[syslinux] syslinux.exe, 5.01 on xp: Failed to load COM32 file, and more

Regid Ichira regid23 at nt1.in
Sat Sep 14 16:39:19 PDT 2013


On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 04:51:52PM -0400, Gene Cumm wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 3:20 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at nt1.in> wrote:
> 
> > label  xp
> >         com32  chain.c32
> >         append hd0  1  ntldr=/ntldr
> 
> >   2. Installed by
> > From xp cmd prompt:
> >     c:\downloadedPrograms\syslinux\syslinux.exe --active     \
> >            --directory /downloadedPrograms/syslinux/ --force \
> >            --install --mbr c:
> 
> Why are you using "--force"?

Without --force I get:
    Not a removable drive (use -f to override)
I tried now without --force, and to ignore the suggestion to use -f.
It doesn't seem to work.  Without --force I didn't get the syslinux
version message, nor the output of syslinux's display command.  XP
booted as if the syslinux installation command was not issued.

> 
> > The line, and the contniuation slashes, are for clarity.  In reality
> > it was on a single line.
> >
> 
> >   3. Result:
> > Got a boot: prompt after displaying the cfg file.  But:
> >
> >     boot: xp
> >     Failed to load COM32 file chain.c32
> 
> Do you have any lib*.c32 files around?  Which ones?

The syslinux directory has libcom32.c32, libutil.c32.

> Tried manually loading libgpl.c32?

Loading libgpl.c32 manually doesn't make a change.

> 
> >     boot: memtest
> >     Loading memtest86+.bin... ok
> >     Booting kernel failed: Bad file number
> 
> This works in 6.02-pre16.
> 

  5.01 worked for me in the past.  I can't tell if reinstalling XP
from scratch, or something else, broke it.  I was considering 
installing a newer syslinux version.  But it seems 5.01 is the last
version for which there are premade binaries for XP.  I never built
syslinux from source.  I guess I will have to install the compiler
and dependencies.  Since 5.01 worked for me in the past, I was 
hoping it will be easier to fix. 


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