How to create a Bootable USB Key?

[MurTuza]

How to make a Bootable USB key?

Here is how you create your bootable USB Key. Note that this is just one way to do it. I choose this method as it seemed the most straightforward. You are welcome to do your own research into creating other types of USB boot keys.

First, there are a few system requirements that must be clarified:

• Obviously, your computer’s BIOS must allow booting from a USB device. Most recently manufactured computers allow this functionality.
  
  
• A USB drive that is capable of being made bootable. There are a few that have strange partition structures that do not allow for making bootable partitions. Contact the manufacturer if you’re not sure your USB drive is bootable

Now follow the following Steps:

1) Download and install the Windows based HP USB Disk Format Tool.

2) Download the Windows 98 system files. This is a zip file that contains all of the system files that you will need. Create a new folder and extract these files into the folder that you just created.

3) Insert the USB flash drive into the USB port of your computer.

4) Launch the HP format tool program.
(Under the device drop down list, make sure that the USB memory key is selected.)

5) Under the file system drop down list, select FAT32. This is important to do correctly.

6) Check the box next to Create a DOS startup disk.
Select "using DOS system files located at:
Then click on the square box with 3 dots on it.
Browse to the folder that you extracted the Win98 system files and then click on the OK button.

7) Now click the Start button.
You will receive a warning message. Make sure you have the USB memory key selected. If you are sure, then click the Yes button.

8) Your USB memory key is now being formated and the DOS system files will be copied onto it.

9) Once the program has completed the operation, click on the Close button.
You now have a bootable USB memory key.

On the USB memory key, you will see following files. These are the basic Win98 system files.

Note:

• If you want to have CDROM support when you boot from your USB memory key, copy these files, including the CDROM folder to the memory key. These files are the ones that you extracted earlier to a folder.
  
  
• If you copy all of these files to the memory key, you will have mouse support for any DOS program that support this feature.
  
  
• You will also have many other DOS utilities that are very useful.
  
  
• Once you have added your files and folders to the thumb drive, restart your system, and if necessary go into the BIOS and promote your USB drive to the first boot device.
  
  
• If all has gone well, your USB key will then boot, and you will be presented with an A:\ prompt.

[con.kantzos@gmail.co]

Nice guide. Well done friend its really useful guide.

This looks pretty good. I have been told that this help, will allow the USB key to boot into DOS. I agree. My question is "how do you make a bootable-partition, external hard disk drive, resultant from allowing a laptop to install a Windows OS on the bootable USB key?" Please help. Please send any assistance or hyperlinks

Thank you all in advance.

[mkwatis]

@MurTuza;
From there you can run other OS like XP?

[Rudra.J]

@MurTuza;
From there you can run other OS like XP?

No, the OS will not run from the usb drive, but the files that are responsible for booting the system are moved from the hard disk to the flash drive, so if you do no have this flash drive, it will be impossible to boot into windows. This flash drive will act like a password...

[markjl]

Hi. Thanks for this info that works fine. However my objective is to install winxp to the pc from the usb key. So I copied the install files to the key but get a message saying I cannot launch setup.exe in dos mode. Can you advise, thanks. Mark

[roanhannabe]

Hello,

Thanks for the DOS USB Drive setup. Good post. I did notice a few people looking to make a USB OS Installer for Windows. You can check out this guide for a program from Russia called WinToFlash which migrates windows setup files to the usb device for installation.

[note] I have not tried this software as of yet, but I have downloaded it and plan to do a test, but reviews and documentation seem sound enough.

[note2] Always be suspicious of software you do not know.


Regards,
RoanHannabe

[Gatsu]

Hi,
I try to use this tutorial to access my vista drive (NTFS).
Should I select FAT32 format?

After running this tool, there are only a few files on my flash drive. Anyways, I have copied and pasted the missing files on my flash drive.
I am able to boot on it but I cannot see my vista drive and the command chkdsk is not recognized.

thanks

[Expertz]

Hi,
I try to use this tutorial to access my vista drive (NTFS).
Should I select FAT32 format?

After running this tool, there are only a few files on my flash drive. Anyways, I have copied and pasted the missing files on my flash drive.
I am able to boot on it but I cannot see my vista drive and the command chkdsk is not recognized.

Normally, chkdsk checks and fixes only the NTFS file system. It does not fix boot sectors or hard drives. DOS utilities are useless on modern machines, and the DOS chkdsk is a different program altogether. Chkdsk is a hard drive checking utility. If you don't have a Windows vista disk or the restore disks for the computer, you can't reinstall Windows anyway.