Problems copying Win98 boot diskette using XP

[Maerko]

I am on XP/SP1.

I want to make a backup copy of a Windows 98 boot diskette.

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy the Win98
boot diskette I get a message saying -

"Error: Unable to Copy Disks On This Drive".


Why is this? And how can I copy my W98 boot diskette?

 

[Tim Slattery]

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy the Win98
boot diskette I get a message saying -

"Error: Unable to Copy Disks On This Drive".

Why is this? And how can I copy my W98 boot diskette?

I'd guess that there's something wrong with your Win98 boot disk.
Floppies don't last forever. You could go to www.bootdisk.com and get
another one.

 

[Maerko]

I'd guess that there's something wrong with your Win98 boot
disk. Floppies don't last forever. You could go to
www.bootdisk.com and get another one.

Diskette seems fine. I can read its contents OK.

Doesn't the message indicate that there is a problem with XP and the
drive itself?

 

[Tod]

If Win XP can copy other floppies, I would say the problem is that Win98
disk.
Try copying the bootdisk to a clean folder on the hard drive, then copy that
to a freshly format floppy.

 

[Hugh Candlin]

I am on XP/SP1.

I want to make a backup copy of a Windows 98 boot diskette.

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy the Win98
boot diskette I get a message saying -

"Error: Unable to Copy Disks On This Drive".


Why is this?

An old NT problem that was not fixed in XP, perhaps.

And how can I copy my W98 boot diskette?

When it asks for the destination disk, insert the disk.

Do NOT click OK.

Start Explorer, and select the A: drive.
Wait until Explorer has recognized the floppy and the light has gone off.

Then return to the disk copy procedure and click OK.

 

[Maerko]

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy

If Win XP can copy other floppies, I would say the problem is
that Win98 disk.
Try copying the bootdisk to a clean folder on the hard drive,
then copy that to a freshly format floppy.

And yet I can boot off that same W98 diskette.

 

[Maerko]

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy the

When it asks for the destination disk, insert the disk.
Do NOT click OK.
Start Explorer, and select the A: drive.
Wait until Explorer has recognized the floppy and the light has
gone off.
Then return to the disk copy procedure and click OK.

The error message appears *before* the copy window asks for the
destination diskette. The error appears as soon as I press Start.

Out of interest, I put a floppy diskette in the drive then launched
Win Explorer. I then keyed in "B:\" (without quotes) in the Win
Explorer address bar. I got a message saying "B:\ refers to a
location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard drive on this
computer, or on a network. [etc]"

Do other people get the same?

Maybe XP is trying to copy from A: to B: anf it can't find B: on my
system?

 

[Peter]

And yet I can boot off that same W98 diskette.

Booting from and disccopying are two different operations.

I can boot from majorily damaged disk, providing that boot operations do not
try to access damaged areas on the disk Disccopy performs duplication of the
whole floppy, not just a boot and system portions.

 

[Bob I]

At the CMD prompt try

Diskcopy a: a:

When it asks for the destination disk, insert the disk.
Do NOT click OK.
Start Explorer, and select the A: drive.
Wait until Explorer has recognized the floppy and the light has
gone off.
Then return to the disk copy procedure and click OK.

The error message appears *before* the copy window asks for the
destination diskette. The error appears as soon as I press Start.

Out of interest, I put a floppy diskette in the drive then launched
Win Explorer. I then keyed in "B:\" (without quotes) in the Win
Explorer address bar. I got a message saying "B:\ refers to a
location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard drive on this
computer, or on a network. [etc]"

Do other people get the same?

Maybe XP is trying to copy from A: to B: anf it can't find B: on my
system?

 

[Maerko]

At the CMD prompt try

Diskcopy a: a:

YES! Works nice. So why doesn't copying a disk work in my XP?

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy
the Win98 boot diskette I get a message saying -
"Error: Unable to Copy Disks On This Drive".
How can I copy this W98 boot diskette?

When it asks for the destination disk, insert the disk.
Do NOT click OK.
Start Explorer, and select the A: drive.
Wait until Explorer has recognized the floppy and the light has
gone off.
Then return to the disk copy procedure and click OK.

The error message appears *before* the copy window asks for the
destination diskette. The error appears as soon as I press
Start.

Out of interest, I put a floppy diskette in the drive then
launched Win Explorer. I then keyed in "B:\" (without quotes)
in the Win Explorer address bar. I got a message saying "B:\
refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard
drive on this computer, or on a network. [etc]"

Do other people get the same?

Maybe XP is trying to copy from A: to B: anf it can't find B:
on my system?

 

[Bob I]

I don't know!( because the GUI sucks?)

At the CMD prompt try

Diskcopy a: a:

YES! Works nice. So why doesn't copying a disk work in my XP?

Maerko wrote:

Using XP, I can copy other diskettes but when I try to copy
the Win98 boot diskette I get a message saying -
"Error: Unable to Copy Disks On This Drive".
How can I copy this W98 boot diskette?



On 01 Dec 2004, Hugh Candlin wrote:


When it asks for the destination disk, insert the disk.
Do NOT click OK.
Start Explorer, and select the A: drive.
Wait until Explorer has recognized the floppy and the light has
gone off.
Then return to the disk copy procedure and click OK.



The error message appears *before* the copy window asks for the
destination diskette. The error appears as soon as I press
Start.

Out of interest, I put a floppy diskette in the drive then
launched Win Explorer. I then keyed in "B:\" (without quotes)
in the Win Explorer address bar. I got a message saying "B:\
refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard
drive on this computer, or on a network. [etc]"

Do other people get the same?

Maybe XP is trying to copy from A: to B: anf it can't find B:
on my system?