Booting Xp From Ramdisk Options

[Kj1]

Hi all,

First of all, my excuses for posting this here. But previous topics concerning booting XP into ram were also made here, so..

Anyway, I've read all posts about booting XP(e) into ram, but I don't seem to get there.
I'm trying to boot a reduced version of Windows XP SP2 (not the embedded!, nor an embedded image) from a ramdisk.
Basicly, I want to be able to dual boot between a standaard windows XP(e) installation and a reduced XP, booted from RAM.

These are the current steps I've done, starting from scratch:

- installed XPe SP2 on my primary hdd;
- created a primary partition on a secondary drive; about 1 gig in size.
- Installed Nlite'd windows XP on secondary hdd; took about 600 MB with all drivers & patches installed. NTFS compression made it around 400 MB, reduced partition size to about 480 mb (paging disabled etc). I can boot this windows version if its the primary hdd, so bootsector & bootloader are installed on the second hdd. (So on this windows my C: drive is the nlited version, d: is the XPe windows)
- Switched back to my XPe drive, where d: is the nlited version. There, I create a SDI image of the D: partion, with following commands:
cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" c:\winnl.sdi /new
cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" c:\winnl.sdi /readpart:d:
So, winnl.sdi is around 480m in size.
- Added following line to my boot.ini on the XPe windows (wich is the default OS on my system):
ramdisk(0)\windows="XP RamDisk" /rdpath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnl.sdi /rdimageoffset=4096
- restarted; in bootmenu selected XP RamDisk; image loads in memory, XP Nlited starts to boot!
Offcourse, while 1 second loading winlite, BSOD - 0x0000007b .

I did not change anything except the things mentioned above, so no custom ntldr or other stuff.

Allright, I was kinda glad it showed me the winXP logo and the loading bar. But I can't fix the BSOD,
so any suggestions would be most apreciated

Some things I tried, that didn't help:
- Injecting the blob & load in the sdi image as described in the msdn article:
cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" c:\winnl.sdi /import:BOOT,0,startrom.com
cscript "C:\Program Files\Windows Embedded\utilities\SDIMgr.wsf" c:\winnl.sdi /import:LOAD,0,ntldr
After loading the sdi image; I got an error "cannot find <windir>\system32\ntkrnl32.exe"

- using the boot.ini described on msdn on my nlite installation:
[boot loader]
default=ramdisk(0)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
ramdisk(0)\WINDOWS="Windows From RAM" /fastdetect
No change.

- installing the XPe tools on the nlite partition

- installing RAM disk driver (from windows 2k3 SP2) on the XP nlite (didn't change anything)


Right; so I've got a few other options but i don't really know where to start or why:
- using ntldr, ntdetect and other files from Windows server 2003 SP1 (but where should I place them?)
- Installing other ram disk driver (eg is there one from XPe that I could use?)
- Installing the ram disk driver not via "add hardware" but ..?
- set xp lite to use only 1.5 gig mem (/maxmem).
...?

Any ideas welcome!


Thnx in advance,
Kj

[euhenio]

Hi Kj1
I cannot tell your mistake, but it should work.
Mine image Nlite'd 128 MB (ntfs compression with minlogon) is loaded and works! (~15s)
While I no have time to study it.
Continue your attempts to receive success!

[pavel]

- using ntldr, ntdetect and other files from Windows server 2003 SP1 (but where should I place them?)

Difficult to help you, but I think the problem is with incorrect version of ntldr -or- ntdetect.com - or some important file(s). My only help is: try to read XP Embedded Help...

Pavel

[Kj1]

Difficult to help you, but I think the problem is with incorrect version of ntldr -or- ntdetect.com - or some important file(s). My only help is: try to read XP Embedded Help...

Pavel

I'll do that, tnx. I've tried some combinations; but i didn't get really far. (errors like 'some system file could not be found')

BTW if a ramdisk is loaded in the memory via ntldr; what driveletter is it assigned?
A/B/C?
If its c, Could that create conflicts with my other hdd's?

[euhenio]

Ramdisk mounting as "C:"

[pavel]

Maybe this can help you: http://www.xpefiles.com/viewtopic.php?t=252&

Pavel

[hilander999]

- Added following line to my boot.ini on the XPe windows (wich is the default OS on my system):
ramdisk(0)\windows="XP RamDisk" /rdpath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnl.sdi /rdimageoffset=4096

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...ost&p=77683

[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdimageoffset=36352 /rdpath=WINPE.SDI"

I did not read this thread in detail, but from a quick look you seem to have the wrong offset.

Try using some different combinations in your file, but the magic number seems to be 36352.

[Kj1]

Maybe this can help you: http://www.xpefiles.com/viewtopic.php?t=252&

Its about an sdi created by Target Designer for XPe. I don't use target designer nor XPe (as 'target') , but a fresh installation of XP. Maybee its just impossible for XP to boot completely on ramdisk? XPembedded was partly designed for exactly that...

I did not read this thread in detail, but from a quick look you seem to have the wrong offset.
Try using some different combinations in your file, but the magic number seems to be 36352.

Nope, didn't work. Got errors like ntoskrnl.exe could not be found etc. 36352 seems however the right number for booting PE in ram from usb key. (tried that before).

No luck either with other versions of ntldr.
Using the bart PE boot method (winnt.sif; ntldr from server 2k3, etc) i got the error txtsetup.sip not found.
using this winnt.sif:

CODE

[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\I836\SYSTEM32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/rdimageoffset=36352 /rdpath=WINPE.SDI"

However, got a few questions there:
bootpath: is it the path to the bootfiles from the ramdisk; or the path to the files for loading the sdi in memory? (tried using windows\system32; or just \ )
Can I create a bootlog of the boot proces (see first post) where I get the BSOD (on another drive that is)?

[hilander999]

Check your syntax here.....

[SetupData]BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\I836\SYSTEM32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/rdimageoffset=36352 /rdpath=WINPE.SDI"

Looks like a common typo.

Should be I386 and filecase may also be an issue depending on how you are building the sdi image you may need to uppercase system files for this method to work.

[Kj1]

Looks like a common typo.

Crap, my bad.
Didn't work either tho.
I'm trying now to get it to work with the boot.ini; its faster in loading the image then using the PE method.

i'll let you know if i get it to work

[pavel]

I have an experiance, when using

CODE

/rdpath=WINPE.SDI

The filename MUST be WINPE.SDI, not WinPE.sdi -or- WINPE.sdi -or- ... so on.

Pavel

[jaclaz]

Too bad.

I wanted to buy a copy right now, even before trying it, since you are so convincing, but look what I have found by pressing the "Buy" button:
http://www.disklessangel.com/modules.php?name=buy

Sorry, this Module isn't active!

...or maybe it isn't selfpromotion of Commercial software?

jaclaz

[Ed_P]

Typical marketing type. Sell the product, let manufacturing or technology catch up later. Same with the web designer, that wasn't the only page that isn't active.

I thought the posting was SPAM until I visited the link.

[Kj1]

intresting. thought it was spam too. I'll check it out, thanks.
After my exams, i'll post my results here
(and i'll maybee check how it works exactly and post the method here - should be intresting to be able to bypass the 500mb image limit)

[euhenio]

Kj1

My work should you assist http://euhenio.mam.by/ (testing).
I apologize - while only Russian.

[bilou_gateux]

I have an experiance, when using

CODE

/rdpath=WINPE.SDI

The filename MUST be WINPE.SDI, not WinPE.sdi -or- WINPE.sdi -or- ... so on.

Pavel

Although i have currently only partial success, i can confirm that if you UPPERCASE the filename of your SDI file and UPPERCASE the filename in boot.ini, it does the job
I can also put the SDI file in a subdir of my root like 3rd entry in my boot.ini below:

CODE

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2) ACPI HT" /fastdetect /noexecute=AlwaysOff /HAL=halmacpi.dll /kernel=ntkrnlmp.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2) ACPI Uniprocessor" /fastdetect /noexecute=AlwaysOff /HAL=halaacpi.dll /kernel=ntoskrnl.exe
ramdisk(0)\windows="Embedded RamDisk" /rdpath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\RECOVERY\WEPOS.SDI /rdimageoffset=4096

During the boot process, initial loading Ramdisk image do the job but i have an error:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing
or corrupt
\windows\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

I'm posting now from this HDD partition(1) Windows installation used to build the SDI disk image so i'm sure my registry files are not corrupted on the source. Maybe there is an issue when i copy the source to destination SDI with Windows Explorer. I will try to use professional tools (like robocopy) to make the copy step.

This post has been edited by bilou_gateux: Feb 10 2007, 04:14 PM

[jaclaz]

I will try to use professional tools (like robocopy) to make the copy step.

FYI:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetma...ult.aspx?loc=en
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/d...ight2006_11.exe


jaclaz

[bilou_gateux]

Thanks Jaclaz for your input but i won't use this utility because

.NET framework 2 is required to run it and i feel stupid to install 80 Gb of crap on my windows system for a little command line utility.

Maybe the issue i have is not related to file copy because i have now copied all the partition with robocopy.

But i use a NTFS compressed SDI disk image and uncompress \windows\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM folder. Could it be the issue? I have to make more Trial and error

[jaclaz]

Thanks Jaclaz for your input but i won't use this utility because

.NET framework 2 is required to run it and i feel stupid to install 80 Gb of crap on my windows system for a little command line utility.

Yes, I feel exactly the same , I would never install .NET just to run a few utilities, but generally speaking, a "development" machine usually has it installed anyway....

...maybe it runs also with the reduced .NET subset you need to have anyway if you use nlite.


jaclaz

[euhenio]

MobileOS quick install guide
Original site http://euhenio.mam.by

MobileOS not support 2048 bytes sector usb-flash disk

required ramdisk.sys and ntldr of Microsoft Windows Server 2003sp1
modified grub.exe (mended internal menu) , syslinux.cfg , boot.ini , MobileOSregPatch.reg download http://euhenio.mam.by

-- Fill with zeros of 100 first physical sectors usb-flash disk
pull out and insert him
-- Format in explorer usb-flash disk filesystem fat
-- install syslinux on usb-flash disk(should will appear ldlinux.sys)

-- exempt disk C
-- install XP on disk C (use nLite ) to default folder (WINDOWS)
-- copy ramdisk.sys to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS
-- run regedit and load C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM as "sys"
-- run MobileOSregPatch.reg , click "Yes"
-- reload regedit and unload "sys"
-- create virtual disk.Filesystem - ntfs,compression - on,indexing - off
-- copy three folders (windows,programs folder,settings and documents folders ) to virtual disk
-- save virtual disk image as RAM.IMG (boot sector ntfs should be sector 0 and pre-last sector)

-- copy to usb-flash disk: syslinux.cfg , grub.exe , ntldr , ntdetect.com , bootfont.bin(for non english version), boot.ini , RAM.IMG
bootfont.bin and ntdetect.com find in installation CD


I am going to provide loading from CD and USB-ntfs-compressed(I think it will be possible soon )


MobileOS is the convenient appellation and nothing more

This post has been edited by euhenio: Feb 11 2007, 12:23 PM