how can I install DOS or something what will just let me run a local exe?

[dpopiz]

I'm still trying to get win2k on my lappy with no drives. I put the i386 folder on a small partition on the lap's drive, but now how do I just get it to boot to a prompt where I can type "c:\i386\winnt"?
I dld the win98 bootdisk and copied it to the drive, but it still says "no OS" when it tries to boot, I guess because there's no boot record

 

[EeyoreX]

It's been a long time for me, but I think the best way to do this is to use your Windows boot disk to format the C:\ drive again using the "/s" (no quotation marks) option. This will copy the system files needed to make the drive bootable. Then you'll need to recopy the i386 folder again, obviously, since you reformatted.

\Dan

 

[Crusty]

Quick question, how are you doing all of this without a cd or floppy drive? 😕

 

[dpopiz]

Originally posted by: EeyoreX
It's been a long time for me, but I think the best way to do this is to use your Windows boot disk to format the C:\ drive again using the "/s" (no quotation marks) option. This will copy the system files needed to make the drive bootable. Then you'll need to recopy the i386 folder again, obviously, since you reformatted.

\Dan

hm, I followed your instructions and it still won't boot.
I booted off the win98 floppy, said "without cdrom support", then at the prompt typed "format c: /s"

 

[dpopiz]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
Quick question, how are you doing all of this without a cd or floppy drive? 😕

I'm using one of those mini-ide to regular ide adaptors

 

[stephbu]

Hehe network boot or handy USB floppy handed down through generations 🙂

 

[NogginBoink]

From dos, if you format c: /s, you create a bootable C: partition.

If that won't boot, you've got serious problems here. What error messages do you get?

 

[dpopiz]

it just says "non system disk...insert boot disk blah blah blah" the drive is in perfect working order and after I did "format c: /s", it put come files on it that show up in windows: command.com, drvspace.bin, io.sys, msdos.sys

 

[dpopiz]

bump