Boot CD for XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Curt Christianson
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Curt Christianson

Good evening all,

I realize this is probably the stupidist of questions, but why can't one
simply make a copy of a new XP disk, and have it boot?

I had to go to several websites, and a lot of rigamarol, before I finally
made a bootable copy of XP. I wanted this copy strictly for backup
purposes, in the event something happened to the original. I've been told
there are "hidden" boot files within the disk, that simply won't copy by
"normal" means. Any truth to this? Can anyone expand on the subject, or
point me to a good place to read up on this?
 
The original XP CD is bootable - why bother making a copy - the CD is not
going to go bad and something could just as easily 'happen' to the copy as
to the original; so why bother?
 
I agree Jerry, a CD does not usually go bad. But, they do get lost,
scratched, etc.
 
Curt said:
Good evening all,

I realize this is probably the stupidist of questions, but why can't one
simply make a copy of a new XP disk, and have it boot?

I had to go to several websites, and a lot of rigamarol, before I finally
made a bootable copy of XP. I wanted this copy strictly for backup
purposes, in the event something happened to the original. I've been told
there are "hidden" boot files within the disk, that simply won't copy by
"normal" means. Any truth to this? Can anyone expand on the subject, or
point me to a good place to read up on this?
Click to expand...


Any decent CD burning application will copy a bootable CD and have the
resulting copy be bootable. What specific application are you using to
copy the CD?


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
 
Jerry said:
The original XP CD is bootable - why bother making a copy - the CD is not
going to go bad and something could just as easily 'happen' to the copy as
to the original; so why bother?
Click to expand...

Ever hear of back-ups?

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell
 
Making a copy of your WinXP CD is an excellent idea.
More people should do it - we keep seeing posts from
those who have lost the original and are getting desperate.

There are no hidden files on a WinXP CD and it is
perfectly legal to copy it. Just select the appropriate
burner option to make a copy, instead of copying
individual files and folders. When finished, test it by
booting the machine off it. You should get the WinXP
installation prompts. Don't worry - it won't do anything
unless you give it the go-ahead.
 
Sure, I've heard of backups - especially in the days of getting software on
floppies; but I am not convinced there is a requirement to make a copy of a
CD that is probably only going to be used once to install the OS.

Following your line of reasoning I would make a copy of the original as a
backup, then a copy of the backup 'just-in-case', then another copy if a
hurrican strikes, ad nauseum. Just put the original in a safe place.
 
Curt said:
Good evening all,

I realize this is probably the stupidist of questions, but why
can't one simply make a copy of a new XP disk, and have it boot?

I had to go to several websites, and a lot of rigamarol, before I
finally made a bootable copy of XP. I wanted this copy strictly
for backup purposes, in the event something happened to the
original. I've been told there are "hidden" boot files within the
disk, that simply won't copy by "normal" means. Any truth to this?
Can anyone expand on the subject, or point me to a good place to
read up on this?
Click to expand...

If all you were trying to do was duplicate the CD - most programs (good
CD/DVD writing applications) have this ability built in.. CD-to-CD copy.

If you don't have a program that has this option, I suggest downloading and
using ISO Recorder. Google for it. You can create an ISO image of your
Windows XP CD and then burn as many copies as you like.

If you want to update your windows CD and create/burn an ISO image -
something like "AutoStreamer" or "nLite" would be excellent tools for this.
 
Shenan said:
If all you were trying to do was duplicate the CD - most programs (good
CD/DVD writing applications) have this ability built in.. CD-to-CD copy.

If you don't have a program that has this option, I suggest downloading and
using ISO Recorder. Google for it. You can create an ISO image of your
Windows XP CD and then burn as many copies as you like.

If you want to update your windows CD and create/burn an ISO image -
something like "AutoStreamer" or "nLite" would be excellent tools for this.
Click to expand...

and all nLite does are commands you can do yourself, if you're the "do
it yourself" kind of person.

copy contents from CD to HDD
extract the tiny 2Kbyte binary file to boot CDs (google: bbie)
start the SP and/or hotfixes with an integrate command
create an ISO image (optional) -- (very optional:) encode duplicate
files once
Burn said ISO as many times you want.

Enjoy reinstalling windows, 'cuz it'll need it. :)
 
Jerry said:
Sure, I've heard of backups - especially in the days of getting
software on floppies; but I am not convinced there is a requirement
to make a copy of a CD that is probably only going to be used once to
install the OS.
Click to expand...

A backup copy is a good idea. Spend any amount of time here and you will see
how many people plead for help because all of a sudden they need their XP CD
and it is broken, or scratched, or they can't find it, or the dog ate it, or
someone stole it, or it is packed in a storage facility etc...
I have never installed an OS just once on a machine that has been used for
any length of time. And if the user is just your average clueless home user,
you can bet your life that the OS will have to be reinstalled at some point
because of unsafe internet usage.
 
Jerry said:
The original XP CD is bootable - why bother making a copy - the CD is
not going to go bad and something could just as easily 'happen' to
the copy as to the original; so why bother?
Click to expand...


You sound like someone who doesn't buy insurance, drives without seatbelts,
and doesn't back up his data.

Yes, something could just as easily happen to the copy as to the original,
but the likelihood of that something happening to both copies simultaneously
is *much* smaller then the likelihood of only one getting damaged or lost.
 
Curt Christianson said:
Good evening all,

I realize this is probably the stupidist of questions, but why can't one
simply make a copy of a new XP disk, and have it boot?

I had to go to several websites, and a lot of rigamarol, before I finally
made a bootable copy of XP. I wanted this copy strictly for backup
purposes, in the event something happened to the original. I've been told
there are "hidden" boot files within the disk, that simply won't copy by
"normal" means. Any truth to this? Can anyone expand on the subject, or
point me to a good place to read up on this?
Click to expand...

That is the first thing that I do when I purchase _any software_ is to burn a copy.
I then file the original plus any paperwork.
 
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