[flavallee]

Most of us create a startup floppy disk(also known as a 'boot disk") by using the "Startup Disk" tab in Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. The process places several files in the disk, but doesn't always include both the FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.COM files. Without these 2 files present in the disk, you can't add or delete partitions in the hard drive and you can't format the hard drive.

Once the disk has been created, go into My Computer and open the floppy drive( A: ) window to view its files. If the FDISK.EXE or FORMAT.COM file isn't present, go to and open the C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND window, then copy-and-paste one or both files from that folder to the floppy drive window.

During the disk creation process, you'll be asked to insert the Windows 98/98SE CD so it can copy files to the disk. This isn't necessary to do, if you have the CAB files in one of 2 locations in your computer:

C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS

C:\WIN98

As soon as you're prompted to insert the CD, click OK, type in or browse to one of the above file paths, then click OK again. The file copying process will start.

[Cheeseball81]

Thanks Frank
That's a great tip. And I still use Windows 98 so that comes in handy

[flavallee]

You're welcome.

I've got 3 computers, and Windows 98SE is in 2 of them.

[Cheeseball81]

Both of mine still have 98.
People always try to convince me to go to 2000 or XP.
But I never want to. Is that bad? lol

[Big-K]

No, it's not. I think 98 is fine, I just happen to prefer 2000. I would convert this computer to 2k, but it's already XP and I simply don't want to risk anything right now. I'm not sure at the moment if 2000 can overwrite XP, and I currently am unwilling to format the hard drive on here. Otherwise I would downgrade. 98 was simple, and that's usually good.

[somefellow]

hi flavallee , if you make one via bootdisk.com does it include those files ...as i never had a problem d/l one from there .


p.s...hiya Big-K , i also have multiple systems and have win2000 as my main ...old habits die hard i guess.

[flavallee]

S_F:

I've never examined the contents of one from the www.bootdisk.com site, but I would think those files would be included.

[Big-K]

I've used bootdisc(by the way, your link says bookdisc.com) before, and I was pretty satisfied. I've only used it for DOS 6, Win3.1, Win98, and Win2k though.

[flavallee]

I'm sorry about the "typo". I've corrected it. I've only got vision in my left eye right now because of 2 retinal tears in my right eye, so I'm having trouble focusing. Hopefully, the scheduled surgery on Tuesday will restore my vision back to normal.

[Cheeseball81]

Frank, good luck with your surgery. I'll be thinking about you. I'm sure everything will turn out alright.

[flavallee]

Thanks, CheeseBall.

[flavallee]

I downloaded the Windows 98SE OEM version from www.bootdisk.com today and copied the files to a floppy disk. Upon examining the list, I didn't see the FORMAT.COM file among the list. I guess that answered my earlier statement(#7).

[Bob Cerelli]

I have a section with instructions for creating a boot disk at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/floppies.htm

There is also the generic one which you can download and extract at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software/win98_img.exe

There are a lot of the DOS utilities there that don't normally get added when you make one from Win98. For example Diskcopy, Doskey, Format, More, Sys, Edit, Chkdsk, Deltree, Extract, Fdisk, Attrib, Label, Mem, Scandisk, Scanreg, Smartdrv and Xcopy.

Not only are there more utilities on there but it starts much faster since it doesn't have to create the RAM disk and then expand the cab file from the floppy to that RAM disk.

It automatically loads with support for a generic CD ROM and assigns it the drive letter of X:

There is also a CD ROM boot image you can download at:
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software/win_boot.iso

[aarhus2004]

...the foregoing posts refer to Windows98.

An EBD (Emergency Boot Disk) made using the tab 'Startup Disk' in Add/Remove Programs and not containing the file FORMAT.COM can be used, in WinMe, for all purposes.

[flavallee]

Bob:

I've now got a copy of your generic startup disk with my other startup disks. You sure went down to the wire in filling up the disk. I'm showing 1.36 MB.