[Q] Win 8, bypass PAE/NX/SSE2 check

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by TziMmys, Sep 18, 2012.

  1. eydee

    eydee Guest

    That is that certain blue screen, only it's not blue this time. What CPU do you have? Even if you can work around the NX issue, you still need SSE2. Old 32-bit AMD processors don't have it.
     
  2. PublicAccount

    PublicAccount MDL Novice

    Jun 28, 2013
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    Hi eydee,

    Thanks for your reply. My CPU is an Intel Pentium 4 Celeron 2.4 GHz. As far as I can tell it does support SSE2.

    Cheers.
     
  3. Jan1

    Jan1 MDL Novice

    May 20, 2010
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    It seems like you confused your Windows XP partition with your Windows 8 partition. ntoskrnl.exe version 5.1... is Windows XP. Windows 8 should be 6.2...
     
  4. Lotusisrael

    Lotusisrael MDL Junior Member

    Jun 28, 2013
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    #104 Lotusisrael, Jun 30, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2013
    I have seen that developed a method to deploy Windows 8 on unsupported CPUs. It seems that I have a similar, newer issue, with Windows 8.1 x64. Could you please look at my posts on this topic and tell if what I was thinking was possible? It is the first time I hear about Windows PE and could not make much sense, not an IT person.
     
  5. 3m4shik

    3m4shik MDL Novice

    Jun 19, 2013
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    I'd like to try the suggested ntoskrnl patch method. However i first need to install windows 8 successfully...
    i tried to install (from within windows 7) using the setup.exe in \sources folder to skip the CPU checks but when the pc restarts to complete the installation i soon get the 0x0000005D error. How did you guys manage to solve the problem? :confused:
     
  6. Jan1

    Jan1 MDL Novice

    May 20, 2010
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    Even after the initial check which causes the 0x5D BSOD was successful, ntoskrnl.exe still checks if NX is really available and is able to handle the situation where NX is not supported. In your case it seems that your CPU does not support the CMPXCHG16B instruction, which is essential for Windows 8.1 x64 as it is used in ntoskrnl.exe and there is no alternative for CPUs without support for this instruction. So even if you were able to bypass the check of the presence of this CPU feature, your computer will crash as soon as this instruction gets executed.

    Copy w8nxpatch.exe to a pen drive and boot into Windows PE. Then go to the System32 folder of your Windows 8 partition and apply w8nxpatch to ntoskrnl.exe.
     
  7. Lotusisrael

    Lotusisrael MDL Junior Member

    Jun 28, 2013
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    Yet I wonder, how come Windows 8.1 x86 work and it is still instalable? They share the same basic kernel, x64 is an extension of it.
     
  8. PublicAccount

    PublicAccount MDL Novice

    Jun 28, 2013
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    That's absolutely correct. I thought the new install would erase XP so I did not bother looking at the rest of the content on the drive but it did not. I found the win8 ntoskrnl file in an install directory (C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Windows\System32).
    I patched it, checksumed it - on another computer running Vista - and then copied it over but upon reboot I get the file integrity error message.
    Would someone be kind enough to tell me what I've been doing wrong? If I need to boot into win8 using the install.wim file to patch and checksum the ntoskrnl file, can I do that using the file from the win8 install CD and if yes, how do I actually do that?

    Thanks so much for you help.
     
  9. 3m4shik

    3m4shik MDL Novice

    Jun 19, 2013
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    #109 3m4shik, Jul 2, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2013
    thanks @Jan1 for the help! Your solution is the only one available on the web!! :)
    I managed to successfully install windows 8 with my Intel pentium 4, if anyone needs, in this post i have some useful tips.
    It runs smoothly with Hyperthreading disabled (i don't really need it). I recommend it (with MetroUI disabled :D).
    After hours spent searching, burning ISOs, trying, patching,ecc and finally getting it installed, ironically i have to go back to windows 7 as my notebook video card has no avaliable drivers for windows 8 (windows XP drivers are no more supported on win8).
    However this has given me some fun.

    One problem i still encountered was the driver signature error even using the
    bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
    bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON
    options, and was always forced to use F8 and 7 keys. Was that normal?

    Are you really sure you patched correctly the file? Use w8NXpatch.exe and THEN PEchecksum.exe. Use BOTH (altough w8nxpatch should include also PEchecksum). Open them from the CMD, you can't simply double click them, i suppose. In CMD you need to see the "done" result which means that patching/checksuming went correctly. After you patch C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe, windows 8 installs itself and at the second reboot you have to patch also the new installed C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe.
    Also be sure that you did actually REPLACE the file. Infact, using a XP BartPE cd (found on the web) i couldn't delete nor rename C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe because i didn't have sufficient permissions. I had to right click it -> properties -> security tab -> advanced and 1) change the owner of the file and 2) permissions. Then i could delete it and replace it with the patched one.
    When you have the driver signature error, press F8 and then choose the option 7.
    Try and try again patching both C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe and C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe

    The first time you have access to desktop IMMEDIATELY apply: bcdedit /set recoveryenabled no
    (and the others
    bcdedit /set nx alwaysoff
    bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
    bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON)

    so the next time you reboot windows will not automatically replace ntoskrnl.exe (without giving you the option to press F8 or doing anything)
    Hope to help.
     
  10. Lotusisrael

    Lotusisrael MDL Junior Member

    Jun 28, 2013
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    Still, this does not prevent someone to try this, after RTM. From what I have learned from Microsoft forums, from other people, even if you install any form of Windows NT 6.3 x64 on a virtual machine succesfully, then disable the feature missing in my CPU, the instalation will crash. It sems that that you are right. But this does not mean it is actually this way, it may well be another strategy from Microsoft to make people dump some old CPUs, like the NX thing. I agree, even if someone tries this and manage to install Windows NT 6.3 on an unsupported X64 cpu, when certain instruction matching thoose features will most likely lead to crash. But, since there is also a x86 version of the kernel that lacks the requirement, this may well not hapend, at least regarding basic Windows functions. I shall wait and see if someone will ever try this on the RTM (perhaps even on this preview), to see if I was right or not.
     
  11. als1956

    als1956 MDL Novice

    Jun 21, 2013
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    Hi Guys, I've been trying to install Windows 8 on an old laptop for the last few weeks without success. The macine is an old Acer Travelmate 803LCi with the following specs;


    CPU_______Pentium m 1.6GHz "banias" fsb 433MHz
    RAM_______512 Mbytes
    GPU_______ATI Mobility Radeon 9000
    Chipset___Intel 855PM


    It runs XP, Windows7 and Windows 8 Developer Preview with no issues. I tried to do a fresh install of Windows 8 Consumer Preview by first formating the hard drive and then trying to run setup. That's when I became aware of the issues involved with all releases after DP. I searched the net for a solution and found out about the PAE, NX, SSE2 requirments. On checking my CPU spec I discovered that my chip does not support PAE or NX. Long story short, I hunted high and low for a workaround. That's how I found this forum.


    I've tried doing the install from a WINpe boot disk and running setup from the sources directory of the install disk and then doing the NTOSkrnl patch, but on the first boot after the installation I still get the blue screen and error 0xc0000260 blah blah blah. I've tried so many different things including editing the BCD and hardly anything gets me beyond that annoying blue screen 0xc0000260 error message The furthest I've been was when I copied the winload and NTOSkrnl files from an install of Windows 8 DP, which got me to a win 8 logo briefly followed by another blue screen with error 0xc0000468D and some text about digitally signed files.


    What I'd like is for somebody to explain what if anything I can do do to get Windows 8 installed on this hardware. Am I trying to do something impossible? It would be great if someone could write a nice step by step how to for all of us who are trying to get Windows 8 onto older machines. It's not the installation that's the problem it's getting past that first boot up. I feel that somewhere along the way I'm probably missing something very obvious. Could it be that something in winload needs hacking?


    Sorry for the long post - als1956.:confused:
     
  12. PublicAccount

    PublicAccount MDL Novice

    Jun 28, 2013
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    Yes, I did use both tools in command line mode and got the "done" confirmation. I believe the file is patched as upon the next reboot I don't get the typical "No NX support" error, but Win8 does not install, it hangs with the error message that ntoskrnl.exe has been modified and that I need to restore it using the original install disk. Using F8 does not give me any other additional choice. Any idea?
     
  13. Jan1

    Jan1 MDL Novice

    May 20, 2010
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    #113 Jan1, Jul 5, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2013
    I found the location of the relevant CPU feature checks in ntoskrnl.exe x64. If you really want to bypass the check, follow these instructions:
    Open ntoskrnl.exe in a hex editor and go to offset 30C8AE. Change 3B C2 to EB 36 and save the file. Finally run PEChecksumFix.exe to update the checksum.
     
  14. Jan1

    Jan1 MDL Novice

    May 20, 2010
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    #114 Jan1, Jul 5, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
  15. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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  16. Lotusisrael

    Lotusisrael MDL Junior Member

    Jun 28, 2013
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    #116 Lotusisrael, Jul 5, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2013
    Thx, Jan1 . Still, I am quite a new to this kind of things. Never used a Hex editor. I do not really now what exactly is checksum either, altough I know it is a very important thing (It is something to do with file integrity and data contained in a file, I knew.), so I do not how to check the checksum, or update it. I say this to have some idea of how out of place I am. I appreciate still any help on this issue. I realize that Microsoft may be watching now, and this may actually help them find a way to make even harder to pass the restriction. I shall take my time and try to read what you written in here, try to make sense. Probably a similar method with one you posted previously, with the Windows 7 boot CD, would be required, but in here a Windows 8 x64 DVD I assume would be enough. It is stil a chance that Microsoft simply pushed the beta too early and they did not had all the drivers for all CPU types yet, like older x86_64 ones, but on the final version they will be. I think of this because I so on their forums that other people had isssues with drivers that were not available yet. What is here may be helpfull to some if the restrictions will be also present on the RTM.
     
  17. als1956

    als1956 MDL Novice

    Jun 21, 2013
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    Hi Jan1,

    Many thanks for the excellent and informative step by step post #115 (And yes before anybody mentions it I did press the thanks button, but have a bit more to add).

    I followed the instructions exactly as printed but once again when I get to the very first reboot I'm still getting that blue screen with error 0xc0000260. I'm now fairly certain that winload.exe is causing this reboot problem. I think winload.exe needs patching in some way. I read somewhere on another site that winload kicks in very early in the boot process and can override or ignore settings made in bcdedit.

    You seem to have a very deep understanding of how the OS works, do you think a winload.exe patch is a possibility?

    It may be that I'm stuck with one of the very few pentium m processors that are just not capable of running win8 beyond the developer preview version.

    I'd love to hear from anybody who has got win8 running on a pentium m "banias" cpu, and what they did to achieve it.

    Once again many thanks for all the hard work, time spent and effort.

    als1956
     
  18. chocoboss

    chocoboss MDL Junior Member

    Nov 23, 2012
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    Hi folk, I got windows 8 working on my old AMD ATHLON XP 2800M it is nice but I'm faced too boot problem and dunno what to do always have to hit F8 then 7

    those are my bcd entrey :
    Capture.PNG

    I will be rly gracefull if someone can help me :)

    Was not so easy to get everything working ( AC'97 was rly hard >< while GeForce 5200 was easy mode )
     
  19. mmmirkec

    mmmirkec MDL Novice

    Jul 3, 2013
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    successfully installed windows 8.1 preview without NX ty all for help :worthy: Untitled.jpg
     
  20. moderate

    moderate MDL Guru

    Aug 31, 2009
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    #120 moderate, Jul 6, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2013
    nice... please could you make patch EXE for that too? or even better... one patch for both x64 and x32 :) thanks :)