No MS DOS Bootable Diskette For XP?

[David B.]

XP has instructions on how to create a bootable MS DOS
diskette. However, when trying to boot with it, I cannot
go to the C: drive. Typing in C: at the command prompt
leads to an "Invalid Drive Specified" error message. I
tried creating a CONFIG.SYS file, but could not get that
to work either. I think the software copied by XP to the
boot diskette is incapable of reading an NTFS drive. Any
thoughts, opinions, ideas, musings, two cents' worth out
there? Thanks, David B.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

XP has instructions on how to create a bootable MS DOS
diskette. However, when trying to boot with it, I cannot
go to the C: drive. Typing in C: at the command prompt
leads to an "Invalid Drive Specified" error message. I
tried creating a CONFIG.SYS file, but could not get that
to work either. I think the software copied by XP to the
boot diskette is incapable of reading an NTFS drive.

That's correct. MS-DOS can not see an NTFS drive. The only way to
access such a drive from a true DOS prompt is with third-party
software such as NTFSDOS. The freeware version of NTFSDOS will
let you read an NTFS drive, but it requires the paid version to
write to it.

What are you trying to do that requires you to access your NTFS
drive from a DOS prompt?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

True, a DOS boot disk would be incapable of reading an NTFS
partition. I'm not sure, however, why you expected any different kind
of result.

Anyway, WinXP doesn't use CONFIG.SYS. The empty file is present
simply to provide some backwards compatibility with legacy
applications.

To set environmental variables, Right-Click My Computer >
Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables > System Variables/New
(or Edit, as applicable). You can also add the appropriate line(s) to
C:\Windows\System32\Autoexec.nt and/or C:\Windows\System32 Config.nt.
To run programs on login, create a shortcut to the desired application
or batch file and place it in the pertinent Startup folder(s).


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

 

[David B]

Thank you for taking the time to respond - I appreciate it.
Yes - fair enough... a DOS boot disk doesn't know about
NTFS formats. (So why does XP even give you the option of
creating a DOS boot disk when it's of such limited
utility?)

I wanted to erase a couple of contaminated files that I
could not erase via Windows because they were flagged as
being in use. A DOS startup MIGHT have given me that
capability. (It didn't.)

Oh well...

Thanks again, David B.

 

[Alex Nichol]

XP has instructions on how to create a bootable MS DOS
diskette. However, when trying to boot with it, I cannot
go to the C: drive. Typing in C: at the command prompt
leads to an "Invalid Drive Specified" error message. I
tried creating a CONFIG.SYS file, but could not get that
to work either. I think the software copied by XP to the
boot diskette is incapable of reading an NTFS drive.

MSDOS does not deal in NTFS. You can get add on software, but to be
effective it is also quite expensive.

This disk is intended for use where one has a specific DOS program that
needs to be run (and probably have a small FAT or FAT 32 partition for
it), or for certain tasks like running a BIOS upgrade. For maintenance
of XP you boot its CD, though there is a set of six floppies you can
generate from a download if your machine is not capable of booting a CD.

 

[David B.]

-----Original Message-----
In


That's correct. MS-DOS can not see an NTFS drive. The only way to
access such a drive from a true DOS prompt is with third- party
software such as NTFSDOS. The freeware version of NTFSDOS will
let you read an NTFS drive, but it requires the paid version to
write to it.

What are you trying to do that requires you to access your NTFS
drive from a DOS prompt?

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


.
Thanks for your response.

To answer your question: we wanted to delete a couple of
contaminated files that could not be deleted via Windows
because they were flagged as being "in use". The thought
was that a DOS bootup would NOT use these files, and thus
we would be able to delete them.

Twas not to be...

Thanks again, David B.

 

[R. McCarty]

You can install the Windows XP recovery console to your XP
system as an alternate Boot option.

This won't help if the disk becomes unusable, but for some cases
it's handy to have the Recovery Console as a Boot option, especially
for NTFS system Partitions.
The Technote on installation is found@
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307654

 

[XS11E]

I wanted to erase a couple of contaminated files that I
could not erase via Windows because they were flagged as
being in use. A DOS startup MIGHT have given me that
capability. (It didn't.)

You can erase them if you boot into "safe mode". Instructions are in
the help files.

"To start the computer in safe mode

You should print these instructions before continuing. They will not be
available after you shut your computer down in step 2.

Click Start, click Shut Down, and then, in the drop-down list, click
Shut down.

In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.
When you see the message Please select the operating system to start,
press F8. (or, press F8 as soon as you've passed the bios information).

Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and
then press ENTER.

If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the
installation that you need to access using the arrow keys, and then
press ENTER."

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

The capability was included in case one needs a boot disk to use
in flashing the PC's BIOS.

Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH