Windows XP MS-DOS startup disk on CD-ROM?

[baker's dozen]

I use XP Pro and want to create an MS-DOS startup disk.
My system has NO floppy drive, hence I cannot use the
format option, ticking the "create MS-DOS starup disk."

I know that it uses diskcopy.dll during the process. Is
there any way to extract the image or run the process
without a floppy drive for later use on a bootable CD-ROM?

Thanks in advance.

BD

 

[R. McCarty]

Check for following for ISO based images to create Bootable
CD disk(s).
http://bootdisk.com/

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I use XP Pro and want to create an MS-DOS startup disk.
My system has NO floppy drive, hence I cannot use the
format option, ticking the "create MS-DOS starup disk."

What do want to use the MS-DOS startup disk for? Most people
don't need (and can't use) one, for two reasons:

1. The Windows XP CD is bootable, and that's your startup disk.

2. If your drive is NTFS, it will be invisible to an MS-DOS
startup disk (at least without special software).

However, if you do need one, my personal choice would simply be
to buy and install a diskette drive. They cost only $10 or $15
US.

 

[R. McCarty]

One other option - I run into Notebooks & Desktops that do not
have a floppy. However, they do have newer BIOS that supports
USB boot. I bought & carry a USB External Floppy drive (Sony).
Takes it power from the USB channel it's connected to.

Very handy device, usually under ~$40.00 at PC Shops.

 

[Baker's dozen]

The reason I need a bootable CD-ROM is so that I have
something to boot with to flash my BIOS. Sadly, it does
not have a nice GUI alternative.

BD

 

[Al Dykes]

In


What do want to use the MS-DOS startup disk for? Most people
don't need (and can't use) one, for two reasons:

1. The Windows XP CD is bootable, and that's your startup disk.

2. If your drive is NTFS, it will be invisible to an MS-DOS
startup disk (at least without special software).

However, if you do need one, my personal choice would simply be
to buy and install a diskette drive. They cost only $10 or $15
US.

If you have a friend with a PC, floppy and CD burner the procedure to
make a bootable CD is straghtforward. I think most CD burner softare
can do it. Google for it. You need a DOS bootable floppy, to start with
and yo get that from bootdisk.com

The limitation is that it's a a floppy FAT file system on a CD which
means in's a max of 1.4MB.

 

[Bakers dozen]

Thnaks for all your suggestions.

I downloaded an ME image from bootdisk.com onto another
PC's floppy disk. I then used Nero to create a bootable
CD and then placed the BIOS update files on it as well.
It worked first time and the BIOS upgraded successfully.
I think I'll give the USB disk a try for future upgrades.

BD

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Creating a bootable CD requires more than simply burning MS-DOS files to the
disc. You need software that can create a bootable CD and you need either a
floppy drive or an image of a bootable floppy. A good freeware CD Burning
program that will do this is found here http://www.cdburnerxp.se

If you already have third party burning software like Nero or Easy CD
Creator then download the file I have linked to here
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/tools/bootdiscs/xpmsdos.zip
It is an image of the simple boot floppy created by XP. Run Nero (or
whatever third party you use) and select the option to Create Boot CD. Point
to the location of the file. Your disc will appear to be blank after it is
burned but that is because the boot files are hidden. When you boot with
this disc drive letter "A" will be assigned to it by the BIOS.

If you want a more complete bootable CD that will enable CD-Rom support then
use this download instead
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/tools/bootdiscs/windows98.zip - Actual
Windows 98 Start-up Floppy or
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/tools/bootdiscs/specialboot.zip - Windows 98
Startup floppy with a few additional tools.

 

[John]

I use XP Pro and want to create an MS-DOS startup disk.
My system has NO floppy drive, hence I cannot use the
format option, ticking the "create MS-DOS starup disk."

I know that it uses diskcopy.dll during the process. Is
there any way to extract the image or run the process
without a floppy drive for later use on a bootable CD-ROM?

Thanks in advance.

BD

I have no idea what you really want to do but ...

Look into 'Iso Buster' to extract the 'Microsoft Corporation.img' file
from your XP CD to burn a bootable CD for XP install/fix-em-up purposes.
Googling on 'Slipstreaming' will yield a wealth of conflicting, yet
surprisingly useful information on this topic.

*XP is not DOS* based and a W98 style MS-DOS startup disk has little or
no usability when dealing with XP.

THe MVP's here will tell you that the XP CD is bootable and direct you
to a web site detailing its command line functions, yet I'm not sure
that is what you want to do. Perhaps you could be a bit more explicit
explaining your needs.

John

 

[Jim Macklin]

The Recovery Console is on the XP CD and that is as close to
a DOS startup as works with XP. It is a non-GUI version of
XP.
see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654



--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| baker's dozen wrote:
|
| > I use XP Pro and want to create an MS-DOS startup disk.
| > My system has NO floppy drive, hence I cannot use the
| > format option, ticking the "create MS-DOS starup disk."
| >
| > I know that it uses diskcopy.dll during the process. Is
| > there any way to extract the image or run the process
| > without a floppy drive for later use on a bootable
CD-ROM?
| >
| > Thanks in advance.
| >
| > BD
|
| I have no idea what you really want to do but ...
|
| Look into 'Iso Buster' to extract the 'Microsoft
Corporation.img' file
| from your XP CD to burn a bootable CD for XP
install/fix-em-up purposes.
| Googling on 'Slipstreaming' will yield a wealth of
conflicting, yet
| surprisingly useful information on this topic.
|
| *XP is not DOS* based and a W98 style MS-DOS startup disk
has little or
| no usability when dealing with XP.
|
| THe MVP's here will tell you that the XP CD is bootable
and direct you
| to a web site detailing its command line functions, yet
I'm not sure
| that is what you want to do. Perhaps you could be a bit
more explicit
| explaining your needs.
|
| John

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

baker's dozen <[email protected]> typed:

What do want to use the MS-DOS startup disk for? Most people
don't need (and can't use) one, for two reasons:

1. The Windows XP CD is bootable, and that's your startup disk.

2. If your drive is NTFS, it will be invisible to an MS-DOS
startup disk (at least without special software).

Diskette drives may be needed until you can do all of the following:
- boot your partition manager/imager (BING can boot as CDR)
- boot your RAM tester
- upgrade sustem BIOS from non-diskette source
- initiate XP install with command line parameters
- boot your chosen mOS (Bart's PE the de facto standard, is CDR OK)

Booting the XP directly doesn't let you specify a response file, and
that makes it difficult to control certain aspecs of the installation
that cannot be fixed later (e.g. OS base directory name). That's one
reason I'd like to be able to boot a DOS mode diskette with CD
drivers, so I can explicitly run XP CD with command line parms.

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Gone to bloggery: http://cquirke.blogspot.com

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 03:40:09 -0600, "Jim Macklin"

The Recovery Console is on the XP CD and that is as close to
a DOS startup as works with XP. It is a non-GUI version of
XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654

It's a very poor substitute for DOS mode as an OS, starting with the
reason that it is not an Operating System (it cannot run any external
programs at all). The best replacement for DOS mode as an XP
maintenance OS is Bart's PE CDR.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/whatmos.htm

Since that article was written, Bart's has improved and attracted some
3rd-party av support, while CDR-booted Linux hasn't lived up to early
promise, especially where malware management is concerned.

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Gone to bloggery: http://cquirke.blogspot.com