Booting Xp From Ramdisk Options

[dennis123123]

Well... I have been working with this for the few days its been up, and ill have to say....it works!!! hehe

My method, chopped and changed from translations, own experience, and systran

1. In VMWare, make a new installation of a nice small NLited windows install. Replace the IDE and all other drivers to Generic, to make it a universal xp! And do not have pagefile, or hibernate
2. use VMWare Mount Tool to make the image a drive letter like V:
3. install filedisk, then type in cmd window:

CODE

filedisk /mount  0 c:\win.img 256M q:

(It will even make you the image hehe!) ^ Change the 256M if you have a big windows directory

4. go in my computer, double click q:, and say yes to format, in NTFS compressed.
5. use Unstoppable copier to copy all of drive V: to drive Q: (vmware -> disk image mounted)
6. unmount the VMWare drive
7. copy the windows server 2003 (the trial version will do fine) of the ramdisk.sys, and NTLDR to drive Q:\windows\system32\drivers\ramdisk.sys and Q:\NTLDR and also the NTLDR to the boot drive of the RAM boot XP, so the USB for example.
8. start>run>regedit then mount the hive SYSTEM of the Q:\ drive, as "sys"
9. apply reg patch ...here...
10. unload the hive SYS
11. unmount the image, Q:, using

CODE

filedisk /umount q:

12. Modify boot.ini on boot drive, to add:

CODE

ramdisk(0)\WINDOWS="RAM Boot XP" /rdpath=\win.img /fastdetect /SOS /BOOTLOG

13. copy c:\win.img, NTLDR from 2003sp1, NTDETECT.com and boot.ini to boot drive
14. Reboot PC and enjoy RAM-Boot Full XP!

This post has been edited by dennis123123: Feb 15 2007, 03:47 PM

[pavel]

@ dennis,

YOU ARE THE MAN!

Replace the IDE and all other drivers to Generic

Could you add more info, please? How-to do it?

Regards,
Pavel

[dennis123123]

-Double click the device in device manager,
-click Driver tab,
-click update driver,
-click Install from list...,
-click Do not search - let me pick,
-and install the standard one, instead of, say, VIA IDE Controller, pick Standard IDE Controller

and restart the PC when they are all done, or you will be there forever

Here you go, click this:



A few more pointers...

1. It would NOT work for me without Server 2003 SP1 NTLDR, i got a "could not find ramdisk yadaa yadaa..."
2. I cannot see the use of the grub4dos or syslinux, these were not needed by me
3. My motherboard needs a drive seen as a "Fixed Disk" by windows for USB boot, eg a 2.5 laptop hard drive, it would not work with a USB key drive, which is a "Removable Device" - i dont know if thats just my old motherboard
4. The windows standard ramdrive is fine, QSoft shareware one is definitely Not needed
5. I used all free software, which are hyperlinks in my original post for everything I used, hope this is of some help to some people who keep asking people like Dietmar "gief me some modified ntdetect plz"

This post has been edited by dennis123123: Feb 15 2007, 05:04 PM

[pavel]

@dennis,

thank you! Your explanation is clear. It is e-a-s-y, i can't believe it :-) Many thanks man.

Pavel

[pavel]

@dennis123123

Maybe i misunderstand anything. Could it be booted of internal hdd or of usb-external only?

2. I cannot see the use of the grub4dos or syslinux, these were not needed by me

Not a problem but grub is useful for multiboot solution and i think it could work...

3. My motherboard needs a drive seen as a "Fixed Disk" by windows for USB boot, eg a 2.5 laptop hard drive, it would not work with a USB key drive, which is a "Removable Device" - i dont know if thats just my old motherboard

Are you talking abou motherboard exactly or is the problem with WinXP? I ask because there is a solution make WinXP "think" they are on fixed although they are on removeable.

5. I used all free software, which are hyperlinks in my original post for everything I used

Yes, i have noticed that. Greate work, greate solution(s).

Best regards,
Pavel

[euhenio]

I am very glad, that someone at this forum could repeat my experience.
I think that, after several similar examples for all members it will be understandable as it to make

In plans MobileOS - creation on the basis of scripts Winbuilder

[dennis123123]

...
Could it be booted of internal hdd or of usb-external only?
...
...
Are you talking abou motherboard exactly or is the problem with WinXP?
...

It can be booted from either internal HDD or usb, both I have got to work using this method.
The problem for me is just with a very old ASRock motherboard, it does not really like USB boot



@euhenio

Could you please give me a few pointers in the way of booting this image from a CD/DVD? You say on your website (from translator online )

MOBILEOS can also be installed on other bootable device that supports SYSLINUX and GRUB4DOS -
к примеру на CD-диск .for example to CD. Об этом я сообщу попозже .That is what I will announce later

Can you make this any more clear at the moment? I would like to help on this matter very much.

[euhenio]

I have not checked up it, but my friend HighwayStar on forum.ru-board informed on successful loading from CD how if it was HDD

[euhenio]

Contents of CD:

\I386\NTDETECT.COM
\NTLDR
\BOOT.INI
\RAM.IMG
\BOOTFONT.BIN
\GRLDR.BS (loading)

command:

c
chainloader /NTLDR
boot

[dennis123123]

Contents of CD:

\I386\NTDETECT.COM
\NTLDR
\BOOT.INI
\RAM.IMG
\BOOTFONT.BIN
\GRLDR.BS (loading)

command:

c
chainloader /NTLDR
boot

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! Thankyou so much euhenio and HighwayStar! You and you're friend are geniuses! this is fantastic and works 100%. Full XP booting from DVD into ram

by the way, anyone else trying this, GRLDR.BS is just GRLDR, and BOOTFONT.BIN is only needed for special languages



EDIT1: I made a patcher program so that GRLDR will autoboot the XP in RAM no command lines needed anymore, copy patch to GRLDR directory, and double click it. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I9T9KHPZ

This post has been edited by dennis123123: Feb 16 2007, 04:26 AM

[jaclaz]

VERY good!

Some semi-random ideas:
1. As you might know, I am very "partial" towards VDK, instead of filedisk, as it is easier to install and one can use my pseudo-GUI for it

2. If you don't use/need multiboot on the CD/DVD, instead of using Grub4DOS or any other "configurable" bootloader, modified to be "fixed" with no choices, one could use the clever trick hinted here:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19124

I.e. using the standard "Microsoft Corporation.img" or "Arnes Boot Record.img" of XP setup CD's and rename NTLDR as either setupldr.bin or bootfix.bin

3. To limit the amount of RAM needed, what happens if, since the RAMdisk is NTFS, one takes out from it some files and puts them in another .img file, mounted with either filedisk or VDK as a softlink (junction point) and added to PATH?
In other words, do all windows system files and .dll's relly NEED to be in %Systemdir%\ or in %Systemdir%\system32 or some of the can be moved into another folder, say %Systemdir%\mysys32, as long as the folder (actually a junction point to a folder on the other volume) is added to PATH? Anyone ever tried something similar?

I am reallly happy this new method has been found, I think it opens up LOTS of possibilities.

Congratulations to euhenio and thanks to all the people that helped in translations adaptations.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: Feb 5 2009, 03:48 AM

[euhenio]

Hi All
MobileOS is updated for support bootCD

http://euhenio.mam.by

[alexei]

Here is my idea (a dream?).

Just for fun of imagining faces of MS lawyers:
- Make a driver that would present original installation CD as hard drive with unpacked files.
- Link those files (via junction points) from NTFS partition that has just a few files on it.
Theoretically, this should allow running of full XP from original CD without installation
Such OS would be terribly slow, but it may become a legal precedent that would effectively destroy most of MS EULA


Alexei

[pavel]

@jaclaz,

3. To limit the amount of RAM needed, what happens if, since the RAMdisk is NTFS, one takes out from it some files and puts them in another .img file, mounted with either filedisk or VDK as a softlink (junction point) and added to PATH?

Good idea. I have tried this with my ReatogoSDI solution: after boot i make delete some files inside SDI and make junction to (allready repaired) files on VDK virtual disk (files can be on the real disk too).

In other words, do all windows system files and .dll's relly NEED to be in %Systemdir%\ or in %Systemdir%\system32 or some of the can be moved into another folder, say %Systemdir%\mysys32, as long as the folder (actually a junction point to a folder on the other volume) is added to PATH? Anyone ever tried something similar?

I don't know if that folders are good for "redirecting" using junction, maybe there are better folders duch as \Windows\inf, \Windows\help and so on...

Pavel

[dennis123123]

VERY good!

Some semi-random ideas:
1. As you might know, I am very "partial" towards VDK, instead of filedisk, as it is easier to install and one can use my pseudo-GUI for it

2. If you don't use/need multiboot on the CD/DVD
....
....
rename NTLDR as either setupldr.bin or bootfix.bin
....

Hi, as for VDK, i tried it, but only filedisk would allow me the creation of the formatted img file, VDK would only access it *after* it had been formatted with filedisk

for the rename of NTLDR, i will try that, it sounds much better thanks!

EDIT1: renaming NTLDR to setupldr.bin, and placing in i386, it works!!

This post has been edited by dennis123123: Feb 16 2007, 12:05 PM

[bilou_gateux]

Well... I have been working with this for the few days its been up, and ill have to say....it works!!! hehe

My method, chopped and changed from translations, own experience, and systran

1st, big thanks dennis!


2nd thanks euhenio! (reg Patch)

some notes from my own trial and error using dennis method + euhenio reg patch + some parts from Windows Embedded SP2:

keep the size of the image under 500 Mb (because of ramdisk driver limit):

CODE

filedisk /mount 0 c:\RAMboot\WEPOS.IMG 490M Q:

you can store the image in a subfolder:
boot.ini

CODE

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=alwaysoff /fastdetect
ramdisk(0)\WINDOWS="RAMboot" /rdpath=\RAMboot\WEPOS.IMG /fastdetect /SOS /BOOTLOG

i have successfully used the regular RAM Disk Driver binary in %SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers
ramdisk.sys - File version 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) - 20 736 bytes - 02/12/2004 12:00

i have copied ramdisk.inf in %SystemRoot%\inf (not sure if this step is required but this file is present in Windows Embedded runtime image)

however, i have kept ntdetect.com and ntldr from Windows 2003 Server SP1.
Using Windows XP versions of both files above, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

Windows could not start due to an error while booting from a RAMDISK.
Windows failed to open the RAMDISK image.

You can leave out boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com from the image, only OS folders:
ProfilesDirectory=%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings
IIS location=%SystemDrive%\Inetpub
ProgramFilesDir=%SystemDrive%\Program Files
%SystemRoot%=C:\windows

i have done some editing in euhenio reg patch, ie have replaced all:
{052EDE36-BFFF-4AD4-9FEE-5838250CE7AF}
with
{9D6D66A6-0B0C-4563-9077-A0E9A7955AE4}
+
i have merged some ramvolume infos into SYSTEM hive (taken from Windows Embedded)

Hope i do not add confusion to newbies.
Do not try to do the same unless you have a lot of time and some skills (and a Windows Embedded runtime image for reference)

Use only dennis and euhenio method for 100% success.

This post has been edited by bilou_gateux: May 27 2007, 09:23 AM

[jaclaz]

Hi, as for VDK, i tried it, but only filedisk would allow me the creation of the formatted img file, VDK would only access it *after* it had been formatted with filedisk

Yes, you need another way to create the .img file.

As suggested by Highwaystar you can use the app from Qemu or one of the other methods I posted a link to.

For the record, the image (made by filedisk or by the other utilities) is NOT formatted, it is just a RAW file, of course with the exception of those made by Winimage or mkdosfs.exe, that BOTH create the file and format it.


jaclaz

[euhenio]

jaclaz

Having taken advantage of your advice MobileOS run over on VDK and DSFOK.
However, what you offer on replacement Winhex?

[jaclaz]

jaclaz

Having taken advantage of your advice MobileOS run over on VDK and DSFOK.
However, what you offer on replacement Winhex?

You mean as a FREEWARE hex/disk editor?

There are several good ones, the ones I am partial to are:
http://www.mirkes.de/en/freeware/tinyhex.php
http://www.mh-nexus.de/programs.htm

but also:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/diskeditor/
http://www.kibria.de/frhed.html

I guess it is more a question of personal preferences...

jaclaz

[dennis123123]

Yes, you need another way to create the .img file.

As suggested by Highwaystar you can use the app from Qemu or one of the other methods I posted a link to.

For the record, the image (made by filedisk or by the other utilities) is NOT formatted, it is just a RAW file, of course with the exception of those made by Winimage or mkdosfs.exe, that BOTH create the file and format it.
jaclaz

Yes, but filedisk will show the unformatted drive in My computer, ready to be formatted.

If i use qemu tool to make raw img, VDK mounts it, but its nowhere to be found any ideas on making it show as a "corrupt" drive ready to format, with VDK?