I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this in, but it does say miscellaneous in the heading.

My little utility floppy disk is getting overfull. This disk boots into DOS and gives me CD support. I understand about the system files having to be in the right place in the right order.

There are two things I'm not clear on regarding bootable CDs.

Firstly, if you have got a bootable CD do you merely have to set the boot order in the BIOS to CD ROM, C and then A or something similar to this.

Secondly, if the above is possible, how do you go about getting the DOS system files into the correct place.

Or is what I am trying to get at a complete no no.

Thanks,

Pete

"Firstly, if you have got a bootable CD do you merely have to set the boot order in the BIOS to CD ROM, C and then A or something similar to this."

You set the boot order to go to floppy, then CD, then HD.

"Secondly, if the above is possible, how do you go about getting the DOS system files into the correct place."

If I remember correctly, you can use Windows Setup to create a CD with system files installed. If this is not true, there are other programs available to do it.

"Or is what I am trying to get at a complete no no."

Not sure of the details, but it is possible.

Good luck,
Budfred

picked from google ...

Hi Pete,

HERE'S (http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/) a link that describes how to make a bootable CD. I have to admit, though, I gave it a try and it was a little to complicated for me. :o

Budfred, do you know the names to any of the programs that you refered to? I'd love to get one. :)

Since I know you got at least one pc with ME maybe How to make a Windows Me bootable CD (http://www.geocities.com/mark_ashworth1/me_boot/winmeboot.html) might be worth bookmarking. :) Also there is a way to boot to dos in ME (http://www.geocities.com/dos8me/) should you ever want to. ;)

I've been using the method described in Steve's link for a while now....

Basically, you need to make some disk images of what you are wanting to boot. Then, there are a couple of example setups on that site, just plug them into the example and edit the menu file.

The one nice thing is that you can use WinImage to create a blank bootable 2.88MB floppy image and then plug the files you want into that. Most utilities will fit on a 2.88MB floppy, but it was never a popular drive size.

Yes, creating a setup from scratch can be very complicated, so use the example and modify it as needed.;)

Thanks for the info.

All these things look dreadfully complicated, beyond me I fear. Perhaps I should investigate the 2.88MB floppy. It would certainly be easier. It's only that my utility disk is no longer big enough, if I could get by with a bigger floppy that would be fine, and far less bother!

Pete

The only problem with 2.88MB floppies is that the drives are so hard to find....let alone actually finding a disk for one.

The image I was talking about is just what would be on one. It works great on a bootable CD. It is a standard recognised bootable media type, so there are no difficulties in getting it to boot.

I've used both Nero & Roxio to create a bootable set of Windows Discs; and of course my own custom boot disk.

Just put the most basic boot files on a floppy; ie-IO.sys, MSDOS.sys, Command.com, Autoexec.bat, Config.sys and put the MSCDEX.exe and OakCDrom.sys onto the floppy with the appropiate lines in the Autoexec/config files to enable CD support upon boot ( i enable CD support 1st off so i don't have to bother choosing it later-saves time ). I would also suggest Himem.sys with the appropiate lines in above files.

Then create a folder on your drive; put whatever files in it you want-and use either Nero or Roxio to burn a bootable CD from your floppy while dragging the files you want into the compilation window.

Then when you boot from the CD you have default access to the CDROM for all those extra tools you want. ;)

If you are desperate enough to look into a 2.88 floppy, it would probably be cheaper and would certainly be easier to find a Zip drive and make a bootable Zip disk. Zip 100 drives are pretty cheap these days and I believe they come with the software to make a bootable disk.
That said, I would go with the suggestion about making the boot CD because Zip drives seem pretty pathetic after you've used a CDRW.

Good luck,
Budfred

iisbob's method works pretty well too.....;)

Make or get a 98 startup floppy, Use Nero and close the Wizard when it opens..choose FILE then NEW and then select CD ROM(Boot), where you see emulation select ither 1.44 or 2.88 ive used both..leave the floppy in the drive. It will be using that to make the CD bootable. Now if your making your Me bootable, name the CD Windows Me .Now switch to the BURN tab and select Disc at Once option and make sure that simulation isnt checked. Then push the New button. Now you need to drag the files and folders of what you want onto the CD..i also add Scandisk..and a small zero fill app. Then burn it at 16x speed. I know alot of people who will say thats not needed but i see on every site to do this at a slower speed because it could error at the highest speed even if it doesnt say it actually did. Now you simply swicth the bios to say to boot from CDROM 1st ..and you are set. Once the CD is booted switch to the drive letter of the cdrom and type in CD\WIN9x\SETUP then hit enter to run setup of Me. The same can be done to make a 95 CD bootable just use the 95 folders instead.

I'm getting a bit confused here.

Let's get the 2.88 disk out of the way, I've researched that a bit and that's not what I want.

My own boot floppy has got all my useful utilities on it, and it enables the cdrom. It's just too small now.

So, looking at the posts from randyrhoads1981 and iisbob it seems that if I use Nero or Roxio, neither of which I've got, there's some kind of option there to make a boot disk. Well, that's not so complicated as it at first seemed. And what iisbob describes is exactly what I want.

I shall have to start thinking about what I want on the disk, and think about getting Nero or Roxio.

Thanks all,

Pete

I think what iisbob is suggesting will work with any burner software, not just Nero or Roxio.

Good luck,
Budfred

Yes,

Thanks Budfred. I investigated my own CD burner software - Adaptec - last night. The facility is there. Had I known it was this easy I would have done more work in this area myself. But I'd thought about this before, ages ago, and got put off by the difficulty. Thought I'd try again recently and searched for 'el dorito' not 'el torito', which is why I posted originally.

Thanks all.

Pete

And just to confuse things further, Adaptec is Roxio or vice versa. Roxio bought out Adaptec a while back so you actually already have an earlier version of Roxio.

Budfred