OSS can't boot XP

Hello ADD users,

I tried to replace the good old PowerQuest BootMagic by OSS, but I ran into a problem with XP. XP is on the 1st (primary) partition of the 1st disk and formatted with NTFS. OSS found the Windows OS but reported it as an unknown system. When trying to boot I get the error 'unsupported filesystem'.

Both Linux partitions on the 2nd disk are defined OK by OSS and there are no problems booting them.

Any suggestions? Thanks.
Rene van Hout

 

Take a look at this thread: Windows XP detected as "Unknown"

When you're at the OSS menu and check the Properties for the XP entry, is the correct partition set Active (and showing the checkered flag)?

You may need to "tweak" the BOOTWIZ.OSS file. If you want to post it, I'll take a look. You'll have to find it in the hidden BOOTWIZ folder on the drive you installed OSS to, copy it and rename it to BOOTWIZ.TXT and then attach it to a post.

Can you access your XP partition when booted to Linux? If so, then you could get easy access to the file that way (though I'd recommend using DD to do the editing on the file if you can't use Windows Notepad).

 

Thanks for your answer Mudcrab,

I read the indicated thread carefully but unfortunately I can't find the BOOTWIZ folder and the BOOTWIZ.OSS file. I verified that the Windows Explorer view option 'show hidden files and folders' was activated.
As far as I know OSS has been installed on the C: drive of the Windows XP NTFS partition.
I also removed OSS and reinstalled it again. The changes I made (OS icons and sequence) are still there, so that must indeed be in the bootwiz file.

Can you give me another hint in finding the bootwiz folder/file?

Regards from a very rainy Netherlands,
Rene

 

Mudcrab,

I got the idea to search for the bootwiz data under Linux. No problem at all, I don't know why I can't find it under Windows. Anyway, here is my bootwiz.oss file data:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<bootwiz>
<disks>
<id3751417443 bios_num="128" crc="286786410" real_bios_num="128" serial="22926" size="312581807" />
<id1981764041 bios_num="129" crc="192922139" real_bios_num="129" serial="59118" size="321672959" />
</disks>
<cds />
<partitions>
<id1632908493 begin="63" crc="63489" disk="3751417443" fs="ntfs" number="1" serial="783b3ba0573ba0d8" size="73561572" type="7" />
<id802790653 begin="103731768" crc="26157" disk="3751417443" fs="fat32" number="5" serial="bfcf6b41" size="102414312" type="11" />
<id485044905 begin="206146143" crc="51166" disk="3751417443" fs="ntfs" number="6" serial="e0591df0841df0e8" size="20482812" type="7" />
<id1355371923 begin="237521088" crc="26157" disk="3751417443" fs="fat32" number="7" serial="235a6d41" size="71971137" type="11" />
<id2139330611 begin="309492288" crc="0" disk="3751417443" fs="linuxswap" number="8" serial="" size="3084417" type="130" />
<id500627135 begin="63" crc="19890" disk="1981764041" fs="ext3" number="1" serial="9ed2d230955544ae958f71ba19531303" size="48211002" type="131" />
<id2391789724 begin="48211065" crc="17683" disk="1981764041" fs="ext3" number="3" serial="1e853d350880cb0e08e46a321efe786f" size="32306715" type="131" />
<id430601910 begin="80517843" crc="26157" disk="1981764041" fs="fat32" number="5" serial="27edb641" size="241151652" type="11" />
</partitions>
<oses>
<id3411589298 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="500627135" icon="icon_sys_linuxsuse" language="" lba="1" name_template="OpenSuSE Linux" nthide="0" os_type="linux" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id1632908493 active="1" />
<id500627135 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id3411589298>
<id2906667342 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="2391789724" icon="icon_sys_linuxredhat" language="" lba="1" name_template="Fedora" nthide="0" os_type="linux" uninstall_info="1" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id1632908493 active="1" />
<id2391789724 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id2906667342>
<id3214879496 boot_as_ms71="1" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" icon="icon_boot_floppy" language="" lba="1" letter="65" name_template="Boot from floppy %o" nthide="0" os_type="floppy" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id1632908493 active="1" />
<id2391789724 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id3214879496>
<id2776413782 boot_as_ms71="0" boot_as_os2="0" boot_cd_entry="0" boot_partition="1632908493" bootname="bootsect.sys" icon="icon_sys_win" language="" lba="0" name_template="Windows XP" nthide="0" os_type="unknown" use_manual_disks_order="0" write_boot="0">
<partitions>
<id1632908493 active="1" />
<id2391789724 active="1" />
</partitions>
</id2776413782>
</oses>
<checkfiles>
<checkfile crc="0" name="io.sys" partition="1632908493" size="0" />
<checkfile crc="55263" name="ntldr" partition="1632908493" size="251184" />
<checkfile crc="26199" name="boot.ini" partition="1632908493" size="407" />
</checkfiles>
<bootmgr default_os="3411589298" disks_order_feature="1" need_uninstall="1" un_de_os="2776413782" />
</bootwiz>

I hope you will assist me on this... Thanks in advance!
Rene

 

Hi Mudcrab,

I compared your bootwiz data with mine, changed the unknown os type according to yours and it works!

Thanks and regards from the Netherlands (still raining),
Rene

 

You may have also needed to uncheck the "Hide protected operating system files" to allow the folder to show up. I usually do the two options together.

It sounds like you got the problem straightened out so I'm not going to read through the BOOTWIZ.OSS file. If you do still have a probelm, post back.