How can I make a bootable USB memory key

[Picsou]

Hello,

I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software like
WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc.
All the laptops are of the same brand and type.
All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network.
I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk and
with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image from
the network onto the laptops.

Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with my
DOS-floppy-solution.

What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does the
same for me.
But I cannot figure out how to do it.
I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boot
into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy.

I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to ask
for the details that you might need to help me.

I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me ?

 

[Guest]

If your laptops don't have floppy drive, I assume, they may have CD-drive, then this would be of great help since you could use a Windows installation CD to create partitions and format with it

----- Picsou wrote: ----

Hello

I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software lik
WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc
All the laptops are of the same brand and type
All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network
I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk an
with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image fro
the network onto the laptops

Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with m
DOS-floppy-solution

What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does th
same for me
But I cannot figure out how to do it
I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boo
into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy

I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to as
for the details that you might need to help me

I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me

 

[Picsou]

Hi microkom,

Thanks for your reply.
You are right, and yes the laptops come with a CD-drive, but that does not
really help me.
I have to do all the loading manually for each of the PCs : installing
WinXP, installing Lotus Notes, installing Office2000, etc.
This is taking too much time, thatis why I created that DOS-based script
floppy with which I just have to boot while it starts automatically the
restore of the complete system from an image on the network.

If your laptops don't have floppy drive, I assume, they may have CD-drive,

then this would be of great help since you could use a Windows installation
CD to create partitions and format with it.

 

[Ron Sommer]

You say, " I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key".
Does that mean the laptops will boot from the USB-memory-key?

You can create a bootable CD that creates a RAM disk.
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

 

[Bob Dietz]

The USB Key won't work unless the laptops bios supports booting
from a USB device,

So use a CD-R/CD-RW to burn a bootable CD-ROM.
Take a look at http://www.bootdisk.com

Bob

 

[Picsou]

The laptop's BIOS does support booting from a USB key.
Believe me, I would not have asked for such a solution prior to be sure that
this was possible.

 

[Picsou]

Yes, the laptops boot from the USB key.
No I am not interested in a CD solution because :
-the laptops come with a USB DVD-reader/CD-RW wrter.
-so the solution has to be an USB bootable solution anyhow.
In this case I think that making an USB-key behave like a floppy is easier
than to achieve this with an USB CD or DVD player.

 

[Picsou]

Hi Bob, thanks for your answer.

I have made lot's of boot-disks, boot-CDs etc successfuly, but my actual
problem is slightly different.
Did you read my complete post about my problem please ?

 

[Peter Sumner]

You are right, and yes the laptops come with a CD-drive, but that does not
really help me.
I have to do all the loading manually for each of the PCs : installing
WinXP, installing Lotus Notes, installing Office2000, etc.
This is taking too much time, thatis why I created that DOS-based script
floppy with which I just have to boot while it starts automatically the
restore of the complete system from an image on the network.

Can you make a bootable CD which has an image of your startup floppy
on it? Instructions at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;167685 or
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/index.php

 

[Stephan]

Hi!
suggestion,
find a PC with a CD rom burner, and make a bootable CD.
put you floppy loader program onto that cd.
boot your laptop off cd...
problem solved.

Stephan

Hello,

I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software like
WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc.
All the laptops are of the same brand and type.
All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network.
I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk and
with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image from
the network onto the laptops.

Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with my
DOS-floppy-solution.

What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does the
same for me.
But I cannot figure out how to do it.
I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boot
into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy.

I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to ask
for the details that you might need to help me.

I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me ?

 

[Picsou]

Hi!
suggestion,
find a PC with a CD rom burner, and make a bootable CD.
put you floppy loader program onto that cd.
boot your laptop off cd...
problem solved.

Stephan

Hello,

I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software like
WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc.
All the laptops are of the same brand and type.
All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network.
I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk and
with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image from
the network onto the laptops.

Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with my
DOS-floppy-solution.

What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does the
same for me.
But I cannot figure out how to do it.
I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boot
into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy.

I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to ask
for the details that you might need to help me.

I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me ?

 

[Picsou]

Hi stefan,

Does this work with a CD or DVD player that is connected to the laptop via
USB too ?
And one other question if you don't mind Stephan
How do I do both things at the same time:
- make a bootable CD
- put the floppy loader program onto that CD

And even one more question:
My floppy contains an autoexec.bat and a config.sys that call for an A:\
drive.
Will the CD behave like an A:\drive if I do what you suggest.
I tried to do so in vain with easy CD Creator.

I am probably retarded, but I am afraid that I am missing something very
basic.
Could you possibly explain to me how to do it step by step please.
Sorry for the inconvenience and for being so stupid.

 

[Bob Dietz]

Sorry, I don't know anything more to suggest.

I read your whole post and mentioned 'boot from USB in BIOS,' because you
never mentioned bios.

Google search for
"boot from USB"
turns up a number of links.

The first one -
http://www.computing.net/hardware/wwwboard/forum/22796.html
seems relevant -

I was trying to boot from USB using my Kingston USB 256MB flash drive and after testing many things just had success.

I needed to access to my USB fash disk from MS-DOS to partition and format.

Downloaded USBASPI.SYS and di1000dd.sys

Added two lines to my config.sys:

device=USBASPI.SYS
device=di1000dd.sys

Then when I booted into MS-DOS, my computer detected my USBkey as an SCSI hard disk D: so I checked with Partion Magic and reported some errors in partition type.

I decided to use Fdisk to delete old partition, create a new one (in FAT) then apply a "Format D: /s" but it will not boot because your partition is not "active".

You will need to use Partition Magic or other software like Windows 2000/XP Disk Manager to activate your USBkey partiton to enable booting, because Fdisk can only activate on your primary boot disk.

Any way, some computers boot OK from USB but others dont... so try to boot from different computers...

I even booted with "Boot from USB floppy" and "Boot from USB ZIP" options, so test them too.

Good luck.

Bob

 

[Donald McDaniel]

Hi stefan,

Does this work with a CD or DVD player that is connected to the laptop via
USB too ?
And one other question if you don't mind Stephan
How do I do both things at the same time:
- make a bootable CD
- put the floppy loader program onto that CD

And even one more question:
My floppy contains an autoexec.bat and a config.sys that call for an A:\
drive.
Will the CD behave like an A:\drive if I do what you suggest.
I tried to do so in vain with easy CD Creator.

I am probably retarded, but I am afraid that I am missing something very
basic.
Could you possibly explain to me how to do it step by step please.
Sorry for the inconvenience and for being so stupid.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Bootable CDs:
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/

--
Donald L McDaniel
Post all replies to the Newsgroup,
so that all may be informed.
Remove the obvious to reply by email.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[Ron Sommer]

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
I doesn't matter what you boot with.
A bootable CD will need a ramdrive, because you can't write to the CD will
you are booting.
Look in the help for burning a bootable CD. Some settings have to be
changed.

You will have to alter the autoexec.bat to reflect the correct drive letter.
When you boot to the memory drive, what drive letter does the drive have?

 

[Al Dykes]

Hello,

I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software like
WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc.
All the laptops are of the same brand and type.
All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network.
I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk and
with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image from
the network onto the laptops.

Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with my
DOS-floppy-solution.

What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does the
same for me.
But I cannot figure out how to do it.
I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boot
into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy.

I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to ask
for the details that you might need to help me.

I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me ?

First, confirm that your PCs _can_ boot from USB, the one's I've
worked with can't (a small sample). From what I read, USB fobs vary
widely in how completely they implement the IDE spec. I don't think
that boot is high on theor priorities.

I suggest you burn a simple CD that is an image of a DOS boot disk. I
know Rixio can, I assume the other burners can, also.

Boot the system, pop a CD with your software on it, and run "setup" or
whatever your script is called. With a little more work you could make
a DOS floppy that has NIC drivers and can see a workgroup share on
your server. Burn that into a bootable CD.

 

[Peter Sumner]

Yes, the laptops boot from the USB key.
No I am not interested in a CD solution because :
-the laptops come with a USB DVD-reader/CD-RW wrter.
-so the solution has to be an USB bootable solution anyhow.
In this case I think that making an USB-key behave like a floppy is easier
than to achieve this with an USB CD or DVD player.

I think the CD solution would be easier as booting from CD is well
understood even over USB. Booting from USB keys is new and exciting.

If you want to go this way I'd start by adding USB key drivers to my
DOS boot disk - take a look at <http://newdos.yginfo.net/usbdos.htm>
This is as far as I can go as none of my machines will boot from a USB
key.

Next step would be to make the USB key bootable now that you can read
it - format/s from the boot floppy, you may need to find some way of
making the partition on the key active if it is not already. Copy over
the rest of your floppy and you should be in business.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Guest]

Hi Al, and sorry for this delayed answer

I have been doing some more trials and investigations, here are some (disappointing) results so far

Some USB-keys are bootable, others are not - I have been testing with both - the obvious is that only the bootable ones are able to be seen by a bios that can handle USB devices

Putting my script on the USB-key (including NIC-stuff etc) that refers to an image file on a local server that should be "restored on the hard disk C:\ did not succeed however

I still need to find the proper solution

Regards