14 replies to this topic

[gbrao]

I created a Live XP with WB 080.

1) If I boot it from a hdd with g4d installed on the hdd mbr using :

map --mem /LiveXP.iso (0xFF)
map --hook
root (0xFF)
chainloader (0xFF)

a) with no UFD plugged in it works OK.

with a UFD plugged in, with some UFDs, after LiveXP ISO has been read from the hdd, I get a black screen.

2) If I boot it from a UFD using same g4d commands : it works on some systems, but on others I get the black screen.

Looks like either I need to format the UFDs differently, or there is a BIOS setting set differently.

Or, I need to include some script/driver to make the LiveXP more universal.

btw : I tried formatting the UFD with gparted, disk genius & bootice (as USB HDD), same problem.

Can someone help, please.

Edit : I located the problem, I think.

The UFD was made g4d bootable with bootice 0.92 - LiveXP did not boot from hdd.
Then I used bootice to install the NT5 mbr on the UFD - LiveXP booted OK from the hdd.

So, now how do I make the UFD g4d mbr bootable ?

Edited by gbrao, 03 September 2011 - 03:55 PM.

[Wonko the Sane]

I doubt that there is anything connected with the partitioning/formatting of the USB stick.
It is more likely that something needs to be done EITHER in the LiveXP .ISO (you must detail HOW it is booting, AFAICR there are several different ways to set it up) OR in the grub4dos mappings.
From what you reported is sounds a lot like something connected with BIOS and device mappings/order in BIOS.


Wonko

[gbrao]

hi, i just edited the first post. posting so you notice it.

[steve6375]

I don't quite understand what you mean. When you say HDD do you mean internal HDD or external (USB?) HDD?

Are you booting from UFD with the LiveXP.ISO on the same UFD or are you booting from the HDD every time?
If the HDD and the UFD both have g4d on them, do you know which one you booted from?

Describe a non-working situation:
What is on the UFD, what is on the HDD, what does the PC boot from, are you using the same system for testing each time?
How much RAM (memory) is in the systems which do not boot from UFD?

[Wonko the Sane]

Wait, maybe it is the case of the "blacklisted" grub4dos in the MBR case?
http://reboot.pro/10503/page__st__4


Wonko

[gbrao]

Sorry, this is getting real weird. I have found a solution ( or work-around ) but it does not really make any sense to me.

My system boots with USB 1.0 speed, so I use PLoP to boot into UFD ( and it is easier than going into the BIOS ). Sequence is boot from hdd which has g4d in mbr, one option in menu.lst is to load PLoP, from PLoP I select UFD .

Instead of that I changed the boot priority in BIOS to boot from UFD first. My UFD is g4d bootable and had PLoP too. If I now boot PLoP ( from UFD ) and then load the LiveXP, I get the problem mentioned above. But if I do not use PLoP, the LiveXP runs OK. So the problem ( on my system at least ) is PLoP -> LiveXP.

If I do not use PLoP, the hdd boot priority makes no difference, LiveXP works OK. That is, it does not matter whether my hdd or ufd has priority.

[Wonko the Sane]

Sorry, this is getting real weird. I have found a solution ( or work-around ) but it does not really make any sense to me.

My system boots with USB 1.0 speed, so I use PLoP to boot into UFD ( and it is easier than going into the BIOS ). Sequence is boot from hdd which has g4d in mbr, one option in menu.lst is to load PLoP, from PLoP I select UFD .

Instead of that I changed the boot priority in BIOS to boot from UFD first. My UFD is g4d bootable and had PLoP too. If I now boot PLoP ( from UFD ) and then load the LiveXP, I get the problem mentioned above. But if I do not use PLoP, the LiveXP runs OK. So the problem ( on my system at least ) is PLoP -> LiveXP.

If I do not use PLoP, the hdd boot priority makes no difference, LiveXP works OK. That is, it does not matter whether my hdd or ufd has priority.

No , as seen from here this is getting actually irritating , the real problem is that you DO NOT post EXACTLY (actually NOT AT ALL) which commands/settings you are using BOTH in PLoP and in grub4dos in the TWO different ways you are booting.

Most probably is a mess with hard disk drive order, since at least in the entry you posted you do NOT set root properly and/or you do not exchange drive order (where applicable), but this is just another (though educated ) guess.

A refresh may be needed :
http://homepages.tes...ard-litany.html
Please read the above attentively, then re-read these parts:

A problem report that doesn't answer all of these questions is incomplete, and contains insufficient information for diagnosis and prescription of a remedy. If you don't supply this information right at the start, you'll waste yours and others' time, and delay the actual remedy to your problem, by forcing everyone to spend one or more rounds of communication back and forth simply trying to wring the relevant information out of you.

Also note that problem reports that you deliberately distort will yield an incorrect diagnosis and very probably an ineffective remedy.

Wonko

[gbrao]

Sorry. I was confused & upset yesterday.

Booting from UFD.

UFD is made g4d bootable using bootice 0.92. menu.lst is :

title  -  PLoP Boot Manager 5.0.12

kernel /plpbt.bin

 

title  -  LiveXP

find --set-root /LiveXP.iso

map --mem /LiveXP.iso (0xFF)

map --hook

chainloader (0xFF)

My system boots (from UFD) with USB 1.0 speed, so I use PLoP to get USB 2.0 speed.

a )
- I boot from UFD and select option 1 ( ie. PLoP ).
- Once PLoP loads, I select the option to boot from USB.
- I get the same g4d menu again.
- I select option 2 ( LiveXP ).
- The ISO is read from UFD and then I get a black screen.

b )
- I boot from UFD and select option option 2 ( LiveXP ).
- The ISO is read (slowly) from UFD and windows loads runs OK.

Basically, I cannot boot LiveXP from UFD if I use PLoP and then g4d.

On systems which I knew booted with USB 2.0 speed I would not use PLoP so LiveXP would run fine. I never suspected PLoP, that's why I assumed it was either the LiveXP I made, the way I formatted the UFD or my system BIOS.

I tried to boot another LiveXP made by some one else ( I don't think WB was used ), same problem.

Booting from internal hdd problem in my next post.

Edited by gbrao, 04 September 2011 - 06:22 AM.

[Wonko the Sane]

Hmmm.

a )
<insert here command line tests>
- I boot from UFD and select option 1 ( ie. PLoP ).
- Once PLoP loads, I select the option to boot from USB.
- I get the same g4d menu again.
<insert here command line tests>
- I select option 2 ( LiveXP ).
- The ISO is read from UFD and then I get a black screen.

Command line tests #1 (get to command line by pressing "c"):

geometry (hd0)

[ENTER]

geometry (hd1)

[ENTER]

configfile /menu.lst

[ENTER]

Is the output of the two tests the same?
Which is the (hd0), which is the (hd1)?

WHICH (of the various available options) does your LiveXP.ISO use?
Like RAMDISK.SYS (Server 2003 SP1), WinVblock, Firadisk, other?


Wonko

[gbrao]

first test :
hd0 = UFD
hd1 = HDD
configfile gives same menu

second test ( after PLoP )
hd0 = UFD
hd1 = Error 21 selected disk does not exist
hd2 = HDD

The LiveXP has firadisk & 2K3 ramdisk.

Note : I recently cleaned my PC, I have used a different SATA port for the hdd on the mobo, could that be the prob ? I'm sure using PLoP followed by g4d worked on my system before !

[Wonko the Sane]

second test ( after PLoP )
hd0 = UFD
hd1 = Error 21 selected disk does not exist
hd2 = HDD

Try on command line:

map (hd2) (hd1)

map --hook

then re-access the menu.lst and try booting the LiveXP.

Note : I recently cleaned my PC, I have used a different SATA port for the hdd on the mobo, could that be the prob ? I'm sure using PLoP followed by g4d worked on my system before !

Yes, it is a possibility.
IF this is the case it should mean that the motherboard BIOS "detects" that a SATA port is empty and "skips" it, whilst PLoP "assigns" it nonetheless.
Of course grub4dos simply "inherits" or "trusts" whatever the BIOS (or the PLoP) "says".

Using BOTH firadisk AND Win2k3 SP1 ramdisk.sys makes NO sense whatever, WHICH of the two is used for booting? (I presume the firadisk, but you should know)


Wonko

[gbrao]

after booting PLoP, geometry says possible disks are hd0 hd2 rd

entered on command line

map (hd2) (hd1)

map --hook

geometry now says possible disks are hd0 hd1 hd2 rd

went back to menu and booted LiveXP, black screen.

Also connected hdd to orig SATA port, did not help.

[Wonko the Sane]

Also connected hdd to orig SATA port, did not help.

But are the disk mappings AS before?

Try with:

map (hd2) (hd1)

map --hook

map --status

map --unmap=0x82

map --rehook

map --status

Wonko

[gbrao]

yes, even after changing the sata port, hd1 "did not exist".

could you please change the title of this thread to something like "LiveXP does not boot when using PLoP" .

bit busy now, will try what you suggested later.

thanks.

[gbrao]

I used the grldr from grub4dos-0.4.5b-2011-09-07 and the LiveXP booted OK (from UFD) even if I used PLoP.