Trying to install via Windows Boot menu

[carlosd]

I am attempting to boot via USB (so I can install Ubuntu on my netbook) and was directed to PLoP.

Followed the instructions to run PLoP via the Windows Boot Menu. I believe i followed it accurately: extract to c:/plop, run plpgenbtldr, create the bin file. Change boot.ini to include PLop. When I reboot, it gives me the option to Start Win XP or PLoP. I select PLoP, and then i get a black screen and this:

xo(flashing cursor)

System is unresponsive and I can only hard-restart. When I restart, I get the WinXP or PLoP question and cycles through.

What could I be missing?

The end goal is that through PLoP i can boot computer via USB, run new OS install, and then happily run Ubuntu.

[Elmar]

hi,
did you defrag plpbt.bin with contig and then run plpgenbtldr again?

regards
elmar

[carlosd]

Yes, I did.

Contig tells me 1 file processed, and all files were either already defragmented or unable to be defragmented.

I then ran plpgenbtldr again and rebooted. I received the same result. Flashing cursor after xo and no response.

thanks

[Elmar]

if you have time for a few quick tests, then please send me the mbr of the harddisk and the boot sector of your windows.

use a linux for that
ex.:
dd if=/dev/sda of=mbr.bin count=1
dd if=/dev/sda1 if=bootsec.bin count=1

whats the exact output of plpgnbtld

[carlosd]

Linux is not installed on my computer - right now all I am running is Windows XP.
How do i send you the mbr of the HD/boot sector via Windows?

[Elmar]

with a hex editor
i dont know the program but i think it should work
http://www.catch22.net/software/hexedit

[carlosd]

Silly question - I know the MBR is the first sector of the HD, but how do i get access to it? Do i just drag the entire drive into Hexedit and copy/paste the first sector data to you?

Also, i noticed that my HD is formatted at NTFS; does that create a program starting up the bootloader during Windows Boot?

[Elmar]

use this instead http://mh-nexus.de/downloads.php?product=HxD
and make a screenshot of the sectors

[carlosd]

Attached is the screenshot.

At some point in my Bios fiddling before i found out about bootloader, i created a bootable usb thumbdrive and changed the bios setting to look at removable media first. At first, i set the usb drive as HD1 and main drive at HD2; that's when i got the Missing operating system error. I changed it back and was able to boot to Windows normally. That's when I found boot loader and worked on it. I thought the mbr recreated each time?

[Elmar]

i need the boot sector and the output of plpgenbtldr too

[carlosd]

the output

[carlosd]

I believe this is the boot sector.

[Elmar]

i was busy
i hope you did not move any of the plop files since 24 december.

download http://www.milannemec.com/diskview.html and tell me the lcn and vcn of plpbt.bin

[Joline]

Hi,

same problem with me. 

I tried version 5.0.7 and also 5.0.8. Same result: "XO" and blinking cursor.

This is the output from plpgenbtldr.exe:

Code Select Expand

plpgenbtldr v0.7 20090804 - generate boot manager loader, by Elmar Hanlhofer

Clusters for file: C:\plop\plpbt.bin
VCN: 0 LCN: 75821 LEN: 11

Partition start: 0x3f
Sectors per cluster: 8

File LBA: 0x941a7

OK, plpbtldr.bin created.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Windows XP users: add the line below to your boot.ini
C:\plop\plpbtldr.bin="PLoP Boot Manager"

Windows VISTA: please read the documentation in the 1README.TXT file
or online at http://www.plop.at


press any key...

Is there any solution?

Joline

[Elmar]

hi,
currently there is no solution, but maybe we both can fix it.
please download http://www.milannemec.com/diskview.html
go to the tab "location of file" and tell me the lcn and vcn of c:\plop\plpbt.bin

then download/install the hexeditor http://mh-nexus.de/downloads.php?product=HxD
go to extras and open disk, logical c: and make a screenshot and paste it here
then open disk, physical drive, harddisk 1 and make screeshot and paste it here

best regards
elmar

[Joline]

Hi Elmar,

this was quick! 

VCN: 0 LCN: 75821 LEN: 11

Joline

[Elmar]

and now please post a screenshot of diskview tab diskinfo with c: activated

[Joline]

Here it is...

[Elmar]

whats the output if you open again the harddisk 1 with hexedit and enter the value 606631 at sector input field below the menu

[Joline]

a funny saying...

[Elmar]

hmm, all looks good, please post the generated plpbtldr.bin

[Joline]

Here it is.

[Joline]

Hello Elmar,

what means "XO"?

Maybe you can create a version which writes debug informations before executing each codeline/function to the screen / to a file? So you can find out until which line the programm runs.

Joline

[Elmar]

we wrote at the same time
i give you a small test program tomorrow

regards
elmar

[Joline]

OK, fine. I'll wait. 

BTW, if I use a CDROM with PLoP it works great at the same machine.

Joline

[Elmar]

its too interesting. here is a small program. copy it to c:\ and write to your boot.ini c:\info.bin="info"
you should see 4 chars on the screen when you try to run it from the boot.ini

[Joline]

"0000"

I think this is not what you've expected. 

Joline

[Joline]

Crazy!!!

I changed back to 5.0.7 and now it works!!!  But if you are interessted in why it wasn't work I can try to update to 5.0.8 again.

Joline

[Elmar]

strange

both version are using the same code for this, so 5.0.8 should work too.

[Joline]

So, OK. I've found the problem    but no solution. 

It works fine if there is no stick in the USB port. If I plug a stick in it the screen freezes immediatelly / or it boots until "XO".

Joline

[Elmar]

is there any bios usb support?

[Joline]

Yes, for legacy devices but NOT for USB-Boot.

I just switched off the "USB Legacy Device Support" and voilà it works!

Thank you.

Joline

[Elmar]

download http://downloads.plop.at/tmp/plpbt-j.bin and create a new plpbtldr.bin with plpgenbtldr. whats chars do you see now when you start it from the boot.ini

[Joline]

Sorry, I can't. There is no file.     (But you know: Never touch a running system!    )

[Elmar]

ah, its http://download.plop.at/tmp/plpbt-j.bin

[Joline]

xoa0-1

[Elmar]

ok, then i think this should work
http://download.plop.at/tmp/plpbt-j2.bin

[Joline]

Now we have:

"xoab" and a line feed (the cursor flashes in the next line).

Joline

[Elmar]

are you able to disable the usb legacy stuff? maybe its possible to disable only the mass storage related things

[Joline]

I can disable it only in general. But for me it's ok.

If you want to make some further tests give me a sign. Otherwise I return to the offical version 5.0.8 and disable "USB Legacy Support".

Joline

[Elmar]

does it work with 5.0.8 if you disable it?

[Joline]

Yes. If I disable it. Therefore I wrote some entries above: "Solved (for me)" 

[Elmar]

i create a new topic with our discussion. the problem with your pc is different than the boot.ini stuff.

the problem is, your legacy support tells the boot manager that there are 2 harddisks available. the internal and the usb device. the bios tells the boot manager that both are internal drives. the boot manager tries to access the harddisks to check if there are partitions. the access to the internal harddisk is no problem, but when the boot manager access the second harddisk (the usb drive) with the standard bios function, then the pc freezes. maybe a bios update solves this, but you say its ok to disable the legacy stuff, so the workaround is ok.

best regards
elmar

[Joline]

But I think it IS a problem regarding booting with boot.ini because if I boot from CDROM everything works fine.

Joline

[Elmar]

no, it has nothing to do with the boot.ini. everything is loaded correct with the boot.ini stuff. i think, if you use the cd boot, then the bios does not enable the usb disk legacy stuff. so the boot manager detects only one harddisk and there is no problem with the usb drive.

EDIT:
i add a feature to the next release to disable the harddisk scan. then its not required to disable the legacy stuff in the bios. maybe its useful for others too.