HOW-TO, Chameleon bootloader for Windows: Changing the target in avlgo.sys (hdX,Y)

[level70steve]

This is for the benefit of people that:

• run Windows 7 and OSx86 on the same computer/HDD,
  
• run Windows 7 outside Chameleon's assumed target partition, and finally
  
• are using Windows 7 instead of OS X to install and manage Chameleon just to be safe
  

Tools you will need:

Chameleon bootloader for Windows - get a decent build from http://www.insanelym...howtopic=255052

Frhed - a free hex editor that can be obtained for free download from http://frhed.sourceforge.net/en/

 

#1 - Extract and run Chameleon bootloader for Windows by determining the appropriate theme and make sure it is installed. From here, you should see 3 files in the C: directory: "avldr.bin", "wowpc.iso", and "avlgo.sys". Reboot and you see a bootable item "Chameleon" in WBM (Windows Boot Manager) as a bootable item. Attempt to run Chameleon.

 

A failed attempt can sometimes be triggered by getting a message saying that isoemu could not find the file "wowpc.iso" in (hdX,Y) where X is the location of your hard disk and Y is the disk's partition. It does give you the option to edit the location of "wowpc.iso" by changing the location of your disk's target. The bad part about this is that after you change your "(hdX,Y)" target, it is not saved the first time. The reason is that the default target of wowpc.ISO is hard-coded into avlgo.sys. This is what stops you from going further into booting OSx86 from Chameleon, and so for every time this happens, you have to often keep manually changing the target every time you have to get out of WBM and into Chameleon so you can start up OSx86.

 

Recently, I used Disk Utility in OSX to create two partitions in disk 0. I created OSX in partition (hd0,0) and Windows in (hd0,1). I installed OSx86 first and then Windows after that, so it will always be a WBM screen for me since I needed Chameleon for Windows to be installed. If you did this exact same sequence, proceed through this tutorial.

 

#2 - Make sure you are logged in to Windows as Administrator, then make sure that Frhed is installed.

 

#3 - Locate avlgo.sys in the C: drive and open it with Frhed.

 

#4 - In Frhed, save this file on your Desktop as just avlgo - do not include the ".sys" extension for quality purposes.

 

#5 - Close down and restart Frhed, this time open avlgo from your desktop.

 

#6 - In Frhed, you should be able to easily change the (hdX,Y) part so that now Chameleon will focus on the real disk/partition that wowpc.iso is located rather than assuming this iso is in (hd0,0) all the time.

 

I used Disk Utility/Terminal in OSX so I will know which partitions are which. Rememeber that I had OSx86 in (hd0,0). Then I had Windows in (hd0,1) which is often where wowpc.iso is at. So in this case, I made sure that (hd0,0) is changed to (hd0,1) in Frhed. In your quest to fix Chameleon in Windows, you need to use Disk Utility/Terminal in OSX (or diskmgmt.msc in Windows) to know exactly which partition is hosting a version of Windows where wowpc.iso is located. Once you are satisfied editing the (hdX,Y) part in Frhed, save changes and close this app.

 

#7 - On your Desktop, rename avlgo to avlgo.sys and overwrite the other avlgo.sys in the C: directory.

 

#8 - Now re-open your modified avlgo.sys in Frhed and double-check to make sure your target of (hdX,Y) is well-edited and not (hd0,0). Then you can restart back into WBM and try to re-run Chameleon a few more times again.

 

Now if you have seen Chameleon show up every time you started it up from WBM, then congratulations! You overcame what I believed was a simple roadblock. Enjoy your hard-coded but modified version of Chameleon bootloader for Windows, and observe the OSx86 revolution.

 

Special thanks go out to:

• Raihan Kibria - one of the key developers of Frhed
  
• chameleon, Avlgomgr, OSx86 Project, insanelymac, pcwizc0mputer, and voodooprojects for combined work on Chameleon bootloader for Windows, and
  
• Bill Gates, a billionaire and a genius whose personality is "not genuine"
  

[sniper9911]

thank you thank you thank you

man you are a life saver !!!

it booted and it works PERFECT .

all i need to know is how to edit the iso image to suit my needs or to create a new one !!

would you happen to know about that ??

[level70steve]

I use TransMac to edit, delete, or even replace "org.chameleon.Boot.plist" in the ISO if that's what you're asking. I also use one of the latest versions of MacDrive to access/edit OS X files directly from Windows without booting into them - and that includes their kexts and even their boot plist, too. TransMac and MacDrive are both unique Windows apps.

 

all i need to know is how to edit the iso image to suit my needs or to create a new one !!

would you happen to know about that ??

[Hii_]

• Bill Gates, a billionaire and a genius whose personality is "not genuine"

lol