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Copy a bootable floppy???

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6 replies

by yosemiteman

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Hi:
I have make several different bootable floppy disks for our staff for imaging computers. Sometimes they go bad and I have to make new ones, but I can not simply copy the entire contents of a good floppy to a new floppy. "NTLDR is missing." is usually what I get. So, I have to find an old Windows 98 or 95 machine and copy over the system files to the new disk again (even though they were already there), and then it works. Why can't system files be copied? I know I am copying the entire contents of the disk as I have selected "show all files" under view properties. Thanks!
Adam

6 replies

by thechas

The "copy" command should do the job. At least from a DOS boot, or on a W98 box.

When you just drop and drag the files, you do not set the flag for a bootable disk.

If you want / need to just drop and drag the files, first, format the new disk as a MS-DOS boot disk.

On a XP box, right click on the floppy drive and select format.
Check the box to create a MS-DOS bootable disk.
After the format is complete, copy over the additional files you need.

Chas

by ozi eagle

Hi,

The simplest way is to have a master copy of the floppy and when you need a new copy insert this master in the floppy drive, right click on drive A in explorer, click on COPY DISK. You will be asked for the source disk, already in the drive and then for the target disk.

by Member 29605194

better to look into making bootable CDROM instead of Floppy Disk if the computers you are fixing can boot from cdrom drive. Use Nero, roxio or NTI to create Bootable CDROM from floppy diskette image. Floppy Disk will become bad in short time.

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