A disk read error has occurred

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Guest

I am trying to create a bootable CD (el torito, running XPe) which formats
and installs the OS on the Compact Flash in the embedded device...

I can boot the CD, format the flash (using the fmisf.dll FormatEX function),
and copy the OS files to the flash disk...

But when I reboot the device, it gives the error "A disk read error has
occurred..."

If I format the device using winPE first, this problem does not occur....

I am guessing that the NT boot sector is not being install correctly on the
compact flash... Is there any way to resolve this?

The CD and Image for the Compact flash are both using EWF and NTFS, ewfmgr
reports only the CD is protected when booting the CD (as it should be)...

Thanks for any help....

Simon.
 
The CF is of the non-partitionable kind (connected directly to a CF slot on
the PC-104 board)...
It doesn't need partitioning when booting with WinPE.
 
Hi Simon,

You are using "fmisf.dll FormatEX" on raw CF without partitions?
Do you use your program with this call on both XPe and WinPE?

It is little strange that is it working in one case but not in the other. Also usually neither WinPE nor XPe can write correct disk
geometry to MBR or BPB.

This is reason why many people still use DOS for preparing CF.

Regards,
Slobodan
 
The program that does the format is only being used on the XPe version (I
will try the same code on the WinPE)...
Is there any way to write the correct MBR, geometry etc in XPe?

The intention is for this disk to be a one-click recovery for the device, no
matter what state the CF has got itself in....
 
Hi Simon,
Is there any way to write the correct MBR, geometry etc in XPe?
Click to expand...
Not a 100% way :-(
But have you tried to use diskpart and format?
Also how do you format CF from WinPE? What do you use?

Regards,
Slobodan
 
Stormblade,

DOS/BIOS is usually more realible way to partition and format CF cards. There is somepossible recovery solutions involving DOS, btw,
but you will have to pay the MS-DOS licence fees.

What did you use to format CF from WinPE that worked?

To restore MBR you could use DiskProbe (RK utility) but, unfortunately, it only supports a file path as argument and will be hard to
automate from a commad line :-(

You can use a 3rd party tool, though. E.g., have you considered using ghost to capture the entire CF content and then just restore
it with the same ghost on Recovery?

KM
 
I don't think diskpart works for 'removable' CF disks? I know it is not
partitionable...
To format in WinPE I am using "Format C: /FS:NTFS /A:4096".
 
KM said:
Stormblade,

DOS/BIOS is usually more realible way to partition and format CF cards. There is somepossible recovery solutions involving DOS, btw,
but you will have to pay the MS-DOS licence fees.
Click to expand...
We are already paying licences fees for XPe, so paying for DOS as well is
unacceptable....
What did you use to format CF from WinPE that worked?
Click to expand...
"Format C: /FS:NTFS /A:4096"
To restore MBR you could use DiskProbe (RK utility) but, unfortunately, it only supports a file path as argument and will be hard to
automate from a commad line :-(
Click to expand...
I will look into this... thanks.
You can use a 3rd party tool, though. E.g., have you considered using ghost to capture the entire CF content and then just restore
it with the same ghost on Recovery?
Click to expand...
Again, this is to be a distributable disk for recovery of the device, ghost
would require further licencing....
 
Stormblade,
...>
We are already paying licences fees for XPe, so paying for DOS as well is
unacceptable....
Click to expand...

I thought so.
I think MS-DOS license is somewhere around 30-33$.
You may consider Windows CE. The CE Core license (the one you will need to implement the recovery image) will be 3$. Not expensive,
isn't it?
Although it will require some knowledge&experience from you to create a CE image bootable on your platform.
"Format C: /FS:NTFS /A:4096"
Click to expand...

And after that the boot from the CF works, right?
Interesting..
The only difference on XP between format.com and fmifs.dll is that the latter exports FormatEx. Both are using ifsutil.dll
underneath to do the low level formatting.
So the only problem I can think of is in the FormatEx implementation.

What happens when you use Format.com from your own image you boot off the CD ?
I will look into this... thanks.
Click to expand...

Well.. As I mentioned you will unlikely be able to automate the Recovery with DiskProbe tool :-(
 
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