Loading File System From File

1.1

In this Chapter, you are going to see how you can boot Windows 9X from RAM by loading a Windows system image from an image file. This method is an alternative to booting the Windows system image from a partition drive as described in Quick Up & Running, where you learn how to load a File System from the boot-up primary partition (ad0s1)* and mount it up as a 16bit ramdisk drive C: for booting up Windows 9X into Windows.

1.2
Some of you may have problems achieving what Quick Up & Running describes. This may be due to the following causes:

1.2.1
You have some drivers that may not be set up correctly or that may have conflicts with DISKLESS ANGEL.

Solution: This is a rare situation. If it happens, please start with the most basic installation of Windows 9X as offered by Microsoft first. Do not install any other hardware drivers and see if the most basic installation of Windows 9X works with DISKLESS ANGEL for your computer. If it does not yet work, it is probably due to insufficient RAM or too large the size of the Windows 9X installed partition. So buy more RAM, or reduce the size of the Windows 9X installation and the partition on which it is installed.

1.2.2
There may also be problems related to the RAM or other hardware installed in your computer.

Solution: After you fix these problems, go back with the basic Windows 9X installation and then try to install your hardware drivers one by one and see what is the one causing incompatibility and give us a message on our Q&A Forum at http://windrv.net

1.3
If you can start up your freshly installed Windows 9X in normal mode and have sufficient RAM for putting in the whole C: partition drive; and you have another partition drive, for instance drive D:, with sufficient free hard disk space for storing the image file for C:, then you can try another quick up & running – the alternative method of loading a Windows system image from an image file – as follows:

1.3.1
Start up your Windows 9X in normal mode without loading WDDOS.EXE

And you should also install DISKLESS ANGEL.

1.3.2
Before you use DISKLESS ANGEL again, make sure that your System.ini file in the C:\WINDOWS directory or folder has the following highlighted settings under the section [386Enh]:

i.e. PagingDrive=C; CSU=1 and ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1

If not, make the changes and save the System.ini file. This settings help make conservative use of Windows Swap File, reducing the size and usage of which as much as possible.

1.3.3
Then reboot your Computer.

1.3.4
After your computer restarts again, Open DISKLESS ANGEL Config and open Vdisk Manager under Tools Menu:

then select a Drive ID, let say No. 3:

then in the Drive Size Box, either input “400M” [about 20Mb less than the size of partition drive C:; this assumes that drive C: has some free space bigger than 20Mb after Windows 9X running up] or press the button to the right of it as follows:

or

then press OK Button.

You are now returned to the following screenshot:

You can now press the Mount Button.

A drive V: is assigned to this newly mounted up virtual disk drive of 400M as follows:

Actually the Drive Letter can be specified in the Drive Letter Box; otherwise it will be assigned automatically.

You can now see this drive V: under Windows My Computer:

You then right-click on drive V: and select the “format” option:

You then select Options – Full and Copy System Files and then Start.

After formatting, you can see there are four files, namely COMMAND.COM, DRVSPACE.BIN, IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS in drive V: