Bootable DOS in USB Flash memory

[zero0w]

This isn't a new topic. Already there are many guides out there for creating Bootable KNOPPIX on USB Flash card or memory stick. Here, I am looking at a different but also important problem: getting DOS (Dr. DOS / OpenDOS / FreeDOS, etc.) to boot on USB Flash memory.

This will be useful for flashing motherboard BIOS (or display card BIOS). Also many recent notebook models just don't bundle floppy drive anymore; Nor do I have any reason for owning floppy disks if I can have DOS bootable on USB memory card, and flash BIOS with it.

Here are the guides for creating bootable DOS on USB memory stick or Flash card:

1. Bootable USB Keys (solution for Linux and Windows)
http://www.marlow.dk/usbkeys

2. Bootable USB memory stick (solution for Windows)

-> HP USB disk storage tool
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...id=1676&page=2

Link Updated again:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...oad/21284.html

Note: Your motherboard BIOS needs to support Boot from USB HD/RMD-FD in order for this to work.

[scrandman]

Great Links - especially the HP utility. I tried for ages to do this without success. Now I have a USB chip I can update BIOS from etc, etc.

I Googled for ages trying to find a good piece of software that would do this without success.

Thanks

[zero0w]

No problem, don't mention it .

[cantankerous]

The second link doesn't work. Is there an updated one?

[zero0w]

Originally Posted by cantankerous

The second link doesn't work. Is there an updated one?

Thanks, link updated.

Note: Search "HP USB DOS" on Google and you should be able to locate the HP USB disk storage tool within the first few results.

[themortarman]

Thanks zero0w!!

[Regent]

So you should be able to boot Ghost w/ this device, then?

[cantankerous]

Does that HP device work for ANY flash drive?

[zero0w]

Originally Posted by cantankerous

Does that HP device work for ANY flash drive?

Yes, check out the article at PCStat in the updated link.

[Crazy Chuckster]

mortarman, I think the info posted above should be a sticky or put into a sticky as it is very useful.

[steven975]

Originally Posted by Regent

So you should be able to boot Ghost w/ this device, then?

ghost has usb dos drivers, so yea

[Electric Bill]

Keep in mind that your mobo has to be capable of booting from a USB flash device.

I created a utility flash card using the HP USB disk storage format tool about 6 months ago.
It included NTFS reader, Killdisk, DFRGNTFS, Chkdsk, Unerasor, Ghost and a couple of others.
My DFI nF4 Ultra-D will boot from a USB drive and sees it as another HD rather than a Removable Device.
I did it as an experiment and used one of the 256MB Compact Flash camera disks from my camera.
After getting it to boot into DOS and successfully completing a DOS Defrag I reformatted the Disk and put it back with my camera equipment.
Now every time I leave a flash card in my reader I get a message on the first BIOS screen that my boot order has changed and I have to remove the card to continue the boot sequence.
It didn't do that before I made the DOS flash drive.

After the Flash drive experiment I made a DOS boot CD using Bart's bootable CD system and included the same utilities and that's what I use now.
Same idea but I don't have to give up one of my flash cards.

Bill

[steven975]

^^
I have found many boards do that.

If you boot from a device, the bios "remembers" it and tries to find it next time. It happens when I boot from another hard drive (like to test it) and I have to strip my system down to a single drive to get it to boot. after it boots there's no problem.

[geekkyyy]

i would also agree that the motherboard setup program might be the stinker,,booting a usb flash memeory.....it might work,,just never tryed it.....

also,,,,YOU CAN BUY A EXTERNAL FLOPPY DRIVE,,USB PORT

[ozzy983]

Yeah I use a USB drive, so much faster than a floppy and much more can be stored on it.