Work-in-progress -- Making a Startup USB Flash Mem Stick

[robert213]

OK, I think that I am beginning to see the problem with using a DOS bootable startup diskette -- DOS (no matter how recent the version) is not able to see NTFS files.

So, the right direction to start by creating a Startup USB Flash Memory Stick.

After searching and browsing thru various posts...

Bootable USB Key for Txx
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=2514

used this to make it bootable (Thanks HP!)

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 20306.html

used this to read NTFS

http://www.ntfs.com/products.htm

make it bootable, copy over the NTFS reader, boot, and your all set!

NOT YOUR IGNORANCE, My lack of clarity:

1) When you install the HP Format/Boot Disk Utility, it will go to it's default directory c:\programfiles\driverkey

When you run the HP Utility, and you tick the Create Dos Startup Disk box, browse to the same (c:\programfiles\driverkey) directory where it says "Using Dos System Files Located At" Then run the HP Utility until it completes.

then......

2) From the NTFS.con site, click on Zippep Archives, and download Active NTFS Reader, extract the file, and copy it to your USB drive

3)Boot the USB Drive, and run the Active NFS Reader so you can access your hard drive.

Let me know. More questions are welcome!

Western Digital Scorpio 2.5" 5400 Hard Drives..Any Opin
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=67871

Ok, backtracking my steps, here is how I made a bootable USB flash drive:

1. Download Virtual Floppy Drive 2.1

2. Extract this to a directory on your hard drive and set it up. You will need to read the instructions and start the driver to get a floppy drive to show up in Windows Explorer.

3. Click on the floppy drive and format, making it a system disk. It will copy the system files over.

4. Download the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool from Bootdisk.com - Scroll down to the page to Method two. Be sure to click on the right download link. It's version 2.0.6 (not the link that says "Download").

5. Install the HP utility and plug in your USB flash drive. Right click on USB drive in Windows Explorer and format as system disk. Note this *DOES NOT* copy the system files over! You'll have to select all the files from the virtual floppy drive and copy them over.

6. Copy over the Western Digital update files (WDUPD020.EXE and all associated files, text and all) to the USB flash drive.

7. Restart the computer.

8. On a ThinkPad T61, when you see the ThinkPad logo, press the F12 key. This brings up a screen that asks what you want to boot from. Choose your USB flash drive.

NOTE: I don't know if F12 brings up the boot menu for all Thinkpads or not. I don't think older Thinkpads can even boot from a USB device. You'll want to get into the BIOS (on my T61, you press F1 at the ThinkPad logo screen on bootup, for example) and check to be sure.

So, if I understand this correctly...

I need to create a DOS Bootable USB Flash Memory Stick. Then, I can use a NTFS file reader to access "C:" drive.

Questions...

1) Are these the best posts to start reading?

2) Are there any brands of USB Flash Memory Sticks that I should avoid?

3) I still would like to continue using Acronis TI 11 Home for cloning HDD. It requires WIN XP, in order to start. Can I make a WIN XP bootable memory stick? Is there a way to run Acronis TI to run outside of WIN XP?

[Brad]

Once Acronis is installed you can create rescue media that will run outside of Windows. This bootable CD will allow you to create images and also clone your hard drive. I tried many times without success to create rescue media on a USB drive in order to run the cloning operation without an optical drive. I finally was able to get this to work on my T6x series ThinkPads using this tutorial.

I haven't tried for a T4x USB bootable Acronis USB drive. I have a good feeling though that this tutorial will work for that series too. I am not sure if your ThinkPad has the ability to boot from a USB drive.

Brad

[robert213]

What I have learned, while learning how to make a DOS Bootable USB Flash Drive...

I. Making a DOS Bootable Floppy Diskette
a. In Win98SE, [Start][Control Panel][Add/Remove Programs][Make DOS System Startup Disk]
b. In WinXP, [Start][Windows Explorer][File][Format][Make DOS System Startup Disk]

II. There are major differences between Win98 SE and WinXP DOS "FORMAT" command.
a. Using Format Help Command (i.e. format /?)
b. WinXP Format no longer offers "/S" option to
c. WinXP Format offers /FS:FAT or FAT32 or NTFS

III. There are major differences between Win98 SE and WinXP DOS "SYS" command.
a. WinXP Sys command no longer exists

IV. WinXP DOS "FORMAT" command allows a person to make "bootable" drives without traditional IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM system files.

V. WinXP DOS "FORMAT" command allows a person to make a Windows XP "bootable" drive.
-- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q305595
a. Use WinXP DOS "FORMAT" command to re-format diskette.
b. Copy C:\I386\Ntldr to diskette
c. Copy C:\I386\Ntdetect.com to diskette
d. Copy C:\boot.ini to diskette
e. Use notepad to remove "/" parameters after "windows=Microsoft Windows XP Professional"
f. My machine booted from diskette directly into Windows XP.
-- This is useful when HDD is damaged and doesn't allow boot sequence into Windows XP

VI. Misc. file system info...
a. DOS 6.22 does not recognize "FAT32", nor "NTFS" file systems.
b. "FAT32" does not recognize files larger than 4GB.
c. The largest disk partition that "FAT" (aka "FAT16") recognizes is 2GB.

VII. Misc. Flash Drive info...
a. SANDISK CRUZER 4GB and larger flash drives are pre-formatted "FAT32"
b. SANDISK CRUZER 2GB flash drive is pre-formatted "FAT"

VIII. When making DOS Bootable Flash Drive, purchase one 2GB or less
a. unless one wishes to use DOS "FDISK" or Partition Management Tools to make multiple 2GB partitions.

How I made my first DOS bootable USB Flash Drive...

I. Review helpful information...
a. http://www.andrewmallett.net/tech/pcops ... le_usb.htm
b. http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

II. I decided against "Bart's MKBT" technique, because...
a. I am planning to run old DOS programs.
b. I wish to have traditional "IO.SYS", "MSDOS.SYS", and "COMMAND.COM" files
c. This technique utilizes a bootable *.BIN file

III. I choose the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
a. Download from...
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool v2.1.8
http://download.cnet.com/HP-USB-Disk-St ... 74082.html
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/f ... ption.html

b. I installed into a file folder different than
-- c:\DriveKey
-- c:\Program Files\DriveKey

c. HP install program placed icons into proper "AllUsers" StartMenu and Desktop folders

d. Fortunately,
-- My T30 has an UltraBay FDD
-- I have Win98SE startup diskette that I created from an older machine.

e. HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool worked as advertised.

IV. Update BIOS Setup to place USB flash drive above HDD.
(I am typing this from memory, so syntax will not be exactly correct.)
a. Press [F1] to enter BIOS Setup
b. Choose "Start Up" sub-menu
c. Expand "Hard Drive" devices
d. Use [F5] or [F6] to move "USB device name" above "HDD device name"
e. Save and Exit

V. Remember to move "HDD device name" back above "USB device name" when finished
a. I accidentally mounted another non-bootable USB Flash Drive later in the day.
b. My machine "hung" on non-bootable USB Flash Drive, the next time that I started-up my machine.

VI. Next Up.
a. copying over CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
that I created when I made my first DOS bootable CD disc.
b. installing old DOS personal data base programs without using VirtualPC or DOS in a BOX.

[Mike Blake]

Very useful post from Robert213.

[JBUK]

Yes , it is a steep learning curve while trying to set up a bootable USB key.

I have been through all this. The advantage over a floppy is that you can put on the key whatever you want. Here is a selection from what I use on the key using a standard W98 bootable floppy as a basis to start from via the HP creation utility :

ntfs4dos.exe, to look at and work with ntfs disks and files.
pqdi.exe, this is the old powerquest drive image software which still works fine but does not like ntfs very much.
pqmagic.exe, Partition Magic to work with hdd partitions
panasonic usb2 drivers to initialise and use an external HDD via a pcmcia usb2 card.
usbmouse.exe, to use a usb mouse with dos
testdisk.exe, useful partition recover utility when disaster strikes

I also use Acronis products for imaging and cloning and partition work having created bootable CDs. As far as I remember it is not possible to create a bootable usb key using the Acronis utilities.

DOS is still invaluable when you have a dead machine and want to kick it back into life again.