Make E2B Drive gives blank screen.
If I click on the red Make E2B Drive square button, I get a screen:
Make an Easy2Boot USB drive (using RMPartUSB)
=============================================
Windows 10 detected
Administrative permissions confirmed.
which then disappears. No explanation. Nothing is done. The selected sdhc card is unchanged.
Going to tutorials, one gets buried - there is no obvious 'Start Here' or 'Getting Started' link.
Could someone kindly point me toward such?
Try the Gear Wheel button in Make_E2B.exe.
If that also does not work then find "\Easy2Boot_v2.09\_ISO\docs\Make_E2B_USB_Drive folder and
Right-click on DebugAll_MakeE2B_Admin.cmd and run as Administrator
Then look for the file e2b.log and see what the last commands were before the command shell closed.
Thanks.
This is most bizarre.
The last line it runs is the ping.
I can change ping to ping.exe, to make sure my local ping.bat isn't getting in the way, to no change.
- more weirdly, the echoed out line of the ping remains ping, not ping.exe.
Never seen a .cmd file just exit like that. Let alone, not reflect the changes I just made in MAKE_E2B_USB_DRIVE.cmd.
maybe you have another ping.bat or ping.cmd somewhere?
What if you type ping from the command line or run 'where ping' ?
Wild.
I rename ping.bat to ping.tab and it gets beyond. [Start to get output, and can follow the bouncing ball.]
Thanks for the run the debug version note - it got me to the bread to be able to create breadcrumbs to dig under the hood. [Guess I need to capture and return ping's retval in my .bat file.]
OK, I will change the .cmd file to use ping.exe for next version in case someone else has also put a ping.bat or ping.cmd in their path!
Confirmed, using "ping.exe" does seem to do it.
Curiously, it created the 2nd partition on the SD card the same drive letter as my first mapped network drive - and going to it in (windows) 'file' explorer takes me to the mapped network drive, not the 2nd partition. Which, of course, makes things unhappy. [I'll work around it. Maybe '"E2B Launcher.exe" /?' could return something, and/or accept a 2nd partition letter as a parameter.]
Windows assigns the drive letter automatically. You can easily change the drive letter using Disk Manager.
Sure, but my point is, it's doing so incorrectly / following the instructions to go to the first created partition isn't going to, and doesn't, work.
It knows the drive (selected in dialogue) and that you're on the first partition. So going to that drive, and executing "E2B Launcher.exe" as instructed, continues to fail / not detect the correct 2nd partition - because it has been given the same drive letter as my first mapped network drive.
So if I has a mapped network drive of E:, and a USB key of P:, it thinks the 2nd partition is E:, can't find the files, and so fails. [Since it's the mapped network drive, not the 2nd partition drive letter.]
I can sort out the drive letters, say by making the second partition q:, but there seems no way to tell "E2B Launcher.exe" that the 2nd partition drive letter to use is q:.
So 2nd partition use can never be verified / confired by "E2B Launcher.exe".
Launcher uses the run.cmd helper file to detect the 2nd partition and looks for the file \boot\grubfm\config each time you click on a link in Launcher (or when you run the E2B_Launcher.exe program). These extra Launcher 'helper' files are at \_ISO\docs\E2B Utilities\Launcher on the USB drive.
If Windows has assigned a drive letter to a newly created partition as E: when drive E: has already been assigned as a network drive then that is Windows fault (I didn't even know it was possible to have two E: drives at the same time!).
If you make the second partition 'Q' it should work - are you saying it doesn't?
This code is used in Run.cmd
REM =====================
:get_agFM
REM get physical drive number of drive that has this file
FOR /F "tokens=2 delims=#," %%? IN ('WMIC Path Win32_LogicalDiskToPartition Get Antecedent^, Dependent ^|FIND "%~d0"') DO (set myphysdrive=%%?)
REM echo Physical Drive=%myphysdrive%FOR %%D IN (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) DO (
DIR %%D:\boot\grubfm\config> nul 2>&1 && set agfm=%%D:
if not "!agfm!"=="" call :getdno !agfm!
if "!physdrive!"=="!myphysdrive!" goto :dexit
)
:dexit
REM echo agFM drive is %agfm%
goto :EOFREM ===================
If you are seeing an error message when first running Launcher, it may be because you did not add the agFM files to the 2nd partition?
If Windows has assigned a drive letter to a newly created partition as E: when drive E: has already been assigned as a network drive then that is Windows fault (I didn't even know it was possible to have two E: drives at the same time!).
Agreed. It's a commonly occurring windows bug that plagues those with network drives.
- same thing happens when you plug in an external drive, e.g. DVD. Windows keeps assigning the next physical drive letter to the newly created partition, schmucking the network drive letter.
- even when the network drive letter is far away / not contiguous to the physical drives. It's a perpetual windows stupidity. Baffling. Nevertheless, users and scripters have to deal with it.
Regardless of fault, it's there. Befuddling your users.
If you make the second partition 'Q' it should work - are you saying it doesn't?
I can't tell. In the midst of the initial build, the drive letter is created (duplicating the network drive letter), and there is no pause by which I have an opportunity to correct the letters, let alone somehow tell the script what the correct drive letters are.
The script tells me where to get the files to be downloaded, but does not tell me where it wants the files to land, so the copy to the 2nd partition fails for not knowing where to look, and further it won't know where to put them. They don't end up on the network drive - I could see that much.
So, when I fix the partition letters, and copy the files to the 2nd partition, then run "E2B Launcher.exe" as instructed, it's unhappy because it doesn't know where the files are. [If it has memorized E: / the network drive, it's understandable as to why it's unhappy.]
Which is all why I said:
Maybe '"E2B Launcher.exe" /?' could return something, and/or accept a 2nd partition letter as a parameter.
I have some other issues to deal with before I can boot a test machine with it, but my guess is it will all be happy. (Given manual copy to 2nd partition.) I'll try "E2B Launcher.exe" when I do - I was just following the on screen instructions on the initial setup to go to the first partition and run it. I have no doubt that I'll better understand after I've more experience with this / crossed some more learning curve.
Regardless, the drive letter bugaboo is present. I wonder if you might be able to duplicate it by starting a setup run, then in the middle of it plug in another usb key to trigger a drive letter assignment. Then when the script creates the 2nd partition for itself, you may see the confusion I am referring to.
Or even create a network drive letter (back to yourself even?) before starting - to see if you can duplicate my experience.
OK, I see, so Make_E2B failed to copy the agFM files. But if you have now added them yourself (see https://easy2boot.xyz/agfm/) then E2B_Launcher should work OK once you assign a unique drive letter to ptn 2.
I guess that is why most people assign a high drive letter like Z: or N: to a network drive - because Windows will assign new drive letters as the next one available above the lower letters. If you are using network drive letters like E: then you really should change it to Z: !!!
You say...
So, when I fix the partition letters, and copy the files to the 2nd partition, then run "E2B Launcher.exe" as instructed, it's unhappy because it doesn't know where the files are.
but I don't see how that is possible as the 'finding' of the drive letter for the 2nd partition is dynamic (each time Launcher is run). It just lo0ks for the file as I explained before.
P.S. Alternatively, you may find https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html this useful.
Quote from steve6375 on September 29, 2021, 2:12 pmSo, when I fix the partition letters, and copy the files to the 2nd partition, then run "E2B Launcher.exe" as instructed, it's unhappy because it doesn't know where the files are.
but I don't see how that is possible as the 'finding' of the drive letter for the 2nd partition is dynamic (each time Launcher is run). It just lo0ks for the file as I explained before.
First:
If you are using network drive letters like E: then you really should change it to Z: !!!
No. You are suggesting we change years long convention (drive E: is our SW drive across 100's of users), in order to use your code.
but I don't see how that is possible
You are overlooking a couple of things I said earlier: (1) the 2nd partition got assigned the network drive letter, and references to it always find the network drive - and so never find the real second partition; (2) this happens mid-your script, so there is no opportunity to adjust the drive letters before the next part of the script runs.
I can think of two things that may help: (1) Have a command line option, or pause in the script, which would give one time to fix the drive letters; (2) Have a marker file for partition 2, which if the script doesn't find it knows it has not found the correct partition 2 (e.g. network drive).
The problem I have with (1) is if you haven't run into this before, it must not be all that prevalent an issue, so why inconvenience all your other working users? However, you could trigger a pause upon (2)?
OK, I see, so Make_E2B failed to copy the agFM files. But if you have now added them yourself (see https://easy2boot.xyz/agfm/) then E2B_Launcher should work OK once you assign a unique drive letter to ptn 2.
I will check into this.
Quote from steve6375 on September 29, 2021, 3:49 pmP.S. Alternatively, you may find https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html this useful.
Interesting. Thank you - I have not come across this before.
Quote from steve6375 on September 28, 2021, 12:03 pm... If that also does not work then find "\Easy2Boot_v2.09\_ISO\docs\Make_E2B_USB_Drive folder and
Right-click on DebugAll_MakeE2B_Admin.cmd and run as Administrator
Then look for the file e2b.log and see what the last commands were before the command shell closed.
Thank you for this, it is what led me to find the ping vs ping.exe problem.
You might suggest, instead of 'DebugAll_MakeE2B_Admin.cmd', 'DebugAll_MakeE2B_Admin.cmd 2>&1 | tee DebugAll_MakeE2B_Admin.log | less', perhaps even appending '< nul:', if that makes sense.
Appending:
"If you don't understand the command line, e.g. cygwin, wsl, then never mind it. If you do, then you will know how to effect it without further explanation." [Should get around the "What you talkin' about Willis!" problem.]
It can be easier to debug using the lines that come across the screen. Of course, they go by too fast to follow correctness - thus the command line suggestion.
When I said 'I don't see how that is possible' I was referring to using E2B Launcher, not the Make_E2B.exe script.
So if you have a network drive as E:, then any SD card or USB Flash (removable) drive will also use E: (if it has two partitions or if two external flash drives are connected which use up both D: and E:)? So if you walk up to any other similar system and plug in an E2B drive, it will automatically assign the 2nd partition as E: and there is not much I can do about that - E2B Launcher will just not work.
I can't use a marker file for ptn2 as you suggest - since it has just been freshly created and formatted.
(1) Right, but in that case, you're not creating / finding drive letters - they're already there. So no issue. The user/maintainer has to find the usb key drive letter [to switch to it] (and so will know to work through this problem).
This problem only affects key users / maintainers / creation script.
Users of the key would be booting with it, and in that use case this is all a non-issue.
(2) Right, but since your script creates the partition, it could 'touch <letter>:\...e2b_uefi_p2' or something. Which actually might not be a bad thing. It would so come up upon boot, making it obvious where they are and how they got there. Easy example (in my playing elsewhere), I have HP Diagnostics twice - within the native UEFI boot, and within the HP_TOOLS created 2nd partition - I'm never sure which is right or in which one I am. [Aside from still transiting learning curve, in such use moments, one is trying to diagnose / fix to get the user on with their day.]
{This is not to say you don't already have some other signalling file on p2 to use instead - haven't gotten that deep into this, yet.}
Not sure I understand?
So you already have a network drive as E:
You then run the Make_E2B_USB_Drive.cmd script and it uses DISKPART to create the 2nd partition on the USB drive.
Windows automagically also gives the blank partition the same letter E:
So any access I make to E: will access the network drive.
I have modified the Make_E2B_USB_Drive script so it now should detect network drives.
The first partition letter could still be given a network drive letter by Windows.
But the 2nd (and 3rd if made) ptns should now only use free drive letters.
The new version is 2.10h (NOT the grub4efi verssion).
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqlrQcdsFA-K7zzWApU42HRIVmtb?e=kLuYgF
Can you let me know if it works for you?
The first partition letter could still be given a network drive letter by Windows.
Right, but the user has to pick the 1st partition, so they will know / react to such, and correct - before starting the script.
Computers have been having problems here. I'll try to get back to you on the other - it will be a few days.
Quote from steve6375 on 2021-09-29, 12:07 PMLauncher uses the run.cmd helper file to detect the 2nd partition and looks for the file \boot\grubfm\config each time you click on a link in Launcher (or when you run the E2B_Launcher.exe program). These extra Launcher 'helper' files are at \_ISO\docs\E2B Utilities\Launcher on the USB drive.
... If you make the second partition 'Q' it should work - are you saying it doesn't?
Confirmed works as expected (I think / guessing*).
Reattached reader / sd micro adapter / 32GB sdxc card, drives came in as P: and F:, opened P:, opened E2B Launcher, agFM tab, Add\Update agFM, follow bouncing ball, E2B tab, E2B Menu editor, select MyE2B.cfg, and good things come up.
* Still sinking into this beastie / ecosystem, so mid-learning curve. Very interesting / cool thing you've created here! Thank you!
I think my initial problem stemmed from not being on the usb key 1st partition drive letter when I first tried running E2B Menu Editor. [If that's what I was doing at the time, I've lost track.]
I have modified the Make_E2B_USB_Drive script so it now should detect network drives. ...
I will pursue this and get back to you. [Probably transiting more of the learning curve in the process.] 🙂
Quote from steve6375 on 2021-10-01, 12:10 PMI have modified the Make_E2B_USB_Drive script so it now should detect network drives.
The first partition letter could still be given a network drive letter by Windows.
But the 2nd (and 3rd if made) ptns should now only use free drive letters.
The new version is 2.10h (NOT the grub4efi verssion).
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqlrQcdsFA-K7zzWApU42HRIVmtb?e=kLuYgF
Can you let me know if it works for you?
Link is giving me "ONE DRIVE
This item might not exist or is no longer available"
Could you confirm the link please?
I have found https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AES7GUgcjXrRvWY&id=8A0F146CC7416BA9%21120&cid=8A0F146CC7416BA9 from https://easy2boot.xyz/download/alternate-download-sites/ , but not sure where to go within that.
'Latest Betas' folder has 'Easy2Boot_v2.10hBeta with grub4efi.zip" but no non-"with grub4efi" version.
Box has https://app.box.com/s/oqxlxqs6skcutjrfce8kwaudyttn16qc/folder/74784313953 , showing Easy2Boot_v2.10hBeta.zip within Latest Beta folder, but clicking download reveals 'Your Download is In Progress' - but nothing starts. [I have no account there.]
Confirmed - latest version skipped network drive E:, now making 2nd partition F:, instead.