Asus 1005P XP from USB Flash Drive and dual boot win 7 & XP

THE PLAN
1.  Use nLite to create an XP image on the hard disk and then add SP3 and the 1005P drivers to that image.
then
2.  Use WinToFlash. to transfer the Windows XP installation files to a USB flash drive.

PREPARATION
Down load nlite from www.nlite.com
Down load WinToFlash.
Download XP Serice pack 3 from microsoft.  Got the stand alone version of SP3
Download all the 1005P drivers from the asus web site.
Download  EasyBCD   http://neosmart.net/

ASUS DRIVER PREPARATION
The Asus drivers downloaded as 1 zip file per driver.  I put all the zip files in one directory and then unzipped each one into its own directory with the same name as the zip file.  Then I went through the directories and deleted any sub directories that said things line Vista or W7.

1.  CREATE XP IMAGE ON HARD DISK
Read references 1 and 2 below.
1.1 Download nlite from www.nliteos.com
1.2 Installed it
1.3 Attached USB DVD drive.  Put my genuine Microsoft XP disk in the drive.
1.4 Ran nlite.
1.5 Pointed nlite to the DVD drive and to a new directory on my C drive
1.6 nlite just did its thing.  Took a couple of minutes.
nlite is still running
1.7  ADD SP3
 SP3 is added with nlite.  I just navigated to the downloads directory and pointed it at the microsoft file
WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU
and nlite just injested it and all seemed right with the world.
1.8. ADD 1005P DRIVERS
Pointed nlite at the driver directory and chose the add directory with multiple drivers.  It brought up a screen where I chose all the XP versions.
Clicked OK and let it go.

2 WINTOFLASH
Ran it.  Bit worried about a russian program that even tells me it wants to report back to base.  Esp as it wants my XP key.
Anyway, let it go and it created a USB with files on it.


3  DUAL BOOT
3.1 Use the in built Win 7 partition manager to create a new partition on the C: drive.  Because the Win7 control panel is unlear to me, use the start>search function to seeach for "partition"
Ran the partition tool.  It took a while to determine available space.  Told it to shrink by 100GB.  This only took half a minute at most.
3.2 Format as "New Simple Volume", Quick Format and named it XP

Now we are about to try to install XP onto our new partition from the USB drive.
Hopefully see you on the other side.

........> FAIL
On boot, I press ESC to bring up a boot selection menu and choose to boot from the USB drive.
Selection 1 is a text mode boot
Selection 2 is a GUI boot.
Section 2 is the default.  Choosing this option results in a plain black screen.
When I choose option 1, the boot process starts and eventually gets to a screen where it incorrectly identified the D drive as formatted as FAT32 when it is definatly NTFS.  It offers to reformat it as NTFS.  If I take that offer then it tells me the volume is corrupt and can not be repaired.

11-OCT-2011
Go back and recreate the image on the Hard Disk and only add SP3 and the SATA driver.
This gets further into the process but it is time consuming so I go to bed.
In the morning there is a boot error showing on the screen.
Now the dam thing won't boot to either win7 or xp.  Always this boot error.
I suspect it is a combination of SATA/IDE & boot sector issues.


On boot, press ESC to bring up the boot selection menu.  Choose the USB drive.
Select item 3.  This is repair disk 1 partition 2
XP boots.
So I assume the boot record is corrupt
In XP I can get everything to work except the wireless.  So no internet yet.

12-OCT-2011
Ran EasyBCD   http://neosmart.net/
but it got stuck wanting the internet that XP does not see.
Downloaded vista boot pro 3.  Not sure if that will work as we have Win 7 but anyway.

-----------------------------------
13-OCT-2011
Reinstalled WIN7 from the Asus recovery CD.  This completely wipes the entire disk.
Used the WIN7 disk manager to create a 100MB partition D

Created directory C:/XPCD
Copied the XP disk from the USB DVD drive onto the local C drive intoXPCD
Copied XPCD to XPCDcopy (so I do not have to do it again)

Ran nLite
Chose "Integrate Service Packs" Addons and Update packsand "Drivers"
Navigated to the XP SP3 download.  NLite slipstreamed that in.
Addons and Updates - Navigated to the directory where I had downloaded dot net and its updates
.
Inserted these in this order  (See http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en&id=10006)
dotnetfx35.exe
NDP20SP2-KB958481-x86.exe
NDP30SP2-KB958483-x86.exe
NDP35SP1-KB958484-x86.exe
dotNetFx40_Client_x86_x64.exe


Drivers -> Chose "Multiple driver folder"
Chose from the large number only to install :-
SATA
WLAN
(Text mode) whatever that is

nLite then does a whole lot of processing.

 








REFERENCES
1.   http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:nlitexp
2.   http://en.kioskea.net/faq/6304-how-to-slipstream-windows-xp-sp3-and-vista-sp1
3.  http://liliputing.com/2009/08/easiest-way-to-install-windows-on-a-netbook-with-a-usb-flash-drive.html
4.  http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-installed-windows-7-computer-with-xp/

jolicloud

My Asus 1005P  EEE Netbook with pre installed windows 7 starter is runing like a dog.

I figured it might be interesting to see how it goes with Linux.  Probably a good thing for me too learn a bit more about inux anyway.  So went looking for instructions on how to dual book windows 7 and Linux and found Jolicloud

http://inthecellar.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/the-jolicloud-experience/
" it’s basically a Linux/Ubuntu-based operating system....."
So went to 
http://www.jolicloud.com
and are downloading a windows installer that claims to install the jolios and to keep windows.
Lets see how it goes.

Windows Deployment Software

Objective:
To find a software package that will help automate the installation of programs under wondows. A bit like the linux APT-GET function which automatically downloads and installs packages.
One solution would be a program where I entered a list of programs and the locations of their insallation files and copied my installation disks to various directories on a big hard disk.

Allmyapps

http://allmyapps.com/

Claim one click installation.  and amazingly it does it.  One creates a list "my list" and puts apps on it and then click install all.  Mind you I was glad I had installed AVG first because it blocked the installation of several toolbars to my web browser.

altiris
Symantec

automationanywhere
automationanywhere.com
$ $695.00

Appupdater
nabber.org
Appupdater-1.4.2.exe

ALEMEZA $US100
http://www.almeza.com
There is something in my Toshiba that is preventing this program from recoding the scripts. It works well on the Asus.

For this program, you have to download the disks or files yourself and then install each one once. It tracks the mouse and key presses. Then you can use the script files to automate reinstalls but obviously only of the same programs. I have not worked out how you export the script files. Nor can I work out what is stopping it working on the toshiba which is a real pain.


Cnet Techtracker $20 although there is a free version.
Note this claims
Selective or batch installs
So I paid my $20.
But I can not find out how to actually do this. I sent a email to Cnet.  The responded which is great.  BUT said sorry no it only does updating
NO batch installing.




Crambis Softwareupdater $25.20 interesting amount???
http://softwareupdater.carambis.com/Digitally signed as ROSTPAY???
Only updates. Now installation of new programs and only the programs that they have in their repository and no way to add more programs.

Desktop7 $300-700 BUT free for upto 25 puters. could be the thing for home!
http://www.manageengine.com
he download is common for free and trial editions. It will first install as a trial edition without any restriction for 30 days. After the trial period expires, it automatically gets converted to a free version, which can only manage up to 25 computers.


Freeaps
http://www.freenew.net
One click installation of freeware. Only from their list but a nice quick way to do it.


EMCO
http://emcosoftware.com/remote-installer
Freeware and $49



GETIT
puchisoft.com
http://puchisoft.com/GetIt/#final
The getit.exe Downloads appsnap and appupdater
Seems to get stuck. Has a dos window open that says "AttributeError: ImportResult instance has no attribute 'KEYEXPIRED'
And another window opened titled 'GetIt" and stating Updating Appupdater's Master Repository...
Finally got it going but many of the apps "fail to connect"

INSTALLPAD
http://installpad.com/applists

"InstallPad loads a file named applist.xml that resides in the same folder as the InstallPad executable. Applist.xml contains a list of applications that can be downloaded and installed. InstallPad is most useful when you customize this file to include your own applications. "

NINITE
http://ninite.com/
There is a free version but it seems we are limited to only the aps they support. But gee it looks like a great idea

QWINAPT
http://code.google.com/p/qwinapt/
I think it is also old and no longer supported

Software Informer
http://software.informer.com/
This program builds a list of programs on my computer then tells me what updates are available.
For new apps, it tries to provide a one click down load from the publishers web site but gets it wrong often enough that I end up just going to the poblishers web site anyway.
php for example.




Unattended
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/
Your network environment must meet the following requirements:

• a DHCP server,
• a DNS server,
• a file-server that will host Unattended and all installation files. From now on, this server will be referred to as "Unattended server".

Ah nope. I do not have this. I may have but I was thinking stand alone pc with a huge USB hard disk.

Winapt
Last update in 2009. Does not sound hopeful

Win-Get

Another last update in 2009
http://sourceforge.net/projects/windows-get/
http://windows-get.sourceforge.net/index.php - DEAD

Toshiba U300 XP reinstall

My Toshiba U300 has become very very sloooow to boot and will hand when one right clicks on files in windows explorer (file manager).

A new 500GB hard disk was only $66 so I figured buy one and put it in and keep the old one as a back up. (I would have to back up somewhere.)
3pm
In goes the new HD and I put the recovery media in the laptop DVD drive.
Disk 1 then after a reasonable delay disk two and it gets stuck. Some kind error and so try a few more times.
Go home.
5pm
Try to use an external USB DVD drive.
The first disk would get stuck in an endless rebooting cycle.
Eventually succeeded in copying disk 2 on another PC and the copy would read in the internal drive and so we were able to luckilly get XP to install and run. Hopefully all the rest of the disks can come in via USB or network.
12am go to bed


I wish I could work out how to get some kind of automated installation process to occur.

8:00 am Tuesday
WINDOWS XP
79 updates to install. Set it going and went to bed. In the morning more to go.

MS OFFICE
Tried to install Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 but it wanted XP service pack 3 which apparantly had not been installed in said 79 critical updates.
There it is and not we have to re boot.

AVG-
AVG web site -> Looked at the Download options. Hmm not sure what our license covers so downloaded the "recomended" AVG Internet security 2011. Luckilly one of the first steps is to type in the license number. Which is acceoted. Installed. & Updated.

Reboot.
Checked it is NTFS.

MS OFFICE
Tried to install Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010. Success. And outlook 2010 is working heaps faster than the old outlook and has found my mail on gmail. I was not so excited about the search function on Thunderbird so will give the new oulook another go.

And another 67 updates. At least that seems to happen automatically.

Date & Time wrong.
Start>Control Panel>Date & Time Properties.
)Internet Time - Tried "Update Now" a couple of times and it stayed wrong.
)Date & Time - Manually fixed the date.
Retried )Internet Time - Tried "Update Now" - & it worked.

11:24 Am
Outlook has hung.
The outlook screen is very visually busy.
Going back to Thunderbird


-------------------------------------------------
Do NOT install these programs
Norton (anti)virus
Windows desktop search. (This removes the traditional search in windoes explorer)

------------------------------------------------

PROGRAM LIST to INSTALL
XP PRO SP3
Firefox
AVG Anti Virus
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010
Addin tools menus for office
Acrobat reader
Brother Printer Drivers 8660 (z:\CDs\Brother 8660DN...) and 9450
Angry IP Scan
Win Dir Stat
----Make ghost image ------- - done
Notepad++
Protel Altium 99SE
Altium Summer08
Adobe Premiere 6
Adobe Premiere Elements 4
Nero DVD burning software & its update
Thunderbird -
Apache
mysql
php
Virtual box
PDF creator
K-lite codec pack
Screen monkey
Serif video edit program
DVD Decryptor
Zumodrive

-----------------------------------------------------------
THUNDERBIRD notes
http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-GB/thunderbird/
Addons:-
Zindus - Google calender sync
Enhanced search add on
Fix default reply to - Right click the account (left side under all folders)
Select "Composition and Addressing", Then,
Drop down Box, select "Start my reply above the quote"
Get Addins
Provider for Google Calendar
Lightning (Actual Calendar user interface)
Zindus (Google Contact Sync)
To connect the Thunderibird calendar to google
In the google web interface, on the left side under "My calendars", click "settings",
Calendars tab> click on calendar name, scroll down to "private Address", click XML
Copy the URL.
Switch back to thunderbird.
Open the (currently blank "home" calendar)
Select file>new>calendar
Give it a name, paste the url, enter the gmail login name and password etc.
--------------------------------------------------
APACHE, MYSQL, PHP
Install in this order
1. Apache
2. mysql
3. php
because apache and mysql can each be tested on their own.
Then after getting both going in their default configurations,
Fix up
httpd.conf and
php.ini
...........................
1. APACHE

2. MYSQL
mysql-installer-5.5.11.7.msi 189MB and did the install all option.
Needs dot net framework 4.0
Lets run widows update yet again. All this manual installation is enough to make one try to actually run off linux.

Blogger editor wont load - spinning issue

Grr frustration city.
Last night I tried to edit my blog on my net book (Windows 7) and the editor would not load. I was already feeling stresses / anoyed so I did not think straight and figured it was a problem with the netbook which was running rediculously slow anyway. So I downloaded a new version of firefox. Uninstalled the old version, deleted the entries under program files and installed the new version. No different.

Today I boot my laptop (XP) and the problem is there too. Then booted the virtual machine and ran firefox inside the VM (XP). Problem there too. Tried ie several times too.

Seach on google shows that people have been experiencing this for ages. So it sounds to me like the underlying cause has not been addressed. There are various blogs that suggest clearing caches etc.

Anyway, tried upating fireox to the latest - 4.01
Updated adobe flash to the latest.
Problem still there

http://knownissues.blogspot.com/search/label/outstanding
We're aware of the issue preventing the post editor from loading for some users. Our team is investigating this right now and we hope to have this sorted out as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

— latest update on Monday, May 09, 2011

Lets hope they fix it.
In the mean time, I have switched to the "old editor"
This is done by:-
Go to dashboard
Down under the blog name it says
New Post – Edit Posts – Comments – Settings – Design – Monetize – Stats
Choose Settings
Scroll down and under "Global Settings"
Find Select post editor.
Choose "Old editor"
Click save setting.
Throw salt, touch wood, cross legs, fingers etc.
--------
11-MAY-2011 The new editor is working again.
 http://knownissues.blogspot.com/search/label/fixed
We're aware of the issue preventing the post editor from loading for some users. Our team is investigating this right now and we hope to have this sorted out as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Update: 5/10  This is fixed and the post editor should load without issue now.

— latest update on Monday, May 09, 2011

Backing up

The recent crisis with megan's laptop has prompted me to consider getting a decent back-up regime going here at home.

In my view the basic requirement is that the backing up process needs to occur automatically.  As we all know, no one ever backs up.  Well they may do once or twice but to be sure they do not do it regularly.

So today I wandered down to Office Works to see what they had on offer.

One option was a Seagate Black Armor NAS110 for $199 including some version of Acronis backup software.
I was tempted.  Single box ready to go solution.  Somewhat concerned that if it does not do wat I need then I would be stuck.  Also concerned because they seem to have locked it up physically and so if the internal had disk were to die then it could be hard to replace.

Decided instead to purchase a 3" external USB hard disk 2TB for $128.

At home, pressed an old desk top carcas into action.  It has XP on it and a small hard disk of its own but only 2GB of free space.  Good enough for a start.

Plugged on the new external USB disk.
Downloaded the free version of syncback from http://www.2brightsparks.com
Loaded it.

Set Megans's C drive to shared.
Observed the clock on the new desktop was wrong and that it would not sync with a internet time server.  Gave up and set the time manually.
Enetered a "profile" to back up Megan's entire C drive.  Set it running.

Set my "my documents" to shared and I am about to go and see if I can get it to back up mine as well.

Need to work out a way to put passwords onto the shares I create so that when Megan takes her computer elswhere and hooks onto a LAN somewhere like at church that her files arn't visible to everyone.

UPDATE 21-3-2011
Have decided that sharing disks on each laptop  is not the way to go as it opens up a can of worms regarding security.
Now looking for a backup program that can be installed on each computer that will quietly check if the laptop can see the back up disk and if it can then it will do the backup task.  This way only the back up disk needs to be shared.

Backup programs 24-3-2011

GFI Backup
I did a full backup and then set it to do an incremental backup each hour.  I got to work and of course it could not see the back up disk. and it told me so.  I clicked every check box I could find but still every hour it popped up and let me know.  So it was uninstalled to save my sanity.

Syncback (Free)  http://www.2brightsparks.com/download-syncback.html
Does not do versioning.  Changed files over write old ones.
Does just copy in normal windows file format.  No special proprietary file format and no special restore tool required.

http://backup.comodo.com      ->Did not understand the user interace

EVACopy   -> Did not understand the user interace

Ace backup
have to use proprietary file format if versioning required
Dont know how to specify which directories to actually back up

personal backup   www.personal-backup.ratlev-home.de
This is a bit of a dangerous one as it would not uninstall.  After I ran the uninstaller, it was still there.  I rebooted and it tried to do a backup on shutdown.  After I managed to reboot, it was not present in start>programs etc but it was present in the system tray at the bottom right of the screen.  It was not present in Control panel> add remove programs.  Its still not actually removed but I have stopped it from starting.

http://www.freebyte.com/fbbackup/

Syncback SE    ($50)  http://www.2brightsparks.com
Looks like we will try this.

Bootable USB flash drive + Ghost

Need
USB Flash Drive
USB Floppy Drive
Floppy Disk

1 Format the floppy as a bootable MSDOS floppy disk
 Refer:  http://www.computerhope.com/boot.htm

1. Place diskette in the computer.
2. Open My Computer, right-click the A: drive and click Format.
3. In the Format window, check Create an MS-DOS startup disk.
4. Click Start

Format the USB flash drive
usb_format.exe
(where does it come from Hmmm?)

Copy the entire contents from the floppy to the flash drive
Copy Ghost.exe from wherever to the flash drive.

Access the bios to set the computer to boot from the USB
On Toshiba M300 and U300
press F12 to access the "Multi Boot Menu"  This allows booting from flash drives.  (F2 access bios and does NOT allow booting from USB)