How to make a bootable USB

[Bill Cunningham]

Is there a way to make a bootable USB for XP? Even with 3rd party
software or anything? My BIOS will allow booting from it but my USB stick
isn't set to boot.

Bill

 

[BillW50]

Is there a way to make a bootable USB for XP? Even with 3rd party
software or anything? My BIOS will allow booting from it but my USB stick
isn't set to boot.

Oh yes, despite what Microsoft says (they are wrong), it is indeed
possible. But man, what a headache if you go the manual registry
approach. You have to change like three pages worth because Windows
resets the USB ports in the middle of loading (which destroys USB
booting and it is clueless where Windows is again).

I believe there are but haven't really investigated the free easy
options. I have heard of them but never tried them. Same for the easy
commercial options.

But here is the kicker. No matter how you do it, at least with USB2 it
is incredibly slow. I dunno but I don't think most people would like it.
I suppose if you got nothing but time, it might be ok. But it is just
too slow for my tastes (like 6 to 10 times slower).

 

[Paul]

Is there a way to make a bootable USB for XP? Even with 3rd party
software or anything? My BIOS will allow booting from it but my USB stick
isn't set to boot.

Bill

The problem with a conventional WinXP install on a USB storage
device, happens when the USB bus is being set up, some number
of seconds after the boot process begins.

The USB bus is reset, and the OS loses communication with
the USB storage device.

Solutions exist for this, and involve changing the declaration
of the USB bus. The keyword is "BootBusExtender". The idea is
for the booting process, to move the USB setup earlier in boot.
Exactly how this works, I'm not sure of the details.

The procedure, of preparing the OS to boot over USB, is
a lengthy one, and I've not seen a reason to test it
out for my own purposes. The activation of the OS is
against a fixed set of hardware, so moving the USB storage
device to another machine doesn't necessarily make sense.
To be practical, you end up plugging the USB storage
back into the same machine, so it's only saving a hard
drive bay. Maybe it makes sense on a laptop (which has
fewer storage options).

Here is a sample thread for your enjoyment. This may not
be the only thread or the best thread, but gives a flavor
for how much work it is. I think an MSI motherboard forum
had a thread like this too.

http://www.techspot.com/community/t...windows-on-an-external-usb-hard-drive.116114/

Paul

 

[BillW50]

The USB bus is reset, and the OS loses communication with
the USB storage device.
Yes.

Solutions exist for this, and involve changing the declaration
of the USB bus. The keyword is "BootBusExtender". The idea is
for the booting process, to move the USB setup earlier in boot.
Exactly how this works, I'm not sure of the details.

Not that I am aware of. You just stop the USB from being reset. Sounds
simple, but it isn't really. It takes about three pages worth of
registry hacks to make it happen.

 

[Bill Cunningham]

It's not clear.
Do you want to put a whole XP into an USB stick? Or do you want a way to
boot your PC by an USB stick in case of emergency only?

Either way.

 

[Bill Cunningham]

Not that I am aware of. You just stop the USB from being reset. Sounds
simple, but it isn't really. It takes about three pages worth of registry
hacks to make it happen.

Where do you get your info? Someone might have saved those registry
pages as .reg files to be imported.

Bill

 

[BillW50]

Where do you get your info? Someone might have saved those registry
pages as .reg files to be imported.

I got them when Asus first released the first netbook and it came with
Linux (Xandros actually) with very little drive space (2GB or 4GB at
first). Since there was so little space, there was a drive to run XP on
the larger SDHC card slot which could handle at least 32GB. Although
this was an USB device.

Import the hacked registry? Well maybe, I would be a bit worried without
moderating each change. It might be ok, I am not real sure.

But even if it is easy through other means or hard like changing the
registry by hand. What about the slow speed from an USB2 device? Do you
really want to wait and wait while running XP? Frankly that totally
turned me off and there are far better ways to run XP.

 

[Bill Cunningham]

I'm not quite sure what your trying to say.

If you use MKBT and send a floppy boot image to a USB stick it will
boot like a floppy and show up as A: You are still limited to 1.44m
tho.
If you get your USB driver loaded, you can put another stick in there
to use for space.

SEt MKBT ? Where? What do you mean? I do have a USB floppy but floppy disk
are hard to find nowadays.

http://store.mynews.ath.cx/temp/Virtual_PC/Virtual_Win-98

Boot_98.img 1.41 MB

Is this a MBR? I must be careful with this. How could I install this in XP?

Bill

 

[Bill Cunningham]

Boot_98.zip

pull all components out of the Zip put them in USB stick

List of all components on the EBD
====================================
The following table describes the function of each file copied to the
EBD.

File FunctionAspi2dos.sys Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driverAspi4dos.sys
Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driverAspi8dos.sys Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM
driverAspi8u2.sys Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Aspicd.sys Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Autoexec.bat Startup batch fileBtcdrom.sys Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM
driverBtdosm.sys Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM driverCommand.com Command
interpreterConfig.sys Loads the device driversDrvspace.bin Microsoft
DriveSpace compression driverEbd.cab Cab file containing extract
utilitiesEbd.sys File identifying the ESDExtract.exe File to expand the
Ebd.cab fileFdisk.exe Disk partition toolFindramd.exe Utility to find the
RAMDrive during startupFlashpt.sys Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM driverHimem.sys
XMS Memory ManagerIo.sys System boot fileMsdos.sys Boot option
information (paths, multiboot, and so on)Oakcdrom.sys Generic device
driver for ATAPI CD-ROM drivesRamdrive.sys Creates a Ramdrive during
startupSetramd.bat Searches for first available drive to be a Ramdrive


Then Boot from your USB stick

Now you have to add the USB Drives for DOS
loud them in the DOS OS

Open the Config.sys in Notepad
to set Drives up by hand

[USB]
device=?

[menu]
menuitem=CD, Start computer with CD-ROM support.
menuitem=NOCD, Start computer without CD-ROM support.
menuitem=HELP, View the Help file.
menudefault=CD,30
menucolor=7,0

[CD]
device=himem.sys /testmemff
device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=btdosm.sys
device=flashpt.sys
device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=aspi2dos.sys
device=aspi8dos.sys
device=aspi4dos.sys
device=aspi8u2.sys
device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001

[NOCD]
device=himem.sys /testmemff

[HELP]
device=himem.sys /testmemff

[COMMON]
files=10
buffers=10
dos=high,umb
stacks=9,256
devicehigh=ramdrive.sys /E 2048
lastdrive=z

< http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm >

Ok what about some generic DOS driver for my DVD-RW ? If I had that I
could boot my 98se. I do have DOS 6.21 on several 3.5" floppies.

Bill