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W98 bootable CD


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#1 rguester

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Posted 13 June 2009 - 09:47 PM

I have some old DOS based programs that must communicate over a serial port (COM1 preferred).Since PCs with floppies are becoming scarce, and because many users of these programs do not have PCs with floppies already, I need to move to CDs.

How do I make a CD that will boot DOS or W9x and can then run some old DOS based executable files? All of the data can also be on the CD. I dont think there is any need to access the PCs HD which may be NTFS.

#2 jsgage

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Posted 13 June 2009 - 11:40 PM

have you had a read on http://www.bootdisk.com/
theres info there that should help

#3 was_jaclaz

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Posted 14 June 2009 - 11:19 AM

More specifically, booting a Windows 98 from CD (though possible ;)) is rather complex. ;)

On the other hand booting DOS is trivial. :)

What you need is to have a DOS boot floppy (1.44 Mb in size) image.

You can mount it under 2K/XP/2003/Vista with VFD:
http://chitchat.at.i...vmware/vfd.html

or IMDISK:
http://www.ltr-data.se/opencode.html

To add files to it or modify existing ones, like autoexec.bat and config.sys.

If ALL your apps do not fit in 1.44 Mb, you can enlarge the image to a Max of 2.88 Mb size.

You can use Winimage, or the tools above with some tricks to create a larger image.

If the floppy image is either 1.44 or 2.88 Mb, you can use the image as El-Torito floppy emulation boot image with practically every burning apps around.

If ALL your apps do not fit in 2.88 Mb you need a slightly more complex approach, i.e. to access also the "CD part" and not just the boot floppy emulation part.

Just post if you need further help.

jaclaz

#4 TheHive

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Posted 14 June 2009 - 03:25 PM

As a tech person, as im thinking you are, you might want to get a USB to Serial Converter or also a USB floppy drive.


USB to Serial Converter
http://www.amazon.co.....;link_code=qs

USB floppy drive
http://www.amazon.co...SB floppy drive

http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=72
You can also try AeroStudio to boot your floppy images from CD. If you havent made floppy images from youre floppies you can use a program named WinImage to convert the floppies to Img files.

http://www.winimage.com/download.htm

#5 dencorso

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Posted 20 June 2009 - 06:19 PM

More specifically, booting a Windows 98 from CD (though possible ;)) is rather complex. ;)

On the other hand booting DOS is trivial. :)

What you need is to have a DOS boot floppy (1.44 Mb in size) image.

Sure. But since this thread, at the end of the day, does not refer to booting Win 9x/ME from CD, I think it must be (i) renamed accordingly and (ii) moved to the proper forum.
So I respectfully ask for moderatorial action here, please.

#6 was_jaclaz

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 10:16 AM

Sure. But since this thread, at the end of the day, does not refer to booting Win 9x/ME from CD, I think it must be (i) renamed accordingly and (ii) moved to the proper forum.
So I respectfully ask for moderatorial action here, please.


I see it as fitting nicely exactly where it is.

The OP is asking EITHER Win98 OR DOS.

DOS was given. :)

For those "stubborn";) enough that really want a Win98 on CD, once said that it is not very easy ;) , they can start here:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=12326

and check the Winimize Forum:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=53

and, particularly, check this thread:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=2293

jaclaz

#7 Bob Klahn

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Posted 23 November 2013 - 09:01 AM

I was also going to suggest the bootdisk.com link.

 

You can burn a bootable CD with dos, typically included, or with win98 dos from a floppy written by the download from bootcd.com. I use that for a rescue and recovery CD for anything using Fat or Fat32, or for running system commander to set up hard drives. It is Dos, and you can run a lot from it.

 

 



#8 Sha0

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Posted 29 November 2013 - 01:54 AM

Given how much RAM people seem to have these days, you can probably run Microsoft Windows 98 from a MEMDISK.

#9 Brito

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Posted 30 November 2013 - 11:30 AM

BeatZero published a winbuilder project some years ago that automated the task of creating a Win98 live CD.

 

At the time I have uploaded his project to http://reboot.pro/fi...28-win98livecd/

 

Hope it helps.

:cheers:



#10 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 30 November 2013 - 02:25 PM

BeatZero published a winbuilder project some years ago that automated the task of creating a Win98 live CD.

 

At the time I have uploaded his project to http://reboot.pro/fi...28-win98livecd/

 

Hope it helps.

:cheers:

For the record, he published several versions of the project (in 2009).

The first ones were simple, rudimental (and BTW partially made through someone's suggestions :whistle:) worked alright.

 

The second ones, in the beginning of 2010, which he "refined", theoretically bettering them, but needlessly changing the approach, had a lot of issues AFAIK :w00t: Ph34r: and he released a THIRD version (deleting the previous ones :frusty) which are hosted here:

http://win98livecd.w...dir=compressed/

 

BeatZero "vanished" from the board, though seemingly the project has been updated later, and there is not one single report of success with the project August 2011. 

 

Original thread:

http://www.msfn.org/...project-update/

 

Thread on Reboot.pro:

http://reboot.pro/to...-on-windows-98/

 

@Sha0&@Nuno

You and Nuno might want to take note how Bob Klahn joined the board in order to post his opinion on an already provided answer more than 4 years later. :whistling:

We have now a new user endorsing the suggestion for bootdisk.com.

 

Nowadays it would likely make sense to use the superfloppy capabilities of CD's (thus removing all the stuff that is prone to errors) for such small builds, of course if the scope is the CD, the previously given links and Winimize project have worked fine long before the Beatzero's project, the point remains the same not enough kids (actually none :ph34r:) wanting to play.

 

 

:cheers:

Wonko






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