129 replies to this topic

[billgr]

Thanks, waiting for some more ram...

[peter.imrich]

I've tested the entire process twice yesterday, one for Windows Server 2016 Standard Core and one for Windows Server 2016 Standard GUI. It worked perfectly. For Core it took 8GB, and for GUI it took 14GB. The Core mode still uses 500MB of RAM to run and the GUI uses 1GB. I intended to use the 2016 Server Standard GUI for Control PC with RAMdisk, but without the Audiophile Optimizer. Unfortunately, only a small RAM remained free so I went back to Windows Server by SSD. I left a mixed-use Windows 10 (study, work, and music) for an exculsive Windows Server 2016 Standard. Another sensitive gain came through the speakers.

 

I don't want to waste an Audiophile Optimizer licence with the notebook. So I'll reserve it for the future dedicated computer, which will pair with the Audio-PC.

 

Hi Felipe,

I am very much interested to try this setup. I was successful to install the image and run it but I am struggling to boot from USB.

The image is 10-14GB, so I cannot use FAT32 filesystem. I tried exFat but grub is not able to find GRLDR file (does not seem to recognize this filesystem properly). I tried also 2 USB sticks, one with FAT32 with GRUB and 2nd with NTFS and the image. Here grub complains about number of sectors in the image (I do not understand the error).

Which filesystem do you use?

 

Thanks,

Peter

[FelipeRolim]

Hello Peter. If the .vhd file is stored on an SSD/HD driver, so, you just need to install GRUB4DOS in an USB stick and write the commands (in menu.lst). The GRUB4DOS will find automatically the .vhd file and will load it to RAM memory. If you want to install the GRUB4DOS in an USB stick and also copy the .vhd file into it, you can use NTFS format. These new motherboards often acepts NTFS removable drivers. Here, I use a pendrive formatted with NTFS format. In fact, I've never tried using the flash drive in FAT32 or exFAT mode. I tried directly using NTFS and it worked.

[peter.imrich]

Hello Peter. If the .vhd file is stored on an SSD/HD driver, so, you just need to install GRUB4DOS in an USB stick and write the commands (in menu.lst). The GRUB4DOS will find automatically the .vhd file and will load it to RAM memory. If you want to install the GRUB4DOS in an USB stick and also copy the .vhd file into it, you can use NTFS format. These new motherboards often acepts NTFS removable drivers. Here, I use a pendrive formatted with NTFS format. In fact, I've never tried using the flash drive in FAT32 or exFAT mode. I tried directly using NTFS and it worked.

 
Felipe,
I reformatted the stick with NTFS and the grub4dos loads and displays menu properly. When executing following sequence:
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /Server2016.vhd
map --mem /Server2016.vhd (hd0)
map --hook
root (hd0,0)
 
First 3 commands are ok but root (hd0,0) fails with "Error 27:disk read error"
I can mount the image in windows and I can boot it but when trying USB stick, I get this  "Error 27:disk read error"
Any ideas?
 
Thanks,
Peter

Attached Files

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[FelipeRolim]

 
Felipe,
I reformatted the stick with NTFS and the grub4dos loads and displays menu properly. When executing following sequence:
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /Server2016.vhd
map --mem /Server2016.vhd (hd0)
map --hook
root (hd0,0)
 
First 3 commands are ok but root (hd0,0) fails with "Error 27:disk read error"
I can mount the image in windows and I can boot it but when trying USB stick, I get this  "Error 27:disk read error"
Any ideas?
 
Thanks,
Peter

 

Peter, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm traveling and accessing the forum little by cell phone. Reading quickly what you wrote, I couldn't think of a solution. I didn't understand exactly if the problem could be in some sort of protection of the .vhd file or in GRUB4DOS itself. Also, for the occasion, I cannot emulate what happened at this time. Did you make any progress? I didn't understand if you tried typing one line after another or if you entered the command string inside the menu.lst file. Try both methods and see if you can get something.

[peter.imrich]

Peter, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm traveling and accessing the forum little by cell phone. Reading quickly what you wrote, I couldn't think of a solution. I didn't understand exactly if the problem could be in some sort of protection of the .vhd file or in GRUB4DOS itself. Also, for the occasion, I cannot emulate what happened at this time. Did you make any progress? I didn't understand if you tried typing one line after another or if you entered the command string inside the menu.lst file. Try both methods and see if you can get something.

 

Felipe,

its working!!! I see what you meant, extra clarity to all music free of charge 

Btw, in my case grub4dos version was the issue and respective GRLDR file. Its not easy to find your version with GRLDR file with the same size but I found it.

It may be a good idea to drop that version to Google Drive, so others can benefit from this also.

 

Regards,

Peter

[FelipeRolim]

Thanks for share your impressions, Peter. I'm glad it worked and the result was fruitful. There is the GRUB4DOS link: https://drive.google...JFJ?usp=sharing

[billgr]

Just in time, thanks.

[gonefishing]

Hi Felipe

Thanks for all this information to configure Ramdisk, when I'm back from holiday I'm keen to give this a try providing I can find some more ram.

I'll post later here.

Thanks
John

[FelipeRolim]

Friends, some news. I'm currently testing some more operating system options, and I have some interesting remarks:

- The version of Windows Server 2016 I use is build 14393.1532, which I can install on an 8GB .vhd and occupies 7.5GB of that .vhd with everything installed (JPLAY and Audiophile Optimizer).

- The latest Windows Server 2016 version I tested (build 17763) can only be installed on a 9GB .vhd, occupies 8.5GB of this .vhd with everything installed.

- I'm doing experiments with Windows Server 2019 (build 17763.253) and I'm surprised. I was able to install it in a .vhd of only 7GB and, with JPLAY FEMTO installed (without the Audiophile Optimizer), it occupied only 6.3GB of this .vhd. Still, with no optimization, I noticed that Windows needs 0.9GB of RAM to run, which indicates that with the Audiophile Optimizer approximately 0.5GB of RAM will be needed. This means that we will be able to make Windows Server 2019 work via RAM on computers with only 8GB installed, with a good leftovers. I haven't listened to it, and I may have been waiting for the Audiophile Optimizer 3.00 for this, but I think we can be optimistic...

[FelipeRolim]

Guys, not all the firadisk drivers I tested is working. From what I could tell, some people are also not succeeding in this particular part of the installation. It happens that, having tested more than ten versions of firadisk, I forgot which one is correct. I think the last one I tested that worked is what's on the link below. Also, to make the task easier, I'm also sharing the RegFolder folder with the .reg file I set it to create.

 

https://drive.google...gSD?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google...Qpw?usp=sharing

 

I ask the friends who was able to do the RAMdisk that indicates if there is any repair to be done in the instruction manual or if, with the correct files, the manual is responding properly.

[smazur]

FYI, for those of you booting Windows from RAMDISK using Firadisk, there's a newer driver called SVBus you might want to check out.  I'm running it now on my Audio PC (I've disabled the Firadisk driver).  If nothing else, SVBus is easier to install than Firadisk in Server Core mode.  The SVBus author has also reported fixing some Win 10 write errors when using the older driver, so there's that.

 

http://reboot.pro/to...r-for-grub4dos/

 

I've been booting from RAMDISK for a few years now, but I will say, even with everything setup and working properly, I still have occasional errors when booting.  Sometimes the shell won't load properly--sometimes everything looks right but a particular program won't work (regedit, DAC driver panel).  Only solution I've found is to make multiple boot attempts until eventually everything just works.  Unfortunately SVBus hasn't fixed this situation for me, and I haven't been able to figure out if the errors are due to the RAM, the disk hosting the VHD, BIOS settings, etc.  Anyone else ever experience similar problems?

[billgr]

Hi Filipe, thanks for the reply. John noticed we had incorrect quotation characters in the .reg file. It's sorted not and I'm trying another build. 

[gonefishing]

Hello Felipe,

 

 

 

 

 

I have RAMdisk going and thanks very much for all your help.

 

 

 

Issue 1.

 

 

 

Using my home PC with an onboard intel display. When I was loading from the VHD to ram it seems when I hit the point where the display adapter had reserved ram the loading into ram would stop and the pc would restart. The only way I could find forward was disabling the on board display adapter and inserting an add-in display card.

 

 

 

Issue 2.

 

 

 

I fell into a trap not noticing special characters surrounding “Service”=”FiraDisk” they are different than all others in the text. Therefore changing “Service”=”FiraDisk” to "Service"="FiraDisk" fixed the issue. Somehow special characters were injected when I copied and pasted from the pdf to Notepad.

 

 

 

Thanks

John

[FelipeRolim]

 

FYI, for those of you booting Windows from RAMDISK using Firadisk, there's a newer driver called SVBus you might want to check out.  I'm running it now on my Audio PC (I've disabled the Firadisk driver).  If nothing else, SVBus is easier to install than Firadisk in Server Core mode.  The SVBus author has also reported fixing some Win 10 write errors when using the older driver, so there's that.

 

http://reboot.pro/to...r-for-grub4dos/

 

I've been booting from RAMDISK for a few years now, but I will say, even with everything setup and working properly, I still have occasional errors when booting.  Sometimes the shell won't load properly--sometimes everything looks right but a particular program won't work (regedit, DAC driver panel).  Only solution I've found is to make multiple boot attempts until eventually everything just works.  Unfortunately SVBus hasn't fixed this situation for me, and I haven't been able to figure out if the errors are due to the RAM, the disk hosting the VHD, BIOS settings, etc.  Anyone else ever experience similar problems?

 

 

Hi Smazur. I've never had any problems with using Firadisk. I find it a bit tricky to make it work (I still cannot confirm, but Windows Server 2019 seems less critical than 2016), but after it works, at least around here, it has always run very smoothly and never failed. I'll test this new driver you shared to see what happens. Thank you!

 

Hi Filipe, thanks for the reply. John noticed we had incorrect quotation characters in the .reg file. It's sorted not and I'm trying another build. 

 

Hope it works for you too! Keep us informed.

 

 

Hello Felipe,

 

 

 

 

 

I have RAMdisk going and thanks very much for all your help.

 

 

 

Issue 1.

 

 

 

Using my home PC with an onboard intel display. When I was loading from the VHD to ram it seems when I hit the point where the display adapter had reserved ram the loading into ram would stop and the pc would restart. The only way I could find forward was disabling the on board display adapter and inserting an add-in display card.

 

 

 

Issue 2.

 

 

 

I fell into a trap not noticing special characters surrounding “Service”=”FiraDisk” they are different than all others in the text. Therefore changing “Service”=”FiraDisk” to "Service"="FiraDisk" fixed the issue. Somehow special characters were injected when I copied and pasted from the pdf to Notepad.

 

 

 

Thanks

John

 

 

Hi, John. I'm very happy to know that all the effort was worth it. I hope you have noticed good improvement with RAMdisk. When you have secure impressions, please share with us.

[gonefishing]

Hi Felipe,

 

Yes I will report back on final operation and SQ.

I'm currently waiting for some more Ram to arrive I will be sometime before reporting back as I'm in the midst of a total PC rebuild having decided on a new Audio PC to accommodate both JCAT USB and NIC card. I'm targeting a dual PC build with AO in the MIX sitting on Server 2019. I'm very impressed with the SQ of server 2019 compared to 2016. 

 

Thanks again for all the assistance and providing a process for OS in RAM - no SATA   

 

Cheers 

John

 

 

[FelipeRolim]

Friends, I'm using Windows Server 2019 Standard Core with RAMdisk. I performed the procedure yesterday and it worked normally. I'm writing just to warn you that the manual is also fully functional for Server 2019.

Unlike Windows Server 2016, Server 2019 works with a VHD file of only 7GB. I believe that 8GB of RAM is insufficient for normal operation, but for those who have 16GB in the computer, it's possible to release 1GB more.

[motberg]

Hi Felipe,

 

Many thanks for posting all this...

 

Do you think this would work well with an i7 16GB single PC.. or do you consider a dual PC setup more or less mandatory to make best use of the RAMdisk technique?

 

Thanks again,

 

Tom

[FelipeRolim]

Hello Tom. The first time I got RAMdisk I used only one computer, not the dual-PC configuration. I consider that for one computer the RAMdisk is as or more important, because within my concept of exclusive attributions, RAMdisk allows the HD/SSD (and the entire SATA controller) to work exclusively for reading music files, which is a much more perfect scenario. Whatever is Windows background process, reading program files, among other things, will be done directly in RAM, and the SATA connection will always be free for reading music files. The purity is much greater.

[pavgeris]

Hello Felippe!

Thank you for sharing this impressive information, on how to install WS2016 core in Ramdisk.

It took me a while to understand the idea and philosophy on how to achieve all this.

Finally, last night I managed to succeed.

Partial success. Partial means that I have finally been able to boot in Ramdisk mode.

But immediately after booting, the Firadisk driver continues not to being accepted due to Driver signature enforcement.

Windows still does not accept this driver, although I trtied each and every way to disable this f***ng strange thing with driver signature.

In GUI mode it is very easy to permanently deactivate this disgusting feature. But in core mode, only with command line available, it seems that nobody has achieved it.

I am including two snapshots of my PC. Could you please give me some hint here?

As soon as hit 'go to options' and then press F8 and (blah blah blah) everything works fine. But I need to get rid of all this!

I am close to the end to fully enjoy RamDisk.

Thanks a lot!

Sound quality is **really*** impressive and much much better on my control PC. Cannot see the time to install the audio pc as well!