Syslinux - Jun 2002 - memdisk and winxp boot disk

syslinux-1.75

We have many legacy boot disks (setup for nics, scsi adapters, ...) and I'm
trying to put all of them on 1 CD which would ask the user "which floppy
image you want to boot?"

I'm using isolinux.
I've a problem with the winxp boot floppy made as per:
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q305595
(format a:  and then  cp ntldr ntdetect.com boot.ini a:)

When booting off the floppy, winxp is booted.
When booting off isolinux+memdisk I get:

==Cannot start Windows because the following file is either missing or
damaged:
<Windows directory>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Install again a copy of the above file
==
Config is
...
...
label 9
    kernel memdisk
    append initrd=winxph.img
...

Using
	kernel winxph.img
causes a bigger error.

Other boot disk works perfectly using the above method.

memdisk messages scroll to fast.

Ideas?


Thanks

-- 
giulioo at pobox.com

Giulio Orsero wrote:
> syslinux-1.75
> 
> We have many legacy boot disks (setup for nics, scsi adapters, ...) and
I'm
> trying to put all of them on 1 CD which would ask the user "which
floppy
> image you want to boot?"
> 
> I'm using isolinux.
> I've a problem with the winxp boot floppy made as per:
> http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q305595
> (format a:  and then  cp ntldr ntdetect.com boot.ini a:)
> 
> When booting off the floppy, winxp is booted.
> When booting off isolinux+memdisk I get:
> 
> ==> Cannot start Windows because the following file is either missing or
> damaged:
> <Windows directory>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
> Install again a copy of the above file
> ==> 
> Config is
> ...
> ...
> label 9
>     kernel memdisk
>     append initrd=winxph.img
> ...
> 
> Using
> 	kernel winxph.img
> causes a bigger error.
> 
> Other boot disk works perfectly using the above method.
> memdisk messages scroll to fast.
> 
> Ideas?
> 
I'm guessing that NT tries to speak to the disk using an internal floppy 
driver, rather than using BIOS INT 13h calls.  Since there is absolutely 
no way for MEMDISK to intercept direct access to the hardware, you'll 
need to make sure that it uses BIOS calls *only* to access the virtual disk.

You may want to look for Microsoft documentation on "nonstandard floppy 
drive", or ask them how to deal with a "nonstandard floppy drive that 
requires BIOS calls".

	-hpa