MS DOS start up disk creation

scottdietert · 2 Weeks Ago

Good evening Staff and customers,
I use Windows XP/HE on a Dell 4600 with 1.5 GB memory. If I right click on the A: drive icon in the My Computer folder one option in the drop down menu is Format....
Selecting this option with a floppy disk in place there are two more choices:
#1) format and
#2) "create an MS DOS Startup disk"
If I select #2) and format the disk hoping to reboot to windows, I produce a dark window at the bottom with the DOS symbol: A:> awaiting a command.
I don't know what the next A:> drive command line should contain which will allow me to complete the boot to Windows XP.
There may be other command options as well?
Sincerely,
Scott Dietert

**TonyT** · 2 Weeks Ago

That doesn't create a boot disk for XP. It creates a msdos disk with these files on it:
AUTOEXEC.BAT
COMMAND.COM
KEYB.COM
MODE.COM
EGA.CPI
EGA2.CPI
EGA3.CPI
CONFIG.SYS
DISPLAY.SYS
IO.SYS
KEYBOARD.SYS
KEYBRD2.SYS
KEYBRD3.SYS
KEYBRD4.SYS
MSDOS.SYS

You can't really do too much with it unless you add utilities to it.

TopFarmer · 2 Weeks Ago

To make a floppy to boot into XP.
1)format using any XP comp. option #1 (can not use any other OS nor create an MS DOS Startup disk)
2)copy 'NTDETECT.COM , NTLDR and BOOT.INI' to A:
3) the boot.ini may need to be edited to be correct for the comp you want to boot. the partition # could be different.

If there is something wrong with the OS , it still will not over come that problem. If you can give us an idea why you want the floppy , more help could be provided.

scottdietert · 1 Week Ago

Thank you TonyT and Top Farmer,

You have helped clarify the absolute minimum contents for XP floppy boot: 1)boot.ini, 2)NTDETECT, AND 3)ntldr; all three are easily found as files beneath the folders present on the C: drive in My Computer.

It continues to puzzle me why Microsoft provides the MS Startup Disk option if there is no practical use for it.
Are there no command lines to use at the dos prompt: DOS A:> ?
Sincerely,
Scott Dietert

surferdude2 · 1 Week Ago

Scott, basically the only use for the start up disk that XP makes would be to copy some other tool onto it such as a BIOS flashing tool or perhaps a system setup tool. Other than that, it has little value to the XP user since most XP systems are installed using the NTFS file storage system and cannot be viewed by booting to that start up disk. Very little can be accomplished from the A:> prompt of this type of boot disk unless you have the odd system where XP was installed to a FAT32 file storage system. That's not the norm but if yours happens to be of that ilk, you can do all the basic DOS command.com commands (copy, delete, rename, etc.) and manipulate all files that are then visable. Most users don't need that ability and many would be dangerous if they had it.

The other start up disk that you have learned about can be very useful in situations where the boot loader files on your hard drive have become corrupt and will not boot the system. When that happens, you'll appreciate having the handy boot floppy or CD with the necessary files to allow bypassing the MBR (master boot record) of the hard drive and also bypassing the other three boot loader file (ntdetect.com, ntldr, boot.ini) and allowing you to boot to a Windows session and make repairs by replacing any of those files with copies from the floppy or CD.

scottdietert · 1 Week Ago

Thank you also SurferDude,
At least I can see some conditional uses for the MD DOS start up disk if I add additional files to MS selection.
Your second paragraph answers the question posed earlier by one of the respondent: why did I want an XP boot floppy? This is the reason I had in mind I just wasn't able to express it in English.
All the best,
Scott Dietert