33 replies to this topic

[Virii]

Hello.

Can someone tell me (or reference a tutorial) how to install Windows XP onto a logical partition?

I'm incapable of manually editing partition tables, so please could the suggestion be tailored towards a newbie approach?

[Wonko the Sane]

Windows XP, like ANY NT based system is actually designed to be installed to a Logical volume inside Extended partition.
Normally (or actually this is the way it was designed) you have a BOOT partition (Primary active) that contains only:

• NTLDR
• BOOT.INI
• NTDETECT.COM
• NTBOOTDD.SYS (only used for some SCSI cards)

and ALL the other files in a logical volume inside Extended partition.

Now, if what you want to do is to have ALSO the above mentioned files into a logical volume inside Extended partition, and you want to actually boot from them you will need to use a bootmanager such as grub4dos (or forfait a Primary partition entry in the MBR), see this post here:
http://www.911cd.net...pic=24443&st=59
to have an idea about what is possible.

What do you mean by "incapable of manually editing partition tables"?

You can learn, like everyone else.

If you have doubts, ask, someone will hopefully answer, helping you.


Wonko

[Virii]

I hope revisiting this thread isn't a problem.

I recently re-installed XP. This time to a logical partition like I had already newb-ishly asked about here.

The problem, or query as it is, and I'm hoping this a simple....

How do I modify the XP install, so I can boot it straight from grub4dos? I've already copied over the boot.ini, ntdetect, and ntldr. I've also editing the 'Windows\system32\config\system' file to change the 'DosDevice' strings. Is there a good way to convert all those 'D:\' path to "C:\' short of manually editing each one of them? That could take days....

Also, there could be something else I'm missing as well. Are the registry paths the only hurdle left?

[Wonko the Sane]

How do I modify the XP install, so I can boot it straight from grub4dos? I've already copied over the boot.ini, ntdetect, and ntldr. I've also editing the 'Windows\system32\config\system' file to change the 'DosDevice' strings. Is there a good way to convert all those 'D:\' path to "C:\' short of manually editing each one of them? That could take days....

Also, there could be something else I'm missing as well. Are the registry paths the only hurdle left?

What do you mean "straight" from grub4dos"?
Like:
http://www.911cd.net...ic=24353&st=160

Meet COA2 :
http://reboot.pro/13496/page__st__15
and/or Registrar Lite


Wonko

[Virii]

What do you mean "straight" from grub4dos"?
Like:
http://www.911cd.net...ic=24353&st=160

Sorry. I meant is there a way to boot the XP partition directly from grub4dos, without the need to have another partition containing the boot files.

Meet COA2 :
http://reboot.pro/13496/page__st__15
and/or Registrar Lite

COA2 doesn't appear to be what I want as I'm not trying to move any installed programs. Actually, I haven't installed any external programs as of yet. I'm still looking for the registrar lite though. I hope it works in XP.

Now that I've made it apparent that I've never done a XP logical install, can I ask if there's a way to do a clean install of XP to logical directly as the 'C:' drive? Any tricks to be had? Even if the change wouldn't remain persistent, I tried mapping the partition '--in-situ' beforehand, but grub4dos couldn't/wouldn't boot the Windows install disc.

[Virii]

Can anyone here (possibly Linux users) vouch for this article?

http://www.sousuke.o...gical_partition

I seem to be stuck at this section here as I'm unable to find any references to 'D:\'. This is right after the Windows install goes down for it's first reboot. I did find some hex strings containing lowercase 'd:', but I'd expect to find that combination - among others - randomly throughout the reg file.

[Wonko the Sane]

Sorry. I meant is there a way to boot the XP partition directly from grub4dos, without the need to have another partition containing the boot files.

grub4dos can only chainload NTLDR.
NTLDR *needs* to find BOOT.INI (not really-really, but without it it will attempt booting windows in C:\Windows\)
NTLDR NEEDS (really) to find NTDETECT.COM (but really-really there is around a modified NTLDR with NTDETECT.COM integrated - you may want to find and experiment with it)
In any case NTLDR has to be "somewhere".
But the link I gave you is/was abut booting from a floppy image, so it answers nicely to " without the need to have another partition containing the boot files"

COA2 doesn't appear to be what I want as I'm not trying to move any installed programs. Actually, I haven't installed any external programs as of yet. I'm still looking for the registrar lite though. I hope it works in XP.

If I tell you to use COA2, it means that it will do what you need. which is:

Replace every occurrence of "D:\" with "C:\". Be careful with this, the replacements should make sense! Like "D:\", "D:\Documents and Settings", etc.;

only in a more friendly way than what you will get with a Hex Editor....
In any case the replace has to be done when Windows is already "fully" installed, i.e. after GUI part of the setup.
(or maybe you are looking in the wrong place, it is possible that the letter are still in setupreg.hiv at the stage you describe - if I get it right end of TEXT setup)

Now that I've made it apparent that I've never done a XP logical install, can I ask if there's a way to do a clean install of XP to logical directly as the 'C:' drive? Any tricks to be had? Even if the change wouldn't remain persistent, I tried mapping the partition '--in-situ' beforehand, but grub4dos couldn't/wouldn't boot the Windows install disc.

You are a "lucky guy" .

There is NO NEED WHATSOEVER to do all this replacing of drive letters on XP, the "trick" is to assign the C:\ drive letter to the actual logical volume since start.
Meet migrate.inf:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=19663


Wonko

[Virii]

There is NO NEED WHATSOEVER to do all this replacing of drive letters on XP, the "trick" is to assign the C:\ drive letter to the actual logical volume since start.
Meet migrate.inf:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=19663

Sorry, I don't mean to seem like I ignored your last post, but I've been busy with non-PC related stuff.

After reading over the link you provided, and the links it contained, I'm at a loss. I'm completely unfamiliar with the PE install environments, and probably didn't understand 90% of what was being talked about in the threads. I was thrown even further off by the posts people made about what 'didn't work' for them.

Are there any 'cleaned up' directions available anywhere on how these people were able to achieve what they set out to do? Maybe a wiki of sorts?

[Wonko the Sane]

Sorry, I don't mean to seem like I ignored your last post, but I've been busy with non-PC related stuff.

After reading over the link you provided, and the links it contained, I'm at a loss. I'm completely unfamiliar with the PE install environments, and probably didn't understand 90% of what was being talked about in the threads. I was thrown even further off by the posts people made about what 'didn't work' for them.

Are there any 'cleaned up' directions available anywhere on how these people were able to achieve what they set out to do? Maybe a wiki of sorts?

The info you should have "extracted" from the mentioned thread are:

• SETUPLDR.BIN reads a file called "migrate.inf" (SETUPLDR.BIN is the SAME loader used BOTH for booting a PE and the Windows Install)
• you can supply such a file
• the thread details how to create such a a file
• such a file will allow giving to each and every volume in the PC a drive letter of your choice, OVERtaking the "default" drive letter assignment.

The info that is NOT in the given thread (and that you should have found by yourself ) is that the migrate.inf is also created "automatically" by running WINNT32.EXE from a booted Windows NT system (i.e. once you have installed a 2K or XP on a machine, if you install a second instance of it to the same machine it will automatically get the same drive letters of the existing installation), this was "normal" since 2K (and possibly NT )

So, if you have already a "normal" installation of XP on that machine, you can run WINNT32.EXE and get a "default" migrate.inf that you can change along the details in the thread (or generate one with mkmigrate.inf and edit it, or create a new one from scratch).

Read this:
http://technet.micro...337(WS.10).aspx

Everything should become clearer.



Wonko

[Virii]

Read this:
http://technet.micro...337(WS.10).aspx

Everything should become clearer.

I'l probably sound like I'm making excuses, but... I've never...

- Had multiple instances of any OS installed to the same PC
- Had any Windows installed to logical
- Done anything but a clean install of Windows (DOS booting winnt.exe, or booting cd)

I've already shrunk my Linux install to make room for an additional primary, and I'm going to install XP to it as soon as I'm done posting here. I figured I'd post this first as I'm unsure how long this will take, and I'll later edit this post with any successes/failures.

Thank you.

[Virii]

Here's what I did.

- 1. Installed XP as normal to minimally sized primary partition. (5GB in my test)

- 2. Create extended partition, and logical partition contained within it.

- 3. Insert XP install disc into cd/dvd drive, browse to the "\I386\WINNT32.EXE" file, and launch it.

- 4. After the menu starts, select "New Installation" from drop down menu.

- 5. Accept license agreement, and optionally enter your install key now.

- 6. Select "Advanced Options" button.

- 7. Select the "Copy XP files to N:\Windows" option where "N" is the drive letter of the newly created logical partition.

- 8. Also checkmark the "Copy all files from setup CD", and "I want to choose the install drive, and partition" options.

- 9. On the next screen, choose "no" to get updated files.

- 10. Wait for the process to complete, but wait there for the message "To restart manually, press the ESC key". Press ESC when the PC is counting down for a restart.

- 11. Go to "Folder Options", select "show hidden files/folders", uncheck "Hide system files/folders", and "Hide known file types".

- 12. In the partition of the currently running XP, find and goto the "$WIN_NT$.~BT" folder at the top of the drive. Most likely "C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\"

- 13. Find the "migrate.inf" file, and open it with the default text editor. Look for the string containing the text "\DosDevices\N:" where "N" is the drive selected from step #7.

- 14. Replace the "N" with the desired drive letter. In this case "C". Scrolling back to the top of the file, I personally cycled the rest from the top down, changing the original "\DosDevices\C:" to "\DosDevices\D:", "\DosDevices\D:" to "\DosDevices\E:", etc...

Save the file, and close it.

- 15. Restart the system. Let the system boot as normal, with it timing out on the boot "setup" menu option.

- 16. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press "enter".

- 17. At the "To continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP without repairing, press ESC" screen, press the ESC key.

- 18. Select the the logical partition from the list. It should be marked as "C:\" at this point, or whatever you marked it in step #14.

- 19. Let the install continue, selecting your desired options as prompted for them. The PC will restart one, or more times. Leave the boot menu alone as it should select the proper "Windows XP Professional" out of the two listed.

- 20. Repeat step #11.

- 21. Install Grub4Dos from XP now, a DOS boot disc/usb on reboot, or a live Linux usb/disc on reboot.

Done. Somewhat...

I've copied the "ntdetect.com", "boot.ini", and "ntldr" to any other available "primary" partition, and renamed the ones on the original primary XP install. The new logical XP install then boots with the following gruub4dos commands.

find --set-root /ntldr

chainloader /ntldr

boot

The problem is that when these files are copied to any logical partition, including the "logical" XP partition, the previous commands do not work. The system immediately reboots.

Based on the instructions from Wonko's link here, I tried to create a boot floppy image that I could store on the logical partition, and have everything self-contained in that partition.

What do you mean "straight" from grub4dos"?
Like:
http://www.911cd.net...ic=24353&st=160

BTW:
If using linux, you can do this like this by issuing these commands:

dd bs=512 count=1440 if=/dev/zero of=~/xpldr.ima

mkfs.msdos ~/xpldr.ima

mkdir /mnt/vfloppy

mount -o loop ~/xpldr.ima /mnt/vfloppy

Copy the "ntdetect.com", "boot.ini", and "ntldr" to the "/mnt/vfloppy" folder. Unmount the image.

umount /mnt/vfloppy

The next problem? The boot disc doesn't work.

All I get is this message

Remove all disks, or other media. Press any key to restart.

Now I haven't even deleted the first primary XP partition yet, so the default boot.ini should be just fine.

EDIT;
For some reason, I can't edit my posts on this board, or login, without using the "open in new tab" option on the links.

Edited by Virii, 18 August 2011 - 12:54 AM.

[Wonko the Sane]

Here's what I did.

Good.

BTW:
If using linux, you can do this

Well, NO.

The mkfs.msdos under Linux creates the filesystem (i.e. FORMATs) the image BUT it won't by "sheer magic" write to the bootsector the code invoking NTLDR.
So it is normal that it won't boot.
I don't know if there is a Linux utility to write the Windows NT/2K/XP FAT1x boot code to a bootsector, but you can use dd allright, as long as you have a source for the Code (like a NT created boot floppy ).

Otherwise you can install to it a a grub4dos bootsector, and from grldr chainload the NTLDR on floppy image.


Or make a FreeDos bootdisk image and from it run bootpart replacing the bootsector of the floppy image:
http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm

To solve the rebooting problem you need to correct the "Sectors Before" in the Logical Volume bootsector (like use partnew once in grub4dos, then revert to the previous Partition Table) or manually, as you were already told in the other "specular" thread about Win9x:
http://reboot.pro/15167/


Wonko

[Virii]

Just one thing to mention before anything else. I have no physical floppy drives, or disks to use for this.

The mkfs.msdos under Linux creates the filesystem (i.e. FORMATs) the image BUT it won't by "sheer magic" write to the bootsector the code invoking NTLDR.
So it is normal that it won't boot.
I don't know if there is a Linux utility to write the Windows NT/2K/XP FAT1x boot code to a bootsector, but you can use dd alright, as long as you have a source for the Code (like a NT created boot floppy ).

I received the same error from the Windows imdisk method. So based on your observation, I mounted an archive Win 98 boot floppy image, and replaced the contents. The results were the same.

Otherwise you can install to it a a grub4dos bootsector, and from grldr chainload the NTLDR on floppy image.

I've never installed grub4dos to anything other than the mbr, or pbr, of a hard-drive. Doing a "grub4dos install to floppy image" search didn't clarify anything.

To solve the rebooting problem you need to correct the "Sectors Before" in the Logical Volume bootsector (like use partnew once in grub4dos, then revert to the previous Partition Table) or manually, as you were already told in the other "specular" thread about Win9x:
http://reboot.pro/15167/

I never went past the "--in-situ" command as it worked, and I didn't know how to do what you mentioned. I also didn't want to risk messing with the partition info, sorry. I've since then removed Win98 from this hard-drive though.

Or make a FreeDos bootdisk image and from it run bootpart replacing the bootsector of the floppy image:
http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm

I guess this would be the next logical step. I'll reinstall FreeDOS later today.

[Wonko the Sane]

Virii,
there is some form of miscommunication going on .

You seem like missing a basic piece of info. .

A bootsector is made of THREE things:

• the BPB (Bios Parameter Block) -> this is DATA specific to the actual filesystem, it includes, number of sectors, number of fat(s), type of FAT, number of root driectory entries, etc.
• the boot CODE -> this is machine CODE that the BIOS reads in order to load a system file, this code is always the same on a given OS
• the "Magic Bytes" -> this is "55AA" and is a form of "signature", EVERY MBR or bootsector will have them

Now let's see what common related programs do:

• The Linux mkdosfss will write #1 and #3 above ONLY.
• The FORMAT command under DOS and FreeDOS will write #1 and #3 above ONLY.
• The FORMAT /S command under DOS and FreeDOS will write #1, #2 and #3 above, OBVIOUSLY they will write a #2 CODE that will load the DOS system file, i.e. IO.SYS for MS-DOS and KERNEL.SYS for FreeDOS.
• The SYS command under DOS and FreeDOS will write #2 ONLY, OBVIOUSLY they will write a #2 CODE that will load the DOS system file, i.e. IO.SYS for MS-DOS and KERNEL.SYS for FreeDOS.
• The FORMAT command under NT/2K/XP/2003 will write #1, #2 and #3 above, OBVIOUSLY they will write a #2 CODE that will load the NTloader, i.e. NTLDR.
• The FORMAT command under Vista /2008/7 will write #1, #2 and #3 above, OBVIOUSLY they will write a #2 CODE that will load the new NTloader, i.e. BOOTMGR.

Of course if with the "IMDISK" method you tell it to create a MS-DOS floppy, it will create a MS-DOS floppy, otherwise there was some other problem as the method is tested, re-tested and works allright.


The grub4dos partnew command does TWO things (if used properly ):

• creates an entry in the partition table of the MBR for a logical volume
• corrects the "sectors before" in the bootrecord of said logical volume

as we have seen on the other thread, you need an empty entry in the partitin table for this command to work (now you should have one).



You can do the second thing (which is what you NEED to do) manually, if you want to save the hassle of doing it manually :

• backup the MBR
• run the partnew command
• restore the MBR

the "Sectors Before" will be corrected by the partnew command and they will remain corrected .


Besides "searching" (and you were also already told about this on the other thread) you could READ the README_GRUB4DOS.txt ( or search INSIDE it ) , look what can the bootlace.com program do (under BOTH DOS/WIN and Linux)

Installing GRLDR boot code to a floppy image under DOS or Linux:

bootlace.com --floppy --chs floppy.img

And, BTW, there is NO need to "install" FreeDOS, a simple DOS (*any* DOS) bootable floppy image will do.



Wonko

[Virii]

You can do the second thing (which is what you NEED to do) manually, if you want to save the hassle of doing it manually :

• backup the MBR
• run the partnew command
• restore the MBR

the "Sectors Before" will be corrected by the partnew command and they will remain corrected .

Not doubting your expertise here, but my first instinct would have been to backup the partition tables, and not the MBR. If it isn't too much hassle, could you explain why the MBR needs backupped for a partition entry change?

The other well pointed out stuff in your post not withstanding, if I can get the partition to boot with the boot files located on it, and not need a boot image ... great.

My problem with the partnew, and the issue I was reserved about, was really what command to issue. Would it be...?

partnew (hd0,3) 0x0C (hd0,4)+1

And do I delete the partition (hd0,3) after this is done? With the boot.ini partition number corrected for it to be the first drive (hd0,0), I've tried running the '--in-situ' command on the logical partition, but it abruptly restarts at the XP logo screen.On a side note, thanks for your help on all my questions here at Reboot. It seems like there almost aren't any other members who actually post in these threads I start, so I do appreciate the input.

[Wonko the Sane]

Well, I can give you some ideas about why I am talking of the MBR.

• The Partition Table is made of 4 x 16 bytes each entries. (which makes it 64 bytes long)
• The partition Table is INSIDE the MBR.
• The MBR is first sector of a HD, i.e. is 512 bytes long.
• The MBR resides on a "block device" whose sector (block) size is (normally) 512 bytes.
• Most common utilities (at least under Windows NT family of the OS) will treat a "block device" in "blocks" .
• Thus it is common use to backup the WHOLE MBR.
• It is true that this way you waste 512-64=448 bytes
• But the above ONLY happens in theory, since (still normally) a file smaller than 512 bytes will occupy anyway at least 512 bytes.
• if you want to save some disk space you can access the partition table with a hex editor, copy on a scrap of paper just the 16 bytes of the partition table entry you are going to change (they will be 16 00's so you don't even have to write all of them, you can even learn that byte sequence by heart ) do the partnew, and then manually re-write to that entry the 16 00's
• try in grub4dos issuing the command:

  cat --hex --skip=446 --length=64 (hd0)+1

You can as well avoid backing up the MBR:

partnew (hd0,3) 0x0C (hd0,4)+1

partnew (hd0,3) 0 0 0

will do as well (still within grub4dos)

Still having a backup copy of the MBR is always a good idea.

You can also "mirror" it to an unused sector, still from within grub4dos.

dd if=(hd0) of=(hd0) bs=512 count=1 skip=0 seek=61

and "restore" it after the partnew command:

dd if=(hd0) of=(hd0) bs=512 count=1 skip=61 seek=0

I'll leave to you to find out the values to "mirror" just the partition table as an exercise....

The command you posted:

partnew (hd0,3) 0x0C (hd0,4)+1

means (translated in pseudo-English:
partnew=write new values to a partition entry
(hd0,3)=4th entry in partition table of first disk
0x0C=partition type FAT32 LBA mapped
(hd0,4)+1= first logical volume inside Extended Partition of first disk

IF:

• the 4th entry in partition table is empty (16 00's)
• the logical volume you want to "partnew" is first logical volume inside Extended partition

everything is fine and dandy.


Wonko

[Virii]

The command you posted:

partnew (hd0,3) 0x0C (hd0,4)+1

means (translated in pseudo-English:
partnew=write new values to a partition entry
(hd0,3)=4th entry in partition table of first disk
0x0C=partition type FAT32 LBA mapped
(hd0,4)+1= first logical volume inside Extended Partition of first disk

IF:

• the 4th entry in partition table is empty (16 00's)
• the logical volume you want to "partnew" is first logical volume inside Extended partition

everything is fine and dandy.

Without going into a great amount of detail, the above didn't work. I tried --in-situ, and directly mapping, after entering the command, but yielded no positive results. Maybe the fourth partition entry wasn't empty? Bootice didn't report any other partitions being present...

It's been too long for me to remember the exact errors, so I'm moving back to trying the more simplistic boot floppy image.

You said that it's been tested, and verified, with the expected results confirmed. What I get is an image that wont even boot. After following the linked thread's method on using IMDisk, I created an image exactly as stated. I tried this with Windows 7 64bit, and with Windows XP 32bit. The following error message results on attempting to boot either image from Grub4Dos.

FAT BPB found with 0xEB (jmp) leading the boot sector.

probed C/H/S = 80/2/18, probed total sectors = 2880

 

Disk Error

Press any key to restart

[Wonko the Sane]

Virii,
don't want to seem more grumpy than I usually am , but basically you came here, asked for help and then either do another thing or try doing the suggested thing introducing variations, and do not report the EXACT DETAILED steps you took.

I will gladly help you solve the problem and have your setup work BUT I need to have you:

• provide a DETAILED description of your setup
• do EXACTLY what I tell you to try
• report EXACTLY what happens after having done EXACTLY what you have been told to do

Does this approach suite you?


Wonko

[Virii]

I will gladly help you solve the problem and have your setup work BUT I need to have you:

• provide a DETAILED description of your setup
• do EXACTLY what I tell you to try
• report EXACTLY what happens after having done EXACTLY what you have been told to do

Does this approach suite you?

Sorry. I feel bad about this, because you seem to be the only member here who knows how to do this. Have all the other reboot.pro's moved on past XP? I don't mean to keep bothering you specifically...

I had done the partnew commands.

partnew (hd0,3) 0x0C (hd0,4)+1
partnew (hd0,3) 0 0 0

They didn't change anything over previous error messages. Maybe I shouldn't have originally made the logical partition LBA (0C)? Maybe I had the wrong partition number, I don't know. I still got a message similar to this.

Error N: Extended partition table is invalid, or its CHS values conflict with the
BPB in a logical partition.

I do not wish to revisit a personal dead end with the method, nor do I have the time to figure it out. I've already forgotten the first-hand details of it, and it'd all have to be re-learned. The floppy image boot on the other hand seemed like it should have been simple enough.

Using the CD Forums post of yours, I created the image as outlined on both Windows 7, and XP. Not that it should matter, but Win7 was installed to a NTFS partition, WinXP to Fat32.

Quick instructions:

• get IMDISK (you should know what it is)
• start it's control panel app
• mount new
• leave EMPTY "Image file"
• type in "Size of virtual disk" 1474560 and make sure "Bytes" are selected
• select "Floppy" in "Device Type"
• the new virtual disk wil be mounted, let's say with letter K:
• still in IMDISK app, select it and Format i, (as FAT, Quick Format, use label "MY_NTLDR" or whatever you like)
• still in IMDISK app, double click on it and an Explorer window will open
• copy to it NTLDR, NTDETECT and BOOT.INI
• Edit BOOT.INI with some "sensible" data (see below)
• go back to IMDISK and "Save image", choose "offset 0"
• save it to - say - C:\MY_NTLDR.IMG
• unmount the image, now you can mount it and unmount it at will with IMDISK

I attempting to boot the image in grub4dos with these commands. The image was named 'ntldr.ima'.

find --set-root /ntldr.ima
[ENTER]
map --mem /ntldr.ima (fd0)
[ENTER]
map --hook
[ENTER]
chainloader (fd0)+1
[ENTER]
root (fd0)
[ENTER]
boot
[ENTER]

This is the text displayed on-screen.

FAT BPB found with 0xEB (jmp) leading the boot sector.
probed C/H/S = 80/2/18, probed total sectors = 2880
Disk Error

Press any key to restart

Edited by Virii, 06 September 2011 - 04:35 PM.

[Wonko the Sane]

I do not wish to revisit a personal dead end with the method, nor do I have the time to figure it out. I've already forgotten the first-hand details of it, and it'd all have to be re-learned. The floppy image boot on the other hand seemed like it should have been simple enough.

Try with:

find --set-root /ntldr.ima

[ENTER]

map --mem /ntldr.ima (fd0)

[ENTER]

map --hook

[ENTER]

root (fd0)

[ENTER]

chainloader /ntldr

[ENTER]
(here you should have some feedback like "WIll boot ....")

boot

[ENTER]

This should allow booting if for any reason the bootsector CODE is "wrong" (but not if somehow the BPB is also wrong).
If it doesn't work, extract from the .ima first sector, compress it and upload it to somewhere I can get it from.

I cannot see any reason why the given procedure works for me, worked for Ed_P and doesn't work for you.


Wonko

[Virii]

chainloader /ntldr

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... there it is!

I can't believe I overlooked something so simple. I guess I got into a one track mind on how I loaded all my other floppy images. For the record, 'chainloader +1' didn't work either.

I cannot see any reason why the given procedure works for me, worked for Ed_P and doesn't work for you.

That's because it does work for me, and I was just being dense.

The final commands I entered, and that are in my menu.lst are...

find --set-root /ntldr.ima

map --mem /ntldr.ima (fd0)

map --hook

root (fd0)

chainloader /ntldr

Thanks Wonko, problem solved. See you around.

[Wonko the Sane]

The point is probably that if you formatted the floppy image under 7 (and NOT XP) the bootsector code invokes BOOTMGR.

chainloader (fd0)+1

or

root (fd0)

chainloader +1

chainloads the bootsector of the floppy, so it can only work (with NTLDR) if you format it under XP.
Under 7 you can format it allright, but later you will need to do a bootsect.exe /nt52 (I am not sure that bootsect.exe accepts a floppy) or use some other programs to change the bootsector code to the NTLDR invoking one.
An overly complex alternative is to use BOOTMGR to chainload NTLDR


Wonko

[Holmes.Sherlock]

It seems like there almost aren't any other members who actually post in these threads I start, so I do appreciate the input.

It's not that, I can bet. The point is that everyone has his/her own area(s) of expertise & as far as Win family of OSes are concerned, the person whom you "appreciated" for the input is one of the most knowledgeable one in this vertical. (New) (m)Members are always welcome here.

[grubsome]

Hi guys,
I am a little bit new in here but wanted to ask you guys which solution you would prefer?
I want to test one out but only one at the moment, because it is of not a big interest anymore having xp on an logical partition as the
only disadvantage might just be to give winone my first primary partition, but for growing up the knowledge I want to try it again.
So what solution would you suggest for not spending too much time on it?
Thanks for everything

Edited by grubsome, 11 September 2011 - 08:11 AM.

[Wonko the Sane]

So what solution would you suggest for not spending too much time on it?

Correcting one single value in the bootsector of the logical volume.
Unless of course you are also of the kind of peeps that simply refuse to take 1 hour (no more is needed, can be done in much less) to read and understand two clearly written and illustrated pages:
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/
http://www.goodells....ot/ptable.shtml


Wonko