Re: XyWrite/NB with BartPE

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from Harry Binswanger  on
Sun, 27 May 2007 22:04:03 -0400


> If I understand BartPE correctly--yes Xy4! But that's
> assuming: a) BartPE is free

Ah! "Free" as in freeloading, "charity as a primary virtue",
etc.?

> and b) I don't have to
> have my (never supplied) XP installation
> disc to set up BartPE.

It depends. If you have a preloaded OS on your computer, with
all the *installation files* in the \I386 directory, then you
don't need an XP (or Server 2003) installation disk. In other
words, if when you bought the machine, you were able to install
XP from scratch directly from files already on the hard disk,
then you're OK. The minimum required OS is XP Home SP1; also
accepted are XP Pro SP1 and Server 2003 (not Vista). If you
installed the original XP with no Service Packs, then you MUST
slipstream \I386 from SP1 or SP2. It's easy to identify the
\I386 dir: it is right below the root (e.g. C:\I386), and
nearly all the files in it need to be EXPANDed, i.e. their
*.EXTensions end with an underscore (e.g. ACCTRES.DL_).

Otherwise you do need an installation disk, and (depending on
your disk) you may need to slipstream SP1 or SP2. A
"restoration disk" or hidden partition, which restores a
computer to its condition ab initio, will NOT suffice -- those
are just ghosted images of an already-installed virgin OpSys.
You need a true retail installation disk.

All information about BartPE at http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder

> I see BartPE is free only for the trial.

No. It's free, period. A few plugins are commercial, because
obviously to get e.g. the Acronis True Image plugin to work, you
need to own Acronis True Image. And maybe there are people who
sell plugins that do amazing things, I dunno. But Bart did the
heavy lifting: six months of work, just as he did with his
earlier DOS Boot Disks (which were always my primary rescue
tool). That's all free.

> can't get the boot disc it made to get me to either the
> program or the command prompt

Do you have a Go menu? When you compile, you need to checkmark
options for the DOS plugin and pick the programs you want. It
all works perfectly.

> I did not, repeat did not, have to use the I386 method.
> I borrowed a clean unencumbered XP Pro SP2 install disk instead

You make that sound like the easier, preferred way to build
BartPE. Actually, an SP1+ \I386 dir is by far the simplest way
to go -- and the fastest.

> I used my BartPe disk last month. I'd deleted a
> registry entry that prevented the computer from
> initializing XP. I'd backed up the registry with ERUNT,
> but for the life of me couldn't figure out how
> to get to NTFS C:\, my only partition, to a DOS
> prompt on the HD to run ERDNT on the hard drive.

Seems to me that one of the main attractions of BartPE is native
access to NTFS. I've always formatted the BootDrive as FAT32 so
that a DOS-based (Win98) rescue disk can address it (Lars
Hederer makes a huge point of this in his docs to ERUNT). Also,
I simply can't understand why anybody would not partition their
disk! To throw all your eggs in one basket makes no sense to
me. And the backup/restore times are insane!

If one thing is certain as death and taxes, it's that your hard
drive WILL fail, and you'll be depressed. Just a matter of
time. Everyone should develop a clear strategy for recovery
while your computer is healthy!

Anyway, I intend to make a XyWrite plugin, although it may be
weeks away... busy busy.

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
-----------------------------