Hi.

Just got a new computer with XP on it (normally use 98)
How do you create a boot disc on XP ?
Please try to make you instructions as simple as possible
because this XP is driving me crazy.

Thanks
Diane

You can use the XP cd as a boot disc just make sure that booting from the cd is enabled in the bios.

Unfortunately this is one of those cases where the shop
INSIST they don't have to provide backup discs

Diane

Depends quite what you want to do.
You can't make a boot disk to get into XP DOS as it doesn't exist. You can make a boot disk set to start an install from. You can use a Win98 bootdisk if your hdd is FAT32 rather than NTFS or create one from XP to give you similar access (think it uses DOS from WinME).
You can use the recovery console. This gives limited command line functionality, copy files stop & start services etc.
If you just want a DOS box in windows -->start/run/cmd

here are a few sites that might help you.

http://www.bootdisk.com/

http://freepctech.com/pc/002/files010.shtml

http://lists.gpick.com/pages/Boot_Media_Tools~Info.htm

Originally posted by Richskie
You can't make a boot disk to get into XP DOS as it doesn't exist.

That is not only misleading, but WRONG. You can download and run NTFS reader from HERE (http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm) and it wil access any NTFS drive in XP, 98, 95 and 3.1. It's run from bootable floppy, displays complete drive info and supports IDE / ATA / SCSI drives and drives over 8 gb. It supports NTFS for reading and FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 writing, as well as compressed and fragmented files on NTFS.

I don't know why some people are under this illusion that XP doesn't use DOS, or there are fewer options. Its still there, just harder to access and with different commands and features.

Originally posted by insomniac
I don't know why some people are under this illusion that XP doesn't use DOS, or there are fewer options.

That's because it doesn't use dos! Dos is a 16bit o/s & Win2k/XP are fully 32 bit. Yes you can read NTFS disks using NTFS reader but you still have to use the o/s from Win9x to boot.

The closest thing Win2K/XP have to dos is the recovery console but you can't create a floppy disk to get into it.

Here is how you create an emergency bootdisc for booting windows XP via the floppy drive. Which proves that XP does run DOS as well as windows:
Insert floppy disc into drive A your floppy drive,-click on Start-My Computer-right click on floppy drive-click on properties-format-check the create MSDOS start up disc then click start.This will format the disc then create a startup disc so you CAN boot to DOS in windows XP via the floppy drive.
With respect Richskie i'm sure your wrong there! Because why does XP have a command prompt and a list of DOS commands for the XP command line user. Programs such as Snort network software work on xp but can only be used via the command line and MSDOS.

hate to introduce a slight tangent, but how do I create a boot CD in XP?

like to be able to use mtkflash

To create boodisk for XP take this link which downloads a file that will create the 6 floppy bootdisk set http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33290 Home Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33291 Pro Edition

To create a boot CD try here for instructions http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?id=160&object=article.cfm Just download the boot files and use them to create the disk

Am i missin something or is there different kinds of bootdisc, as i understand it xp can make its own working bootdisc as i described above?

yeah, i am looking for a boot cd that is the same as the windows 98 startup
floppy. not one for installing os.

andyr00
XP emulates DOS from a command window but it is not running true MS-DOS.

Yes you can create an MS-DOS floppy as you described but the floppy is a Windows ME bootdisk, it is very limited and has no CD-Rom support or any other DOS tools like FDISK,Format, Edit etc. It will only boot into DOS.

Originally posted by murphy8461
Unfortunately this is one of those cases where the shop
INSIST they don't have to provide backup discs

Diane

So they sell you a computer with OS and don't give you the OS discs??? Thats pretty limited - what are you supposed to do in the event of fatal crash or virus or similar - take it back? Do they have a decent warranty and aftersales??

well moto on windows XP you can just right click on A: drive and click on format from the drop down menu,the resulting format menu contains the option to create a msdos start up disc. Not many people know that xp can create its own boot disc.

Harry O nice 1! i understand that now, although why would xp create an ME boot disc,is this because they use same 'emulated' type dos?

xp IS the DOS (Disc Operating System)

Originally posted by vinniedub
xp IS the DOS (Disc Operating System)

This post is a good example of why a little bit of information can be dangerous in the wrong hands. DOS does stand for disc operating system, but actually DOS was just the first widely used OS for PC systems. Windows XP is a later OS, it is absolutely not the same as DOS.

Let's clarify things a little without getting too involved.

XP is not the DOS neither are any other windows OS's, on the whole they are the GUIs. Each version of Windows uses a DOS but when most people refer to DOS they are refering to MSDOS. Win95,98 and, I think, ME is based on MSDOS (it's DOS is derived from MSDOS) however win NT, 2k,XP and, if it comes to that, Linux does not use MSDOS or any derivative, though of course they all have a Disc Operating System (DOS).

Out of interest, MSDOS was derived from CPM and Digital Research was involved in both. Both are OS's that have a DOS, don't confuse MSDOS with DOS and remember that, invariably, DOS means MSDOS.

BTW VinnieDub - Hi, it aint any skin off my nose but I would get rid of your signature if I was you. I don't want to upset you but you aint covering your @ss with it, however, you are drawing attention to yourself from the authorities.

well i knew xp wasnt the dos. But i think you clarified that nicely there Demo nice1.

Sorry if I worded it wrong and didn't mean to mislead (however I don't see that it was dangerous), what I meant was that DOS and XP are not separate and that functions which normally required you to go into DOS to perform are now commands performed by newer OS's (XP, 2K for example) itself. When you're in there it looks exactly the same and some old hands (not that I'm one) may still refer to it as 'going into DOS' even though they know it's not.
@demo, you're right about the sig mate, a throwback to the days when I used to trade (seemed like a good idea at the time) it's been there so long I don't even notice it

:rolleyes: