How can I make a BOOTABLE CD if I have no floppy drive?

I have an IBM T40 laptop that doesn't have a floppy drive. The instructions for making a bootable disk say to do it on a floppy. Is there a way to make a bootable cd instead?

 

It requires 3rd party burner software to create a bootable CD since the native XP system tools can't do that. If you don't have Nero or equal, there are some freeware out there so Google it and take your choice.

The floppy start-up disk that XP offers to create isn't of much value so you aren't missing much there. If your system is installed in the typical NTFS file storage system, you won't be able to see the files when booted to a start-up floppy that XP creates. It could be used for BIOS flashing but that's a rarity.

If you have a FAT32 file storage system, the XP start-up floppy would be able to do simple file manipulations but you would need an elevated skill level to utilize it. It's command line driven and most people aren't all that interested in getting up to speed on that.

There are several boot CD's that you can download in the ISO form and use 3rd party burner software to create a boot CD. Many of them include DOS tools and some have NTFS reader capability.

Not knowing what you have in mind to do with a boot CD, I can't direct you much further.

 

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Thanks for your reply. Since I don't have any startup, reinstallation, or windows cd's (everything came pre-loaded), I just want to have something I can use to boot the machine in case I ever have to replace the hard drive and clean-install an OS. I have a Dell reinstallation CD, but I suspect that won't be of much help, especially since it says "for use with Dell computer only ".

 

As for clean installing the OS, when that happens, you'll need to have an XP install CD in your possession. The XP installation media is bootable and also will allow you to invoke the Recovery Console if necessary.

As for replacing the hard drive, when that happens you'll get a bootable CD with the drive that will allow you full access for installing the drive.

So you see, you don't really have any problem other than you didn't get a full XP install CD when you bought your computer. You might want to take that issue up with the person who sold you the computer. Some OEM's will supply an install CD on request, perhaps it may only be a Restore CD but that's better than nothing.

 

Vfd

helpseeker if you want to mess around with floppy images check out VFD. It's a driver that sets up virtual floppy drives. So you could take a bootable image, load it into VFD then add a couple of files.

There are still a bunch of Dos utility bootable floppy images out there but the most common fly in the ointment is most of them assume you can write a few choice bits of data to the floppy. With bootable CD it kind of kills it. There are external floppies but I haven't tried any of 'em.

To pursue things bootable check out this link:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?