Using  XPe Target Designer version SP3 I created my bootable image which I move later on to USB bootable and burn to the dedicated target machine. My image has all required file: boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com, weruntime.ini, except a hidden system volume folder. I forgot to mention that before I generated the image on the USB stick I converted the file system on it to NTFS. Then I burned the image to the target machine. Unfortunately the only result I have after re-boot is a system error.

On the other side, I downloaded a WES2009 image. I did unghosted it to trully see the contents. Then I installed it on the same target machine and everything was cool as expected. I compared mine and WES2009 build log files and found nothing. In comparing two images I see only one missing feature – hidden system volume folder.

Are there any reason the system volume folder does not get created? By the way, I obviously use "ewf ntldr" component in the target designer.

Please advise..???

Many thanks in advance,

Larry

Hi Larry,

ldobkin:

Using  XPe Target Designer version SP3 I created my bootable image which I move later on to USB bootable and burn to the dedicated target machine.

Just want to be clear here. You build the XPe image and copy the image to the USB Flash device. Next, you attacht the USB Flash device to the target machine and run FBA? When you say "burn to the dedicated machine" does that mean runnning FBA? If so, you could try running FBA on a hard disk first then copying the Post-FBA image to the USB Flash device. Running FBA on a USB Flash device can actually damage cheaper flash drives because of the number of writes happening during the process. Instead run on a HDD first then move the Post-FBA image over. This could be one possibility.

ldobkin:

On the other side, I downloaded a WES2009 image. I did unghosted it to trully see the contents. Then I installed it on the same target machine and everything was cool as expected.

Could you elaborate here? When you say "downloaded a WES2009 image", does this mean an image built for your target hardware? When you say "installed it on the same target" does this mean the WES2009 image was a Post-FBA image that included the USB boot componets and support for your hardware. If so, see the first point as I would assume running FBA direclty on the USB flash is possibly damaging / corrupting it.

Any additional details you can provide are always appreciated.

Hope that helps!

Brad

Hi Brad,

Appreciate the response.

1. I build the XPe image and made the .GHO image from it using ghost32 (DOS version of ghost). I made the USB bootable disk and copied my XPe.GHO to USB bootable.

2. I booted the target device with USB. I ran a ghost from USB to my target and rebooted. The first response I received was a system error and I think it is due to the missing system volume folder.

 3. WES2009 image I've got from the client sub-contractor company which built this image for my hardware. When I unghosted the image using ghost32, I could see that I was missing hidden system volume folder. I also have the built list of WES2009 XPe image and compared it to my build image list. Installing this WES2009 XPe.GHO image using the same tactical plan had no issue.

4. I do not see any reason to suspect that my image get somehow corrupted by FBA since it did not have a chance to running yet.

I am really confused why system volume folder does not get generated for my XPe image?

Thank you,

Larry

Hi Larry,

I don't have any experience with the DOS version of Ghost, so I don't know for sure if it could be the problem. If you apply the same XPe.GHO image to the USB while in Windows (or WinPE) do you have the same issue? Wish I could be of more help, but I'm just not sure of the limitations of DOS based Ghost when applying NTFS volumes.

Brad

Hi Brad,

appreciate your response. GHOST32 does not have anything to do with this issue. The image created by a Target Designer simply does not have a system volume folder. And that is the problem?! GHOST32 simply combines it all into one image.

Thank you, Larry

Hi Larry,

I would not expect a Pre-FBA image built by Target Designer to contain the System Voume Folder, it is created dynamically at runtime. The output from Target Designer is simply files pre-staged in the appropriate directories and the initial registry hives. It's possible that the missing System Volume Information folder is a red herring anyway as it is created dynamically by Windows and can safely be ignored by any imaging tool. For example, ImageX in the Windows Automated Installation kit adds the System Volume Folder (among others) to its default exclusion list so that it is not captured in the image.

Again, I would take Ghost out of the mix if you can. If you cannot, (i.e. if you are being supplied a ghost image by a third party), ask them to send you the raw files in a zipped folder and extract that to a USB drive that is partitioned and marked bootable by ufdprep.

Also, (and I assume this is the case) make sure the image actually does have the USB boot component.

Hope that helps,
Brad