XPE Boot Failure

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Boots
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Boots

I am just doing my first xpe installation. I booted the system with an XP
Pro hard drive and copied my xp image files to the root directory of an IDE
Flash drive. The files copied successfully.

I then ran BootPrep /dD successfully....then powered down, removed the XP
Pro (C Drive) and rebooted.

The error is Missing Operating System.

I created the image using the default configuration which I believe creates
an image for the C drive.

So...any thoughts?

(e-mail address removed)
 
Hi Bob,

Something is not quite right in your description.

If you booted to DOS and used DOS fdisk, format then you should use bootprep
as well.
If you prepared disk from XP Pro then it will be bootable by default as long
as you have selected first partition as active.

Go to disk manager and make sure that you select first partition as active.

Regards,
Slobodan
 
Hi and thanks for your reply,

I'm still a bit confused. I purchased an IDE Flash Drive which is already
formatted and recognized as an active drive by windows xp pro. I then ran
bootprep from a Command Prompt in XP Pro...in an effort to make the D (Flash)
bootable. Then I removed the XP Pro hard drive and rebooted....which is
when the OS boot failure showed up.

How would you proceed in this case?

Bob
 
Bob,

bootprep is DOS application. When you run it on XP even under Command Prompt (this is NOT DOS!) you should get the error clearly
stating this fact.

If you want to continue on the "bootprep approach", you must create DOS (on floppy disk or CD-ROM), boot into DOS on target and run
boot there.

KM
 
KM,

Ok....now I understand. It had looked like bootprep ran when I selected
"continue" since it copied the files to the D: drive. So to pursue this
approach, I need to make a bootable floppy or flash-stick and boot to a dos
prompt.

Is there an easier approach to making this drive bootable?

Bob
 
Hi Bob,
Is there an easier approach to making this drive bootable?
Click to expand...

In general you can try to use Disk Manager to partition format and set
partition as active, in some rare cases it will work, if not you will have
to go with DOS.
Also you must use fdisk and format on target computer not on your
development computer so that "correct" disk geometry is used.

Regards,
Slobodan
 
I will try the DOS approach....thanks to all!

I would like to try this booting from a USB Flash Drive. I can make a USB
Flash Drive Bootable using Win98 by using "sys e:" for an e: flash drive, but
I have not found a way to do this with XP. Does the sys command still exist
on XP?

Bob
 
Hi Bob,

sys do not exist any more but required bootloaded data is placed by default
when you format volume from XP Pro.

For testing basic boot capabilities you will need at least to format FS. And
copy ntldr. file.
Create boot.ini with two entries and set some time out.
In case that you get multi os choice screen you are good to go to next
phase. If not then you will have to play with DOS fdisk, format, bootprep
tools on target computer.

For OS part of boot you can either to RAM boot that will always work but
consume your memory.
Or since USB boot is not supported by default from MS you should use some
third party solution for XPe boot like the one that M-Systems offer for
their uDiskOnChip devices.

http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Products/Product.asp?pid=29
http://www.m-sys.com/Content/Corporate/Press/prInfo.asp?id=752

Regards,
Slobodan
 
Thanks for your help. I used a floppy to boot...ran bootprep on the IDE
Flash Drive with the XP Pro Drive REMOVED....and then bootprep ran fine.
The system now boots fine off the Flash IDE Drive. Thanks again!
 
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