Wndows 7/2008 R2 Loaders

Discussion in 'MDL Projects and Applications' started by nikmb, Mar 17, 2010.

  1. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    The VM i am using is Sun VirtualBox version 3.1.4, the 'open /oem.bin fail' error remains using VitualBox (untouched downloaded grldrslic.iso)
     
  2. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    I think we should try fixing the menu.lst config for the physical machine then.
    Go into storage management and find out what is on each partition. the partitions are numbered 0 on the left going up by 1 to the right. I'll check back in 45 mins or so.
     
  3. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

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    #23 FreeStyler, Mar 18, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2010
    hd 0,0 : PQSERVICE (16GB)
    hd 0,1 : SYSTEM RESERVED (100MB)
    hd 0,2 : PACKARDBELL (340GB)
    hd 0,3 : DATA (341GB)

    Diskpart Screenshot (Dutch)

    CropperCapture[3].png

    Changing the GRUB command into: (hd0,1) chainloader /bootmgr did not work either, got an error message (Something about FAT wrong size, i will write down the exact message next time)

    EDIT: Exact error message
    WARNING FAT cluster size (=65536) larger then 32K!
     
  4. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    #24 nikmb, Mar 18, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2010
    (OP)
    Hi

    Just checked the code and grub4dos can handle clusters up to 128k so this is just a warning. I could remove it in the future.
    It should still continue to boot though using "chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr" (did you really mean "(hd0,1) chainloader /bootmgr" ?) as partition 2 is definitely the system reserved partition.
    Were there further errors or did it just hang?
     
  5. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    #25 FreeStyler, Mar 18, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2010
    i just typed exactly what you said in quoted text, so yes i really did mean (hd0,1) chainloader /bootmgr... no wonder that did not work ;)

    Anyway, i had to do a full erase on my CDRW as it refused to burn (old media)
    I hope i can let you now the results in a few minutes otherwise it will be later today (have to get home)
     
  6. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    I am so sorry that was a mistake on my part.
    The correct command should have been chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr.
    minus 10 points to me.

    please retry.

    BTW I've installe VirtualBox and 'll try to recreate the other problem.
     
  7. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    Ok i changed menu.lst to reflect: chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr.

    Now i get the 'open /oem.bin fail' error on the physical machine as well
     
  8. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    that's strange. Can you check on media you're using that everything is still in lower case and can you also send a screenshot of the files as well as the contents of menu.lst please?
     
  9. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

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    #29 FreeStyler, Mar 18, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Ok, tried on 2 physical machines, some error on both (maybe due to CDFS filesystem ?)

    these are the only things i changed in menu.lst

    Code:
    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows VISTA/7
    fallback 1
    loadslicdebug /oem.bin
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr
    
    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows VISTA/7
    fallback 2
    loadslic /oem.bin
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr
    CD contents (All lowercase):
    grldr
    menu.lst
    oem.bin

    Thanks for your help so far, i'm off right now, have to get my ass home before 'someone' gets mad ;)
     
  10. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    #30 nikmb, Mar 18, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2010
    (OP)
    Hi

    What were the 2 physical machines, make etc?
    FYI and it doesn't help really but I burned the megaupload iso to a cd and edited the 2nd boot option to load /ntldr (XP) instead as that's the machine I have at home , it booted having read the slic and using the slic toolkit I could even find the slic on my xp machine. So that's a physical cd on a physical machine.
    So now I am beginning to think it might be the CDFS on your machines although it shouldn't be really because mine worked.

    I will think on this.:biggrin:

    Thought about it.....

    Reboot and choose command line from the options, then type "ls", this will list the contents of the root of drive grub4dos is in. This will tell us lots like has it got lost from the cd root drive and if the filenames are lower or upper case.
    If it's the cd and has grldr, menu.lst and oem.bin type the command loadslic /oem.bin. This should load the slic into memory.
    Also try this command if the oem.bin file is there using uppercase filename loadslic /OEM.BIN as CDFS ISO9660 did only specify upper case support.

    Doing this will help diagnose the problem.

    Bye for now and thanks for turning me into a grub4dos expert:p
     
  11. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    Little update:

    My PC @home booted just fine with your latest iso (booted from hd0,0 eg: no PQSERVICE partition here)
    'ls' command showed all the files as supposed, eg: lowercase

    I used new CD-RW media, going to work in minutes will post results as soon as tested with this new burned CD-RW
     
  12. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    That's good news at least.
     
  13. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    @work the problem persists

    @first boot
    'ls' command showed all the files as supposed, eg: lowercase

    if i choose the command to load chainloader (hd0,1) /bootmgr the system does not boot and returns to the GRUB commandline
    'ls' command now showed all files at the PQSERVICE partition

    Should i have to edit these line as well, eg:
    map () (hd0,1)
    map (hd0,1) ()
    map --rehook
     
  14. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    #34 nikmb, Mar 19, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
    (OP)
    Hi

    No I don't think they need to be changed. The problem is that the slic cannot be found on the cd as I understand. Does the loadslic /oem.bin work without error?

    But there may be more going on. Let me think as to why it end up at the recovery partition.
     
  15. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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  16. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    #36 FreeStyler, Mar 19, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    That seems to work at 1 physical system here @Work... have to test it on the other physical machine just yet

    eg: my menu list has now these 2 entries:
    Code:
    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows
    fallback 1
    loadslic /oem.bin
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
    chainloader /bootmgr
    
    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows on systems using a recovery partition
    fallback 2
    loadslic /oem.bin
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    chainloader /bootmgr
     
  17. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    #37 nikmb, Mar 19, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
    (OP)
    At last some progress.
    So to confirm the situation.

    Ths cd boots.
    The slic is loaded.
    And the system boots.
    Can you confirm that the slic is detected using slic toolkit or another method?
     
  18. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    Yep it boots
    /oem.bin SLIC is loaded without error
    System boots into Windows 7 (Not the PQSERVICE partition)
    slic is detected as: ACRSYSACRPRDCT 'ANNI'
     
  19. nikmb

    nikmb MDL Member

    Feb 22, 2010
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    Great news. And all these problems had nothing to do with my code just standard grub4dos.

    I have a suggestion for your menu.lst below. This will use entry 1 as the default and boot with slic. should a problem occur it will boot option 2 only. Option 3 is for debug information to be sent to me should 1 fail.

    # This is a sample menu.lst file. You should make some changes to it.
    # The old install method of booting via the stage-files has been removed.
    # Please install GRLDR boot strap code to MBR with the bootlace.com
    # utility under DOS/Win9x or Linux.

    color blue/green yellow/red white/magenta white/magenta
    timeout 30

    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows 7
    fallback 2
    loadslic /oem.bin
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    chainloader /bootmgr

    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows 7
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    chainloader /bootmgr

    title find and load BOOTMGR of Windows 7
    loadslicdebug /oem.bin
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    map () (hd0)
    map (hd0) ()
    map --rehook
    chainloader /bootmgr
     
  20. FreeStyler

    FreeStyler MDL Guru

    Jun 23, 2007
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    I tried it on the other physical system...
    It works on the Acer Vista System here @work, but not on a new Packard Bell Win 7 system...

    guess it is just a s**tty DVD/CD burner... as most of the time the menu takes ages to load, and with the latest version that booted fine on the Vista system is won't even show the menu, it quits into commandline