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Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash
Using WIN98SE desktop, USB CF adapter, Ranish Partition Manager

New MessageCreating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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ranman:

success!! the first version of Ranish i downloaded was 2.38, and it didn't recognize the USB/ATA CF card as a disk. got version 2.40 directly from Ranish's site, and finally got it to see the CF card's partition table with the command:

C:\> part -d 3

which reported the strangest bunch of partition table entries you've ever seen. used the <DEL> key to wipe out everything but the MBR, then used the <INS> key to define a new partition table entry. set it up as FAT-16, saved it, made it bootable, and then did

C:\> sys g:

and it works in the IA-1! now i get a C:\> prompt on the screen, and can perform a directory listing of the WinCE SanDisk partition D:



RBUF           <DIR>  03-31-00  9:37a

UPGRADE INF        5  06-15-00  9:58p

NK0     BIN  682,415  04-07-00  1:03a

CLIENTID DAT      55  01-29-02  8:51p

USERS          <DIR>  07-08-00 12:41p

anyway, now it looks like i'll be able to break out the 256 MB CF card, with Dolly, and get the MSN 1.0 partition backed up. thanks for all your help!!

keith721

11-10-2001 19:20:38

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) Musicman38
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Keith,

If I understand you, you have managed to get your IA-1 to boot in Windows 98SE ??
This is great !!
I will have my two IA-1's that I ordered in a few days.
Could you please explaine how this is done..

I guess I will need some directions on how to do this..

Basically All I really want to do is access the Web through a USB ethernet adaptor using my own ISP.

Can I just use the windows CE already installed to do so ?

I have asked several others and so far no one has replied..

Can you please gine me some direction..

Your time very much apperciated.. Please email me if you like..

Phil..
musicman38@mindspring.com

11-10-2001 19:37:42

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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musicman38:

not full-blown GUI WIN98SE, just yet, because i haven't finished saving off the MSN 1.0 WindowsCE software, nor updating to the MSN 2.0 WindowsCE software. what i have successfully done is the same thing as bballctaulbee, get Windows 98 command mode MS-DOS to load from the Compact Flash port, so that I can backup the existing software using 'dolly.exe' to image copy what's there from the factory.

apparently, there are two logical disk partitions saved on the SanDisk internal chip. the first has the user profiles, a file nk0.bin and is about 14 megabytes in size. the second partition has a couple of bitmaps, the WindowsCE loader binary, a file nk.bin and is about 2 megabytes in size.

anyway, as soon as i get through the backups and upgrades this weekend, i'll work to get the WIN98SE GUI installed on the IA-1, if possible. as for networking, i don't know that you'll be able to use the existing WindowsCE MSN software to do this with any success. between micro$oft and compaq they've managed to screw down the IA-1 fairly well. you'll probably need to prepare and load either WIN98, WIN98SE, Linux, or QNX to allow enough flexibility for what you desire. more information as i get through it...

keith271

11-10-2001 20:26:10

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) ranman
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Keith721,
Did you use that same card for backing up your audrey? If so, then I know that 4 very wierd partitions were on my card that I had used for backing up my audreys.

Anyways, I posted pics of my IAone running win98, with winCPU showing the processor


http://www.geocities.com/ranman/dcp_0332.jpg

ranman

11-10-2001 21:58:13

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) Musicman38
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Ranman,

Do you think it's possible that I could keep the Windows CE on the IA-1, because all I need to do with it are the following..

(1) Use my Own ISP.. (Earthlink..)
(2) Use a compatable USB ethernet adaptor to access my ISP..
(3) Access my Homeseer Web pages from it over my Local Lan..

I also have 2 Audrey's that are working very well for this application, but I could not resist the IA-1's at the closeout price..

So what do you or Keith think ???

Thanks,
Phil..

11-10-2001 22:17:38

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) ranman
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Phil,
If you don't mind paying the $9.95 a month to MSN, and buying the supported USB adapters then I think you would be able to do what you want just fine. But, using the wince (msn companion) the IAone is very slow, and the browser looses space to the taskbar on the bottom of the screen. Also, although there are 2 button on the keyboard, the each function only as a LEFT mouse click. There is no such thing as a RIGHT mouse click. I don't know if that would be a problem for you or not. So the cost would be $120 per YEAR, for the MSN and whatever cost you could find the supported usb adapters for.

But by buying a 256meg CF card for each, you could do whatever you wanted and run win98 or 98se, and actually use it as a full computer, just as your desktop. And then you could use any USB adapter as long as win98/se supported it (I am sure they do or they would be out of business). Total cost would be $200 plus whatever you could find the cheapest USB adapters for.

Finally you could wait a little while until somebody perfects jailbait (if I knew enough about it I would have). Mine was functional minus sound, modem and most importantly internet - which is the most important part - probably because I was too cheap to buy the proper USB adapter. So you could download jailbait, buy a supported adapter such as some of the 10/100 ones (not my linksys 10bt) and start working almost immediately. Or you could wait a while until someone gets various USB adapters to work which shouldn't be too hard (all that's need I guess is a different usb module --- for the linux-savvy people) then you could do what you want for just the cost of the USB adapters.


By the way, you are using Homeseer to control your x-10 stuff, eh?


ranman

11-10-2001 22:39:15

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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ranman:

i had used the 32 MB SanDisk CF card with my Audreys, but the bizarre partition table appeared on it even after i 'formatted' it under Win98SE with the CFPREP tool, and FORMAT /S G: and SYS G: commands. anyway, wiping out ALL the partition table entries on the CF card, then using Ranish to create a proper FAT-16 (not FAT-12!!) bootable partition with a 'standard IPL' bootstrap before copying the IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM files solved the problem.

as bballctaulbee reported in another thread and Ranish states in his README.TXT, Win98 FDISK and FORMAT appear to be intentionally limited to enabling and marking a single boot partition, even if you're not working with the primary hard disk drive. i guess if you work in Redmond, OR, there isn't ANY OTHER operating system in the world, huh?

so, the IA-1 updated to MSN 2.0 last night, since the screens look quite different, there's more sounds, and there's an option for broadband connection ) i'll be backing this up to my 256 MB Memorex CF card, then over to the Win98 backup directory, and sanitizing whatever personal data i can find in the image with the 'frhed' hex editor.

really like the look of Win98 running on your IA-1. hope i'll get there, sometime later this week. with dolly.exe, Gemulator Explorer, and a 256 MB CF card, we can keep multiple images for the IA-1 on a Win98 hard drive, and boot with whatever (Linux, QNX??) operating system suits us at the moment.

your information and assistance has been an invaluable resouce. thanks for all your hard work earlier this year with your IA-1.

keith721

11-11-2001 08:06:26

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) Musicman38
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Ranman,

Yes I am using Homeseer, and also have 2 Audrey's that worked pretty much out of the Box after the internet upgrade to allow me access the Internet and my LAN server hosting the Web pages. My Audreys let me have full access to all my X10 devices, Audio Video stuff and more..

I hope I have just as good of success with the 2 IA-1's that are on their way.

I wish I could just dump the MSN companion and just keep Windows CE on the machine, seems it would be faster and more streamlined.

But I need the USB adaptor to work and My own ISP to work on IA-1..

Phil..

11-11-2001 14:44:23

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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sheesh - you'd think that a 256 megabyte compact flash card would be sufficient, but, hey, it's microsloth we're talking about here. i deleted the last several win98_XX.cab files, since these contain mostly optional files, but setup really wants to have 205 megabytes free before starting. so, i used the setup switch to ignore disk space checking, but didn't have all the cab files needed, so it asked for the cd-rom. good thing this IA-1 has a cd-rom installed anyway, cleaned up some of it, selected even fewer options in setup components, and now instead of stopping at 26% of the file copies, it's gotten to 46% before complaining.

ranman: did you build your CF on your Win98 desktop system, and then use it, or did you build it on the IA-1, itself? thanks in advance...

11-11-2001 15:48:51

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) ranman
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After various attempts, I found the best way on my microdrive was to copy all of the cabs files (105mb) to it as well as the drivers for the usb adapter. Then went through the painstakingly long install process - I used the setup option that I mentioned in a previous thread so it wouldn't detect hardware devices - otherwise it hangs at 17% of detecting devices.

Then when I got it installed, I could run the install/setup for everything else from files stored on another computer.


I also tried installing windows me but never had enough room as I only had the update CD, so with the 105mb for win98, 154mb for winme, there was no room for the install of winme. So for winme, I just copied over the windows dir and program files dir from a computer, put it on my microdrive and ran it. Naturally it wanted a bunch of files at bootup, and took a long time, because even with the 340 it kept running out of space. Oh well.


With the 256mb flash, you might try doing that, copying over the windows dir and program (if you want) files dir ON A FRESHLY INSTALLED windows 98 computer. Otherwise you will end up with all the extra crap that you will have to delete anyways. Then make sure you have the usb network card drivers somewhere on the flash. Then, when it boots up, it might ask for a .cab or 2 so you will have to take the CF out again and copy the files over and then reboot - unless it allows you to connect to the lan right away. I can't say because I never tried this for win98/se - but for winme it didn't work - I had to take the microdrive out each time and put on it the files it needed.

The other way to do it is to use 98lite, but then it didn't seem to allow windows update to work for me. But that might not be a concern for you. I wanted ie5.5 and other updated files.

Hope this helps.


ranman

11-11-2001 16:04:06

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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well -- i'm calling it a night. copying relevant portions of my current desktop WIN98SE install is really painful, just as ranman suggested. i can get the NET commands working at DOS level, but can't boot into GUI Safe mode without blue screen errors. so, tomorrow and later this week, i'll remove QNX from the old P5-133 warhorse (slow, but convenient) and install Win98 and Win98SE, at the most compact, lean level possible. from there, i can network the minimal WIN98SE image to my main PC, where I can copy it to the CF card.

keith721

11-11-2001 18:37:38

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) GRISHNAKH
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yeesh i'm starting to feel like a dummy. what's the secret to getting fdisk and ranish 2.40 to recognize my CF card? i can see the card fine in win98 but when i open a dos box fdisk and ranish only see the main hard drive. i've tried "restart in MS-DOS mode" and that doesn't see the card either. i've tried it on 2 computers with the same result. maybe i'm missing something obvious
11-14-2001 11:30:17

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) ranman
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Grish,

Do you have a USB compact flash reader or PCMCIA one? I have used both while in a dos box in Win98.

BUT, the key point is that in order for randish and other to see the CF card in has to be in the reader at bootup, whether it be a PCMCIA or USB reader.

If you boot just to DOS, then you would have to have the drivers installed for the pcmcia reader. And then USB wouldn't work either.

So, here's what to do:

1. Put the CF card in the reader
2. Reboot
3. Stay in windows98
4. Open a DOS box.

It should work from here. Hope this helps.


ranman

11-14-2001 12:40:09

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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And, now -- only a little more than a week later (three days of off-site training, both weekend days at the office covering a difficult project) I'm posting this from IE5.5 on Win98SE on my IA-1, using the 256MB Flash card. I don't have the sound drivers installed yet, but i'll get there sometime this week. I'm just glad it's working, so I can back it up, and move forward, hopefully using a micro-drive.

See you folks during the week...
keith721

11-18-2001 19:00:16

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) mrbug
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if anybody could help i can't get ranish or fdisk to see my cf 64mb card


thanks for helping me!

11-18-2001 19:48:16

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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mrbug:

first, we need to know a little more about your hardware configuration:
a) PCMCIA or USB adapter for the CF?
b) who manufactured the CF adapter?
c) what is the model number of the CF adapter?
d) who manufactured your CF card?
e) what size is the CF card?

and, of course, the relevant software questions:
f) what version of Ranish Partition Manager do you have?
g) are you running Windoze or Linux or BSD?
h) if Windoze, which: Win95 OSR2, Win98, Win98SE, WinME, WinNT, Win2000, WinXP ?
i) if Linux, which variant and version?

Presuming that you're using Win98 or Win98SE, a single hard disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, and a USB CF reader:
a) better luck has been reported with Microtech Zio! adapters than SanDisk
b) SanDisk has manufactured different USB adapters, be certain which model you're using
c) place the CF card into the USB adapter
d) cold boot your computer (power it completely down, and then restart it.)
e) be certain that you can see the CF card as a removable disk drive (E: probably) in Windows Explorer
f) open an MS-DOS window
g) use the Ranish Partition Manager to look at the CF card:
C:\> part -d 2

let us know how it goes....
keith721

11-18-2001 21:12:55

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) mrbug
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sorry i was not helpful with my info!

im using a sddr-31 sandisk i have win98se on my pc and 2 hard drive the cf card is
a sandisk 64 mb
so i used fdisk it can not see the cf card and also ranish 2.40 could not see anything to
i used ranish -d 3 can't read drive info
and did cold boot nothing work
thanks!!

11-19-2001 08:36:14

New MessageRE:Creating bootable WIN98SE compact flash (modified 0 times) keith721
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i found that, even with two hard disk drives, and two cd-rom drives, Win98SE sometimes skipped over a slot in the partition table, before inserting the data for the CF card. try using 'part -d 4' and see if that finds it, or just 'part' and then F5 to move through the partition table entries.
11-19-2001 14:51:10

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