Full (Generic) XP SP3-Slipstreamed on USB Removable (Encrypted) Logical Drive (EWF)Hi, all!
Really I think that would be needed some further summarized informations, so I've regrouped all the steps in the following
Quick Start Notes1. Under your IDE XP: connect your Host-USB (Fixed Disk), delete all partitions that it possibly contains and re-partition it as follows:
the First Primary partition in FAT of your needed size (max size: 2.047,3 MB) and make it as Active; then create an Extended partition of your needed size (for example, in my case now it is 6.000 MB, and I created into it 2 Logical Drives); then create 1 (or more) Logical Partition(s) inside it, in FAT32 or NTFS file-system.
Please, note that you have to format the above partitions NOT in Quick mode.
Furthermore, please consider that I noticed also that
if TrueCrypt Boot Loader (or possibly other ones) was previously installed for any reason on your Host-USB, then it could continue to reside in the MBR of your Host-USB also after the (re)partitioning & (re)formatting.
So, in order to reach a
reproducible way with ANY strange issues I suggest you to replace the MBR of your Host-USB with a XP standard one or with a "NotInitialized" one before the partitioning.
After you've replaced it with a "NotInitialized" one (with HDHacker
http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/ ), then please reboot your machine under your IDE XP and open Disk Management.
At this point Disk Management will show the "Welcome to the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard" window: then you will do as follows: click on "Next > Select disk to initialize (that will be already selected!) > Next > Finish".
Now your Host-USB will have a "new" XP standard MBR!
Then you will can
safely partition your Host-USB as described above!
Otherwise, if you are
sure that your Host-USB already have a
clean standard XP MBR, then you can directly partition it (but, please, you have to be sure!).
2. Insert
NGINE XP CD-ROM, turn-off your machine and disconnect all other IDE Hard Disks, but not your Host-USB (just pre-partitioned).
3. Now turn-on your machine and boot from your CD-ROM, then install XP on the
second partition of your Host-USB, that's just a
Logical partition!
4. Complete the installation and reach your desktop.
Please, note that during and after the complete installation, for only two-three times before to reach your Desktop you will must wait for 2-3 mins on a blank screen (!): so, please do not exit from your installation thinking something was gone wrong!
5. Disable all these: Paging File, System Restore and "Automatically restart (at System Failure)".
6. Turn-off your machine, connect your IDE Hard Disk(s) and boot from your IDE XP (let your Host-USB connected).
7. Follow related notes in order to reach a "XP Generic after NGINE install" (
here or
here).
8. Then boot from your Host-USB (with any IDE Hard Disk(s) connected) and follow again the above linked notes in order to update some drivers with the standard ones: now, you finally have your Host-USB in which a Full Generic XP is installed on a
Logical partition.
9. Turn-off your machine, connect your IDE Hard Disk(s) and boot from your Host-USB again. Then copy "microdrive" unzipped (direct download
http://www.xpefiles....rvr1224_320.zip ) folder (6 files - 20 kb) on your Host-USB in "\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\".
10. Connect your Guest-USB (that's your
Removable USB-Stick) with no data inside.
11. Edit "cfadisk.inf" as follows: Device Manager > Disk drives > Select your Removable USB-Stick > Select Details flag > Select "Hardware IDs" > Select and copy (CTRL+C) the FIRST related line.
Then paste this line in "cfadisk.inf" as follows:
[cfadisk_device]
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,PasteTheLineHerePlease, note that if you wanted to use ANY your Removable USB-Stick for this purpose in order to simplify your job you can repeat the above procedure for ALL your Removable USB-Sticks (if wanted), so that your "cfadisk.inf" file will appear with something like the following inside:
[cfadisk_device]
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\DiskJetFlashTS2GJFV30_______8.07
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\DiskPEAK_II_Flash_Drive_____0.00
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\DiskPEAK_II_Flash_Drive_____1100
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\DiskPhilips_USB_Flash_Drive_1100
%Microdrive_devdesc% = cfadisk_install,USBSTOR\DiskJetFlashTS2GJFV10_______8.07
So will be easiest to install Hitachi Microdrive also for ALL your Removable USB-Sticks.
Really you can do that in a single step: at first editing "cfadisk.inf" and including ALL entries related to ALL your Removable USB-Sticks, and then installing Hitachi Microdrive for all your Removable USB-Sticks in a single step, one at a time.
After that (and after all notes followed), you will can create a RAW image backup of your Guest-USB that will contains the Hitachi Microdrive Filter driver already installed for ALL your Removable USB-Sticks and then the same RAW image backup will can be restored and it will work on ALL your Removable USB-Sticks
with any your further intervention!
12. In Device Manager (> Disk drives) select your Guest-USB and update its driver with "Hitachi Microdrive Filter driver": Driver > Update Driver... > Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) > Don't search. I will choose the driver to install. > Have Disk... > Browse... > Select "cfadisk.inf" existing (and pre-edited!) in "\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\microdrive\" > OK > Select "Hitachi Microdrive" in "Model" pane > Next > "Update Driver (Compatibility) Warning" window > YES > Finish > Reboot now.
13. Repeat the Hitachi Microdrive Filter driver installation for all your Removable USB-Sticks (if wanted).
14. After the reboot(s) you will be again on your Host-USB desktop, so turn-off your machine and disconnect both your Host-USB and Guest-USB.
15. Shutdown Windows and then boot from your IDE XP: now insert your Guest-USB (Removable USB-Stick) and let Windows both to recognizes and to install it, then in Device Manager update its standard driver with Hitachi Microdrive Filter driver (> Reboot now).
16. After the complete reboot: shutdown Windows, remove your Guest-USB and boot from your IDE XP again.
17. Create a standard image backup of your Host-USB (optional, because then you can simply do the copy of all needed files & folders from your Host-USB to your Guest-USB).
18. Always under your IDE XP insert your Guest-USB and both partition and format it (NOT in Quick mode) just like your Host-USB is, and make as Active the first FAT partition.
19. Restore the previously created standard image backup of your Host-USB on your Guest-USB (or simply copy all files & folders from your Host-USB partitions to your Guest-USB respective ones).
20. Shutdown Windows and boot from your Guest-USB in order to verify that all is going right.
21. Then shutdown Windows and boot from your IDE XP again.
22. Now create a RAW image backup of the whole your Guest-USB disk.
From this moment you could also
forget your Host-USB!
In the future if you want to add a new Removable USB-Stick to your XP-USB installation then you can do that under your just updated Guest-USB: so you will get an always updated RAW image backup of your Guest-USB that you can restore on any your Removable USB-Stick without both to install Hitachi Microdrive Filter and to partition it.
Really the RAW image backup of the whole disk is needed only if your Guest-USB have been already encrypted, but at any rate to use it allows the advantage to restore it on any Removable USB-Stick without the need to partition it (and then without the need to install Hitachi Microdrive Filter).
Please, note that:
a. The Hitachi Microdrive Filter driver installation under your IDE XP (and the consequent partitioning of your Removable USB-Stick) is needed only
one time and only for the
first your Removable USB-Stick.
b. A RAW image backup of the whole your Guest-USB disk can be restored on ANY further Removable USB-Stick with any further action (so, no Hitachi Microdrive Filter and no partitioning).
c. A standard image backup of your Guest-USB can be restored only if your Removable USB-Stick is partitioned, that's only if Hitachi Microdrive Filter have been installed.
So you can choose between two alternatives:
* to use a RAW image backup of the whole your Guest-USB disk although your Guest-USB's system partition is not encrypted: the image backup size will result larger, but then it does not need ANY further action in order to restore itself on ANY your new Removable USB-Stick;
* to use a standard image backup (but it is possible only if your Guest-USB's system partition is NOT encrypted) and then under your IDE XP to install Hitachi Microdrive Filter for any new Removable USB-Stick in order to partition it: the image backup size will result smaller, but then you must under your IDE XP both to install the Hitachi Microdrive Filter for any your new Removable USB-Stick and to partition it.
At all events, easier to do rather than to describe!
23. Now you can restore your RAW image backup just created on (any) your new Guest-USB (Removable USB-Stick) with ANY further action (no Hitachi Microdrive Filter install and no partitioning).
Please, note that obviously your (any) new Removable USB-Stick must be large in size enough in order to "contain" the RAW image backup of your Guest-USB!
In other words, when you create the needed partitions of your Host-USB before the NGINE CD-ROM install you must have in mind that then the resulting RAW image backup will have the SAME total size of the whole Guest-USB disk.
For example: on my Host-USB I've created the First Primary (Active) partiton in FAT = 1500 MB. Then I've created an Extended partition = 6000 MB. Then I've created two Logical Drives inside it = 4500 MB & 1500 MB.
Now, when I will create a RAW image backup of the whole Guest-USB disk then the RAW image backup itself will result of a size equal to the sum of all previously created partition, that is: 1500 + 4500 + 1500 =
7500 MB (the possible remaining unallocated space is not relevant in order to can restore the image backup on other devices, but it is important when you create the RAW image backup).
It's clear that then you will cannot restore that RAW image backup on any device that is
smaller of 7500 MB in size!
24. Done!
Now you can boot from your (any)
Removable USB-Stick your Full (Generic) XP on USB
Logical (Encrypted) Drive
with the highest level of success at booting under any BIOS(es), in your preferred file-system, on
any machine,
without having touched your new Removable USB-Stick!
If needed you can use TrueCrypt (6.0a) in order to encrypt your System partiton (that is a Logical partition) when you want, then you will can re-create an actual RAW image backup that will be capable to be restored (TrueCrypt Boot Loader and Volume Header included) and to work on ALL your removable USB-Sticks with ANY your further intervention.
Please note that you have to encrypt the System Logical Partition only (just where Windows resides), so the First Primary (Active) FAT partition, that contains only Windows boot files (7 hidden files - 320 kb), will remain not-encrypted (we called it as a "Trusted Zone") and then it will can be also useful regarding your file opearations and/or sharing.
Enjoy!
