[syslinux] Chainloading syslinux from windows

[Luciano Miguel Ferreira Rocha]

On Fri, Mar 16, 2007 at 03:40:56PM -0700, Bill Maurer wrote:
> I have a number of syslinux based USB sticks which can be booted from PCs
> that support USB boot. I also have a number of PCs that do not support USB
> Boot. They are running Windows 2000 and Windows XP typically from ntfs
> formatted single partition drives. Is there a way to chainload syslinux
> residing on a plugged in usb stick from boot.ini? I've seen instructions for
> how to do this for OSs on alternate partitions of the bootdrive but not on
> separate drives. 
>  
> The following doesn't seem to work:
>  
>     E:\usboot.bs="USB Boot"
> 
> where usbboot.bs is the 512 byte syslinux boot sector from the usb stick
> (saved onto the usb stick with dd).

That's the bootloader, not syslinux per se.

> Any help would be appreciated.

Syslinux doesn't include an USB driver, the BIOS, if it supports USB
booting, does.

So, as your BIOS don't support USB booting, syslinux can't access the
device or the files in it.

I remember some years ago, when using Partition Magic, that Windows 2000
could boot to a bare environment dedicated to running a single process (PM).
That environment might allow some sort of syslinux to run, but you'll
have to find someone more knowledgeable of it for confirmation and
possible changes needed for a boot loader like syslinux to run.

PS: sorry if this message breaks the thread, but I keep forgetting that
PGP/MIME is suspicious here.

-- 
lfr
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