Author Topic: \"Real\" windows boot CD (Read 106667 times)

Drawclif · « **on:** July 08, 2002, 08:58:53 PM »

I have read a lot of posts here on making a windows boot CD, but unless I am misreading, they are all discussing how to make Bootable INSTALL CDs.
My problem is that I want to make a true windows boot CD to solve a number of problems, but mainly how to backup my notebook drive (I use partitionquest drive image) to an external HDD connected via Firewire. normally PQDI boots to DOS to do the backup, and of course there is no DOS support for firewire. For partition othere than the active windows, PQDI will run under windows. and there use the drivers. So if i can just boot windows from the CD . . . .
I cannot beleive no-one else wants to do this !

Lukey · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2002, 12:38:22 AM »

I found some information on the web a few months ago depending making a bootable CD with a real Windows on it. The infos are about how to make Windows 95/98 running from a bootable CD!

http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/

I currently try to get figured out, if there is a possibillity to also make NT/2K or XP bootable from CD - maybe like ERD Commander!

Greetings

Lukey

Fjellu · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2002, 04:00:59 AM »

I read somewhere that it can be done with win95. With a later OS I dont´t know. Unfortunately I don´t remember the links or have the instructions

Fjellu · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2002, 04:35:20 PM »

Found it
http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/

Fjellu · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2002, 05:00:37 AM »

I tried to make one myself. Get the error \"not enough free memory\" after loading the suggested drivers from config.sys and autoexec.bat. Changed all drivers in config.sys to \"devicehigh\", still the same problem. Running mem.exe shows 604 kb free memory. I believe it should be enough to start windows.

What can be the problem? To much memory (1,5 Gb)?

Anonymous · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2002, 04:58:14 AM »

Sorry to break in like this...

Could it be that some of the things you run/install autoexec or config.sys or windows.whatever) need to write to the disk?

There is hardly any self-modification going on (although I wouldn\'t put it past MS), but some progs. and drivers need to do some temp stuff, which they just might do in the current directory (which, in the case of a bootable CD, would be read-only!!!)

Have you tried some kind of ram-disk trick?

Please let me know if you succeed in this undertaking, I would be VERY interrested in obtaining a copy of such a CD image!!! (Even one booting DOS would be nice).
A-)

Anonymous · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2002, 07:23:39 AM »

I actually got all the way to burning the CD, but everytime I burned it, it wouldnt run, and I loaded the boot disk just the way it said, but still nothing, well, I am redoing it now, and seeing if maybe I missed something (doubtful cause I had to add some steps to it anyways, because it wasnt working) but we will see what happens.

RNR · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2002, 03:03:41 PM »

I think ur problem is not the RAM memory but the virtual memory.......As u may know, Windows create a big \"Swap\" tempory file in the C: drive use as Virtual memory......In ur case windows try to create that Virtual memory on the CD......ofcourse impossible........

Fjellu · « **Reply #8 on:** July 19, 2002, 02:34:13 AM »

Obviously I was a bit vague. The first process is to crate a different kind of setup for the future CD on your harddrive. This process involves using subst.exe in autoexec.bat. Your CD is supposed to boot from your X: drive. Config.sys consists of himem.sys, ifshlp.sys, dblbuff.sys and setver.exe.

So at that stage all you have done is installing W9x on your X: hardrive using subst.exe (c:wsubst.exe x: c:cdrom)

The ram-disk trick comes later when w9x is installed and you have all your modifications and applications up and running

Fjellu · « **Reply #9 on:** July 19, 2002, 02:38:24 AM »

You had to add some steps. Could you share that information.

The article in question is translated from german. My german is not so good, but maybe something got lost in the translation.

I would still like to get past the memory error after the first reboot in the installation process.

Anonymous · « **Reply #10 on:** July 19, 2002, 10:30:56 AM »

Actually, the one readme I am using is partially from this forum (there are 2 posts) and also the one from the link provided previously...I have found some things that I did not write down the first time I tried and couldnt get it to record, but, since I did not write them down, I really have no idea what changed. If you could give me more details as to what exact point you are at...I could better help you to get close to burning the cd...right now, Explorer is crashing while using the Ramdisk, but I think its because it is set tohigh (I ran into this last time and had to reduce the ramdisk to 8MB...other than that, I am sure there are more steps I added, but now I am writing them down, so I can make a complete, foolproof guide for everyone

http://images.thetechguide.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'

\' />

Fjellu · « **Reply #11 on:** July 19, 2002, 07:00:46 PM »

Usin the method found on http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/ I came to The New From the Start section, one reboot, starting from floppy and editing config.sys and autoexec.bat on the harddrive before continuing setup. With all the TSR:s mentioned I get a not enough memory error when rebooting again just after the splash screen

Anonymous · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2002, 10:10:52 AM »

Hmmm, well, a couple of things...
1. Make sure your paths are correct \"c:w...\"
2. Make sure you load Himem.sys as the first line of you config.sys file
3. Make sure you load all drivers with DEVICEHIGH=
4. On autoexec.bat, use the command lh c:wsubst.exe x: c:cdrom
5. Also in autoexec, check you path line - make sure it doesnt read anything extra... shold be
PATH=c:w;x:w;x:wcommand;x:wsystem
6. Did you install windows \"first install process\" to x:w?
Make sure of all those things, and it should work, if not, please let me know.

Anonymous · « **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2002, 11:02:24 AM »

Ok, well, i finished the entireprocess, and made the ISO of everything...now when it trys to boot it says \"write protect error on Drive A\" Im not sure what is causing this and I did not get it the last time I tried to create this, so its kinda new to me. I did however take out my floppy while creating this because last time, it read the floppy disk endlessly and I was tryin to get that to go away
I am not sure if it is something in command.com or in io.sys that is creating the problem, if someone has an idea, it would be greatly appreciated, plus, I figure im only like 10 minutes away from actually having a complete version on cd along with a bunch of other apps

http://images.thetechguide.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'

\' />...This may be a tech question for Twinkie or so...

Anonymous · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2002, 01:17:01 PM »

what this means is it thinks it\'s booting from a floppy and he needs to write to it and it can\'t (naturally cos it booting from cd). Floppies have a write protect tab (a little piece of plastic) so since it can\'t write to the cd, Windows assumes what it tries to read is a floppy. Which means that this whole booting of cd is a load of bull, because if you make a bootable floppy disk and you use it to boot Windows, it creates a Ramdisk, which means the DOS loader never writes to the floppy off which it starts. Booting off a CD is possible, but running Windows from it is not, because Windows continuously writes to the registry and system.ini and the like. How do you suppose it will write to them if it\'s on a CD?

Fjellu · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2002, 05:25:09 AM »

Take your time to read the instructions. The registry and other files that windows needs read acess to are moved to ramdisk during the startup process

Anonymous · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:43:18 PM »

Ok, more info on the \"Write Protect Error on Drive A\" Obviously it is trying to write something to the floppy that doesnt exist, but even with a floppy in Drive A, it still gives the same error...with write protect tab off of course. It gives this error after processing config.sys and im not 100% sure if it does it before autoexec.bat is being processed or during. I have checked all commands used and it should not give that error, so I am kinda lost, I have the iso and I have the boot image file if someone would like to take a look. I would be more than happy to send the boot image file, though kinda reluctant to send the iso due to \"piracy\" issues, but seeing how everything is still in its original state either freeware or shareware w/o hack. the only thing that is done is the cdkey for win98se, but im sure everyone here knows how to change that. I would like to fix the \"boot problem\" first before giving the ISO out. As far as I know, the instructions are somewhat correct, I did make notes this time and will post the guide once the Drive A error is fixed (kinda have to let people know how to fix that, if it happens to them :-))

Anonymous · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2002, 12:28:01 PM »

there is a way to do it cause Dell uses it on there restore cd\'s for there servers

?

http://images.thetechguide.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'

\' />) ?

Anonymous · « **Reply #18 on:** July 31, 2002, 03:07:00 PM »

Has this actually worked for anyone yet?
I would love to use this for client temp restores.

Can you access the Internet once it\'s running? I don\'t see how any of this is possible.

Anonymous · « **Reply #19 on:** August 01, 2002, 08:14:39 AM »

If it\'s an El Torito disk, the CD boot image is called \"drive A:\" and shadows the floppy disk.

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Author Topic: \"Real\" windows boot CD (Read 106667 times)

Drawclif

Lukey

Anonymous

Anonymous

RNR

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous