Invalid sytem disk

I THOROUGHLY disagree with that.

Even though the Floppy may be 1st in the boot up order and not needed at all times but it still remains as a BACKUP BOOT source.

Experience of both mine and a family member taught me that.

Even as good as PCs are today they still need a bit of human thought inserted.

We see the word BACKUP refered to MANY times in SOFTWARE usage. Well the 3.5 floppy is a Backup on the Hardware side.

BillyBob

 

Well BillyBob,

Here's the deal.

Floppy drives are going the way of buggy whips.

You might be able to boot to one of them but with the current systems, where are you going from there?? You can't see any NTFS files from a floppy boot unless you use some helper software. You can't change any NTFS files from a floppy boot without throwing down some big money for 3rd party helper software.

I still use them to boot NTFS systems when the boot sector gets hosed but most users don't need that ability or most wouldn't know when/how to use it.

I still have some DOS1 boot disks that I thought were precious. Stuff changes and when they cram Vista upon us we'll all have to either adapt or rebel. I'd like to think XP will do me forever, it works great for what I need, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be some reason I'll be required to get Vista. Probably just because it comes with the new computer and after a while you won't be able to buy a computer that will run XP.

Collusion?? I suspect it is.

 

I am sitting here laughing my butt off because the below 100% dissagrees with the above. And backs me up big time.

I stiil use them if the Win3.1, 95 or XP boot sectors gets hosed.

BillyBob

 

Hi BB,

Well, if the floppy is ever needed as a boot device, it can be inserted back into the boot order.

As for using them, I took mine out physically, all it was doing was collecting dust bunnies. With the advent of flash drives - Floppys are obsolete as far as their original purpose goes with the rare exception if dealing with "ancient" systems.

 

And I just checked mine ( on both machines ) to be sure it stull worked. Just in case.

OH BTW. While I was in DOS I deleted a folder that for some reason I could not get rid of while in Windows

Now maybe I can get some unsued trash out of the registry

BillyBob

 

ABSOLUTLEY NOT.

They were and STILL are there for the use of booting the machine in case all else fails ALIAS a BACKUP.

I repeat. I have learned the hard way.

Only if all else failed.
I also find that a floppy boot to be very helpful in deleiting no longer used folder that Windows tells me NO .

BillyBob

 

1, change the 1st boot media to HardDisk
2, make sure in the HardDisk, it has the good OP, not the bad OP.
3, try again

 

I am Liking this.

That is true. But why wait for that to happen ? A 3.5 floppy request/search or whatever takes up very little space/time but can SAVE a LOT of time and bad language if needed.

Putting on a life jacket AFTER you drown does not make sense.

Also the age old Boy Scout saying-motto "Be Prepaired" makes sense. and I think fits quite well here

Do you wait until your automobile gas tank is empty before you fill it ?

BillyBob

 

Latest experience report.

The Grandkids were playing games on Grandmas' machine. I told them ( and so did ) Grandma " DO NOT run a certain two games one after the other without rebooting inbetween." Well they forgot.

They also went complaining to Grandma and got no sympathy at all because unknown to them she saw what they did.

It is a DARNED good thing that I had a floppy to boot to because the machine would not reboot or reset. It had to be POWERED down and restarted ( WITH THE FLOPPY ) to apparrently ( as far as I can figure ) clear out RAM.

After I did that I also checked the C:\Windows Temp folder and found OODLES of TRASH there.

These are the types of things that have taught me FAR MORE than any book ever would, Because the book only says what should happen.

The kids are back on and having fun again.

BillyBob