editing boot.ini, to add path to xp in folder on secondary partition External links Options

[Zoso]

hello All

I have just installed plop to HDD by using the xp boot menu

c:\plop\plpbtldr.bin="Install PLoP Boot Manager"
in order to boot USB on old computer without BIOS support.


this gave me an idea.

I use USBoot to boot USB HDD, Ive learned I can dual boot USBoot by editing the boot.ini

what I have done so far is partitioned my USB HDD with two primary partitons, both FAT32 and copied USBoot winXP to the second primary partition then edited the boot.ini on the first primary partition to give me the option to boot the USBoot winXP on the secondary. this works.

now after seeing how Plop can be installed through the boot menu I am curious if I can add a path to the boot menu that leads to another copy of USBoot in a folder on a secondary logical partition?

this way I could have several copies of XP (USBoot) in different folders on the secondary logical partition and chose which to boot.

my question is: what do I point to in the path?

ntldr or NTDETECT.COM or something else?

example:
"D:\USBoot_folder\NTDETECT.COM"

would that start up the USBoot XP from that folder?


thanks

[Wonko the Sane]

NO.

The "normal" way to have multiboot XP are entries in BOOT.INI like the following:

CODE

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS2="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 2"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS3="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3"

The booting sequence is:
BIOS->MBR->PBR or bootsector->NTLDR->BOOT.INI choice->NTDETECT.COM->Windows chosen instance in BOOT.INI
or
BIOS->MBR->(whatever boot manager)->NTLDR->BOOT.INI choice->NTDETECT.COM->Windows chosen instance in BOOT.INI
or
BIOS->MBR->PBR->(whatever boot manager)->NTLDR->BOOT.INI choice->NTDETECT.COM->Windows chosen instance in BOOT.INI

I.e. normally you have only one copy of NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM and BOOT.INI and the latter has multiple choices.

But there are several different alternate possibilities , the most easy being grub4dos and floppy images, see here:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=127900



Wonko

[Zoso]

hi Wonko,

before reading your reply I tried this entry:

C:\WINDOWS\ntkrnlpa

then got the "missing hal.dll" error.

the reason I tried that is from watching the USBoot "observe messages" boot selection and the first line is the ntkrnlpa

worth a try! how ya been? I see you have a new look, looks great.

Im just trying to figure out how to start USBoot winXP from a folder, if plop can start this way then it seems there should be no reason why XP can not, no?

I dont know if you can have two copies of XP and run them from the same partition except from different folders, probably not without outside help but mabey.

grub4dos is next on my list to learn. it has been for a while now. recently I was able to use Plop to boot USB on my old computer without BIOS support. it's neat program! I guess the only one that can do this. it does alot more but I havnt been able to figure out much more than just boot USB with it. the documentation available is geared towards more advanced users than myself so I dont quite "get it" yet.

at this point I am wondering what grub4dos can do that plop can not because mabey plop can do everything I need in a boot loader.

Ive been looking at different boot loaders and found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_boot_loaders
plop is listed but no details.

grub4dos should be easier to learn because of the vast amount of documentation and info available. bootitNG seems to have very good documentation as well but grub4dos is obviously the mainstream of loaders.

but after seeing how to install plop with the boot.ini I though mabey I could use boot.ini directly. I still think mabey so.


thanks

[Wonko the Sane]

Well, you are obviously free to think what you want , but it simply won't work.

NTLDR reads the chosen parameters in BOOT.INI, thus you CANNOT boot a NT instance without passing through BOOT.INI (not entirely true, if you completely remove boot.ini NTLDR will try a default of C:\WINNT or C:\Windows - depending on the NT version).

NTLDR can chainload only TWO types of objects:

• an arcpath
• a bootsector

PLoP and grub4dos "fake" being a bootsector, and so they can be chainloaded by an entry in BOOT.INI.

Since the BOOT.INI is hardcoded in NTLDR, it will ALWAYS be read when you chainload NTLDR from anything.

DO READ the given link.

Wonko

[Zoso]

yes, will do.. I may can manage reading that whole thread without loosing track. it is only one page YAY!


how long can a bootsector path be?

[Wonko the Sane]

how long can a bootsector path be?

What do you mean for "bootsector path"?

Wonko

[Zoso]

by bootsector path I meant dos path in the boot.ini (still learning)

like what Elmar has done to install plop from the boot menu.

I understand now about ARC path but I am wondering if these can be converted to dos path and used in the boot.ini for the same result?

I just tried booting with this:

C:\NTDETECT.COM

but only got a blinking cursor. I was thinking that mabey I could use the boot menu in this way to start windows from a folder in a logical partition.

I am trying to figure out boot.ini before I move on to grub4dos.

dug up this intresting and somewhat related thread:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3765


edit: according to this KB article it might be possible to boot from logical partition.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873

more test boots now...

[Zoso]

OK I got XP to boot in the extended logical partition with ARC paths

next I tried two USBoot XP copys, each in their own folders. first WIN1, second WIN2

then I used this boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WIN1\WINDOWS="USBoot activated Windows 1" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WIN2\WINDOWS="USBoot activated Windows 2" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

then test booted and each one starts to boot then stays at the blue XP screen, the cursor moves (not frozen) but it just stays this way.

I guess I can not have two copys of XP in the same extended logical partition and both remain bootable, is this correct?

[karyonix]

I think it is possible if you install Windows in different directory name (not move or rename after install).

[Zoso]

hi karyonix, this is a USBoot prepaired XP, it gets copied from the original HDD then it can be copied over and over again. that sounds right about install path for a standard install this way though.

Ive had it on several USB HDDs and sticks. works great! I think I need to change something in the boot.ini seems like it should work but just waiting to hear if anyone knows why it shouldnt or for booot.ini advice

I think I will remove one copy and see if I can boot just one from a folder this way.

thanks