Boot disk extensions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joe 1
  • Start date Start date
J

Joe 1

I need to make a boot disk to flash my bios. I made a disk
using bios company "bootdisk.zip" software, reordered the
boot sequence for floppy first but can't get the PC to
read the autoexec.bat file. On startup the PC appears to
read the floppy but ignores it after 30 seconds and goes
on to load Windows XP. Should this file be renamed with a
different extension for XP? IO.SYS, COMMAND.COM and
MSDOS.SYS are all on the disk also.
 
Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ for a Dos bootdisk.
Only the basic Dos system files should be on the disk, like IO.SYS,
MSDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM.
You don't need AutoExec.Bat, Config.Sys or other files!
Just add the flashprogram and Bios file and follow recommendations given
by the motherboard manufacturer.
This may include saving the old Bios file, making a note of your Bios
settings and setting Bios Defaults just before flashing and immediately
after flashing before you restore the user settings.
(Most important is to check you have the right Bios for your motherboard!)
 
Hi, Joe.

In WinXP, right-click on Drive A: (with a blank or expendable diskette in
the drive), then choose Format... Check Create an MS-DOS startup disk.
This will create a diskette with just io.sys and msdos.sys (and command.com?
I don't remember). You can then add config.sys, autoexec.bat, and whatever
other files you need to flash the BIOS.

RC
 
R. C., it will include Command.Com.
\
Joe 1, To continue with what R.C. was saying, copy the bios flash program to
the boot disk you just created by "Create an MS-DOS startup disk". You do
not need to include an Autoexec.bat or any other files on the disk unless
the bios flash manufacturer tells you to (IOW follow their directions
exactly).

Also, I would strongly suggest you plug in the computer to an
uninterruptible power supply while flashing the bios. If you suffer a power
loss during the flash it will render the computer useless in most
circumstances. If the flash program allows, I would also recommend you make
a backup of the bios before flashing the new one. The option should be
there just before it asks for the filename of the new bios info.

Good luck.
 
I have the disk made according to how it would be done if
DOS were on the PC (as you both have outlined) but this is
a Windows XP PC and doesn't seem to know how to handle
the .bat files. There is no DOS available. The PC accesses
the floppy but nothing from the disk is used.
 
It doesn't matter you have a Dos computer or not, every PC should be
able to load Dos from the floppy when selected to do so.
So for a computer with Windows XP you do not need a special diskette.

Select in Bios setup the computer should start from the diskette.

Dos consists out of the (hidden) files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS.
Different flavours of Dos might use other names for these files.
Also the command intrepeter COMMAND.COM will be loaded which is needed
to to execute (internal or external) commands.

You shouldn't have any other files on the diskette apart from above
files, the flash program and the Bios image.
If you have other files like Config.Sys, AutoExec.Bat etc. just delete them.

Execute the flash program when you are at the Dos prompt A: and follow
the advises presented by that program.

If you still have problems let somebody who understands these things do
the job!
 
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