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Copy a bootable disk

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by sembagdod

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I want to know how is the files of the bootalbe disk arragned, i mean is there is a special sector for any file on the disk? why when i make a normal copy to the bootable disk it dosn't work? but when i use copy disk command it works? I will appriciate your answers
hasan samir

4 replies

by nic_g

Hi

You are correct, bootable disks do need to have some files in specific sections.

The best way to do this is, as you said, to use a copy disk program.

by sgt_shultz

the special boot files are placed on the disk at the very start or in a special place the BIOS knows how to bootstrap itself to. disk copy will copy the boot record and normal copy doesn't. i think simply because they are hidden system files in win9x.

by v_prabhat

see basically when u create bootable disk operating system writes the bootsector of floppy disk or hardsisk or cdrom with information where to search for system files. in normal copy that bootsector record is not copied wheras in diskcopy or copy disk every sector is copied.

by skitzizzy

If you have not formatted a disk as a system disk, you can't use it to boot up unless you have copied the disk, sector by sector, through a 3rd party or bundled utility, as previously stated.

Microsoft provide "diskcopy" for such tasks, and this can be done from the command line by typing "Diskcopy A: A:" with the source disk in the floppy.

If you have 2 drives, you can name the second drive as the target drive and not swap them out. . .

Once copied, you will have an exact replica of the disk, boot files and all if they originally existed.

Cheers,

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