XP booting direct from USB Options

[Dietmar]

Hi hmp,

trough Tutorial 4 you miss only the Vid and Pid number of your USB Floppy drive.
Take a search after FranziskaBuch here in the forum.

And for Tutorial 3 I would say, that you miss the modified ntdetect.com.

Good luck
Dietmar

[hmp]

Dietmar,

Wow! That is without a doubt, the fastest response I've ever received when needing help. Thank you so much!

I did not do the Vid and Pid for the floppy, although I did do it for the HD when doing tutorial 3.

For tutorial 3, I put the modified ntdetect.com. I also put the boot.ini that you have posted. Do I need to replace any other files, like the ntldr?

Also, how hard is it to get EWF working for the USB stick? If it is too hard, I won't even think about the USB stick....do you have any idea why Partition Magic won't format it?

Thanks again, Mike

Hi hmp,

trough Tutorial 4 you miss only the Vid and Pid number of your USB Floppy drive.
Take a search after FranziskaBuch here in the forum.

And for Tutorial 3 I would say, that you miss the modified ntdetect.com.

Good luck
Dietmar

[iseec]

Hi bilou_gateux,

the value USBSTOR on a normal XP is only set, when you connect another USB device.
NEVER is on a normal XP install there a Group entry for USBSTOR.
I think, for USB boot then there is possible Group= SCSIMINIPORT, Boot Bus Extender, System Reserved.
With Microsoft now also Group=Base is possible for usbstor.

Nice to hear from you
Dietmar

Hi Mr.USB,

NO pagefile is possible in "USB BOOT for Windows Embedded" from "Microsoft".
The upcoming message, that "the pagefile is too small" is exact that I always receive in my USB boot solution.

Also, no hibernation is working there.

I tested this while building simple a XP Pro
from the components of the new "Future Pack".

Now I am sure: They made their USB boot from this Forum Side here .
They also put a component "ntdetect for USB boot" into their image.
This is nearly exact as my modified ntdetect.com.

That just means MSFT didn't bother to add any feature Dietmar has not yet done. How do people live with HORM feature if they cannot hibernate with XPE...

[iseec]

Hi bilou_gateux,

the value USBSTOR on a normal XP is only set, when you connect another USB device.
NEVER is on a normal XP install there a Group entry for USBSTOR.
I think, for USB boot then there is possible Group= SCSIMINIPORT, Boot Bus Extender, System Reserved.
With Microsoft now also Group=Base is possible for usbstor.

Nice to hear from you
Dietmar

Hi Mr.USB,

NO pagefile is possible in "USB BOOT for Windows Embedded" from "Microsoft".
The upcoming message, that "the pagefile is too small" is exact that I always receive in my USB boot solution.

Also, no hibernation is working there.

I tested this while building simple a XP Pro
from the components of the new "Future Pack".

Now I am sure: They made their USB boot from this Forum Side here .
They also put a component "ntdetect for USB boot" into their image.
This is nearly exact as my modified ntdetect.com.

That just means MSFT didn't bother to add any feature Dietmar has not yet done. How do people live with HORM feature if they cannot hibernate with XPE...

[Dietmar]

Hi hmp,

to get EWF working is easy.
Look after the two files ewf.sys and ewfmgr.exe .
Here in the Forum there is the complete solution described for the registry entries for EWF:

Nice to here from you
Dietmar

[hmp]

Dietmar,

I am still unable to get the floppy technique to work. Other than the files in the F6.zip, is there any modifications I need to make to the floppy? I have put the VID and PID of the floppy in the txtsetup.oem - I got these numbers by plugging in the floppy into another computer and going to the registry. Is this the correct way?

Is there anything else I'm supposed to be doing? I see it reading the floppy drive, but it keeps on giving me the same message about inserting into drive A the manufacturer supplied disk

[Dietmar]

Hi hmp,

yes this is right.
Are you sure, that the Vid and Pid number is correct?

Franziska Buch here in the forum has the same problem.
But exact this problem was gone, after she put the right Vid and Pid number in txtsetup.oem.

Good luck
Dietmar

[Dietmar]

Windows Vista boots from USB

Author: Dietmar Stölting, 8. August 2006
dietmar.stoelting@t-online.de
Germany


Tutorial (Version 8 for Vista Build <= 5384, others see EDIT at the end))

1.) Format your USB harddisk with Partition Magic 8 with NTFS (about 20 GByte) and set it aktiv.

2.) Disconnect all other harddisks.
Have a look in your Bios, whether all USB is enabled.
Plug the USB harddisk into. (I use WD 160BB.)

3.) Put the Vista DVD in and hit any key.

4.) On some i875 motherboards appears the same problem as to dennis123123: A message appears and
says: Vista cant be installed on that harddisk. It is because the modified ntdetect.com cant be used
anymore, because there is none in Vista. The correct information about the USB harddisk is there not transmitted from the silly Bios to ntoskrnl.exe.
It works on AMD compis and the Shuttle barebones with Intel chipset.

When Vista says, it cant be installed use the edited Tutorial 8 at the end .

5.) Let Vista been installed.

6.) During the first reboot you got BSOD. So connect your USB harddisk to another working XP.

7.) As described in Tutorial 3, you have to change the values for Group and Start in Registry.
So load SYSTEM into the registry as otto and set Group = System Reserved
and Start = 0 . (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM(otto)\ControlSet001\Services\USBSTOR)
For USBSTOR you have also to add the Entry Group.
For USBHUB, USBEHCI, USBOHCI, USBUHCI do the same.
Export this Hive, make a rescue for SYSTEM in a folder called Rettung, and name otto to SYSTEM.

8.) From another installed VISTA copy the file usbstor.sys to Windows\system32\drivers to the USB
harddisk. The driver usbstor.sys is only in Vista Windows\system32\drivers, when you have connected a USB device to that another running Vista.

9.) Load the Hive SYSTEM.SAV as ottosav and do there the same changes as in 7.)
Export ottosav, make a rescue of SYSTEM.SAV and name ottosav SYSTEM.SAV.

10.) Go to Windows\inf folder. Set there in USB.inf , USBSTOR.inf and USBPORT.inf ONLY for
usbhub, usbehci, usbohci, usbuhci, usbstor

StartType = 0
LoadOrderGroup = System Reserved


To prevent the silly systemrestauration to set back USBSTOR start = 0 to start = 3 in registry
set also in Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\usbstor.inf_1d121e68\usbstor.inf
StartType = 0
LoadOrderGroup = System Reserved

This can only be done on a Fat 32 partition.



11.) Replug the USB harddisk to the Compi with the Vista DVD in, and start it once more.
The installation completes.

12.) When Vista starts the next time from the USB device, you get the last time BSOD. This is, because
the silly systemrestauration rewrites the registry entries, but only in SYSTEM, SYSTEM.SAV stays correct.
So you have to do once more step 7.)

13.) Vista boots to desktop.

Good luck
Dietmar

EDIT: 19. August 2006

Tutorial
(Version 8 for Windows Vista Build 5472 or newer or to those, where Vista says it cant be installed)

1.) Format your IDE or SATA harddisk with Partition Magic 8 with NTFS (about 20 GByte) and set it aktiv.

2.) Install Vista there as normal.

3.) Make a Bit by Bit copy of this partition with a Hexeditor ( I use Winhex 11.9) to your USB harddisk from
an external XP.
The 63 sectors with the MBR copy also. You do not need to format your USB device before, because all that
partitions information is still there by a Bit to Bit copy.

4.) Continue with step 7.) in the Tutorial 8 above. Delete Key MountedDevices on the USB Vista before first starting.


PS: Until now, I dont know a USB stick with 20 GByte...
If the pagefile and the hibersys file are deleted,
you still have 8,5 GByte. But with deleting some pictures and videos, you reach 8 GByte, and there
are USB sticks today with 8GByte.
The pagefile is there as normal on the USB device and hibernation works.
The zebra-thing is gone. When you put it to another compi, Vista says that there is a wrong boot entry
or the hardware has changed .
And: I succeed to "install" Vista with Fat32. If you copy the files and folders of the working vista
to a Fat32 partition, the bootloader for Fat32 has to be build new.
My Vista version is Beta 2, Build 5384 and Build 5472 each 32 bit.

[namiran]

Can someone please post me the modified ntdetect.com file or tell me where to find it? I've been going through almost all pages of this thread and i still cant find a link to it. I am trying to follow tutorial 5 now since there's a good version of it on mr dietmar's winusb site.

[strider85]

Hello,

I was just wondering if we can still expect Tutorial 7. And, if so, how it's coming along?

I'm excited about all that you've found out and I look forward to perfecting the Windows USB process as you've outlined.

Thanks for all you do, Dietmar.

[Dietmar]

Hi namiran,

do you have an Email addy?

Dietmar


Hi strider85,

Tutorial 7 is a hard piece of work.
I am sure that I will succeed with booting older compis from USB via PCI slotcard, but simple a lot of work.
But there is a free place in my signature, you see?

At the moment I try to "install" Vista on a Fat32 harddisk. I am ready with copying files and folders.
3 times appears a message that bla bla bla cant be copied.

This doesnt impress me much.

I compare after such a message with Beyond compare 2 (wonderfull tool) what has happen and I made the rest by hand.

Now, the new bootmanager from Vista has to be put into the Fat32 bootsector.
I believe, that this is possible, because EFI cant read NTFS as far as I know.
So, because EFI (no Bios anymore) isnt a useless thing from Microsoft, putting Vista on a Fat32 partition
must be possible.

Nice to hear from you all
Dietmar

[Dietmar]

I installed Windows Vista on a FAT32 partition Yippiiieeehhh

[Dietmar]

How to install Windows Vista on a Fat32 partition

Author: Dietmar Stölting, 9. August 2006
dietmar.stoelting@t-online.de
Germany

1.) Install Vista as normal on a lets say 20 GByte NTFS partition.
Dont install anything (driver, programs, updates) on this Vista because Microsoft gives you then Machinekeynumbers, that cant be copied with the Explorer (but with Winhex hihi...).
I use an IDE harddisk.

2.) Boot the same compi up from another XP ( I use an USB XP).
The harddisk with Vista stays connected.

3.) Copy all the files and folders from that Vista installation to a folder called Vista32.
Dont build the Vista32 folder on the partition with Vista, because this partition is deleted later!
Make sure, that in folder options all the system files are set visible.
hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, System Volume Information copy not.

4.) When you get a message, that a file cant be copied, use the program Beyond Compare 2 to look,
what has happend. You can do those copyoptions also by hand.
When you found that file or folder (I found 3, for example "Server") that cant be copied,
build this file or folder by hand and let it empty .

5.) Make a backup of your original Vista installation. I use Winhex and copy simple Byte by Byte of the installationsharddisk including the bootsector to a file called vista32.dat.
Remember, that on a Fat32 partition no single file can be larger than 4,1Gbyte.
So, this vista32.dat has to stay on a NTFS partition because it is about 20Gbyte large.
I tested this image and it works.

6.) Before you delete the partition with the original Vista on it with Partition Magic 8,
notice the exact size of this partition. Ok, delete this partition and build a new Fat32 partition at the same place with the same size as before on the same harddisk.
Set it aktiv.

7.) Now copy all the files and folders back from the Vista32 folder to that empty Fat32 partition.
Copy the Boot folder first and the Windows folder last.

8.) Disconnect your USB XP and/or any other harddisk.
Only the harddisk with the new Fat32 partition and the files and folders of Vista on it stays.

9.) When you try to start from that harddisk you get a message like no OS found.

10.) Put the Vista DVD in and hit any key.

11.) Chose install of Vista, but at the next place choose "Systemwiederherstellungsoptionen".
In the english version it must be like "systemrepair".

12.) Select a keyboard layout.

13.) Hit STRG ALT DEL and then choose no. (Means no restart of Vista)

14.) Hit "next", and then choose Command Prompt.

15.) Type cd and then the way to your DVD drive with the Vista DVD in it,
for me it is E: .

16.) Type there cd E:\boot .

17.) Then type there bootsect /nt60 C:

A message is shown, that a new bootsector for FAT32 is written!

18.) Put the Vista DVD out and shut the compi down.
When you boot up the next time, dont think that nothing happens. The harddisk seems to sleep
about 2 minutes. But then break through the light, voila there is the Vista Desktop with Fat32.
hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, System Volume Information have also been build new.


Good luck
Dietmar

PS: Please write, whether you have success with this procedure. It is easy.

[Tarantino]

Hi dudes,

Can someone send me the ntdetect.com file to timtechnisch[add]gmail.com ...

Thanks a lot and keep up the GREAT WORK !!!

TT

[Dietmar]

Hi all,

I am writing this from Windows Vista, sitting on a FAT 32 partition on the only USB harddisk connected to my compi (ShuttleX SB61G2 V3) .

I worked the whole day to achive that.

Now, Windows Vista on an USB stick is only one step away.

Because my largest USB stick (Buffalo) is "only" 4GByte, I have to take a look what can be deletet in Vista, so you came below 4GByte. My first canditate is folder C:\Windows\winsxs with a size of 3,1 GByte
and the pagefile and hiberfil.sys.

Nice to hear from you all
Dietmar

PS: All those things have gone on the FAT32 partition, that you are not allowed in Vista to do bla bla bla...hihihi .

[DkSoul]

Hi,

For all of you who are still searching for the files "ultra.inf", "ultra.cat" and "ultra.sys" download this file:

http://www.promise.com/support/file/driver..._driver_b43.zip

Cheers!

[MadMaxxMad]

Okay, I used toms hardware guide to install XP on my USB drive (4gb Corsair)

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/09/09/win...ket/page10.html


I am currently having a problem bad or missing system32/config/system when it is booting.
Isn't that a registry directory?

I'm not sure how to resolve this.

-MadMaxxMad

[jaclaz]

Okay, I used toms hardware guide to install XP on my USB drive (4gb Corsair)

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/09/09/win...ket/page10.html
I am currently having a problem bad or missing system32/config/system when it is booting.
Isn't that a registry directory?

I'm not sure how to resolve this.

-MadMaxxMad

Well, NO, the tomhardware.com article IS NOT a guide to install XP on USB, it is a guide on how to install BartPE (i.e. a XP based recovery system), this thread is about booting a FULL XP from USB.

You should read at least these:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=10806
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=13784
http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11226
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=11213

Most probably you can find there a solution or hint on how to resolve the issue, it is possible that something is not right in folder or file names.

jaclaz

[Dietmar]

Hi all,

I do not have much success on shrinking Vista below 4 GByte.
Vista does not start, if you delete the folder winsxs with its 3.2 GByte.

So I make a new try with the common controls and the manifest remaining in winsxs.
But this also does not boot to desktop.

I came to the idea to use the file layout.ini. It is for prefetching files, so that Windows can boot more quick.
I have a special look at those files and folders in winsxs, that start with x86_*.
1033 of them are listened in my layout.ini.

So I think, ok let Vista build a new layout.ini by itself and so I delete simple the old layout.ini.
After some reboots, layout.ini was build new by Vista. But a look with Winhex at this new layout.ini
shows me 4233 files with x86_* ?!

I cant believe, that those files are all loaded at boottime.
Now I have no idea, where to look after all drivers,
that are loaded from Vista at boottime. There isnt an option as bootlog with F8 in XP.
I found, that bootlog entry in boot.ini has become LogInitialization element in BCDEdit.exe.
But I found nothing about how to use this command.

Any idea?

EDIT: I downloaded the program VistaBootPRO_2.1.0.exe , with that it shows me (like bootlog) the
loaded Kernel driver, but nothing more. That doesnt help to shrink Vista.

EDIT2: I downloaded also ProcessExplorerNt from Sysinternal, that works also on Vista.
Perhaps this one helps.

EDIT3: Yippiehh, this works : There are only 73 subfolders of winsxs with x86_ in name in use.


Nice to hear from you
Dietmar


PS: I ordered a 8 Gbyte USB stick from Transcend for 154 Euro.
There is no tool like nlite for Vista as far as I know...

[Dietmar]

Yippiejeahh,

I found the needed entries in winsxs of Vista!

Only 8 folders are left:

x86_microsoft.windows.c..-controls.resources_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.5384.4_de-de_15cb32e3b240b186
x86_microsoft.windows.c..-controls.resources_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.5384.4_de-de_0f7909cb3cdaa709
I think in the USA you have to use the files with en-us in it instead of de-de.


x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.5384.4_none_a8b0bff774788b5e

x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.5384.4_none_a25e96deff1280e1


x86_microsoft.vc80.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.97_none_db5f5bc598cb1805



x86_microsoft.windows.gdiplus_6595b64144ccf1df_1.0.5384.4_none_3926c030ef0acddf

x86_microsoft.windows.gdiplus_6595b64144ccf1df_1.1.5384.4_none_3b0d37caec311a78

and

x86_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.5384.4_none_375fc1e3f912dc42

Also have to stay in winsxs:

Catalogs
FileMaps
Manifests

So I shrink the folder winsxs from 3.4GByte
to 174 MByte voila.

Now Vista on a 4GByte USB stick is possible without any lose of functions hihihi

Just this I am trying at the moment.

Nice to hear from you
Dietmar

PS: Ok, my full Vista is now 3.4 GByte large.
I think it would be very difficult to get below 3 GByte without
losing functions. Now I test this one on a USB stick Buffalo with 4 GByte.

Copying Vistas files and folders to the USB device, formattet with the HP tool with Fat32... and let
Vista build a new bootsector from its DVD...There comes now a message when using the USB stick
with "New hardware or Software installed" \windows\system32\winload.exe cant be blablabla...
BSOD 0xc000000e which seems to be related to the choose USB harddisk against the USB stick.
That doesnt impress me much: With Winhex I make a bit to bit copy of the USB harddisk to the USB stick
and
Yeaahh there is the desktop . I have 500MByte free space on my 4 GByte USB stick.
Until now, I do not know another person , who has FULL Vista on a USB stick. The boottime is exact as from harddisk about 90 seconds. Now I will test the EWF and the Hitachi filter.

EDIT: EWF.sys and ewfmgr.exe are from the Future Pack of XP SP2.
But when I enable EWF, the compi reboots... . But now I am too tired. Lets have a look at this
tomorrow. Ok, now it shows by typing ewfmgr C: error 5, the device C: cant be opend, acess denied. That I saw before:
It means: EWF can work, but I have no full Administrator rights on Vista, grr..., I dont know how to get more rights there. Now I test, whether EWF is working, even without to be the Super Administrator for Vista...
Yeahhh, the Administrator Konto is deactivated by default. I activated it and
I also disabled the "Benutzerkontosteuerung" in Systemsteuerung Benutzerkonto. Then I rebooted the compi. Voila, now you can type ewfmgr C: and you see, whether EWF is working on C or not.


EWF works also on VISTA!

EDIT2: The Hitachi Filter, that shows a removable device (USB stick) as a harddisk works also
on Windows Vista.