The easiest way to make DOS recognize a USB flash drive / Learn it in 30 seconds / the simplest DOS method for recognizing a USB flash drive - China DOS Union Forum

It can be said for sure that this is currently the simplest way in the world to make DOS recognize a USB flash drive. If there is an even simpler way to make DOS recognize a USB flash drive, tell me! Writing it this way is actually just to attract attention, hehe.
Writing articles is to attract attention. Sorry for wasting your time, hehe.
Making pure DOS recognize a USB flash drive is very simple. The method is as follows:
Requirements----
1. Set the BIOS boot setting to ZIP100 boot, or set it to USB FDD boot. On my computer, the boot order can be set however you like; as long as one of the boot options is ZIP or USB FDD boot, it will work. If there is no such boot option, then I don't know whether it will work.
There are several kinds of ZIP boot, remember to try them all! On my home computer it is set to boot as zip100, or usb fdd, and on my office computer it is set to boot as usb-fdd.
2. A pure DOS system must be installed on the computer's hard disk; an image DOS system is also fine.
3. You need a piece of software called gdisk, a small utility that comes with ghost.
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Method:
0. Before entering DOS, plug in the USB flash drive first.
1. Boot the computer into DOS. At this time the computer can recognize the USB flash drive, and its drive letter is D.
2. To verify whether it really is the USB flash drive, you can run gdisk on the computer.
3. After running it, you will be able to see the USB flash drive. If your computer has one hard disk, then at this time there will be one extra hard disk. You will see 2 hard disks.
4. If your computer has 2 hard disks, then at this time there will be one extra hard disk, and you will see 3 hard disks.
3. The last hard disk to appear is the USB flash drive. Its drive letter is D.
At this point, you can enter the USB flash drive, view your files, and use your files. I used my mobile phone as a USB flash drive and found it unstable.
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Appendix: gdisk syntax:
gdisk 1 displays the status of disk number 1
gdisk 2 /hide /p:3 hides the third partition of disk number 2.
gdisk 2 /-hide /p:3 shows the third partition of disk number 2.
gdisk is actually optional; I only use it to prove that an extra disk really does appear.
What is a bit regrettable is that on my computer, gdisk shows available, which means the USB flash drive is different from a real hard disk. I guess the USB flash drive does not have the kind of MBR a real hard disk has, so that is why it appears this way. If a USB flash drive could also imitate a real hard disk, then I think using a USB flash drive as a boot disk would not be difficult. I wonder what would happen if the USB flash drive were formatted under pure DOS. There is too much data on my USB flash drive, so I can't bear to experiment. If anyone is interested, give it a try; I also want to know the result. I also wonder whether PQ can recognize it after the USB flash drive is formatted under DOS.
In particular, everyone knows the famous software "One-Key Restore", so do you want to know where the backup files created by One-Key Restore are stored?
If you use gdisk (the corresponding software under an XP system is gdisk32), you can open the hidden disk.

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Programming idea:
If I install a DOS system on the computer in advance, then when backing up the system, suppose some partition is drive K, use gdisk to open it, use the ghost command to back up the system, store the backup file on this K drive, and then run gdisk to hide drive K. That way the backup files won't be lost. When the time comes to restore the system, just run gdisk to open drive K; after the restore is completed, hide drive K again. The ghost command can achieve one-key backup and restore.
Using the ghost command, it is very easy to realize the above programming idea.
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If you think what I said is helpful to you, then reply with a sentence. If it wasn't helpful, then don't reply.

[ Last edited by myzam on 2010-9-2 at 02:37 ]

Floor1　myzam	Posted 2010-08-30 19:52
新手上路　Posts 8　Credits 18　From 我来自贵州遵义
It can be said for sure that this is currently the simplest way in the world to make DOS recognize a USB flash drive. If there is an even simpler way to make DOS recognize a USB flash drive, tell me! Writing it this way is actually just to attract attention, hehe. Writing articles is to attract attention. Sorry for wasting your time, hehe. Making pure DOS recognize a USB flash drive is very simple. The method is as follows: Requirements---- 1. Set the BIOS boot setting to ZIP100 boot, or set it to USB FDD boot. On my computer, the boot order can be set however you like; as long as one of the boot options is ZIP or USB FDD boot, it will work. If there is no such boot option, then I don't know whether it will work. There are several kinds of ZIP boot, remember to try them all! On my home computer it is set to boot as zip100, or usb fdd, and on my office computer it is set to boot as usb-fdd. 2. A pure DOS system must be installed on the computer's hard disk; an image DOS system is also fine. 3. You need a piece of software called gdisk, a small utility that comes with ghost. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Method: 0. Before entering DOS, plug in the USB flash drive first. 1. Boot the computer into DOS. At this time the computer can recognize the USB flash drive, and its drive letter is D. 2. To verify whether it really is the USB flash drive, you can run gdisk on the computer. 3. After running it, you will be able to see the USB flash drive. If your computer has one hard disk, then at this time there will be one extra hard disk. You will see 2 hard disks. 4. If your computer has 2 hard disks, then at this time there will be one extra hard disk, and you will see 3 hard disks. 3. The last hard disk to appear is the USB flash drive. Its drive letter is D. At this point, you can enter the USB flash drive, view your files, and use your files. I used my mobile phone as a USB flash drive and found it unstable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix: gdisk syntax: gdisk 1 displays the status of disk number 1 gdisk 2 /hide /p:3 hides the third partition of disk number 2. gdisk 2 /-hide /p:3 shows the third partition of disk number 2. gdisk is actually optional; I only use it to prove that an extra disk really does appear. What is a bit regrettable is that on my computer, gdisk shows available, which means the USB flash drive is different from a real hard disk. I guess the USB flash drive does not have the kind of MBR a real hard disk has, so that is why it appears this way. If a USB flash drive could also imitate a real hard disk, then I think using a USB flash drive as a boot disk would not be difficult. I wonder what would happen if the USB flash drive were formatted under pure DOS. There is too much data on my USB flash drive, so I can't bear to experiment. If anyone is interested, give it a try; I also want to know the result. I also wonder whether PQ can recognize it after the USB flash drive is formatted under DOS. In particular, everyone knows the famous software "One-Key Restore", so do you want to know where the backup files created by One-Key Restore are stored? If you use gdisk (the corresponding software under an XP system is gdisk32), you can open the hidden disk. ============================= Programming idea: If I install a DOS system on the computer in advance, then when backing up the system, suppose some partition is drive K, use gdisk to open it, use the ghost command to back up the system, store the backup file on this K drive, and then run gdisk to hide drive K. That way the backup files won't be lost. When the time comes to restore the system, just run gdisk to open drive K; after the restore is completed, hide drive K again. The ghost command can achieve one-key backup and restore. Using the ghost command, it is very easy to realize the above programming idea. ========================================= If you think what I said is helpful to you, then reply with a sentence. If it wasn't helpful, then don't reply. [ Last edited by myzam on 2010-9-2 at 02:37 ]

Floor2　chy505908440	Posted 2010-09-05 08:11
初级用户　Posts 74　Credits 120　From 河北
Does it work?

Floor3　DXSX	Posted 2010-09-09 10:15
中级用户　Posts 147　Credits 247
I suggest using another companion product of ghost, omnifs. When we operate on USB flash drives under DOS, what we do more often is copying/editing/deleting/moving files, rather than partitioning and formatting the USB flash drive. With gdisk you can recognize a USB flash drive, and with the /forceusb parameter you can recognize most USB flash drives, but you still cannot copy/edit/delete/move files. But omnifs probably can.

Floor4　myzam	Posted 2010-09-10 20:54
新手上路　Posts 8　Credits 18　From 我来自贵州遵义
Actually gdisk is completely unnecessary. As long as you set the computer to boot from ZIP or usb-fdd, and plug in the USB flash drive before entering DOS, that's enough, and the USB flash drive's drive letter will be D. I don't understand the underlying reason. I don't know whether it works on other computers, but I tried it on several computers and had no problem. Since the USB flash drive can be recognized, then the copying, pasting, and moving you mentioned are no problem.

Floor5　DXSX	Posted 2010-09-26 17:47
中级用户　Posts 147　Credits 247
Originally posted by myzam at 2010-9-10 20:54: Actually gdisk is completely unnecessary. As long as you set the computer to boot from ZIP or usb-fdd, and plug in the USB flash drive before entering DOS, that's enough, and the USB flash drive's drive letter will be D. I don't understand the underlying reason. ... In your first post, weren't you talking about "hot-swapping"? The concept of hot-swapping should mean removing the USB flash drive without exiting the operating system, then plugging it back in, and the system can still read the contents of the USB flash drive. But your method is implemented before the operating system starts, through the motherboard BIOS's ability to recognize the USB flash drive, and it also requires the USB flash drive to have a particular format. Clearly, it neither fits the concept of hot-swapping nor has any general applicability. Because what you are doing does not depend on some system or software, but on motherboard functionality. Also, if after entering DOS you unplug the USB flash drive, insert some other USB flash drive, or switch to another USB port, I guess it will stop working. As far as I know at present, under DOS, the only software that supports hot-swapping USB flash drives without needing to load an additional driver is ghost's companion tool omnifs.