BleepingComputer.com: boot from two images from a DVD at startup

Hi,

i am wanting to be able to use the memory test utility in windows XP professional but to do this you have to put it on a floppy disk or onto a CD/DVD, I want to be able to use this on the XP disk, but XP already has a boot image called 'image.iso’ and its mounted to the DVD disk already

i tried burning both images onto the DVD but they it didn’t show any of them when i rebooted, i would have to use a boot loader or edit the boot.ini settings in the bootcfg utility

Here is a command i seen on microsofts website that adds two operating systems: or possibly, disk/boot image(s):

bootcfg/copy/d winidag.iso/(leave id# blank)
bootcfg/copy/d image.iso/(id# here)

The ID is for 'boot entry ID' and the drive used for both images on the DVD is drive D:\

‘Image.iso’ is the windows setup/reinstall utility
‘winidiag.iso’ is the memory test utility
I need help on how to get it to work, and if what i think or am doing is right or wrong.

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022)

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 06:23 AM

I'm not sure I understand this correctly. Are you trying to slipstream a memory test with a XP installation disk?

In order to boot from a CD you have to change the boot order so that the CD-ROM is the first device in the boot order. Have you done this?

You haven't mentioned what test you are trying to load. May I suggest that you try Memtest86?

***** A. If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...

1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)
2. Unzip downloaded memtest86+-....iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find memtest86+-....iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate memtest86+-....iso file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run.

The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.

yes i chges the boot sequence so it boots from the DVD/CD drive

both files are disk images , i want to be able to choose if i was the memtest or windows installation at bootup , so you dont have to install windows first then download a ram testing program.

yes im trying to slipstream a memtest from the windows DVD

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 06:49 AM

The article you provided the link to has instructions for choosing a operating system to run. You would have to turn on the computer in order to change the operating system, so I don't see where you will gain anything over just putting the disk loaded with the memory test in the optical drive and then booting from it. How often are you going to need to run a test like this?

This post has been edited by dc3: 14 December 2010 - 06:50 AM

the reason i want this is because if windows messes up and i get into my OS i cn run the memoryetst from the CD outside of the os (a.k.a atbootup)
my operating system freezes up sometimes and i dont have any viruses adn hardly any files exept for the OS, i have 488mb of ram in 2 bays and the minimum requirement of ram for XP pro is 56mb

the reason for the article is, if you can select an OS/OS installer/uninstaller from the DVD drive (as shown) you must be able to select an ISO image (aka the ram test) as the OS is an ISO anyway.

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 07:07 AM

If you follow the instructions for Memtest86 you will wind up with a bootable disk which you can use.

What Microsoft suggests as a minimum amount of RAM and what happens in the real world are usually two different things. I'm guessing that you are looking at Properties in My Computer to see 488MB of RAM. You need to look in System Information to see the total of physical RAM installed. I'm betting that you have two 512MB modules installed which will give you 10224MB of RAM which is ample for XP as long as you aren't using any resource hungry programs.

As for your computer freezing, try this.

Download BlueScreenView
No installation required.
Double click on BlueScreenView.exe file to run the program.
When scanning is done, go Edit>Select All.
Go File>Save Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt.
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all content, and paste it into your next reply.

i have a bootible image for my memorytest but i need it to work on the DVD as well as be able to select the other ISO alternitivley (which is the OS)

in the system information and bios it says 488mb

if i cant get in windows i cant download,install or run any .exe files and thats why i need to be able to boot from a utility that is on the same disk as the winodows instler and OS (the OS is also the installer as you can boot from the cd without installing the OS to the hard drive)

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 07:22 AM

(512 / 1.024) / 1.024 = 488.28 rounded off to 488 MB. Dividing 512 by 1.024 once for kilo and again for mega
and you arrive at 488. So I still win my bet.

What is the make and model of this computer.

I would suggest that you try to find out what is causing your computer to freeze before anything else. If you use the Blue Screen View as I suggested in my last post it will give us a good idea of what is causing your problem.

If you can't boot into your computer you are going to need the operating system installation CD to make any repairs, it the problem isn't hardware related. If you can boot from the CD it will immediately tell you that there is a problem with either the operating system, or the hdd. If it doesn't boot, this usually indicates that there is a hardware problem. Have just the one test slipstreamed with the operating system isn't going to do you much good for a diagnostics purpose.

Edit: Here is information on slipstreaming.

This post has been edited by dc3: 14 December 2010 - 08:17 AM

You can use MagicIso to do this,
http://www.magiciso.com/tutorials/miso-createmultibootcd.htm

but I'm with dc3, I can not see a need to do so.

the computer is a Toshiba L20 197, the other bay of ram was purchased separately so it DEFINEYLEY has 488 because the original ram was either 312 or 176 and the memory i added was either 312 to 176 (in a single bay) this makes 488, the laptop didn’t have that when i bought it.

there is definitely a need because if your hard drive or ram or something else fails you can run the ram test when you boot, that what newer machines and OS's can do, vie done this with a smell-Dell craptop running windows -7 and it could do the ram test if you pressed a hotkey at boot up.

also i already have magic ISO magic and magic drive manager to do any of the CD/DVD side of things ,tis the booting thats the problem.

will the link you sent work with an ISO, one file is an OS and a installer for that OS, the other ISO is the memtest?

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 10:29 AM

Please use the following link to provide us with information about your computer.

How to Publish a Snapshot using Speccy

ok, ill do this as soon as i log on to the computer needed

This post has been edited by kris finney: 14 December 2010 - 10:29 AM

kris finney, on 14 December 2010 - 09:36 AM, said:

Did the MagicIso Multiple Bootable image Editor post any errors when you used it?

i got it running but where is the option in nlite to add another ISO file? also the bios needs to be able to display and or select one of these ISO's one is for windows installation the other is the memory test, iv'e looked at the guide for nlite

This post has been edited by kris finney: 15 December 2010 - 05:51 PM