Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft DOS => Topic started by: the_importer on February 12, 2009, 06:42:32 PM
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Hi there,
It's been age since I worked in good old DOS days, so I'm sort of out of touch.
So anyway, I bought a Netbook with no optical drive. I made a small partition and transferred the Windows XP CD files from my USB key to it. I made a bigger partition to act as the C drive for Windows XP to install on.
My only problem is how to make that main partition boot in DOS mode as a C drive. I formatted the partition with the format "x: /s command" and copied the files from my 2nd USB key that I used as a boot disk on to it. Everything is there (command.com, autoexec.bat, etc...) but the partition is still not bootable.
I think the problem is my autoexec.bat file. Can anyone tell me what I should modify?
@ECHO OFF
IF "%config%"=="BOOT_MIN" GOTO BOOT_MIN
SET EXPAND=YES
SET DIRCMD=/O:N
SET temp=c:\
SET tmp=c:\
PATH=A:\
LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:oemcd001 /L:D
ECHO.
MOUSE.COM
ECHO.
DOSKEY /INSERT
ECHO Available programs:
ECHO ATTRIB DEBUG DELTREE DOSSHELL EDIT
ECHO FDISK FORMAT FORMATNT REGEDIT SCANDISK
ECHO SYS XCOPY
GOTO QUIT
:BOOT_MIN
ECHO Note: This mode has been included for DIAGS.EXE compatibility.
:QUIT
Thank you
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autoexec.bat runs AFTER DOS boots...
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The FORMAT X: /S should have done it. The AUTOEXEC.BAT won't be your problem. You don't even need an AUTOEXEC.BAT to boot. In fact, I would trim yours down to something more simple like just
@echo off
set path=C:\
To troubleshoot the main problem of not booting to the C: drive ... Run FDISK to be sure the partition is set to Active.
If that's not it, post back and we'll try something else.
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Afraid that won't work. My Small USB that acts as the boot disk is actually considered the first drive in my PC and FDISK won't allow me to Activate any partition that is NOT on the first drive (which is my USB key).
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My Small USB that acts as the boot disk
s actually considered the first drive in my PC
Curious minds here need to know what kind of laptop does that?
You say it wants to boot from the USB device?
As the first drive?
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It's a Dell Mini 9 Netbook
Also, it's not that I want to have my USB Key to act as the main drive, it's just that I can't boot with anything else. There's not optical drive and no disk drive, so I can't boot with anything BUT a USB key.
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Well, you aren't going to be able to boot from a partition that isn't active. I am pretty sure that is your problem. Try using a 3rd party tool.
I am pretty sure that the FDISK.EXE from FreeDOS will run under just about any version of dos (6.x and 7.x that came with Win9x) and it will let you make active partitions on any drive. Actually, probably just about any FDISK or other partition tool from any company will let you set active partitions on drives that are not the 1st drive ... except the Microsoft versions.
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Thank for the reply, but I've tried stating the XP installation to put the OS on my "D" drive and I got a a message regarding SmartDrive, which is something that happen when you run the winnt.exe file from i386 folder. I'll go buy an external DVD-Burner, this should solve all my problems.
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Here is a review of this machine.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4578
If I had one, I would just leave it as it is.
It is not super fast, but it is not intended to be a high performer.
It is small, cure and low priced.
The link I gave above indicates that this model does not normally use a Hard Drive or a CD-ROM drive.
Be careful about using FreeDOS on a large drive. DOS expects a hard drive to be under about 2GB.
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Here is a review of this machine.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4578
If I had one, I would just leave it as it is.
It is not super fast, but it is not intended to be a high performer.
It is small, cure and low priced.
The link I gave above indicates that this model does not normally use a Hard Drive or a CD-ROM drive.
Be careful about using FreeDOS on a large drive. DOS expects a hard drive to be under about 2GB.
This is why a review is personal opinion:
1- This netbook came with Windows XP home, not any differences between this and XP pro in terms of PC requirements.
2- I bought this PC at $300 CAD during a BestBuy special and I just bought an external LG DVD burner for $60 CAD which was on special as well and the two of them work great together.
3- I'm using this laptop to type this as we speak, it's powerful enough.
4- Most reviews I read were positives.
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A few things to keep in mind here:
If the machine's MBoard/BIOS does not support booting to a USB device no autoexec.bat changes will make this different.
You cannot simply copy all the Windows files from any install and expect it to be an installable fix.
Installing from any USB device since XP was released is an exercise in futility and can only be done with a sledgehammer and 3 days of spare time...this is all by design.
Do you have an XP CD ? ?
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A few things to keep in mind here:
If the machine's MBoard/BIOS does not support booting to a USB device no autoexec.bat changes will make this different.
You cannot simply copy all the Windows files from any install and expect it to be an installable fix.
Installing from any USB device since XP was released is an exercise in futility and can only be done with a sledgehammer and 3 days of spare time...this is all by design.
Do you have an XP CD ? ?
See above :)
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See above what ? ?
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See above what ? ?
Patio:
He has aIt's a Dell Mini 9 Netbook
He wants to install from a copy of the CD.
He put the CD on his USB stick.
It seems the Mini 9 does not allow any other way of booting.
I guess.
If I had one I would not fool around with it.
He wants to play with an old version of DOS, or something like that.
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old versions of DOS will not boot from a USB drive without a heavy amount of HDD emulation on the part of the BIOS. the BIOS implementation of USB booting assumes that the OS installed to the USB drive is
USB aware" such as a diagnostic program intended to run of the drive or perhaps a Linux installation.
DOS is not USB aware natively, and requires USB drivers, which can only be loaded after MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS (or IBMDOS.COM and IBMBIO.COM) load into memory and subsequently read the commands in config.sys.
freeDOS, on the other hand, being newer and more powerful in general, would have far more success in booting from a USB drive, as geek9pm has suggested.
In fact, if your external CD drive won't boot either, then I doubt a thumb-drive will, since under most circumstances a USB-boot aware PC will boot from a external CD drive with a bootable disc just as well as a external thumb-drive or other storage based USB peripheral.
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I have a 128 Mb pen drive that natively boots MS-DOS 7.10 (from a Windows 98 disk).
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I have a 128 Mb pen drive that natively boots MS-DOS 7.10 (from a Windows 98 disk).
Hey, that may be what he needs. :o
And other curious minds would like to know.
How do you get MS-DOS 7 onto a USB thing and have it boot.
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I have a 128 Mb pen drive that natively boots MS-DOS 7.10 (from a Windows 98 disk).
Hey, that may be what he needs. :o
And other curious minds would like to know.
How do you get MS-DOS 7 onto a USB thing and have it boot.
I used the HP USB Boot Utility. It's all here
http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
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Let's hope his NetBook supports booting from USB devices.
So far it doesn't sound like it.
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I am pretty sure it supports booting to USB devices.
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I am pretty sure it supports booting to USB devices.
Source ? ?
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Source ? ?
Experience. It has been at least 2 years since I have seen a new laptop that does not support booting to USB devices.
But here is a link that further supports my guess: http://www.ubuntumini.com/2008/10/installing-ubuntu-on-dell-inspiron-mini.html
It includes a video of the BIOS screen changing the boot options, but here text of "Step 2":
Step 2. Set your Mini 9 to boot from optical drive or USB
At the Dell splash screen (the Dell logo that appears when you turn your Mini on) press 2.
This will take you into the Mini's BIOS, from there go to the BOOT tab.
Use F6 and F7 (Fn H and J respectively on the mini) to move your intended boot device up and down the list.
The optical media drive or USB drive should be a the top of this list.
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Got it.
Wonder why this is such a struggle then...
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Got it.
Wonder why this is such a struggle then...
probably trying to use DOS 6?
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Should still be a piece of cake...
Use Dias' guide to create a bootable flash drive...boot to the flash and run the OS install.