A disk that allows you to boot from a floppy or a CD instead of the hard drive is known as a boot disk. Boot disks are used to fix problems during the normal usage of the computer. A boot disk is not the same as a restore CD or disk which may come with your computer. Once a boot disk is created it’s a good idea to protect it to prevent viruses from infecting the disk and to help stop the disk from being accidentally erased. The following are step by step instructions for creating boot disks on different operating systems.
MS-DOS instructions.
The first step is to get to the DOS directory. To do this; type ‘cddos’ without the quotation marks.
For the next step refer to copying files.
Windows 3.X instructions.
The first step to creating a boot disk on Windows 3.X is to go windows program manager, click on ‘file’ and then select the option and exit windows. Now you will get a prompt. At this prompt type in “cddos”
Once here skip to the copying files section.
Windows 95 instructions
Microsoft introduced a new way to create boot disks in Windows 95. To follow this method; click on Start then Settings > Control Panel > click on the add remove programs > click on the create disk and start up disk icon. This way of creating boot disks omits certain important files and hence, is not the ideal method.
Alternatively, restart windows into MS-DOS mode. Once you have to MS-DOS prompt type ‘cdwindowscommand’ without the quotes.
Now skip to the copying files section.
Windows 98/ME instructions
- Unlike Windows 95 the create boot disk feature by Microsoft is actually pretty good. To create a boot disk using windows 98; click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add remove programs > Startup and Create disk. This disk supports CD’s and includes all the files you will need in your boot disk.
- Alternatively, to manually create one Shutdown and restart your PC in the MS-DOS prompt. Once you have to MS-DOS prompt type ‘cdwindowscommand’ without the quotes.
Now skip to the copying files section.
Copying files:
- Once at the MS-DOS prompt as directed in the above sections you will be ready to create a boot disk. Insert in a blank disk (it will be formatted anyway). Now at the command prompt type in “FORMAT A:/S”.
- Now that the format is complete, you will return automatically to the original directory. Over here type:
copy emm386*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy mscdex*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy qbasic*.* a: (Hit Enter) (Win 95/98 users skip this line)
copy sys*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy edit*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy himem*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy fdisk*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy debug*.* a: (Hit Enter)
copy format*.* a: (Hit Enter)
If you need your disk to be able to load games, then you might need an enabled mouse. For this you need the mouse driver. Follow the following instructions to copy the mouse driver. The mouse driver is usually located at mouse.com or mouse.sys . Copy this file into your disk.
Once you have completed the above step you will have to create a config.sys and autoexec.bat file. Once in the floppy type in:
- copy con autoexec.bat (Hit Enter)
- @echo off (Hit Enter)
- LH A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:CDROM (Hit Enter) (To enable your CD ROM)
- LH A:\MOUSE.* (Hit Enter) (To enable your mouse)
- Now hold down Ctrl+Z till ^Z is displayed on the screen. Now hit enter once again and the system should start copying files.
- copy con config.sys (Hit Enter)
- device=a:\himem.sys
- dos=high,umb
- device=a:\emm386.exe noems
- files=30
- buffers=20
- devicehigh=a:\oakcdrom.sys /d:CDROM (For your CD-ROM).
Now hold down Ctrl+Z till ^Z as displayed on the screen. Hit enter once again and the system should start copying files.
Congratulations if you managed to get all the instructions right, you will now have a boot disk in your hand.