7 replies to this topic

[MrAluminumSiding]

I couldn't find anything else on these forums about this particular problem, btu I admit I could've missed something.

I tried using the VistaPE project for WinBuilder but I didn't want to get into it, so I made a series of scrips that create a working WinPE 2.0 WIM file, with just a couple of modifications. Specifically, some extra NIC and Mass Storage drivers, an HTA front-end, and Ghost32. I have to be able to use Ghost for this environment.

I run these scripts of mine and out pops a ~190MB ISO file that I can burn to a disk and boot up on pretty much any PC I can find around here. The HTA works, Ghost works, the NIC drivers work... everything works fine.

Trouble is, I've been asked to include a Ghost image ON a DVD with this HTA-driven version of WinPE 2.0, so we have a self-contained, bootable DVD we can mail to our techs in remote parts of the state (The US has some pretty big states) who aren't on the network.

So I figured, fine, I'll just use the files I had before, make a new folder in there called "Image," dump the image files in there, and re-run oscdimg. This seems to work, but when I try to boot it, after the "Loading Files" progress bar, I get a "File is missing or corrupted" error on "winload.exe." On every PC. On a VM, even.

I don't know enough about oscdimg.exe to change whatever format options would be necessary to maybe fix this. I don't know if it's a file size issue (the *.gho files are <2GB on purpose), if oscdimg just can't do this, or if I should use UltraISO (which I just bought but don't have a key for yet. )or something else.

To repeat: the Winpe boot disk I made works *great* until I try to rewrite the ISO with some other files (albeit very large files) attached.

I can't think of any other way to get those Ghost image files on the DVD. Would TAO instead of DAO work, maybe?

My head hurts.

[was_jaclaz]

I guess it depends in the options you use with OSCDIMG.

By the way why are you using it insead of mkisofs?

try posting the command lines you are using.....
and possibly as an attachment a DIR D: /s > C:\dirlist.txt of your D: (working) DVD.

Try calling the directory Zimage, if the image is large and comes alphabetically before the name of system files it may "shift" them to the end of the .iso beyond "reach" of the bootloader.

jaclaz

[cdob]

A idea: early boot files are not found at end of media.
Lauch IsoBuster and report Logical Block Address (LBA) from \sources\boot.wim

As far as I remember, oscdimage count sub folders. Deep folders goto end of media.
Try add image files to \Z\Z\Images\


BTW:
oscdimg.exe from current WAIK add files greater 4 GB to UDF media.

[MrAluminumSiding]

Thank you for the replies. I'm more of a software developer so any insight into the mysterious (to me) world of CD file systems is much appreciated.

A few things:

1. I thought WinPE would not run on UDF? Has this changed with 2.0?
2. I didn't use mkisofs because I thought maybe PE needed some built-in funkiness that only oscdimg could include.
3. The 2Gb file size that we were spanning our Ghost images over (for backwards-compatibility reasons) is ever so slightly higher than the 2GB file size limitation of the Joliet FS. I respanned the image into 500MB files, and I WAS ABLE to boot the DVD. It doesn't boot all the WAY, but it doesn't give me a missing file error. Then again, I also recompiled this ISO with UltraISO, which I now own. Maybe UltraISO is just better at creating these things.
4. Now it's taking too long to boot, and it's freezing at a black screen and a mouse cursor. This is very likely a different problem entirely.
5. Or, maybe not. I will try reordering the directory structure in there to make sure it doesn't interfere with the boot files.

[was_jaclaz]

Thank you for the replies.

You are welcome.

I'm more of a software developer so any insight into the mysterious (to me) world of CD file systems is much appreciated.
A few things:
...bla
...bla
...bla
... and more bla

We are more like trying to help you , but if you do not provide the needed info, it will be hard to do so.

Please do read Rules, with particular attention to "Common Sense Advice" points d. and f. (AND points f1. to f5. ) :
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules


jaclaz

[MrAluminumSiding]

You are welcome.


We are more like trying to help you , but if you do not provide the needed info, it will be hard to do so.

Please do read Rules, with particular attention to "Common Sense Advice" points d. and f. (AND points f1. to f5. ) :
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules


jaclaz

Sorry. What I should have said was "Thanks, got it working."

Also, quoting people with "blah blah blah" is a little patronizing.

[was_jaclaz]

Sorry. What I should have said was "Thanks, got it working."

GOOD!

Now, we can go back to the blah blah:

1. I thought WinPE would not run on UDF? Has this changed with 2.0?

No, though it is easier with WinPE 2.0, every kind of PE can be made bootable from UDF.

2. I didn't use mkisofs because I thought maybe PE needed some built-in funkiness that only oscdimg could include.

No, the only thing oscdimg has that is "better" than mkisofs is that it is the same app MS uses to build their own CD's, and tere is just one (or a few) version(s) of it, while sometimes finding the "right" build of mkisofs is difficult.
The app was previously callled CDIMAGE and was for "Microsoft internal use only", something that, in perspective turned out to be a good thing as the Authors of mkisofs were induced to add to the app all the features that CDIMAGE had.
The syntax of BOTH utilities is simply crazy, so the use of both is only practical through a batch file, I tink noone in the world knows by heart all the various switches and paraeters and their meaning.

3. The 2Gb file size that we were spanning our Ghost images over (for backwards-compatibility reasons) is ever so slightly higher than the 2GB file size limitation of the Joliet FS. I respanned the image into 500MB files, and I WAS ABLE to boot the DVD. It doesn't boot all the WAY, but it doesn't give me a missing file error. Then again, I also recompiled this ISO with UltraISO, which I now own. Maybe UltraISO is just better at creating these things.

Undoubtedly Ultraiso is MUCH more user friendly, and very useful for checking/editing a .iso, but I do not trust it as much as mkisofs and oscdimg to create bootable .iso, once you have got the hang of the syntax, and have a few working command lines, they are not that bad.

4. Now it's taking too long to boot, and it's freezing at a black screen and a mouse cursor. This is very likely a different problem entirely.
5. Or, maybe not. I will try reordering the directory structure in there to make sure it doesn't interfere with the boot files.

So this was the thing that made it work?

Also, quoting people with "blah blah blah" is a little patronizing.

Sure, that is partly what I am NOT payed for. :
http://www.boot-land...topic=2399&st=6

jaclaz

[MrAluminumSiding]

No, though it is easier with WinPE 2.0, every kind of PE can be made bootable from UDF.

Good to know.

The syntax of BOTH utilities is simply crazy, so the use of both is only practical through a batch file, I tink noone in the world knows by heart all the various switches and paraeters and their meaning.

The syntax IS crazy. I've got oscdimg wrapped in a script, and I'm going to modify it to use mkisofs and see how that works. My oscdimg command is:

oscdimg -o -m -n -b"%cd%\winpe\eftsboot.com" "%cd%\ISOImg" "%cd%\winpeim.iso"

"winpe" contains the original WIM and the tools, "ISOImg" is where the WIM gets mounted so I can mess with it, and is where I dumped the image file, which is now in a folder off the root (of ISOImg, and therefore off the root of the DVD) called "Image."

Undoubtedly Ultraiso is MUCH more user friendly, and very useful for checking/editing a .iso, but I do not trust it as much as mkisofs and oscdimg to create bootable .iso, once you have got the hang of the syntax, and have a few working command lines, they are not that bad.

I'm partial to command line business myself, but is there any particular reason you don't trust UltraISO (other than it not being scriptable, which is a good reason)?

So this was the thing that made it work?

Had a PC with some bad hardware. It worked fine in everything else. The main problem was file size, and how the 2GB limit is calculated for different applications.

Sure, that is partly what I am NOT payed for. :

Fair enough.