China DOS Union

My USB flash drive is in ZIP mode, and I downloaded the latest version of grub from October 7th. After I booted the USB flash drive into DOS and ran grub --config-file=(fd0)/menu.lst, it didn't freeze but directly entered the grub command line mode. It might just be that it can't read the data on the USB flash drive. I read your answer to neiljoy in http://www.cn-dos.net/forum/viewthread.php?tid=22047&fpage=0&highlight=&page=1, and I also did several tests. I hope Mr. Budian can take a look. I can't capture screenshots in DOS, so I can only use the keyboard. I used cat (fd0 to confirm it's the USB flash drive. I used geometry(fd0) to test, and the output result is as follows:
drive 0*0(CHS):C/H/S=80/2/18 SECTOR COUNT/SIZE=208896/512

I used cat --hex(fd0)2879+1 to test and output some hexadecimal data. I can't capture screenshots, so I can only describe. I used cat--hex(fd0)2880+1 to test, and the output result is as follows:
ERROR 20:selected cylinder exceeds maximalm supported by bios
The maximum value should be up to 2879.

The following are tests in debug:
1.
a ; This a is an assembly command
mov AH,8
mov DL,0 ; DL,0 means (fd0). If the USB flash drive is (fd1), here it should be mov DL,1
int 13
int 3
; Here I press the Enter key one more time to end the assembly command
g ; This g means run
The output result is:
AX=0000 BX=0040 CX=4F12 DX=0102 SP=FFEE BP=0000 SI=0000 PI=86C9
DS=1D3C ES=F000 SS=1D3C CS=1D3C IP=0108 NV UP EI NG NZ AC PE NC

2
Test in DOS with debug:
a ; This a is an assembly command
mov AX,201
mov BX,200
mov CX,4F12
mov DX,100
int 13
int 3

The output result is:

AX=0000 BX=0200 CX=4F12 DX=0100 SP=FFEE BP=0000 SI=0000 PI=0000
DS=1D3C ES=1D3C SS=1D3C CS=1D3C IP=010E NV UP EI NG NZ AC PE NC

3
Test in DOS with debug:
a ; This a is an assembly command
mov AX,4100
mov BX,55AA
mov DX,0
int 13
int 3
The output result:

AX=0000 BX=55AA CX=0000 DX=0000 SP=FFEE BP=0000 SI=0000 PI=0000
DS=1D3C ES=1D3C SS=1D3C CS=1D3C IP=010B NV UP EI NG NZ AC PE NC

4
Test in DOS with debug:
a ; This a is an assembly command
mov AX,4800
mov SI,180
mov DX,0
int 13
int 3
The output result is:
AX=0000 BX=55AA CX=0000 DX=0000 SP=FFEE BP=0000 SI=0180 PI=0000
DS=1D3C ES=1D3C SS=1D3C CS=1D3C IP=010B NV UP EI PL ZR NA PE NC

I only did the above tests. Since I typed them in with the keyboard, I don't know if there are any mistakes. I'll test again later. Please, Mr. Budian, take a look. If there are any more tests I need to do, just let me know. Thank you, it's troublesome for you

[ Last edited by yzmj on 2006-10-15 at 01:05 ]

Okay, need to post the output of

cat --hex (fd0)+1

and only the first 3 lines. If there's "NTFS" in it, then the first 6 lines.

Also, in the 4th test above, only the register output was posted, and the memory result wasn't posted. Do as follows:

Test under DOS with debug:
a ; This a means assembly(汇编)
mov AX,4800 ; Function 48 is EBIOS to get disk parameters.
mov SI,180 ; Store the result at memory 180
mov DX,0 ; Disk number is 0
int 13 ; BIOS disk function call
int 3 ; This is a breakpoint instruction, the program will stop here.
; Press one more enter here to end the assembly command
g ; g means go (run the program)

After running, you can post the register output.

Then, use the d command to display memory:

d 180 ; Display the content at memory 180

Just post the first two lines starting from 180.

Got screenshots, but the first test one couldn't be captured. Maybe because it's a scrolling screen, not fully displayed at once, so can't capture. Test completed.

The output results of the first three lines tested with cat --hex(fd0)+1 are as follows:
00000000: EB 3E 90 40 53 57 49 4E 34 2E 31 00 02 04 01 00
00000002: 02 00 02 00 00 F0 CC 00 20 00 40 00 00 00 00 00
00000003: E0 2F 03 00 00 01 29 78 56 34 12 43 68 69 70 73

The test results with debug are as follows:
AX=0000 BX=0000 CX=0000 SP=FFEE BP=0000 SI=0180 DI=0000
DS=1D3C ES=1D3C SS=1D3C DS=1D3C IP=010B NV UP EI PI ZR NA PE NC

The output results of D180 are as follows:
2f54: 0180 1E 00 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
2f54: 1190 00 30 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 3E 3E 17 66 31 D2

[ Last edited by yzmj on 2006-10-15 at 03:57 ]

Brief description: Obviously, your BIOS has more serious bugs than those of neiljoy and others before. The INT13 function 48 of this BIOS returns C=0, H=0, S=0! Too bad!!!

You do another test, try this, see if you can access the files on your USB flash drive?

map (fd0)+1 (fd0)
map --hook

At this time, use

geometry (fd0)

to see if there is a change (compared with the last time). Post the displayed result.

After that, use the find command of grub to see if you can find the files on (fd0):

find /io.sys
find /grub.exe

Why does the master work so late? Remember to take a rest. The body is the capital of revolution!

Test as you said:

map (fd0)+1 (fd0) The output result is as follows:

FAT 16 PBP found winth 0*EB(JMP) Leading the boot sector
probed C/H/S=102/64/32 ,Probel total sectors=208864
Floppies_orig=2 ,harddrives_orig=1,floppies_curr=1,harddrives_cruu=1

map --hook
After geometry(fd0), the USB flash drive flashes for a while and then gives a prompt:
ERROR 27: disk read error Is this prompting that the USB flash drive is not found

After find /io.sys, it prompts
(hd0,0)
(hd0,4) Then it reads the USB flash drive wildly again, with no response, can only restart.

Master, is my BOIS extremely garbage? Is there still hope

Try using the latest compiled grub.exe or grldr from http://grub4dos.jot.com/ to see if you can access the files on the USB drive normally. As long as there is hope for DOS, there is hope for our GRUB4DOS. There's no reason to have no hope, heh heh.

Master, I downloaded the latest version. Is it the one from October 7th? Still can't find menu.lst, but it's different from before. There's a long scroll of text before the command line appears. The content is as follows:
get_cdinfo(0*81)...biosdisk_int13_extensions(0*4b01,0*81)...ok err=0*1
ok ! cdrom_drive=0*0
check_int13_extension(0*81)...ok version=0*0

The red parts are different in each segment. The scroll is too fast, maybe starting from 80, and finally maybe FE.
Do I need to do any more tests? I have to bother you again, Master.

[ Last edited by yzmj on 2006-10-16 at 03:02 ]

Originally posted by Budian at 2006-10-16 00:59:
Try the latest compiled grub.exe or grldr from http://grub4dos.jot.com/ to see if you can access files on the USB flash drive normally.

As long as there is hope for DOS, there is hope for our GRUB4DOS.

What Master Budian said is completely correct.
I suspect that the USB flash drive may not be able to use its full capacity under DOS for the LZ. It is recommended as follows:
1. After copying a large file to the USB flash drive (almost occupying the entire capacity of the USB flash drive), see if this large file can be read normally;
2. Use WINHEX to view the absolute 0 sector and sector 32 of the USB flash drive, and capture and upload screenshots respectively.

In addition, I think that the USB flash drive boot problem mainly depends on the motherboard BIOS, and the compatibility between the motherboard and the USB flash drive is also very important. Then it is related to the USB flash drive boot making tool. I wonder what tool the LZ used to make it?

Originally posted by neildyl at 2006-10-16 03:03:

What the master said is completely correct.
I suspect that the U disk may not be able to use the full capacity of the U disk under DOS. The suggestions are as follows:
1. After copying large files into the U disk (almost occupying the entire capacity of the U disk), look at the...

Brother, what you said is good. Mine is a 512M U disk, divided into two partitions, and the boot files are placed in the first partition. It can start smoothly to DOS. I don't know if it has anything to do with this. Regarding "using WINHEX to view the absolute 0 sector and 32 sector of the U disk", I am a novice. Can you tell me how to do it? Regarding the boot disk making tool, it is the Teclast U disk special tool that comes with the CD. It can partition, encrypt, and make boot disks.

1. You can also change it to copying multiple files that run under DOS (in the first area) and see if they all run normally. This step should be carried out;
2. I don't know if you have used WINHEX. It has a Chinese version and is very easy to use. For example, the picture I have is of absolute sector 0 (look at the status bar at the bottom).

[ Last edited by neiljoy on 2006-10-16 at 04:26 ]

I compiled grub.exe and grldr last night (just downloaded these two files) specifically for your situation, right from the same website. Did you download these?

Supplementary:

Post the result of

geometry (fd0)

Also see if

find /io.sys

can find the USB drive (fd0).

Also, what the几位 said earlier is all correct. You need to first check if all operations are normal under DOS. You need to use a disk editing and viewing tool to view the last sector of the floppy disk in hexadecimal. If you can view the last sector without the computer hanging, then it means DOS is okay. If it fails under DOS, then we don't need to solve it. If this BIOS doesn't respect DOS, it's even less likely to respect other software, including GRUB.

If DOS is okay, then it's expected that GRUB4DOS can also overcome these obstacles.

Note, it's running a DOS disk tool under DOS to view, not entering Windows and running a disk tool to view. Our purpose is to check if the BIOS is normal. Windows doesn't use the USB BIOS, so using Windows for testing is invalid, as it can't indicate if the BIOS is normal.

If you really lack DOS tools, you can also simply use the DOS copy command for testing. After booting the USB drive to DOS, under DOS (important! Must be under DOS) copy a bunch of random files from the C drive to the USB drive until the USB drive is full, then copy these files from the USB drive back to the hard drive. The purpose of this is to test if the USB drive can be read and written normally under DOS.

[ Last edited by 不点 on 2006-10-16 at 08:25 ]

It worked! It worked! It worked! I immediately come to report the good news to Master Budian and Brother neildyl.

Long live the great Communist Party of China, long live Chairman Mao, long live Master Budian! Long live Brother neildyl!

This morning, following the guidance of Master Budian and Brother neildyl, I copied files to the USB flash drive. It was too slow. There were a lot of things copied in a 100M space, and I found no errors. Back in Windows, I found the USB flash drive was too messy, so I re-formatted the USB flash drive and reinstalled the system. Accidentally, I tried again, haha, it actually worked, and I found no errors. Because of this problem, I have already formatted the USB flash drive many times. This time, after downloading the latest files, I didn't think of re-formatting the USB flash drive again. Here, I extend my most sincere thanks to Master Budian and Brother neildyl. With such enthusiastic teachers like you, it is the blessing of our广大 netizens!

Let me tell Master Budian and Brother neildyl again. The WINPE system I made with the USB flash drive. In the past, when solving problems for others, I always brought many disc tools. Sometimes, even if I only used a small tool on one disc, I had to bring a disc, which was too troublesome. Now, it's great. One USB flash drive can solve the problem, and tools can be expanded randomly.

How can I thank you? Wish you health and happiness. With you, this forum will definitely get better and better.

Express my thanks again.

I'm going to the Wuyou Forum to report the good news immediately. There are also many friends like me who couldn't boot with the USB flash drive.

[ Last edited by yzmj on 2006-10-17 at 02:02 ]

Through solving problems, everyone can learn from each other, exchange experiences, increase wisdom, and add fun. Friends come here all for this one common purpose. Everyone is like one family, when encountering problems, they help each other, all working towards one goal, all building our harmonious home. I've been waiting for your result all the time, and I'm firmly convinced it must be such a result: as long as it's normal under DOS, we have a way to make grub4dos normal too.

By the way, I still need to ask you, what is the model of this BIOS or motherboard? So that I can conveniently write it into the ChangeLog.

Other passing friends, if you encounter a USB flash drive failure, remember to report the result of geometry (fd0) (here it is assumed that fd0 is the USB flash drive). This command is very important. In addition, the capacity of (fd0) should also be stated. Those debug test results under DOS are all very important. Don't forget DOS knowledge, still should keep learning DOS and BIOS. It is estimated that in the future, USB flash drives will prevail, especially appearing in front of players as a means to repair system failures. When we repair system failures, we can't do without DOS and BIOS. Wish friends have a better time!

Originally posted by Buddha Wang at 2006-10-17 03:03:
By solving problems, everyone can learn from each other, exchange experiences, increase wisdom, and add fun. Friends come here for this common purpose. Everyone is like a family, and when encountering problems, they all help each other...

Reporting to Master Buddha Wang, my motherboard is Lenovo QDI 848E, BIOS is Award 6.00PG. The USB flash drive is 512M, and the boot partition is divided into 100M.

Thank you again.