Windows Installer findings

Midas · 2017-12-15 13:41

Hi to all. Very satisfied new user here, mainly because Q4OS Windows Installer finally solved a hitch that I have had for years now (I kid you not).

Short intro for context (please bear with me).

Several years back, after the possibility became available with Windows 7 (which is still my daily driver, BTW ), I moved all of my Windows installs from physical partitions to virtual disks (i.e., large VHD files on the main drive -- if you care for details, check w w w .johnpapa.net/bootoffmetal/, for instance). As I was a Linux dual-booter at the time (mostly with Mint and Peppermint distros), I expected it would be just a matter of time and further learning until I could do the same with my Linux hard drive installations. I was aware of Wubi and loopdevices, so this expectation didn't seem unreasonable at all.

I have never been more wrong (see this summative post I made at Ubuntu Forums back in 2015 ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2174008&p=13263872#post13263872). I'm fairly computer literate; what I am not is a Linux guru and every trial up to now ended in miserable failure -- granted, much of it on account of the non-standard manner in which I'm using Windows, which apparently makes the booting process even more complex and fiddly.

To cut a long story short, this situation killed any Linux experimenting on my part for a long term, discounted the occasional liveUSB testing. But here I am with a working dual-boot Windows 7 and Q4OS setup on my faithful old Lenovo X220, each running off their dedicated virtual disk.

NOTE: I encountered one issue that almost turned my first attempt with Q4OS into a fluke. After I ran the Windows Installer and it apparently finished successfuly, when I tried to boot it but all I got was an error saying "Cannot find GRLDR in all devices" and a prompt to reboot. This totally stumped me, until after some web searching I followed a suggestion to "copy 'WUBILDR.*' files from '\debian\winboot' to the root folder of drive" (see ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1719333.html). Once I did this, Q4OS booted allright.

I suggest this issue could be noted in the Windows Installer guide.

Now to explore further. Thanks for such an inspiring piece for software.

Last edited by Midas (2019-08-30 13:33)

q4osteam · 2017-12-15 13:59

Midas wrote:

NOTE: I encountered one issue that almost turned my first attempt with Q4OS into a fluke. After I ran the Windows Installer and it apparently finished successfuly, when I tried to boot it but all I got was an error saying "Cannot find GRLDR in all devices" and a prompt to reboot. This totally stumped me, until after some web searching I followed a suggestion to "copy 'WUBILDR.*' files from '\debian\winboot' to the root folder of drive" (see ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1719333.html). Once I did this, Q4OS booted allright.

Thank you for the report. We are not able to reproduce this issue, nonetheless we are going to investigate it immediately. If anyone would find some connections or a way to reproduce this issue reliably, please report here.

Midas · 2017-12-15 15:13

I ran 'q4os-winsetup.exe' twice just to make sure. And I snapped a picture...

.

Last edited by Midas (2019-08-19 03:22)

crosscourt · 2017-12-15 18:27

Heres an older post I had in my archives that may not apply exactly but could help,

https://askubuntu.com/questions/193534/ … ll-devices

Last edited by crosscourt (2017-12-15 18:45)

Midas · 2017-12-16 21:34

crosscourt wrote:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/193534/

From reading this, I was able to establish that only 'wubildr' & 'wubildr.mbr' need copying. Thanks.

q4osteam · 2017-12-16 21:41

The windows installer takes care about copying need files 'wubildr' & 'wubildr.mbr'. It works fine for most installations, we are not able to reproduce the fail above. We guess, some security or antivirus software forbids copying these files or delete them from root windows drive on your system. Do you suspect some of your security software from doing this ?

crosscourt · 2017-12-16 23:12

Glad to help, is everything ok?

Midas · 2017-12-17 22:26

q4osteam wrote:

The windows installer takes care about copying need files 'wubildr' & 'wubildr.mbr'. It works fine for most installations, we are not able to reproduce the fail above.

It dawned on me after giving the issue some thought that it was caused by my somewhat unusual drive geometry.
_
If you boot Windows from a VHD volume like I do, the main drive gets shifted up to let the VHD volume be assigned as C: (i.e., the boot drive) and it remains as such as long as Windows is running.
_
But when you boot any other OS, the Windows boot volume is no longer available, as it is seen as merely another (rather large) file at the root of the main physical drive.
_
So, I just looked at the C: root folder under Windows and, sure enough, there they were the missing files. Mystery solved.
_
The problem is that, in this case, they serve no purpose, as they won't be available to launch Q4OS own volume -- the Windows Installer needs to be able to warn the user in such cases, so he can at least move the files manually from the virtual disk to the physical one.
_
Maybe a DISKPART output will help figure this it better... (two physical disks with a single partition each, a SSD as EVO840 & magnetic drive as 1TBWDB and three volumes, the last of which is the culprit here).
_

crosscourt wrote:

Glad to help, is everything ok?

A bunch of post-install niggles, which I'm noting down for a later post. Other than that, everything's peachy...

Last edited by Midas (2019-08-19 03:21)

q4osteam · 2017-12-17 22:37

@Midas
Thanks, we will take a look on that.

crosscourt · 2017-12-17 22:39

Glad youre up and running!

Midas · 2019-08-19 15:24

Sorry for necroposting, but has the issue been addressed in the new Windows installer?

q4osteam · 2019-08-19 16:09

No, the issue has not been addressed so far.

Midas · 2019-08-20 19:17

Yes, after installing Centaurus I can confirm that.

The issue is easily solved by copying 'wubildr' & 'wubildr.mbr' from the root of the virtual drive (C: under Windows) to the root of the physical drive where Q4OS is installed before rebooting.

Q4OS Forum

#1 2017-12-15 13:41

Windows Installer findings

#2 2017-12-15 13:59

Re: Windows Installer findings

#3 2017-12-15 15:13

Re: Windows Installer findings

#4 2017-12-15 18:27

Re: Windows Installer findings

#5 2017-12-16 21:34

Re: Windows Installer findings

#6 2017-12-16 21:41

Re: Windows Installer findings

#7 2017-12-16 23:12

Re: Windows Installer findings

#8 2017-12-17 22:26

Re: Windows Installer findings

#9 2017-12-17 22:37

Re: Windows Installer findings

#10 2017-12-17 22:39

Re: Windows Installer findings

#11 2019-08-19 15:24

Re: Windows Installer findings

#12 2019-08-19 16:09

Re: Windows Installer findings

#13 2019-08-20 19:17

Re: Windows Installer findings

Board footer