Just Want to make boot cd from WinXP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cowtoon
  • Start date Start date
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Cowtoon

I'm sure there's a way in explorer to make a system boot CD, but I don't see
it. Can someone help with simple instructions.
Thanks.
 
A system boot CD?
That's what an XP CD is! It is bootable.
There's no DOS as you know it in 98 but you can still use a 98 boot disc if
you want for some obscure reason.
Just boot off of any XP CD........ borrow your mates is OK.
I'm not gunna try guessing why you wanna boot off it...........
 
Here's a method I came across in my travels:

To make a CD auto run, make a file in the root called
Autorun.inf

To make one, open notepad and enter these
lines, replace setup.exe with the file you wish to autorun):

[autorun]
Open=Setup.exe


Save it as autorun, notepad will add the extension .txt,
just rename the file to Autorun.INF and drop it into the
root when burning the CD. To see examples of this file,
just grab any CD that you know autorun's, and explore the
root, find the autorun.inf file and open it with notepad
to view the contents.
 
It is very unclear to what you are asking.

(1) do you mean a bootable CD
(2) Or do you mean your CD which is bootable is not able to boot because your CD is not set in the correct order in the BIOS
 
WHY do you want to make a boot CD?

1. If you own a retail copy of XP, then you already have such a CD, which
can be used to recover, repair, re-install. But, Bart's PE builder will
make a better recovery type CD for some purposes. See other replies for a
link to Bart's.

2. If XP came pre-installed, then you probably do not have an XP CD.
However, you might have a restoration CD that will return the PC to day-one.
That is what most major PC makers provide. However, that restoration CD may
be nothing more but a small program that operates on a hidden patition on
the hard drive. If the hard drive goes, the restoration CD is worthless,
until you get a new hard drive from the same PC maker, with the hidden
partition on it. But, if you have merely lost the restoration CD, then ask
the PC maker to send you another.

3. If you don't have a retail copy of the XP CD, or anything from the PC
maker, look for a directory called I386 on the hard drive. If it exists and
is filled with many hundreds of Meg of files, then it might be a copy of the
contents of the XP CD used to install XP on your PC. That might be enough
to make a recovery CD. Again, check the requirements for Bart's.

4. XP can make a single bootable floppy, which is really Windows ME.
Usually that is not too useful, but I thought that I would mention it.

5. You can download free from Microsoft a set of floppy images that can run
the XP recovery console. Microsoft calls them "setup disks".

6. Depending on what you want to do, you might try the "ultimate boot CD".
This can provide some level of disk access and the ability to test/fix some
things:

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

7. You might also wnat to download and burn a copy of KNOPPIX, a live CD
(or DVD). It can access NTFS partitions, supports USB, etc and is thus a
good way to rescue files from a non-bootable XP box:

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Main_Page

8. Finally, if the PC is running well, consider getting a good
backup/restore program and making your own images of the hard drive
somewhere off of the PC. Such images are superior to PC maker resotration
images, since they are more current and not stored inside the PC. I have
had very good luck with Acronic True Image, which supports exteranl USB and
firewire, and well as CDs and DVDs. The latest version of Norton GHOST has
similar capabilities, but I rate True Image as friendlier. There are also
some free-ware backup/restore programs, but I have not experimented with
those.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost12
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads3.html
 
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