My hard drive sounds like a broken washing machine and cannot boot Windows (98SE), even into safe mode. When I use my Windows Startup Disk, it puts me into DOS. The bad part of the disk must be where Windows is because I can then view and access the rest of the disk. I'd really like to save the data, but since I can't start Windows, I can't access the network (to back up to another machine) or any of my burner software. I know I should have a backup, but what can I say. Any suggestions on how to burn a CD from DOS, or any other suggestions (other than zipping 500 floppies) would be really appreciated. I'm just about desparate at this point. Thanks in advance.

you can either use symantec's ghost, which will allow you to burn direct to CD, you can then extract your files later.

Or you can use the dos version of CDRWIN, available at www.goldenhawk.com

Or you could make a dos client boot disk to boot onto your network in DOS copy the files to another location on your network

Hi David88, from what you've said, you have replaced the defective drive with another? If so just re-pin your old drive to slave, put it on the same ribbon as your new drive. boot your PC, hope fully it'll be seen in the BIOS screen.. launch explorer, you should be able to see the old drive contents ?drag and drop them into a new folder on your new drive, then archive the full drive onto CD's for the future using Norton Ghost.. When using ghost to image the drive you wont be able to pick the files out individually. it makes a full image which has to be fully reimaged back to a HD.... hthy

Nuttapper, that is not the case with ghost, it comes with a utility called ghost explorer which can open an image and extract files. Granted, it's not pretty but it is workable.

If you need to try the network option, go to http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/ for a bootdisk.