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Windows PE Ram Boot SDI Image Error

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Jonathan Mims

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Apr 15, 2004, 10:49:12 AM4/15/04
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When using the ram boot to boot a sdi image I get this error after it loads the image in ram and tries to load windows pe.

<Windows root>\System32\hal.dll is missing

I Don't know what the windows root folder its looking for. I have tried the following folders.

Windows\System32
Minint\System32
System32
I386\System32

Any clue what <Windows root> is?

The boot.ini has this in it

ramdisk(0)\windows="XPE RAM" /fastdetect /rdpath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\image.sdi /rdimageoffset=245760

I'm booting off of an usb hard drive. The drive has the following files on it.
BOOT.INI
image.sdi
NTDETECT.COM
NTLDR

The SDI image is just a copy of the WinPE cdrom.

Thanks

Slobodan Brcin (eMVP)

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Apr 15, 2004, 11:28:30 AM4/15/04
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> The SDI image is just a copy of the WinPE cdrom.
Are you sure that you know what you are doing? You should not (can not) make
working SDI from WinPE CD.

Check your PART blob offset to see if it really matches 245760 or it is 4096

Regards,
Slobodan

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"Jonathan Mims" <jbmims([at])santeecooper.com> wrote in message
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Brad Combs

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Apr 15, 2004, 1:26:40 PM4/15/04
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In addition, make sure your boot.ini looks like this....

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=ramdisk(0)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
ramdisk(0)\windows="XP Embedded RamDisk" /fastdetect
/rdpath=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\ramdisk.sdi /rdimageoffset=4096

Beware the wrap!

I've noticed that if you have no default set, and a timeout of zero it can
sometimes do weird things. (Like hal.dll missing)


HTH,
--
Brad Combs
Imago Technologies, LLC

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"Slobodan Brcin (eMVP)" <sbr...@ptt.yu> wrote in message
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KM

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Apr 15, 2004, 1:47:23 PM4/15/04
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Jonathan,

I am not sure how you made an SDI file off the WinPE disk ? Did you use XPe/SP1 1-st CD? If you did, it shouldn't just a simple
copy.
First of all, the WinPE (XPe/SP1) system root would be something like "D:\i386". So, your may try ramdisk(0)\i386 instead.

I'd suggest you to switch off from WinPE, make your own XPE image, deploy it, FBA it and copy over a golden image. Then you can make
an SDI file off the golden image and try the RAM boot.

--
KM,
BSquare Corporation

Jonathan

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Apr 15, 2004, 1:51:08 PM4/15/04
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Whats the proper way to setup the hard drive for creation of the sdi image?

>>> Brad Combs<br...@imagotechnologies.no.spam.com> 04/15/04 01:26PM >>>

Jonathan

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Apr 15, 2004, 2:20:10 PM4/15/04
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The drive structure is layed out like this.
**Watch out for word wrap

D:\
I386
FONTS
HELP
INF
MSAGENT
INTL
SYSTEM32
CONFIG
DRIVERS
ETC
WINSXS
MANIFESTS
X86_MICROSOFT.TOOLS.VISUALCPLUSPLUS.RUNTIME-LIBRARIES_6595B64144CCF1DF_6.0.0.0_X-WW_FF9986D7
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.COMMON-CONTROLS_6595B64144CCF1DF_6.0.0.0_X-WW_1382D70A
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.COMMON-CONTROLS_6595B64144CCF1DF_6.0.10.0_X-WW_F7FB5805
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.CPLUSPLUSRUNTIME_6595B64144CCF1DF_7.0.0.0_X-WW_2726E76A
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.CPLUSPLUSRUNTIME_6595B64144CCF1DF_7.0.10.0_X-WW_D8862BA3
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.GDIPLUS_6595B64144CCF1DF_1.0.0.0_X-WW_8D353F13
X86_MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.GDIPLUS_6595B64144CCF1DF_1.0.10.0_X-WW_712BEFD8
X86_POLICY.1.0.MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.GDIPLUS_6595B64144CCF1DF_1.0.10.0_X-WW_7EF38638
X86_POLICY.6.0.MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.COMMON-CONTROLS_6595B64144CCF1DF_6.0.10.0_X-WW_3B30EA6A
X86_POLICY.7.0.MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.CPLUSPLUSRUNTIME_6595B64144CCF1DF_7.0.10.0_X-WW_F586DE6B


>>> KM<kons...@nospam.yahoo.com> 04/15/04 01:47PM >>>

Slobodan Brcin (eMVP)

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Apr 15, 2004, 2:33:51 PM4/15/04
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And I always though that WinPE it was eltorito based (non ram boot support
at all) (well I actually never thought about it ).

You never answered my question: "Are you sure that you know what you are
doing?"

Nevertheless if you can do this, have you considered if this solution would
be legal?

Regards,
Slobodan

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"Jonathan" <jbmims([at])santeecooper.com> wrote in message
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Jonathan

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Apr 15, 2004, 2:35:29 PM4/15/04
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"Are you sure that you know what you are doing?"
This is my first attempt with windows pe. I managed to get the cd side working easily but trying to get it running off of a usb hard drive is getting me the inacessible_boot_drive bsod.

"Nevertheless if you can do this, have you considered if this solution would be legal?"

Why not? I have came across a company that uses this method to boot a usb hard drive they sell.

>>> Slobodan Brcin (eMVP)<sbr...@ptt.yu> 04/15/04 02:33PM >>>

KM

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Apr 15, 2004, 3:16:24 PM4/15/04
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> "Nevertheless if you can do this, have you considered if this solution would be legal?"
> Why not? I have came across a company that uses this method to boot a usb hard drive they sell.

Do they boot WinPE? Or did they create their own XPe image (and therefore purchased XPe licenses from MS)?

--
KM,
BSquare Corporation

Brad Combs

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Apr 15, 2004, 3:22:03 PM4/15/04
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Jonathan,

I think you may be confusing a few products. WinPE is "Windows
Preinstallation Environment" used by the XP Pro folks to deploy XP
Professional. It's used by XPe guys to deploy XP Embedded runtimes. WinPE
itself is not the product that is shipped in an embedded solution.

SDI can be used for several scenarios. To remote boot a diskless XP Embedded
client. You can also boot an SDI from a local device such as a USB flash
device, USB HDD, CD-Rom, ,etc..

The SDI should contain an XP Embedded image, not a WinPE image. If your just
trying to prove a theory by all means continue investigation, but if your
trying to experiment with SDI local boot your headed down the wrong path.

Try this.....

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnxpesp1/html/ram_sdi.asp

And....

http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/xp/deploy/sdi/default.aspx

And...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/xpehelp/html/xerefsdimanagerblobcommands.asp

And....

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=el%24qJpRGDHA.1656%40TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl&rnum=3&prev=/groups%3Fq%3DSDI%2Bboot%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Del%2524qJpRGDHA.1656%2540TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl%26rnum%3D3

HTH,
--
Brad Combs
Imago Technologies, LLC

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"Jonathan" <jbmims([at])santeecooper.com> wrote in message

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Jonathan

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Apr 15, 2004, 3:25:27 PM4/15/04
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Im trying to get ERD Commander running of a usb hard drive, or just get into an xp environment from a usb hard drive.

>>> Brad Combs<br...@imagotechnologies.no.spam.com> 04/15/04 03:22PM >>>

Doug Hoeffel

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Apr 15, 2004, 5:48:23 PM4/15/04
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Hey Brad:

What other strange things have you seen when the boot.ini timeout value is
0?

TIA... Doug
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"Brad Combs" <br...@imagotechnologies.no.spam.com> wrote in message
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Jonathan

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Apr 16, 2004, 9:08:13 AM4/16/04
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Im using SDI loader to create and add to the image.
I was wondering does "ramdisk(0)\windows" reflect the windows directory on the image?

>>> Brad Combs<br...@imagotechnologies.no.spam.com> 04/15/04 03:22PM >>>

Brad Combs

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Apr 19, 2004, 8:23:56 AM4/19/04
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ramdisk(0)\windows = The windows directory contained within the SDI file
that is specified in the arc path. In this case it's ramdisk.sdi.


HTH,
--
Brad Combs
Imago Technologies, LLC

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"Jonathan" <jbmims([at])santeecooper.com> wrote in message

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Keith S. Garner

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Apr 25, 2004, 10:34:39 PM4/25/04
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Please do not mix WinPE components with Windows XP Embedded Components. You
can't use SDI from WinPE.

Either you are on the beta program for Windows 2003 SP1 Beta, and have the
ability to create RAM Disks, or you have Windows XP Embedded, and you have a
specific platform you wish to use.

I have gotten WinPE to boot from a USB Flash Drive before, and I *may* be
able to help you, if you wish.

Keith S. Garner (keith.garner at comcast dot net)

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