Grub4DOS problems with P4P800 (Error 17) External links Options

[junksmi]

Hi all,

I am trying to do How to install from USB- WinSetupFromUSB with GUI - MSFN Forums, and it seems there is a slight problem with using Grub4Dos on my machine, with specs:

CODE

AMIBIOS(C) 2003
ASUS P4P800 ACPI BIOS Revision 1019
AMIBIOS Version 08.00.09, Build Date 10/14/04, ID P4P81104

My problem is basically getting "Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition", in GRUB4DOS 0.4.4 2008-10-22 (and probably almost any version newer than GRUB4DOS 0.4.3 2008-05-07, which happens to work without problems on my hardware). In more details, the problem is described in the above thread, in posts #133, #140 and #143 ...

I really hope there would be a solution for this, since I'd like to boot an ISO image from USB disk, and the map (hd0,0)/image.iso (hd32) does not seem to work with the GRUB4DOS 0.4.3 2008-05-07 that I have to use (in the sense of having a visible (hd32) after the command is executed) ....

Thanks!!

[was_jaclaz]

It will take you some time , but we must get the "probably almost" out of the equation.

Try these version (should be working ):
http://grub4dos.jot.com/WikiHome/grub4dos-...-2008-05-14.zip

And later "geometry-tune-test-only" versions:
http://grub4dos.jot.com/WikiHome

Then try this:
http://nufans.net/grub4dos/grub4dos-0.4.4-2008-07-28.zip

If it doesn't work, the problem must be in this range of time:

2008-07-28 added STIs to better respond hardware interrupt or to feed watchdog.
2008-07-10 let KEY_UP(KEY_DOWN) loop to the last(first) menu entry.
2008-07-06 added backup_int13 and restore_int13 for a buggy usb bios f24a ver 1.00parttbl on compaq v5235tu(reporter: uleak). turn a20 debug on for memdrives.
2008-06-28 fixed ext3-inode-size issue in grldr boot sector and bootlace.inc.
2008-06-26 fixed int4C-4F in probe_int for Lenovo A6900.
2008-06-24 fixed "256-byte ext3 inode size" issue in fsys_ext2fs.c.
2008-06-23 added command ls.
2008-06-22 disabled safe_int13 code for a buggy usb bios f24a ver 1.00parttbl on compaq v5235tu(reporter: uleak).
2008-06-21 add A20 debug code to help locate a20 failure.
2008-06-18 A20 test begins. Update version number to 0.4.4.
2008-06-12 Let HIDE and UNHIDE respond with a message.
2008-06-10 Let ROOT show correct filesystem info.
2008-06-07 Let MAKEACTIVE and GEOMETRY show active partitions.
2008-06-01 commented out the terminal-switching code in run_menu.
2008-05-31 changed asm.S to avoid clearing out bss for the configfile command.
2008-05-27 initialize saved_videomode/font8x16 for working across configfile.
2008-05-25 fixed int76 in probe_int for a Tongfang.
2008-05-22 fixed an issue of CPU cache wrongly disabled in GRUB.EXE for long.
2008-05-21 fixed an issue of stack-overflow in real_get_cmdline.
2008-05-17 enable the geometry_tune code for test only.
2008-05-14 fix int5 and int8 in probe_int.

Maybe the change 2008-06-22?

jaclaz

[ilko]

Wasn't it reported that 0.4.4-2008-08-08 worked as well?

In short which versions worked:
0.4.4-2008-08-08
0.4.3-2008-05-14
0.4.3-2008-05-07

Those did not work- don't display menu.lst and "root (hd0,0)" result in "ERROR 17- Cannot mount selected partition":
0.4.4 2008-10-22
0.4.4 2008-10-12


junksmi, is the above correct? What file system USB stick was formatted in?

As for the ISO emulation- what problems do you have with it? What ISO file are you mounting?

[junksmi]

Hi guys,

Thanks very much for responding !!

junksmi, is the above correct?

First of all, sorry I was too lazy to copypaste the results from that other thread ... Here is the summary below:

• GRUB4DOS 0.4.3 2008-05-07 - works
• GRUB4DOS 0.4.4 2008-08-08 - works
• GRUB4DOS 0.4.4 2008-10-22 - does not work (either from the zip or from the root - they seem to have diferent sizes)

It will take you some time, but we must get the "probably almost" out of the equation. Try these version (should be working):

Thanks for the suggestions - I will try those and report back as soon as I get some time.. However, Error 17 dissapeared with the older versions - but the problem that motivated me to come back to this is the attempt to boot from an ISO image... Now I'm not sure if they are related - maybe I should open another thread?

What file system USB stick was formatted in?

It is formatted in FAT16X (the X so I can access all 4 GB, as I understood ) via Pe2USB.

As for the ISO emulation- what problems do you have with it? What ISO file are you mounting?

What I want to do is boot the Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron" Minimal CD ISO directly from Grub4DOS. As far as I saw from the example, the line that should do it is:

CODE

title Start Ubuntu Mini 8.04 from ISO loaded in memory
map --mem (hd0,0)/ubuntu-8.04.mini.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

The problem is, it doesn't execute - when I try to run these commands from the grub command line, after both the first map command, and the second - if I try to do, say "root (hd" and TAB, hd32 doesn't appear anywhere in the list of possible choices (which I would expect, if one is suppose to chainload on it/from it).

But again, I'm not really sure this is directly related to the Error 17 (that would be the case *only* if booting from ISO was introduced between GRUB4DOS versions 0.4.4 2008-08-08 and 0.4.4 2008-10-22, which I now don't think is likely ) - but it may be related to my hardware..

Thanks again for the feedback!! Cheers...

[ilko]

More information always helps

As for the first problem- use HP USB format tool and format it NTFS or FAT32 if you need to use the full 4GB capacity, you shouldn't be using FAT16 on partition larger than 2GB. Although it's possible, I don't know how "properly" PEtoUSB formats them, and how well it's supported in other software.
I bet all the above grub4dos versions, which didn't work, will work when you format it FAT32 or NTFS, or or use FAT16 on < 2GB partitions. Maybe grub4dos dropped support for 4GB FAT16 partitions (I know other cases when FAT16 worked on 4GB partitions with older grub4dos versions), or PEtoUSB fails to format them properly, cannot comment on that.

Have a look at this quick speed comparison for XP setup from FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS partition as well:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=125116

You also have the option to partition your USB stick- use the tools included in WinSetupFromUSB\files\MULTIpartitionUSBstick. Unplug your stick, run InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd, plug the USB stick, split your USB stick on whatever partitions you want (you could use even windows disk management), set the first partition active. Format them using Windows format, use FAT16 or NTFS for XP setup, avoid FAT32.

This makes Windows see the USB disk as fixed(basic) disk, allowing partitioning operations and showing all partitions, just as a regular hard disk. To see it again as removable, unplug USB stick and use StopRemoveDummyDisk.cmd, reboot your PC to complete, mind you, you won't be able to see other partitions afterward, rather than the first one.

XP Setup must go on the first partition.For the tests to avoid copying all the contents of XP source use Copy setup boot files only checkbox.
With a properly formatted USB stick Ubuntu should work as well with all those grub4dos versions.

As for Ubuntu-mini- as far as I get it that's mini installer, which downloads all needed components from internet, right?
Since it doesn't make use of any external files, rather than kernel and initrd,you can start it from ISO emulated CD, from NTFS too, as it won't try to read other files during startup process:

This worked from 1GB NTFS formatted USB stick, grub4dos 0.4.4 2008-10-12 in QEMU:

CODE

title Start UBUNTU- mini
map --mem (hd0,0)/mini.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

Some other software you may load directly by ISO emulation is pinned in this subforum-
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5041


Further reading if you are interested- FAT and their limitations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table

FAT16X = FAT16 LBA (Logical block addressing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_block_addressing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylinder-head-sector

[tinybit]

Is there any version later than 2008-08-08 ever worked? Which is the latest one working? http://grub4dos.nufans.net/

[junksmi]

Hi all,

Is there any version later than 2008-08-08 ever worked? Which is the latest one working?

Sorry, wouldn't know for the time being - if I go through the process I'll post results here..

Ilko, thanks a lot for the great info you posted!! And sorry I'm about to maybe stray off topic here !!

First of all, this clears out a lot of things for me (I hope ) :

I bet all the above grub4dos versions, which didn't work, will work when you format it FAT32 or NTFS, or or use FAT16 on < 2GB partitions.

And especially this:

Maybe grub4dos dropped support for 4GB FAT16 partitions (I know other cases when FAT16 worked on 4GB partitions with older grub4dos versions),

seems to make sense in relation to my problem.

You also have the option to partition your USB stick- use the tools included in WinSetupFromUSB\files\MULTIpartitionUSBstick. Unplug your stick, run InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd

Great stuff, was not aware of this - however, I've had some bad experiences changing the driver for USB keys once (Hitachi Microdrive it was called, I think), and I couldn't remove it afterwards - is this DummyDisk a driver that gets installed? (If worse comes to worse, I'd boot gparted from another usb key could gparted also work for partitioning of USB thumbdrives?).

Because of the same experience, I refrain from partitioning USB thumbs, and prefer a single 4Gb partition - thus my choice of 16X (heard 32 is bad for Win Setup, and wouldn't like to keep it NTFS so it remains readable by most PCs).

To see it again as removable, unplug USB stick and use StopRemoveDummyDisk.cmd, reboot your PC to complete, mind you, you won't be able to see other partitions afterward, rather than the first one.

Ah OK - so it should be easy to remove the driver Thanks for the tip on the visibility of the other partitions

This makes Windows see the USB disk as fixed(basic) disk, allowing partitioning operations and showing all partitions, just as a regular hard disk.

Ok as far as Windows is concerned - but just to make it clear, this does not apply to how BIOS sees the thumbdrive, true? I've looked into this once, and had remembered this comment from jaclaz in Removable Media Bit - The CD Forum:

The "flippable" bit is in the controller firmware, which is NOT accessible by anything but the specific tool.

I have thumbs branded as TakeMS, and then had to find some software (can't remember which) to tell me it has an Alcor controller, and then tracked down an app called AlcorMP that would apparently allow for flipping of that bit - but doing that didn't seem to make a difference to BIOS of me stationary PC (except that it appears as "Generic Flash Drive" instead of "takeMS" now )

With a properly formatted USB stick Ubuntu should work as well with all those grub4dos versions.

I don't have a problem booting Ubuntu from USB, if I follow the WinSetupFromUSB instructions - however, those require that I copy folders from the ISO, which should also be kept at the root of the thumbdrive and named a specific way (which means I couldn't carry two different Ubuntu install versions on the same USB stick, as I can with Windows). Why I'd like to boot ISO's is to have ability to carry concurrent multiple installs - and it should also be easier to update when new versions come out (copy iso, change menu.lst, done )

As for Ubuntu-mini- as far as I get it that's mini installer, which downloads all needed components from internet, right?

Yes, as far as I understand it, I think it is:

• mini - no components with it, downloads all from Internet, doesn't need update post-install, can install a command line Ubuntu (and slim desktop w/ no apps)
• alternate - components with it, does not download all from Internet, needs update post-install, can install a command line Ubuntu (and slim desktop w/ no apps)
• LiveCD/Desktop - components with it, does not download all from Internet, needs update post-install, can not install a command line Ubuntu (only branded desktop w/ apps)

This worked from 1GB NTFS formatted USB stick, grub4dos 0.4.4 2008-10-12 in QEMU:

CODE

title Start UBUNTU- mini
map --mem (hd0,0)/mini.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

Unfortunately - this does not work for me.. at first I thought it was because my non-DOS name "ubuntu-8.04.mini.iso", but the same occurs for "mini.iso" as well.. And I tried it with FAT32 4GB thumb as well (in addition to the original FAT16X 4GB that was problematic), flashed with \WinSetupFromUSB\files\grub4dos\grubinst.exe - still the same behaviour:

• From menu.lst, choosing this option simply reboots the PC;
• From the grub command line - after the first map command, there is couple of seconds delay; looks like it's doing something. Second map command doesn't take that long. Then, "chainloader hd(" + TAB says that
  CODE
  Possible disks are : hd0 hd1
  and executing "chainloader (hd32)" results with:
  CODE
  Load segment: 0x0    System Type: 0x0    Sector Count: 0x4
  Load RBA: 0x22    Boot Type: 0 = No Emulation
  Running "boot" after this simply restarts the p4p800 PC.

Since I get the exact same response with both FAT16X and FAT32, I'm guessing its possible this may not be a problem with the drive/format partitioning - but maybe something more specific to my hardware instead (maybe the same thing that caused the Error 17 with newer grldr's?)

Since it doesn't make use of any external files, rather than kernel and initrd,you can start it from ISO emulated CD, from NTFS too, as it won't try to read other files during startup process:

This in fact helped - I just copied the files from the ISO in a directory /umini804 of the thumb, and then added:

CODE

title Start Ubuntu Mini 8.04 from configfile
root (hd0,0)
configfile /umini.lst

where /umini.lst is simply a modification of the isolinux.cfg, like:

CODE

title install - Ubuntu MINI 8.04
kernel /umini804/linux vga=normal --
initrd /umini804/initrd.gz  

title linux - live-media-path
kernel /umini804/linux vga=normal live-media-path=umini804 --  
initrd /umini804/initrd.gz

This works - but then, the same trick does not work for a Ubuntu Desktop LiveCD (note, I've experimented with "live-media-path=umini804" but I don't think it is a recognized option switch for Ubuntu...)

Well, any suggestions would be more than welcome !! Thanks again !!

[was_jaclaz]

Just to clarify:
BIOS (and DOS) do not care about the state of the "Removable bit", Windows (NT based ones) do.

Basically Microsoft - with no apparent reason- decided to "discriminate" between "Removable" and "Fixed" types.

This happens on any media, though of course the main reported aspect is with USB sticks.

Both the Hitachi Filter Driver cfadisk.sys and dummydisk.sys are "filter drivers".

Normally they do not interfere in the least with normal operation, though there are reports of conflicts, mainly with some "Virtual device" drivers like daemon tools and with some Acronis apps, or viceversa those apps internal Filter drivers create problems on some occasion.

What both drivers do is to simply "filter" any request from windows about drive type and answer it "Fixed" in any case, once you have the manufacturer utility and properly set the "Removable" bit on the stick controller they are not needed at all.

A stick seen as "Removable" by Windows will allow access to only ONE (the Active one) of the partitions that may be on the stick.

All partition on the same stick (without any change) can be accessed normally by DOS or Linux.

If you want to create a multipartitioned stick under windows you need temporarily to install either of the filter drivers or create the MBR data by hand and set Active one partition at the time.

jaclaz

[junksmi]

Hi jaclaz,

Just wanted to say thanks for the nice clarification - great stuff !! Also to notify I've posted a new topic just for the iso booting problem, Grub4DOS problems with booting ISO image from thumbdrive, so this thread remains for Error 17 (although since older versions are a temporary fix for me, I don't think I'll seriously troubleshoot it, unless it turns out I need the latest version for something else )

Basically Microsoft - with no apparent reason- decided to "discriminate" between "Removable" and "Fixed" types.

Maybe with a reason to discourage potential booting from USB thumbdrives

Cheers...