[syslinux] syslinux.exe, on XP, fails to run on a USB stick

[Regid Ichira]

On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 07:37:39PM +0200, Ady wrote:
> > 
> >   e:\syslinux\syslinux.exe --active \
> >                            --directory /syslinux/ --force \
> >                            --install --mbr e:
> > 
> > caused the machine not to boot.  What is wrong with it?
> 
> Have you tried not running syslinux.exe from the same volume?
> 
 

  I think that only before I formated it myself, with my XP native
tools.  At that time, syslinux failed to terminate succssefuly.


> Also, try:
>  syslinux.exe --mbr --active --directory syslinux --install e:
> 
> Note: sort order of the options; only one space character between 
> arguments; the "e:\syslinux\" directory should already exist; the 
> "--install e:" argument is last; volume "e:" is the only partition in 
> the USB drive; "e:" is FAT32;


  This command, run from e:, terminated with no noticable problems.
When I boot, the machine seem to pass on to the other devices, as if
the USB stick is not a possible boot device.  It is just like the DVD
device, which seem to be skipped when it does not contain a bootable
media.  Only that with the DVD device, I can see its led flash,
probably when a bootable media is searched for.  As far as I can tell,
the light in the stick is steadily on.  The machine then runs the HD 
installation of syslinux, and boots from the HD.
  Can it be an issue that the USB stick is USB spec 2, and the
hardware is spec 1.1, or vice versa?


> is "e:" smaller than 4GB?
> 


  It is 1.9G.


> If that doesn't work, I would suggest using RUFUS at least for a 
> test.


  I tried it.  I got the same behaviour as above.  That is, as if
the USB stick is not considered as a possible boot device.  Is
there much point to try the other boot programs that were
mentioned?


> Once your USB drive is at least bootable (after using RUFUS), 
> you could try again with Syslinux 5.xx.
>