look there for details:
http://www.msfn.org/...009#entry738009

That's gold! I'd read that same post before but for some reason blew it off, just tried it on a machine that always BSOD'd and works beautifully! Thank you my friend!


@cdd, What are you waitin' for? Any questions, please ask, very simple to do!

[cdd]

I tried it on 2 flash keys and one external HDD. They all ended up with the same result; booted to Window XP screen for about 10 seconds, then crashed stop at 0x0000007B.

Then I saw ilko's post, followed his instruction to copy and paste to a hex editor and created a file ntdetect.com with exactly 47,596 bytes. I replaced the file in the USB key with this modified one and tried it again. It did not help, same result.

This is looking more like black magic than science. I am not sure I can afford more time on this, considering the marginal benefit of a PE USB flash key. My Bartpe usb flash key only works 1 out of 3 PCs I tested it on; while the corresponding bootable CD works on every PC (mine & others PCs).