How to format a floppy disk with system under XP?

[Eric]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to format a floppy disk with
system/boot disk under XP?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Eric

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com and download it.

GS

 

[sgopus]

no such animal with XP, it doesn't use DOS anymore.
so to create a bootdisk you would have to download it from the mentioned link.

 

[Bob Knowlden]

I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for.

If you put a floppy in the drive, right click it, and select "format",
you'll be given a checkbox to create a system diskette.

That will permit you to boot into what is basically DOS. (I have read claims
that it differs from a real MS DOS boot, but I'm unaware of the distinction.
I believe that when you boot from the floppy, you may be informed that
you're starting Windows ME.)

The main problem with it is that there won't be much free space on the
diskette for things like updated mainboard BIOS files.

Even Vista X64 preserves the ability to generate a boot floppy. I find that
I don't need boot floppies very often; I use a bootable USB thumb drive.

HTH.

Return address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[John John (MVP)]

For a plain Jane MS-DOS floppy disk just stick a floppy diskette in the
drive then from Windows Explorer right-click on the floppy drive and
select Format and put a check mark on the "Create an MS-DOS startup
disk". This disk may not have all the tools you expect on it but it
will boot your computer to MS-DOS.

John

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You must not have a floppy drive or you just don't use it. Of course he can
create an MSDOS bootdisk.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to format a floppy disk with
system/boot disk under XP?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Eric

There is little point to this if you want to access an NTFS drive, unless
you use 3rd party drivers - and these you have to pay for if you want write
access to the disk.

You can make Dos/ win9x boot disks, but these won't access NTFS disks, which
is most drives over 40 gig. On the other hand, there are free Linux boot
CDs you can make that can do this with no problem. And the XP install CD
is bootable.

So, you do need to be a little more precise in what it is you're asking for,
and why.

HTH
-pk

 

[M.I.5¾]

no such animal with XP, it doesn't use DOS anymore.
so to create a bootdisk you would have to download it from the mentioned
link.

What utter tosh.

When you open the Format dialog box, just check the box 'Create an MS-DOS
startup disk'. XP will create a bootable floppy disk that boots a PC to an
MS-DOS system.

 

[smlunatick]

MS Dos boot disk will not let you see any of your NTFS partitions directly.
This is very useless to be used to repair most XP boot problems. Every "true"
XP install CDs are bootable.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

True, but that has nothing to do with the ability to make an MSDOS floppy.
I used to make them because one was needed in order to flash the BIOS.
Ghost used to require one as well, IIRC.

 

[sgopus]

Utter Tosh??? not familiar with that term, but it must be a foul one.
I stand corrected, yes I was looking at the dos not being able to read NTFS,
so responded, I was wrong.

 

[Nonny]

Utter Tosh??? not familiar with that term, but it must be a foul one.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -
–noun Chiefly British Informal.
nonsense; bosh.