BOOTABLE BLUES

[slugger]

I've a MS-Dos startup CD. I had been told that using this disk it is possible to make a formatted HDD bootable, ie, by transfering certain files from the CD to the HDD it is possible to make the HDD bootable and also supports the CD-ROM drive.
Please help!!!!!!!!!

 

[Choto Cheeta]

there is a option in win98SE installtion disk.... i dont remmember exactly....

Extracting the edb.cab file to the HDD.... it will make the HDD bootable.....

now how did u have created ur MS-Dos startup cd.... I hard about the Start up floppy... not a MS-DOS start up CD/....

 

[Nimda]

You might want to take a look at this

 

[slugger]

I think it is basically MS DOS OS on a CD making the CD bootable. My friend had made it for me.

 

[saROMan]

well when you format your HDD with /s switch then it adds the startup files to your HDD ..thus make it bootable.....also try to copy the command.com to your HDD and see if it works or not ...

 

[slugger]

You might want to take a look at this

thanx nimda 4 the link. i think its gonna work out fine. will let u know when i try it out

 

[slugger]

well when you format your HDD with /s switch then it adds the startup files to your HDD ..thus make it bootable.....also try to copy the command.com to your HDD and see if it works or not ...

Can you tell me which are the start up files you are referring to. Also I am assuming that you are referring to MS DOS startup CD from which to copy the files. I you are referring to some other OS, please specify it so that I can get hold of a copy of that OS. Copying just th command.com file doesn't really work. I had tried it out once.
Thanx for the advice

 

[digen]

Dude slugger,please check that link given by nimda.All the file required have been mentioned there.

 

[be_cool_vivek]

you can make the disk bootable by entering the
command

sys.

enter it like this "sys /?"

in the command promt (ms dos) and you will get all the information of how to use it.

 

[saROMan]

well when you format your HDD with /s switch then it adds the startup files to your HDD ..thus make it bootable.....also try to copy the command.com to your HDD and see if it works or not ...

Can you tell me which are the start up files you are referring to. Also I am assuming that you are referring to MS DOS startup CD from which to copy the files. I you are referring to some other OS, please specify it so that I can get hold of a copy of that OS. Copying just th command.com file doesn't really work. I had tried it out once.
Thanx for the advice

Sorry ddnt chkd the link given by Nimda..well bro..just go there ..you dont need any thing else.....

 

[iinfi]

i think this sud be made sticky

 

[slugger]

Thanx a lot folkz. With the help of the link provided by Nimda, I have finally been able to make my formatted HDD bootable.

 

[Charley]

Thanx a lot folkz. With the help of the link provided by Nimda, I have finally been able to make my formatted HDD bootable.

I reckon the mods should think abt giving points to members based on their answers.

 

[aadipa]

I reckon the mods should think abt giving points to members based on their answers.

This system is already in place... Posts are regularly scanned and ranks are given based on thatby forum admins

I have added some special user ranks for certain members. All the ranks listed below are special ranks and cannot be attained by any number of post counts. The administrators and moderators will vote and elect the initial members of the last two ranks.

Please read

 

[slugger]

It feels a bit strange, but I am offering a solution to my own problem. Actually it was told to me by a friend, so I wish to share it with you.
It is a slight variation of the solution provided on the site *www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t313071.htmlwhose link was provided by nimda but its a lot easier than that and involves very few filez.
For this you would need a win 98 startup disk, although I did the same from a CD, disclosing whose name this forum will allow not.
I will be assuming that the HDD is going to be booted form the 'c:' drive and will explain accordingly.
This because I've made my 'c:' drive active. If you have made your 'k:' drive active, go right ahead and make it bootable by replacing all 'd:' with 'l:'
So getting back to the main stuff, first go to the BIOS and select ur floppy drive as the 1st boot device. Insert the disk in drive and wait for it to boot. Once your sys has booted you will find that you original 'c:' drive is now being shown as the 'd:' drive, with a virtual partition being created and shown as 'c:' drive (here I am assuming that you have already created the partitions and formatted at least the 'c:' drive and made it active).
If you want to know how to partition a HDD and format it, check out this link *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25318&highlight=partitioning
Go to the partition now being represented by the letter 'C' and type the following command

c:\>sys d:

This will copy the file command.com to the 'd:' drive {this 'd:' drive will become drive 'c:' when you boot directly from the HDD}
Now go to the directory named DOS in your floppy and copy certain filez to your 'd:' drive.
The files to be copied are: -
HIMEM.SYS
SMARTDRV.EXE
EDIT.COM
VIDE-CDD.SYS
MSCDEX.EXE
You can do so by doing the following: -

c:\>a: 	{plz type 'a:' without the colons at the 'c:' prompt}
a:\>cd DOS
a:\>DOS>copy HIMEM.SYS d:
a:\>DOS>copy SMARTDRV.EXE d:
a:\>DOS>copy EDIT.COM d:
a:\>DOS>copy VIDE-CDD.SYS d:
a:\>DOS>copy MSCDEX.EXE d:

now go to the 'd:' drive and create a file called CONFIG.SYS. It can be done in the following way:

d:\>edit CONFIG.SYS

This will create and open the file CONFIG.SYS. Add the following lines to it and save it and exit.
Lines to be added

device=HIMEM.SYS
device=VIDE-CDD.SYS /d:mscd001

Now in the same way, metioned above create a file named AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the following lines to it and save it and exit

mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 
SMARTDRV.EXE

By adding the line SMARTDRV.EXE in the file you will make SMARTDRV.EXE run automatically everytime you boot the computer, making it easier for SWz which need them while installation. Remove th floppy from the drive and restart the computer. Assuming that you had set your HDD as second boot device, your system will now boot up from your HDD {you could also go back to the BIOS and now make your HDD as the first boot device}. Your CD-ROM drive has aslo been made accesible. Now you can go ahead with your installation of SWz from CDs that do not autorun and do not require a full-fleged OS for its installation and running.
I say 'full-fleged' because what you have on your HDD is an OS stripped to its bare minimum.