PXE / TFTP Boot of LiveXP now working! External links Options

[yurry]

In this past few days I have done a lot of image building. I have finally come up with a SDI image, that has all the driver support. It boots from a CD into ram with no problems. But when I try to boot this from PXE I get a "status 14" error. txtsetup.sif is missing or corrupted, it tells me. This was done, using an XP SP2 as source. I have leeched all the neccessary files from the Server SP1 update jaclaz provided. I have manuly copied the files in krokodox's script (xcopy, tftp ...), as the script broke my txtsetup.sif and always reported an error in the ramdisk section of the file.

I have then tried the proper way of doing things and built from Server SP1 source, but the result is that as soon as windows start (I see the wallpaper already), the system goes into reboot. This does not happen when building from XP SP2 source.

So my question here is:
What is so different with PXE, that it wont boot the same image as from the CD?

[was_jaclaz]

Post your WINNT.SIF

And attach the dir.txt file resulting from a DIR R:\ >C:\dir.txt
(supposing you mounted the image as R:\ with imdisk or VDK)

In some (VERY RARE actually ) the Message "Status 14: txtsetup missing or corrupt" actually means that txtsetup.sif is REALLY missing or corrupt.

Two things to try, just to make sure that this remote possibility is not true:
1) copy to the image an untouched txtsetup.sif from your windows XP SP2 (or expanded from txtsetup.si_)
2) copy it to BOTH the root of the image and to the \I386 directory

I have seen txtsetup.sif not working only because of a space or a tab.....

Of course that won't boot, but if you get past the "Status 14" makes sure this is the direction into which investigations are to be carried.

Double check the "original" Macfox thread:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=9685&st=0
maybe some step has been missed

The "SYSTEM" directory you are using is \I386, right? (NOT \minint)

Another attempt that you can do is to use SETUPLDR.BIN/SETUPLDR.EXE modified as to boot ANYWAY \I386.

You will need to hexedit SETUPLDR.EXE and remove the checksum or re-create it.

For the record, SETUPLDR.EXE is a SETUPLDR.BIN with first 19632 bytes of code stripped.

See here:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=17504
http://www.msfn.org/board/SOLVED-Install-M...20-t114543.html
http://www.msfn.org/board/Solution-for-mul...-64-t58410.html
(please note that the above is tested and working for "Setupldr.bin", but not AFAIK for SETUPLDR.EXE, your mileage may vary )

jaclaz

[yurry]

Ok lets do this in steps:

1.) This is the winnt.sif from the image:
[SetupData]
BootDevice="ramdisk(0)"
BootPath="\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions="/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportashd /rdpath=\i386\BootSDI.img"

2.) This is the winnt.sif from my PXE dir:
[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportascd /rdpath=livexp.iso"

3.) This is the dir structure of my image, burned to the CD (I dont think there is any difference from mounting it):
Volume in drive E is LiveXP_USB
Volume Serial Number is 0054-453F

Directory of E:\

07/28/2008 03:08 PM <DIR> I386
07/28/2008 03:08 PM 1808 PROJECTINFO.INI
07/28/2008 03:08 PM 154 WINNT.SIF
2 File(s) 1962 bytes
1 Dir(s) 0 bytes free

4.) This is the i386 directory:
Volume in drive E is LiveXP_USB
Volume Serial Number is 0054-453F

Directory of E:\I386

07/28/2008 03:08 PM <DIR> .
07/28/2008 03:08 PM <DIR> ..
08/23/2001 12:00 PM 1024 BOOTFIX.BIN
07/28/2008 03:08 PM 292552704 BOOTSDI.IMG
08/03/2004 08:38 PM 47564 NTDETECT.COM
03/24/2005 07:33 PM 298096 SETUPLDR.BIN
4 File(s) 292899388 bytes
2 Dir(s) 0 bytes free

So there is no txtsetup.sif file anywhere in here??? It seems to be in the BOOTSDI.IMG image, as once that is booted, I get it in the x:\i386\txtsetup.sif

5.) As you see, I use i386 for the root directory. So the setupldr should not be an issue here.

6.) When you say copy the txtsetup to the image, do you mean the ISO or the SDI image? They are both read only. How do I mount them write to edit them?

Thanks for helping!

[was_jaclaz]

I am confused, you appear to be trying to PXE (read RAMDISK) boot a RAMDISK booting image.

It looks to me like "Matryoshka booting" (a neologism I just invented ):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matryoshka_doll

Try doing the following:
Use this as your PXE dir WINNT.SIF:

CODE

[SetupData]
BootDevice="ramdisk(0)"
BootPath="\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions="/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportashd /rdpath=BootSDI.img"

Transfer via PXE the BootSDI.img, NOT the livexp.iso containing it.

The BootSDI.img, UNLIKE the name suggests, is NOT a SDI format image, but rather a RAW image of a partition (or if you prefer a "superfloppy" image).
As thus it can be mounted using either IMDISK (suggested in this case) or FILEDISK or VDK, some links:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=1507

Alternatively, re-build your LIVEXP WITHOUT the BootSDI option checked, make sure that the RAMDISK.SYS inside the .iso is the right one, and serve via PXE the "plain" livexp.iso, keeping your PXE dir WINNT.SIF:

CODE

[SetupData]
BootDevice = "ramdisk(0)"
BootPath = "\i386\System32\"
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint /rdexportascd /rdpath=livexp.iso"

In other words, what you want as your system directory is:
WARNING PSEUDO-CODE:

CODE

ramdisk(0)\i386\System32\

i.e. something like:

CODE

ROOT(BootSDI.img)\i386\System32\

or:

CODE

ROOT(livexp.iso)\i386\System32\

What you are having now (maybe) :
WARNING PSEUDO-CODE:

CODE

ramdisk(0)\i386\ramdisk(0)\I386\System32\

i.e. something like:

CODE

ROOT(livexp.iso)\i386\ROOT(BootSDI.img)\i386\System32\

jaclaz

[yurry]

Yes, you are right!

I know the matryoshka, in fact, I have a few at home

I didn't understand how this really works. I have managed to get passed the status 14 now, of course. I have just extracted the BootSDI.img file and loaded it.

I have one last (I hope) hurdle now. I get a BSOD error UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME. It says stop: 0x000000ED.

I presume this has something to do with the ramdisk driver? There is a file included on the boot CD, next to the image file, called BOOTFIX.BIN. This is the image created with the SDI option. Does it fix some stuff in the CD booting sequence to prevent this error?

I will try building a normal iso with krokodox's script. I think I now understand why it broke my txtsetup.sif file

[was_jaclaz]

Yes, you are right!

I know the matryoshka, in fact, I have a few at home

I didn't understand how this really works. I have managed to get passed the status 14 now, of course. I have just extracted the BootSDI.img file and loaded it.

I have one last (I hope) hurdle now. I get a BSOD error UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME. It says stop: 0x000000ED.

I presume this has something to do with the ramdisk driver? There is a file included on the boot CD, next to the image file, called BOOTFIX.BIN. This is the image created with the SDI option. Does it fix some stuff in the CD booting sequence to prevent this error?

I will try building a normal iso with krokodox's script. I think I now understand why it broke my txtsetup.sif file

No, the BOOTFIX.BIN is only responsible for the "Press any key to boot from CD" message.

The 0x000000ED BSOD is generally connected to "corrupted data", typically (on a "normal" booting using a 40 leads IDE cable on ATA drives - that need 80 leads cables)
With ramdisk booting that error has been reported:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21559
when using improperly the /rdexportascd or /rdexportashd parameter.

jaclaz

[yurry]

This was the issue. I changed the parameter to /rdexportashd and it booted.

Thank you for all your help.

[was_jaclaz]

This was the issue. I changed the parameter to /rdexportashd and it booted.

Thank you for all your help.

Happy to hear a story of success



jaclaz

[magic12kenneth]

I'm also trying to do a PXE using LiveXP to help someone install Windows XP for a laptop without bootable cd, dvd, floppy or USB. However I do not have a copy of Windows Server for this tutorial.

Will it work if I replace Microsoft's TFTP server with Tftpd32 server? If so, what are the steps? I just need to get an idea how to setup the TFTP to boot LiveXP on the target computer and start Windows XP setup.

Kenneth

[yurry]

I can not give you a full anwser, because I used linux for this part.

The TFTP server is not an issue here. Using any should be fine as long as it is configured properly. I think you can draw the configuration parallels from krokodox's work with Microsoft's server.