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A boot disk is a floppy or a CD that you can use to boot your
computer into a state in which you can use it to fix a problem. There will
be times that your computer may not boot up properly and
thus
you
can
not access
files
or
attempt
fixes
that
you
are
asked
to do.
When situations like this occur, having a boot disk is necessary as you
will be able to access files and attempt fixes that may allow you to make your
computer operational again.
With today's current versions of Windows, you will need a working
version of Windows to make a boot disk on your own. With that said, it is a
good thing to have a boot disk pre made and ready in case there is a problem
with starting Windows in the future. .
In order to make a boot disk you will need the following:
A blank floppy (or a used floppy that can be erased)
A floppy drive
A working version of an operating system
Making a boot disk
To make a boot disk follow these steps:
1. Below is a list of boot disk creators created by BootDisk.com
for various versions of windows. Click on the link that corresponds to
the operating system installed on the computer that will be booted by
the boot disk.
2. Save the selected boot disk to your desktop when your browser prompts
you where to save it to. When the file has completed downloading you will
see an icon similar to the one below with a name that corresponds to the
operating system you chose for the boot disk.
.
3. Double-click on the icon to start the boot disk creation process and
you will be greeted with a screen similar to the one below.
4. Insert a floppy disk into your floppy drive. For those who are unsure
what a floppy disk is, it looks like this:
A Floppy Disk
5. Once a floppy has been inserted, press the OK button.
If the inserted floppy contains data you will see a confirmation screen asking
if you want the process to continue and erase the disk as shown below.
If you want the disk to be overwritten, press the Yes button,
otherwise press the No button and insert a different disk. Once a disk has
been inserted with no data or you confirm that it should be overwritten, the
creation process will start and look similar to the image below.
When the program is done writing to the disk, it will close
on its own.
6. Now that the boot disk has been completed you should remove the disk,
label it as a boot disk, and store it in a safe location for when it is
needed.
If at any time during this process you get an error stating
that there is something wrong with the disk, remove the current floppy
and insert a new one, as it is possible for floppies to get damaged over
time by accidentally being bent or by dust getting inside them.
How to use a boot disk
To use the floppy, simply insert the boot disk into your
computer's floppy drive and start or reboot your computer.When your computer
starts, it will detect the floppy and attempt to boot off it. As it is
a bootable floppy, your computer will start in DOS mode and allow you
to access your files and data. Remember, though, to remove this floppy
when you want your computer to boot up normally otherwise every time you
turn your computer, it will boot off of the floppy.
For an introduction to some of the commands you type
in DOS, you can read our tutorial here:
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BleepingComputer.com -> Tutorials -> Microsoft General Tutorials -> How to create a floppy boot disk in Windows
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