Making a Boot Disk
You should know what a boot disk is, right? It can help you perform some operations, such as reinstalling the system, checking for and killing viruses, and upgrading the bi
os. Since it can help you, you should make a boot disk and keep it safe, so you can use it later when you need it.
If you still don't know how to make a boot disk, you'd better take a good look at what follows.
The first method is the simplest. You only need to prepare a blank, formatted floppy disk and the Windows 98 installation CD. Go in through "Start"--"Settings"--"Control Pa
nel", find "Add/Remove Programs" and double-click to open it, select the "Startup Disk" tab, press the "Create Disk" button, then insert the floppy into the floppy drive. When it prompts for the Windows 98 CD, put the CD in. After a while, a boot disk will be finished. Then please turn on write protection, so you can prevent accidentally deleting its contents.
The second method is to make a boot disk according to your own needs, by putting the program files needed during startup onto the floppy. The method is as follows:
1. Likewise, first prepare a blank, formatted floppy disk.
2. Copy the following commonly used files to the floppy disk (note: those marked with * are required)
Filename Function and explanation
In the windows\command directory: Mscdex.exe* CD-ROM startup file
smartdrv.exe* set disk cache
format.com format disk
fdisk.exe dos partition command
edit.com file editing tool
deltree.exe delete files and directories
scandisk.exe disk scanning tool
sys.com system transfer command
In the windows directory: Himem.sys* manage extended memory and upper memory
In the windows\edb directory: oakcdrom.sys* generic CD-ROM driver
Extract windows\edb\edb.zip, and extract restart.com from it to a:\restart; it is the file for reboot
ing.
Copy your motherboard BIOS flash utility and any other files you think are useful to a:
3. After copying the files, use the edit command to edit the a:\config.sys system file. The file contents are as follows:
menuitem=reinstall,Reinstall System <--generate the reinstall system menu
menuitem=kill,Kill Virus <--generate the kill virus menu
menuitem=update,Update Bios <--generate the update bios menu
menudefault=kill,15 <--if you do not press any key, after 15 seconds it will boot with the default option kill
virus
<--startup configuration for reinstall system
device=a:\oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001
lastdrive=z <--start CD-ROM
install=a:\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 /v
install=a:\smartdrv.exe c+ 2048 <--load 2048k cache for drive c
<--startup configuration for kill virus
install=a:\smartdrv c+ d+ e+ f+ 4096 <--load 4096k cache for drives c,d,e,f
<--startup configuration for update bios
<--common startup configuration
device=a:\himem.sys /testmem
ff <--load upper memory
Save and exit. This completes an "all-in-one" boot disk. This boot disk not only lets you freely choose the startup configuration during bo
ot, but also starts up fairly quickly. After finishing, likewise don't forget to turn on write protection.
If there is still anything you don't understand, you can leave me a message or E-Mail
You should know what a boot disk is, right? It can help you perform some operations, such as reinstalling the system, checking for and killing viruses, and upgrading the bi
os. Since it can help you, you should make a boot disk and keep it safe, so you can use it later when you need it.
If you still don't know how to make a boot disk, you'd better take a good look at what follows.
The first method is the simplest. You only need to prepare a blank, formatted floppy disk and the Windows 98 installation CD. Go in through "Start"--"Settings"--"Control Pa
nel", find "Add/Remove Programs" and double-click to open it, select the "Startup Disk" tab, press the "Create Disk" button, then insert the floppy into the floppy drive. When it prompts for the Windows 98 CD, put the CD in. After a while, a boot disk will be finished. Then please turn on write protection, so you can prevent accidentally deleting its contents.
The second method is to make a boot disk according to your own needs, by putting the program files needed during startup onto the floppy. The method is as follows:
1. Likewise, first prepare a blank, formatted floppy disk.
2. Copy the following commonly used files to the floppy disk (note: those marked with * are required)
Filename Function and explanation
In the windows\command directory: Mscdex.exe* CD-ROM startup file
smartdrv.exe* set disk cache
format.com format disk
fdisk.exe dos partition command
edit.com file editing tool
deltree.exe delete files and directories
scandisk.exe disk scanning tool
sys.com system transfer command
In the windows directory: Himem.sys* manage extended memory and upper memory
In the windows\edb directory: oakcdrom.sys* generic CD-ROM driver
Extract windows\edb\edb.zip, and extract restart.com from it to a:\restart; it is the file for reboot
ing.
Copy your motherboard BIOS flash utility and any other files you think are useful to a:
3. After copying the files, use the edit command to edit the a:\config.sys system file. The file contents are as follows:
menuitem=reinstall,Reinstall System <--generate the reinstall system menu
menuitem=kill,Kill Virus <--generate the kill virus menu
menuitem=update,Update Bios <--generate the update bios menu
menudefault=kill,15 <--if you do not press any key, after 15 seconds it will boot with the default option kill
virus
<--startup configuration for reinstall system
device=a:\oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001
lastdrive=z <--start CD-ROM
install=a:\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 /v
install=a:\smartdrv.exe c+ 2048 <--load 2048k cache for drive c
<--startup configuration for kill virus
install=a:\smartdrv c+ d+ e+ f+ 4096 <--load 4096k cache for drives c,d,e,f
<--startup configuration for update bios
<--common startup configuration
device=a:\himem.sys /testmem
ff <--load upper memorySave and exit. This completes an "all-in-one" boot disk. This boot disk not only lets you freely choose the startup configuration during bo
ot, but also starts up fairly quickly. After finishing, likewise don't forget to turn on write protection.
If there is still anything you don't understand, you can leave me a message or E-Mail