Boot disk to enable support for USB "thumb" drives?

[willynh]

First off, thank you for looking at my issue/questions.

Is there a boot disk which will allow USB key "thumb drives" to be recognized in DOS?

For network support/technical support people, this could be a boon for being able to backup certain files on a failing system.

Like many here, I often help friends and family in my spare time with their computer woes and this would definately be faster than pulling out a failing hard drive and placing it into a healthy system. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of virii being coppied over.

Any help and ideas are appreciated!

 

[corkyg]

Basically, it all depends on whether or not the motherboard BIOS permits USB Boot. That is the core issue - there are several ways to prepare a flash memory device for booting.

Do a "Google" for "Bootable Flash Memory." The term "pen drive" is technically not useful. It is jargon. Flash memory is where you find the answers.