Boot XP Pro from floppy

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hal
  • Start date Start date
H

Hal

Is there a way I can boot from a floppy disk and access the C: drive?

I have downloaded various XP boot disk files and some just boot you into
your current XP installation and others boot your system so you can
access your CD-rom to do an XP install.

I need to boot XP from a floppy, access my C: drive and run a virus scan.
 
Hal said:
Is there a way I can boot from a floppy disk and access the C: drive?

I have downloaded various XP boot disk files and some just boot you into
your current XP installation and others boot your system so you can
access your CD-rom to do an XP install.

I need to boot XP from a floppy, access my C: drive and run a virus scan.
Click to expand...

Not sure exactly what you want to do.

If the hard drive is FAT32 then a Windows 98 or ME boot floppy
(www.bootdisk.com) will suffice to allow you to run a DOS based virus
scanner such as F-Prot.

If your hard drive is NTFS then you will need the 6 diskette boot set
from http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=310994 to run the DOS virus
scanner.

If you need to run a simple Windows based virus scanner such as
McAfee's Stinger then you will need to create a bootable CD using
Bart's PE Builder from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

If you need to run a more sophisticated Windows based antivirus then
your best bet is to remove the hard drive from the infected machine
and install that drive temporarily as a second hard drive in a
functioning machine and do the virus scan from there.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Ron said:
Not sure exactly what you want to do.
Click to expand...
I have a command line AntiVirus program, using McAfee definitions, on my
C: drive that is my XP boot drive formatted NTSF. and I want to boot
from a floppy get a C:> prompt and run my AV. This will give me a clean
boot so I can scan my system.

I have already run the AV program from Safe mode and Command mode but
there are so many files locked by XP the AV prgram can't scan them and
virus warning keep coming up. My system is regularly protected by
F-Secure but a 'snoop' virus got through on a download.
If the hard drive is FAT32 then a Windows 98 or ME boot floppy
(www.bootdisk.com) will suffice to allow you to run a DOS based virus
scanner such as F-Prot.
Click to expand...
It is formatter NTSF. May be this was a mistake when I installed XP.
If your hard drive is NTFS then you will need the 6 diskette boot set
from http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=310994 to run the DOS virus
scanner.
Click to expand...
I have already created those disks and tried them. All you can do is
perform an install or press F3 to quit. I can not get to the C: drive.
If you need to run a simple Windows based virus scanner such as
McAfee's Stinger then you will need to create a bootable CD using
Bart's PE Builder from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
Click to expand...
Visited that site but the pages I need to get to do not display so I
really don't know hwat he has to offer.
If you need to run a more sophisticated Windows based antivirus then
your best bet is to remove the hard drive from the infected machine
and install that drive temporarily as a second hard drive in a
functioning machine and do the virus scan from there.
Click to expand...
If all else fails.

Thanks Ron
Hal Murray
Calgary
 
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