Re: Partition and Dual Boot MkII (longish)

On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:33:59 GMT, "pmj" <post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>"Hawkeye23" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1mbuo1t1ddqhph59hn2vqh1sqv6qh89e50@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On Thu, 01 Dec 2005 11:27:14 GMT, "pmj" <post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>>"Jeff Gaines" <jgaines_newsid@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>> news:xn0eagy2s2f164001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> On 01/12/2005 Hawkeye23 wrote:
>>
>>>> [snipped]
>>
>> This response is concerned solely with trying to provide info as to
>> what is on my 98 Product Recovery CD compared with what you tell me
>> is on a proper W98SE OS Disc
>

This second attempt has the slightly broader purpose of what W98SE OS
recovery capability exists on my PC more generally (CD+HDD).I
believe/hope there is positive news.
>>
>>>> A 'normal' W98 CD contains the following:
>>>>
>>>> <DIR> ADD-ONS
>>>> <DIR> DRIVERS
>>>> <DIR> TOOLS
>>>> <DIR> WIN98
>>>> README.TXT
>>>> SETUP.EXE
>>>> SETUPTIP.TXT
>>>>
>>>> So you can compare yours with that layout.
>>>
>> The 98 Product Recovery CD has a root dir called WIN98_SE
>
>I presume that's actually the "Volume Label"?
Yes you are right.
>
>> and four sub dirs two of which are on your list (ADD-ONS and WIN98)
>> and two are not (DRIVERS and TOOLS).My other two are PRELOAD and
>> RECYCLED.
>
>Strange - I dunno why there's a Directory called "RECYCLED" on a CD!
>
>But the "PRELOAD" Directory sounds hopeful (& interesting?) - What's in
>that then?

It's a load of files 0000Ninp.inp where N=1to12 plus some other .inp
files plus some DOS-looking .exe files.If that sounds important to you
I can provide a list.
>
>> I do not have the two TXT files nor SETUP.EXE.
>> I do have INSTALL.EXE and INST95.EXE
>
>Hmmm...
>I wonder why there's a File called "INST95.EXE"?
>
>> & Also an Autorun.inf File
>> Yes I do have one of these in the root.
>
>OK - What's in that?

[autorun]
OPEN=INSTALL.EXE
ICON=INSTALL>ICO that's all.
When the CD does autorun a GUI(?) appears called MASTER CD INSTALLER
by AS MEDIA V6 1999.It provides buttons to test WAVE/MPEG/MIDI/AVI
files and more buttons for DEVICE INSTALLN of
SOUND/VIDEO/MODEM/NETWORK cards.Nothing about W98SE or OS recovery.

>
>>> & (usually? - possibly depending on whether it's an OEM or Retail
>>> Version?) a Folder called "cdsample"
>>
>> Mine is OEM according to the key number and the fact that the OS
>> was installed by the PC manufacturer.
>> I do not have the CDSAMPLE folder.
>
>Fair enough - That's not actually needed - but it would help to Identify
>what this CD actually is.
>
>>> In the w98 Folder, there should be not only the .CAB Files, such as
>>> BASE4.CAB (& BASE5.CAB & BASE6.CAB) but also DRIVER11.CAB up to
>>> DRIVER20.CAB Mini.CAB (!<g>) NET7.CAB (& NET8.CAB & NET9.CAB),
>>> PRECOPY1.CAB PRECOPY2.CAB & then the main W98SE Installation .CAB
>>
>> I do have Base 4/5/6.CAB and DRIVER 11 thru20.CAB and NET7/8/9.CAB.
>
>Sounds hopeful then!
> :-)
>
>> I also have NET10.CAB and Catalog3.CAB and CHL99.CAB.
>
>Doh!
>Sorry - I missed off NET10.CAB from the List!
>
>& also yes, there's also CATALOG3.CAB & chl99.cab - that is the thing
>that holds the old (w9x) "Channel" Istuff, that was intended for use
>with the "Active Desktop" that was introduced with w98.
>
>> I do not have Mini.CAB or PRECOPY1or2.CAB Files...
>
>
>Strange!!!
>
>Cos those other .CAB Files were making it look like it *is* actually
>an Install CD!
>
>mini.cab & PRECOPY1.CAB & PRECOPY2.CAB are used early on in the w9x
>Install/Setup Routine.
>
>
>>> WIN98_21.CAB up to WIN98_74.CAB & WIN98_OL.CAB
>>>
>> I do not have any WIN98_**.CAB files
>
>That's a pity!
>
>Cos those .CAB Files are what contains the bulk of the windoze Files
>that get Installed.
>
>Are they in the "PRELOAD" Directory, by any chance?

No.What's in PRELOAD dir described above.

>
>Can you do a "Find Files" on the CD (for "*.cab") & see if the
>WIN98_21.CAB - WIN98_74.CAB Files are *anywhere* on the CD?

I have done and these WIN98_21to74 are not there but see below.
There are aload of *.cab files in E:\ADD-ONS\PWS with strange sounding
names.You might know if these have significance.

>
>>> There will also be various other Files & .COM & .EXE Files,
>>> but you will also need:
>>> Setup.exe & w98Setup.bin
>>
>> There are indeed many and various other files and .COM and .EXE files.
>> I do not however have Setup.exe or w98Setup.bin.

>> The best I can offer is Install.exe and Inst95.exe.Will these do.
>
>OK - P'raps try what Jeff Gaines suggested?
>Either Boot up from a Boot Floppy or from this CD (if it's Bootable),
>into MSDOS & try Running that Install.exe File?
>
>Like Jeff Gaines says, there should definitely be an opportunity to
>Quit out of it, before it actually does anything drastic, if that's
>what it will do.
>
>
>You could also usefully try juust Running it from within windoze!!!
>
>Try that & see what happens.
>
>Post back with what shows up on the very First Screen, when it Pauses
>& waits for any Input, offering any Options.
>
>Also, try Booting up off the CD?
>
>& Post back with what happens - whether you get the normal Boot Menu
>I described or something else.
>

I'll hang off on these slightly hairy experiments until I get your
reaction to the news below.I'm full time on providing the info you
need for the mo'.

>
>We are aiming (at the mo) to establish for definite whether this
>"Factory Recovery" CD that you have is, in fact, a windoze Install CD!
> :-)
>
>Many of them are.
>They are often either a fairly normal Install CD, (possibly Customized
>by the OEM), or sometimes a sort of "Boot Loader", which then Installs
>windoze, using the .CAB Files that are on the Hard Disk - either in a
>Folder somewhere, or in a Hidden Partition.

Now you're talking.With this clue I now see there is a C:\CABS dir
which contains all the missing WIN98_21thru74plus_OL plus the .CAB
files that were on the Recovery CD plus the missing Setup.exe and
w98setup.bin and much much more.
What do you make of that.
There are other dirs in the C:\ called \RESTORE \DRIVERS \Erd and\eru
which may also be relevant.You will I hope advise me.

>
>Others though only just whack on a complete, Pre-Installed "Image"
>from the CD onto a the Hard Disk. (or from an "Image" stored on a
>Hidden Partition on the Hard Disk.
>
>Can you tell us whether or not the Hard Disk does actually have
>a "Hidden" Partition on it?

I did have a little go a day or so ago to look for a hidden partition
with FDisk and to my inexperienced eye it looked as if there wasn't
one.It was all 40GB in one big partition.Ican have another go but I
don't want to delay further sending the above info.

>
>Use FDisk to find that out.
>Or something like PTInfo (or PTInfo32)
>Or PTEdit (or PTEdit32)
>
>Those are very useful (Free) Utilities that PowerQuest used to supply
>- they were taken over by Symantec, but they are still available, if
>you hunt around - & if you can't find them, Post back & I can give you
>a URL to them on my WebSpace (I like to keep some Utilities like
>available, in case I need them).
>
>When we (you!) know a bit more about what Options you have available
>for (Re-)Installing the w98 Installation, then you can decide how to
>handle the business of Setting up a MultiBoot Installation, with both
>w98 & WinXP (& possibly more than one Installation of WinXP & w98)

Yes indeed but there's alimit to the number of issues my mind will
bend to at one time so I'm sticking to W98SE OS installn facilities
for the moment.
I look forward to hearing what you both think of the above info.
Many thanks for your enthusiastic support.

Hawkeye

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Windows Boot Problem
    ... provides more recovery options without having to face losing all your data ... install fails (You don't likely even have a repair install option with your ... >> with the option to setup Windows or Repair Windows Installation ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)
  • Re: Corrupt Windows XP config file
    ... I attempted to install Windows XP in the second partition, ... I then brought up the Recovery Console and used the FIXBOOT command to try ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Why bother...
    ... When he came to pick up his hard drives and recovery disks ... a bit more googling I found loads of Dell pages about them. ... Dell are great for documenting their machines on the Net. ... Was it a custom install or a typical install? ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • HP Pavilion TOTAL crash
    ... > THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE ADVICE. ... > SUZY ... > system builders can install XP to get the new customer started, ... > procedures required with proprietary recovery CD's.. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • WinXP Pro Not Booting === Challenging Problem for Experts - Cant use Recovery Console or Repair, Ins
    ... WinXP Pro Not Booting - Challenging Problem for Experts - Cant use Recovery ... Console or Repair, Install Loops + Encrypted Data to retrive ... Laptop wouldnt boot due to a registry issue/corruption - Was able to go into ... on device install failure or perhaps because of the corrupt registry. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)