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How to create a DOS bootable USB pendrive?

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15 replies

by healer

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I want to create a bootable USB stick with DOS so that I can update the BIOS of one of my computers. I search around I can only find those using Linux and I can't run DOS program after boot-up from Linux. I don't have a DOS system running but an XP and Windows 7. So I don't have access to a DOS system to run "format d: /s" command and so on.

I have tried to use diskpart list disk but it doesn't recognize USB pendrive.

Is there something downloadable from the Internet so that I can create one? Thanks!

15 replies

by Wizard57M-TR

might give FreeDOS a try, it's one that has a modicum of recent development.

by healer

I beleive I have done it before. I just formatted the pendrive like a floppy disk and ran the sys command and created a config.sys file and a autoexec.bat file. Now I don't have a DOS environment to do it.

I would need to install the FreeDOS before it can be useful, wouldn't I? I have found the web site http://www.z80.eu/freedoscd.html talking about changing the live CD to cover SATA drive. However it looks somwhat tedious to me. I am trying to avoid it at this stage.

by databaseben

hp.com has 2 programs that create a bootable usb. if i recall, they format the usb in such a way that allows a boot sector to be created on it. afterwards you can then install an operating system on it as well, like windows.

by healer

I have downloaded and installed the HP Drive Key Boot Utility. By default it creates a Linux disk. The contents are as follows. It does make provision for adding a floppy image as a boot option but I can't find it anywhere. I have tried bootdisk.com. For some reasons, they are all executable files, not image files. I don't have floppy disk to be created as a boot floppy. I am just trying to create a bootable pendrive using a bootable floppy image unless there are other alternatives. I remember I saw it there before.

05/04/2012 11:27 AM 8,204 ldlinux.sys
05/04/2012 11:27 AM
components
22/08/2005 11:20 AM 2,621,440 health.iso
11/10/2005 10:13 AM 41,973,821 initrd.img
29/03/2005 03:08 PM 1,343,488 romupdate.iso
11/10/2005 10:13 AM 1,713,723 vmlinuz
05/04/2012 11:28 AM 364 syslinux.cfg
05/04/2012 11:28 AM 100 menu.msg

by healer

I am trying to mark this as the answere but I keep getting the red message of "The user must be the same as the user that asked the question!".

Sorry mate! This is the answer. Thanks a lot!

by healer

I have looked up the web site and I did have a BartPE disk before. It is still a Windows system, isn't it? If I can use BartPE I should be able to use Windows PE or just a Windows installation disk such as XP's because I am supposed to boot up the system with DOS and run a program to update the BIOS of a computer.

by 93961

If you are having Windows 7, then many manufacturers of motherboards now support updating BIOS directly through Windows without any problem. Which Motherboard you are having? I have Intel motherboards and HP Laptops here, which I update directly through windows. Even in HP there is a windows utility which checks & tells you when new updates are available including Drivers and BIOS updates. Even DELL has the system too, I feel, which I have not checked.

by coljeddy

I have two drives that I previously had Windows XP Pro on and I need to access my Documents and Settings directory, but, Windows 7 says that Access is Denied.
Have any ideas? I know I can use certain bootable cds and dvd's that I have but I wish I could just simply access these directorys from win 7.

by healer

You had better start a new question. This is a completely different subject.

If your Windows 7 is not NTFS but your XP is then you won't be able to access XP drive from Windows 7. The other way is okay. Please check that!

You may download some Linux live CD such as ubuntu, then you should be able to access all the drives.

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