Legal Information
PC Knowledge Base - Windows Operating System Startup Disk
Good Knowledge Is Good2Use

Create a Bootable Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition

Note The procedure for RISC-based computers is different .

Note: The following procedures apply to the situation where access to a computer running Windows NT or 2000 exists.

You may be able to use a Windows bootable disk to start the operating system on a computer running Windows NT or Windows 2000. Use the following procedures to work around the following boot problems:
Note that you may have to modify the Boot.ini file to do this.
Note that you cannot use the Windows Emergency Repair disk (ERD) to help resolve the following problems:
To work around or fix these problems, run the ERD, load the last known good control set, or reinstall Windows.

How to Create a Windows Bootable Disk

The Windows boot disk must include the Ntldr (or Setupldr.bin in Windows NT 3.5), Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files, and may require ntbootdd.sys, which is the device driver for your hard disk controller renamed to ntbootdd.sys.

Note The Ntldr, Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files typically have their file attributes set to system, hidden, or read-only. You do not have to reset these attributes for the bootable disk to work. For additional information about the structure of the Boot.ini file, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 102873 BOOT.INI and ARC Path Naming Conventions and Usage Having Access to a Computer That Is Running Windows

  1. On the computer that is running Windows, format a floppy disk by using the full format option in the Windows NT utility. To do so, type format a: at a command prompt, and then press ENTER.

    Notes:

    • You cannot format the floppy by using Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition.
    • You must perform a full format to properly rewrite any boot sector content on the floppy disk. A full format prevents boot sector viruses from running.
    • If you perform a quick format on the first Windows Setup bootable floppy disk, the boot sector keeps a reference to the Setupldr.bin file and requires that you rename the Ntldr file to Setupldr.bin.

  2. Copy the Ntldr file from the Windows CD-ROM or from a computer that is running the same version of Windows as the computer that you want to access with the startup floppy disk. In Windows 2000, the NTLDR file is found in the I386 folder on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. For Windows NT 4.0, you can copy this file from the Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM.

    Note In versions of Windows earlier than Windows NT 4.0, you may have to expand the file from NTLDR._ to NTLDR by typing the following command at a command prompt:

    expand ntldr._ ntldr

  3. Copy the Ntdetect.com file to the floppy disk that you formatted in step 1.
  4. Create a Boot.ini file on the floppy disk that you formatted in step 1. You can also copy the file from another computer that is running Windows and then modify it to match the computer that you are creating the startup disk for. The following example works for a single-partition SCSI drive with Windows 2000 Advanced Server installed in the Winnt folder, but the exact value in the [operating systems] section depends on the configuration of the Windows-based computer that you are creating the startup disk for:
    [boot loader]
    timeout=30
    Default= scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Winnt
    [operating systems] scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server" /fastdetect
    If your computer starts from an IDE, EIDE, or ESDI hard disk, replace scsi(0) with multi(0). If you are using a computer that is running Windows NT 3.5 or Windows NT 3.51 and your computer starts from the first or second SCSI drive, then you can also replace scsi(0) with multi(0). For example:
    [boot loader]
    timeout=30
    default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
    [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server" /fastdetect

    If you are using scsi(x) in the Boot.ini file, copy the correct device driver for the SCSI controller that is in use on the computer, and then rename it Ntbootdd.sys. If you are using multi(x) in the Boot.ini file, you do not have to do this.

    Note By default, Windows 2000 is installed to the C:\Windows folder. However, if the computer is using an earlier version of Windows, or if the computer was upgraded to Windows 2000 from an earlier version of Windows, then by default, Windows 2000 is installed to the C:\WINNT folder. Verify that the Boot.ini file shows the correct %SystemRoot% folder for Windows.

  5. Start your computer by using the startup disk, and then log on to Windows.

Troubleshooting

You may experience one or more of the following problems when you try to start your computer with your Windows bootable disk:

The above applies to:



Search Knowledge Base Feedback
If you like our web site refer a friend.
Your friends name.
 Your friends email address.
Your Name
 Your Email Address


© Copyright 1998-1999 GOOD2USE