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Thread: Make usb drive for XP install

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    73

    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    hi,

    sorry for the delay, I have been experimenting.

    The link you gave for Freedos doesnt seem to work - File does not exist. But I managed to find a copy of 128mbdos.img.

    I used your dd instructions (with changes for shifted letters) on an empty 4Gb memory stick. This created a small FAT16 partition on the memory stick.

    I then partitioned the remaining stick to FAT32 with partitions (gparted) for each flavour O/S.

    That did not work.

    I did the same with a single FAT32 partition (and the flavours in directories) with no better success.

    At the time I was discouraged, with other things to do, so I didnt go further.

    You are going to ask exactly what happened, but it was something like syntax error, and I didnt make a note. (sorry)

    I am now going to repeat the experiment and I will report the exact result.

    Thx for your help so far.

    Joey

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    73

    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    Addendum
    ========

    I tried again, I now remember what happened.

    The boot part works fine. I get a simplified DOS screen with prompt.

    But that's all.

    I cannot find the windows drives or directories.

    I suspect this has something to do with FAT16 / 32 bit issues. If so, what to do?

    Joey

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    I'll try this again tomorrow some time if I remember and let you know. I know this worked for me. If you don't see a reply from me in 48hrs it means I forgot so please PM me a reminder.

  4. #14
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    Aug 2005
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    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    Ok just tried the 128mbdos.img and it did not work. I'm probably confused but I know for a fact I have done this before. I've got another dos image save on my HDD but I don't remember how I created that one. I'll have a look and see if that one works.

  5. #15
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    Feb 2010
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    73

    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    Well, I am not sure if this is a relief or not!

    I was hoping that I had not just done something stupid, but I still don't have a working boot...

    The idea that the FAT16 cannot see FAT32 files and directories seems right to me. But I am not sure where that logic takes us.

    I can copy and unpack an iso image file using dd I believe, but then I need a large FAT16 directory/drive to put it on. It would be within the 4Gb limit for XP, but not much else.

    But that leaves 2 questions: are the files on windows FAT16 compatible, and what is the total size of the files on an install disc for later windows versions.

    I feel like I am looking for something small in a very dark room!

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    6,024

    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    Seeing as I cannot remember how I did it back in the day I started googling and found the following for you. The first link looks like it will do everything and more for you

    http://www.sarducd.it/

    http://www.sjpc.org/mppcclub/content...sh%20drive.pdf
    http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/94...sb-hard-drive/
    http://wintoflash.com/overview/en/

    Let me know if those links work, SARDU looks like the one you want.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    73

    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    After some digging and testing, I have the following. Maybe someone can help to find a way forwards?

    I can create the 128Mb Freedos partition as per instructions. The maximum partition size for FAT16 is 2Mb (MSDOS). That should be enough for XP.

    So, to enlarge the new partition, using gparted should be a simple step, right?

    No!!! There is an acknowledged bug in gparted 15 that prevents this. Also, I do not know how to remove gparted 15 and substitute gparted 14. They suggest this workaround, while they work on a fix.

    I have looked for alternative paritioners but cannot see anything that works. Maybe I can run a partitioner from a CD, but this is an ugly solution at best.

    Once I have a 2Gb FAT16 partition, surely I can copy XP files onto that partition to complete the boot stick?

    However, there are 2 things which strike me as problems further ahead:
    1. Is XP going to install correctly when its files are run from FAT16?
    2. XP is reaching the end of its life. Later versions of windows are bigger than XP. I assume they might be too large for that FAT16 limit. Is there then a FAT32 image which can be installed in the same way as Freedos?

    Does anybody have more insight in this direction?

    Joey

  8. #18
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    Aug 2005
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    Re: Make usb drive for XP install


  9. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    Grub4Dos method info,
    http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/h...nd-server-2008
    http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/winiso
    http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/i...xp-from-an-iso

    Not exactly what you are looking for but I'm just adding stuff to this thread as I go along which others might find useful.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    Re: Make usb drive for XP install

    GRUB2 can also boot ISO images so I will hunt around and see what I can find out wrt to making it work with windows images.

    Somehting else I found here while looking http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2035071

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