Partition Magic and the image files

[Jason Krause]

Hello,

This works:
1. Install Windows XP on the target device
2. Format the hard disk
3. Move all of the files from the Windows Embedded Images folder to the
drive
4. Boot off that drive

That works just fine, it does it's boot agent stuff and XPe is installed
just fine.

This does not work:
1. Partition the drive with Partition Magic
2. Format the hard disk with Partition Magic
3. Move all of the files from the Windows Embedded Images folder to the
drive
4. Boot off that drive

I would save a lot of time it I didn't have to install XP on the machine
first. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Jason Krause]

When I do method number two, I get the message:
"Operating system not installed"

 

[dferencz]

Jason,

It sounds like you are simply missing the step of properly partitioning
and formatting your drive. Since you already have the drive attached
to your development PC, it's very simple:

1) Run Disk Manager (right-click on My Computer, select "Manage", then
select "Disk Management")
2) You should see a list of drives (your target drive is probably Drive
1). Right-click on any existing partitions and delete them.
3) Right-click in the space next to your drive, and select "New
Partition".
4) Create a partition of the proper size for your XPe image, and format
it with the proper filesystem (probably NTFS).
5) Last (and very important!), right-click the new partition and select
"Mark Partition as Active".

Now copy over your XPe files and reboot with the target drive
installed.

Note that, to simplify the development process, you can target your XPe
image to a second partition on your first drive; this eliminates the
need to swap drives. Check out Sean Liming's instructions here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...XPE_DUALBOOTDual-BootingTipsForXPEmbedded.asp

-- Don

 

[Jason Krause]

Thanks for the response Don. I actually don't have the drive installed
on my working machine, and I'd prefer not to do it this way. I have a
BartPE boot CD that gives me command prompt interface and some other
tools so that I can copy the Windows Embedded Images information that
way. Also, I did partition it as a primary NTFS partition with
Partition Magic too. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[dferencz]

Sounds like Partition Magic is simply not making it "active" (and
possibly not writing a boot sector). I'm not that familiar with PM,
but I'm sure there's an option to make sure the disk and partition are
bootable.

Anyway, if your boot CD has the DISKPART utility, you can do it this
way:

1) Run DISKPART
2) Enter the following commands:
SELECT DISK 0
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
ACTIVE
ASSIGN LETTER=G
EXIT
3) Use FORMAT to format the new drive (e.g., FORMAT G: /FS:NTFS)

Note that the letter "G" is just temporary (you can't make it "C" since
your boot CD probably already has that letter assigned to an El-Torito
disk.)

-- Don

 

[Jason Krause]

You were exactly right Don. I had forgotten to set the partition as
"active" with Partition Magic. I have it working just the way I want now.

Thank you kindly for your help.

Regards,
Jason

 

[Dietmar]

Hi Jason,

the solution is easy:

Partition Magic makes a DOS Bootsector, nothing from ntldr can be seen
there.
So if you use Partition Magic, after that you have to format the device
on which you want to put your XPE image once more, but now from your
running XP.

Nice to hear from you
Dietmar

 

[KM]

Dietmar,

Not sure what you meant by "DOS Bootsector" but just guessing by the name I am wondering why you think it cannot be seen by the
NTLDR? In fact, this is how ntldr was intended to work in first place.