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Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included. ---------------------------------------------------------- How to Really Create a Startup Disk

By Stephen Bucaro

Most people don't consider creating a Startup Disk until their computer fails to start - then it's too late. A startup disk will not start Windows, but it will start your computer in DOS. The most common reasons for a computer not starting are corrupted files, missing files, or configuration problems. You can use a Startup Disk to replace the files or restore the computers configuration.

If your operating system is Windows XP or Windows 2000, it isn't bootable. With these systems, you use an Emergency Repair Disk that works with the systems built-in repair functions. This article focuses on Windows 9x/Me systems.

When you create a Startup Disk, Windows needs to gather some important system files, so you may be required to insert your Windows CD. To create a Startup Disk select Start | Settings | Control Panel. Open the Add/Remove Programs utility and select the "Startup Disk" tab. Click on the "Create Disk" button. You will be prompted to insert a floppy disk into the drive.

=>Windows 95 Users

Note: If your operating system is Windows 95, you will be missing one important file on your Startup Disk. When Windows 98 creates a Startup disk, it includes a generic IDE/ATAPI CD ROM driver on the disk. Windows 95 does not. On the Startup disk you will need a DOS "real-mode" driver, not the virtual device driver used while running under Windows 95.

Windows 95 users will have to locate their CD ROM driver. At the top of the C: drive, locate a file named config.sys and open it in Notepad. A line in this file should identify the name of your CD ROM driver. The drivers file name will end with a .sys extension, for example NEC_IDE.SYS.

If you cannot determine the name of your real mode CD ROM driver here, you may have to look on the floppy disk or CD ROM that came with your Drive or check your computer manufacturers Web site.

You will also need a copy of the DOS CD ROM driver called MSCDEX.EXE. This file should be located in your WindowsCommand folder. Place a copy of both of these files on your Startup disk.

Next, use Notepad to open the file config.sys on your startup disk and add the following line, replacing the name of the driver file shown with the actual name of your driver. Then save the file.

DEVICE=A:NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD001

Use Notepad to open the file autoexec.bat on your Startup disk. If the disk does not have an autoexec.bat file, create one. In the autoexec.bat file add the line shown below. Then save the file.

MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

Now when you boot from the startup disk, your real-mode CD ROM driver will automatically be installed, allowing you to read the CD in DOS.

=> Copy These Special Files to Your Startup Disk

On all Windows 9x/Me systems you should copy the important configuration files system.dat and user.dat from your Windows folder to your startup disk. First make sure your system is configured to show hidden files: In Windows Explorer View menu select the View tab and check the Show All Files radio button.

The file system.dat is a database for your computer's hardware. The file user.dat is a database for user settings. These two files combine to form the elusive Windows Registry.

The configuration files config.sys, autoexec.bat (directly under C:), win.ini and system.ini (in the Windows folder) are legacy files for compatiblility with Windows 3.1. They are not required for Windows 95 and higher, but if you find them on your computer it may be because you are running some older 16 bit software. If you find any of them on your computer, place a copy on your startup floppy disk.

=> Test Your Startup Disk

When you have completed your Startup Disk, you should test it. To do that, restart your computer with the floppy disk in the drive. After your computer starts, you should end up with the A: prompt on the screen. If it doesn't work, check the boot order configuration in your computers BIOS setup. Make sure that the floppy drive is the first boot device.

Windows 98 displays a menu allowing you to select to start with or without CD support. It then creates a RAM drive and assigns it the first avalable drive letter. Therefore, the drive designation of your CD ROM drive may be different. The same files available on a Windows 95 startup disk are then expanded to the RAM drive.

Place any CD ROM disc in your CD ROM drive and type in D: (or whatever letter is assigned to your CD drive). You should get the D: prompt. If you get the D: prompt, type in DIR. You should get a list of the contents of the CD in the drive.

If your Startup disk worked okay, you now have the capability to start the computer from the floppy drive in DOS mode. You may not totally understand how to use the files on your Startup Disk to restore your computer, but a technician who helps restore your computer will be glad you saved them. ---------------------------------------------------------- Resource Box: Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com ----------------------------------------------------------

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