China DOS Union

Dear all experts, I encountered a problem when using an ISO image file to boot the system. My operating system is XP, the C drive is in NTFS format, and the G drive is in FAT32 format. I used ISOEMU for virtual booting. I placed IELDR in the root directory of the C drive and modified the corresponding items in BOOT.INI. I placed ISOEMU.INI and the image file in the root directory of the G drive. I can boot with the ISOEMU's own image file, but I cannot boot with my own image file. It prompts that my disk is not a bootable disk. But actually, the source CD of this image is a bootable disk. I really want to know why? Where is the mistake? Please friends who know give advice.

Where can I download this thing?

I saw an article in other places saying that the XP installation disc cannot be booted.

Yes, cannot start non-virtual ones

Have you replaced the file name "isogrub.iso" in the last line of the isoemu.ini file with the ISO file name you placed in the root directory of drive C?

The latest is ISOEmu 109, here it is:

http://sysoft.zdwx.com/isoemu/bin/

10:21 2005-3-21 Version 1.09+
◎ Boot from NTLDR environment (ieldr), can also boot from the command line in pure DOS environment (ieldr.exe, referring to Mr. tinybit's Grub.exe);
◎ Updated logo;
◎ Support placing isoemu.ini, isogrub.iso on hidden partitions of FAT32/NTFS;
◎ Support extended partitions of FAT32/NTFS;
◎ Add "IELDR Built-in Shell Usage Instructions" (ishell.chm)

There isogrub.iso's Chinese GRUB screen appears, but no matter which menu is selected, it freezes

Will FAT12/16 formats be supported in the future?

Maybe. Maybe it will be implemented on AviatoR.

The following is a quote from Gandalf's post on 2005-4-7 9:45:16: Maybe. It might be implemented on AviatoR.

Dear Gandalf,What is AviatoR? Is it an enhanced version of ieldr?May I know more about how isoemu is implemented?I have previously tried to use it and found that unless it is greatly enhanced, it does not serve much purpose.For instance, at present what isolinux and grub do in non-emulation mode for booting cd/dvd is to load up a memdisk containing an os or fire up a linux or other os kernels from the cd/dvd.I don't know whether at present isoemu is simply calling up the isolinux or grub loader set to be the bootable file embedded in the iso file. If it is so, the limitation are two folds:1. isolinux or grub loader may not recognize the iso file found on the hard disk anymore, especially when the iso file is large and discontiguous on a FAT/NTFS partition; this is why many people found problems when using isoemu with iso file they made2. the second limitation is even though the isolinux or grub loader is able to load up a vfloppy or memdisk containing DOS or WIN9X, the latter also does not recognize the iso file as a cd/dvd except loading up some other utilities to do so. For instance, under DOS you may have to load up shsucdhd and shsucdx to turn the iso file to be a virtual cd/. Furthermore, if the hard disk on which the iso file is is in NTFS format, then DOS/WIN9X cannot recognize it. So there is no way that the iso file can be recognized except loading a NTFS driver.So for ieldr or AviatoR to be useful, it should at best be able to do the job of isolinux or grub loader and more by overcoming limitation 1 above; i.e. to be able to recognize large and discontinuous iso file on FAT/NTFS partition and to load up an OS kernel embedded within the iso file. After that, the work is left to the OS loaded up. You can do no more.

Edited...

Re:
Dear WinDrv:
Thanks for your attention to the ISOEmu and its next generation AviatoR.
Basically, it is true that isoemu has the limitations, i.e.
1. Only support FAT32/NTFS partition;
2. Only support Non-Emu mode Bootable CD;
3. Only support RealMode access;
... ...
But, I don't think it is true for the ISOEmu you mentioned above. If you tried it you would get to know that. Let's explore the internal info of ISOEmu, and draw some conclusion(s):
While getting the control of local system, ISOEmu will try to find its configuration file - isoemu.ini, from the 1st hard disk, on the partition one by one(not only the pri. partition but also dos-ext. prtition). Of course, ISOEmu will determine the partition type before looking into it.
While getting the proper isoemu.ini, ISOEmu analyses it, and tries to get the `isoemu` tag for the emulating iso filename. When ISOEmu found the ISO file at the same position of isoemu.ini, it will use some basic information of this ISO file to initialize the INT13h hook-stub, and uses the drive number `0xee` to access the emulated CD. ;-)
Here, we must know:
A). ISOEmu has the powerful mini-fs of FAT32/NTFS, that can access those dis-continuous files hosted on FAT32/NTFS partition;
B). ISOEmu will analyse the bootable type of CD. If this CD is non-emu mode, ISOEmu will read the 1st 4KB of bootstrap program to memory: 0x0000:0x7c00, and trans control to it, system is now booting with this emulated CD. ;-) Otherwise, it will drop user to the internal shell. For how to use this CD, you can get the information from the isoemu_eng.chm coming with 'isoemu 109th' release; or get it from http://sysoft.zdwx.com/isomu/.
C). the INT13h hook-stub is FAT32/NTFS aware. So, the booting method is not `simply jump to grub or syslinux`;

-------------------------
Something about ISOEmu G2, AviatoR
==================================
In general, the AviatoR is an OS, not a pure os loader. Now, I'd like to tell you all 2 things about it:
A). AviatoR will use `3 in 1` technology as its existence. I mean, it will be at the same file of its loader. And, AviatoR's loader, Avldr.exe, can be loaded by NTLDR, can be run from DOS environment, and Windows Environment. Of course, the Windows' function is only an installer, an assembler of Loader and Kernel; not the same function of Grub4Lin from Mr. Tinybit. ;-)
B). AviatoR is an OS, which can act as a common multi-boot platform just like NTLDR, GRUB and Syslinux. It is running on the Protected Mode, with beautiful GUI, and has the full Chinese Supporting: Display, and Input. ;-)
But, I want to say, the Grub is so powerful that I even want to use it as the loader of AviatoR. ;-) And the AviatoR is some kind of the exploring of x86's protected mode.
OK, that's all.
Best wishes,
AviatoR