How to make a Windows XP dos Boot CD?

[dejacky]

Everywhere I've read about doing this recommends first downloading the boot-disk .exe file which then asks for 6 flppy disks to install to....my problem is I don't have a floppy drive and would like to put these boot files on CD so i can boot into dos from the CD. On the same CD, I also want to add the Partition Magic "Rescue Disk" info, but it doesn't let me copy the files to CD, instead asks for formatted floppies. How can I put this only on CD? Your help is GREATLY appreciated since I'm at my wits end ..

Again, my goal is not to boot into windows, it's to be able to boot in dos so i can use "chkdsk" commands (etc) and also the dos-based partition magic "rescue disk" features.

 

[RedFox1]

I know several of the popular CD-Burning programs give you the option to create a "bootable" cd -- they usually ask you for a boot image.

I use Nero; when I create a bootable CD it asks me for a boot image and give me several other options. I can use a DOS boot floppy image (I usually get them from www.bootdisk.com) and choose "floppy disk emulation" to create a DOS boot CD. (I haven't had any problems stemming from the media being unwritable.) If you download the boot image

I've used this for ghosting PCs to a network drive; I use one of the "network boot" disk images from bootdisk.com that includes packet drivers for my network card, and put ghost.exe (or even a small ghost image) on the CD. It works pretty nicely.

-Russ

 

[yankeesfan]

This is a great tool that can do MANY things, including what you asked for and more.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: yankeesfan
This is a great tool that can do MANY things, including what you asked for and more.

That looks like a dang good utility, I'll just DL it for future use.

 

[dejacky]

Cool, thanks . But how do I put the Partition Magic "Rescue Disk" features on CD? It doesn't let me do it from the program.

 

[Bateluer]

You could try DL WinISO and making you own ISO image with everything you want and then burning it to CD.

 

[dejacky]

i don't know which pmagic stufff to put on the cd that would work in dos mode

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
You could try DL WinISO and making you own ISO image with everything you want and then burning it to CD.

:disgust:I just tried installing THAT critter, it wouldn't let me run a single demo CD without registering, and now that PC, which was my primary internet machine, won't boot up, so I surely can't recommend IT.

:|

 

[dejacky]

Okay I have files I want to put on the cd, but is there a special way to burn the bootup files on the CD or are they automatically recognized? I know nero requires you to make a boot image of the files you want to be burned to a bootable cd, but how do I make a boot image if WinIso doesn't work for me either?

 

[dejacky]

I burned the original "Ultimate Boot CD" iso and I receive the following error on startup:

Boot from CD:
1: FD 1.44MB System Type-(0F)
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

Wth? Why doesn't the "ultimate boot cd" work? :|

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: dejacky
Everywhere I've read about doing this recommends first downloading the boot-disk .exe file which then asks for 6 flppy disks to install to....my problem is I don't have a floppy drive and would like to put these boot files on CD so i can boot into dos from the CD. On the same CD, I also want to add the Partition Magic "Rescue Disk" info, but it doesn't let me copy the files to CD, instead asks for formatted floppies. How can I put this only on CD? Your help is GREATLY appreciated since I'm at my wits end ..

Again, my goal is not to boot into windows, it's to be able to boot in dos so i can use "chkdsk" commands (etc) and also the dos-based partition magic "rescue disk" features.

You do realize that what you claim that you are trying to do, is totally illogical, right?

The WinXP CD is itself bootable, either to the installer, or to a command-line "recovery console" prompt.

The "WinXP boot disk set", does not boot into DOS, it simply does the same thing that booting off of the WinXP CD would do. So attempting to burn those to a CD, in a manner that would allow them to be bootable, simply goes full-circle here, and is totally pointless.

If you want/need a true real-mode DOS boot disk, get a hold of a Win98se "emergency boot disk".

 

[dejacky]

VirtualLarry,
when you use the "recovery console" prompt, it would ONLY give me access to the drive with windows installed. I wanted access to the other drives on my system...looks like a win98se emergency boot disk is the only way. How can I make a win98se emergency boot CD?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Easy... with a Win98se machine.

Barring that, just find a floppy-disk image somewhere on the net, and use WinImage to write it to a floppy. (WinImage is free for 30 days.)

There are also some registry settings that you can change, to allow the recovery console to access the rest of your drive, and to be able to copy things off to a floppy. I always enable those when setting-up my machine, you never know when you might need those for data-recovery. I wouldn't necessarily suggest that option though, if someone else has physical access to your machine too.

Start - Run... - "SECPOL.MSC" - Local Policies - Security Options - look for options labeled "recovery console", you'll find them.

Note that a DOS-mode Win98se boot disk will only allow you to access FAT16/FAT32 partitions, not NTFS. I'm assuming that you realize that.

 

[dejacky]

Note that a DOS-mode Win98se boot disk will only allow you to access FAT16/FAT32 partitions, not NTFS. I'm assuming that you realize that.

No, I didn't realize that. <plastic manican voice while waving hand> Thanks "Virtual"Larry!

 

[dejacky]

Okay,
what if some1 had this new problem:
Install fresh copy of windows XP Pro on a re-formated hard drive, but when it tries to boot operating system, it fails and says "BOOT DISK FAILURE, [yadda yadda yadda]." BUT, it boots into XP when you have the Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD drive? How could one remedy this?

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: dejacky
Okay,
what if some1 had this new problem:
Install fresh copy of windows XP Pro on a re-formated hard drive, but when it tries to boot operating system, it fails and says "BOOT DISK FAILURE, [yadda yadda yadda]." BUT, it boots into XP when you have the Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD drive? How could one remedy this?

I'm guessing the bios remaps the drive letters when you boot from the CD, perhaps you need to edit your boot.ini... but that's just a guess and would be pretty odd if I'm right.

 

[dejacky]

So, one would have to edit boot.ini even if one has already specified drive to seek the hard drive first during startup in BIOS?

 

[imported_heymike]

Originally posted by: yankeesfan
This is a great tool that can do MANY things, including what you asked for and more.

Hey all, I've got a friend whom I'm trying to help out... I was unable to create a bootable XP Slipstream CD due to numerous technical reasons... the main one being that I was unable to install SP1a for reasons unknown.

Anyway, I just downloaded and burned the Ultimate Boot CD, but I don't know how to use it!! Here's the problem that I'm trying to remedy:

My friend says her computer (a Siemens notebook) is shutting down in the middle of the XP startup process. She sometimes gets as far as the desktop, but the computer shuts itself down soon thereafter. I'm not sure what error messages she's getting (if any), all I know is what I've already mentioned.

So will this "Ultimate Boot CD" be of any help to me? If so, what options should I choose when I access it? I'm not too technically savvy in case you hadn't already noticed.

thank you all in advance for your advice!!

Michael

 

[yankeesfan]

I would try the anti-virus program (f-prot) and memtest86 to test the RAM for failure. Also, start a new thread to get rid of the problem quicker. But, the bootCD is not an Operating System that can help you boot your Windows XP, but it is bootable without an operating system.

 

[Nucleus111]

Originally posted by: dejacky
I burned the original "Ultimate Boot CD" iso and I receive the following error on startup:

Boot from CD:
1: FD 1.44MB System Type-(0F)
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

Wth? Why doesn't the "ultimate boot cd" work? :|

I've seen this before with boot CDs that I made. There were some machines which would give this error, but most would work. I would love to know what is causing it!