How To Create Custom Boot Disk??

twodaend

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Dec 3, 2003
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I'm trying to create a boot disk that will execute a batch file I created to automatically run Ghost 2003 using command lines in DOS. I created a standard Ghost 2003 boot disk to work from and tried to edit that. I basically want to change the autoexec.bat file to point to my batch file instead of the Ghost.exe file.

Whenever I change the file and try to boot from it, it does not boot, it says to replace with a system disk. I figure it is how the autoexec.bat is edited or saved. I'm using notepad and when I save I save it as the same name. I believe the attributes are different or it is not longer a system file after I save my changes to it, I'm not really sure.

I was wondering what is the proper way to edit and save the autoexec.bat so that it will boot and run my batch file.

If any other info is needed, please ask. Thanks in advance for the help.
 

ColKurtz

Senior member
Dec 20, 2002
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There really is no trick to editing an autoexec.bat. There's nothing in your description that explains why you're getting the error.

Maybe it's something in your autoexec itself. List the contents of the working autoexec vs. the one that fails.

EDIT - If you have "Hide extensions for known file types" set in Windows Explorer, you might be creating an autoexec.bat.TXT file. Ensure this isn't the case.
 

twodaend

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Dec 3, 2003
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I don't want the disk to boot to windows just run the batch file in dos. Below are both autoexec.bat files. The only difference is that when I save mine seem to loose it attributes. For example in order to see the ghost autoexec.bat file I have to uncheck "Hide Protected Operating System Files." However, after I make my changes and recheck the box, mine is style visible. Even the hidden attribute is gone. It is though it is a normal file. I checked and it only has a .bat extention.


Norton Ghost 2003 Autoexec.bat
@echo off
SET TZ=GHO+06:00
MOUSE.COM
echo Loading...
CD GHOST
GHOST.EXE



My Custom Autoexec.bat
@echo off
SET TZ=GHO+06:00
MOUSE.COM
echo Loading...
test.bat
 

ColKurtz

Senior member
Dec 20, 2002
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We use ghost boot disks all the time here and I've never had to set the Read-only attribute on a ghost boot disk. Nothing obvious about the contents of either file to explain the error, either.

A few more questions:

1) What's the exact error when you boot your custom diskette?
2) What's in your test.bat?
3) If you leave test.bat out of the autoexec.bat and boot, will the disk boot? If so, run test.bat manually and see what error you get.
4) You're using the same diskette in both cases? Just wondering if you were using one default diskette and one customized, your customized diskette might have problems unrelated to the autoexec?
 

twodaend

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Dec 3, 2003
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1)Remove Disk or Other Media
Press Any Key To Restart

2)My test.bat has a command line to automatically run ghost and backup to another disk

3)I tried to run test.bat manaully and it runs just as I want

4)I made a copy of my ghost boot disk (i tested it and it work) and just modified the autoexec.bat and added my test.bat.
 

twodaend

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Dec 3, 2003
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I think I found out that my disk is not bootable. What I did was I took my norton ghost boot disk and copied it to my HD in a folder. I edited the autoexec.bat and added my test.bat and then copied everything in the folder to another floppy.

By doing this I don't think it is bootable because I did the same thing (took working norton boot disk, copied to HD and copied to new floppy) without copying test.bat or editing the existing autoexec.bat and it was not bootable again.

How do I make the new disk bootable? I think that is where I'm having the trouble. What makes the norton boot disk bootable, but when copied to HD and back to another floppy it is not bootable.
 

ColKurtz

Senior member
Dec 20, 2002
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It really doesn't get much easier than troubleshooting a DOS boot disk, but I'm at a loss here - sorry.

The symptoms still sound like media error. Are you still testing diskette1 vs. diskette2 (vs. testing diskette1 then changing the autoexec.bat and re-testing diskette1)? Toss out your copy (the one that's not working) and make a new one. IIRC, this error means that the MBR can't find the bootstrap on the diskette, but that should be happening before it hits the autoexec.

Also, why do you need to launch a secondary batch file from the autoexec. Why not just include the contents of your batch file in the autoexec. At least try it and see what happens.

Muy bizarro.
 

ColKurtz

Senior member
Dec 20, 2002
429
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Originally posted by: twodaend
I think I found out that my disk is not bootable.
Good. At least I feel less crazy.

How do I make the new disk bootable? I think that is where I'm having the trouble. What makes the norton boot disk bootable, but when copied to HD and back to another floppy it is not bootable.
If you have access to a DOS/Win9x/WinME (not 2k or XP) go to a command prompt and type SYS A: (with the diskette in the drive). This will xfer the necessary boot files.

If you don't have access to any of those OS's, go to
Bootdisk.com and download a bootable DOS diskette, then copy over all of the other files from your DOS diskette (if it asks you to overwrite COMMAND.COM, MSDOS.SYS, and/or IO.SYS, say "no".)

OR, the easist thing would be to just edit your autoexec.bat on your working copy. You can always remove the entry to your test.bat later.

Good luck .
 

twodaend

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Dec 3, 2003
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My theory was to be able to have a copy of my boot disk on my HD as a backup instead of having multiple floppies as backup. When I copied the disk through explore disk copy and made the changes directly on the disk everything work great.

However my backup theory on the HD is not working as I thought.