Create Ms-Dos based Bootable CD

How to Create Ms-Dos BootCD (Hiren's Bootable CD)?

Tools Used:

bfi.exe (Build Floppy Image - to create bootable image from files)
mkisofs.exe (a tool to create/build the CDRom ISO image file)
build-iso.cmd (batch file to create floppy and iso image)
We will need some files from Windows ME or Windows XP startup disk
io.sys (Dos Input Output System file)
msdos.sys (Dos system file)
command.com (MS-Dos mode command line interpreter)
himem.sys (An extended memory manager that is included with DOS and Windows)
mscdex.exe (Microsoft CD-Rom Extension)
oakcdrom.sys (Generic CD-Rom driver, work with the most of all IDE CD-ROM drives)
xmsdsk.exe (Adjustable XMS RAMdisk Driver - Freeware)
ctmouse.exe (Mouse Driver For Dos - also works on USB Mouse - Freeware) or mouse.com
All the necessary files are included in bootcd.zip Download (468KB)

---

AUTOEXEC.BAT

---

@ECHO OFF
MSCDEX.EXE /D:CDDRIVER /L:X
XMSDSK.EXE 51200 R: /t /y
CTMOUSE.EXE
PATH=A:\;R:\
GOTO %CONFIG%

:TESTDISK
COPY X:\TESTDISK\*.* R:
R:\TESTDISK.EXE
GOTO DOS

:GHOST
COPY X:\GHOST\GHOST.EXE R:
R:\GHOST.EXE
GOTO DOS

:NTFS
COPY X:\NTFS\*.* R:
R:\NTFS4DOS.EXE
GOTO DOS

:RPM
COPY X:\RPM\*.* R:
R:\RPM.EXE
GOTO DOS

:DOS
ECHO  X: CD DRIVE
ECHO  R: RAM DRIVE

---

CONFIG.SYS

---

[MENU]
menuitem=DOS, Dos
menuitem=TESTDISK, TestDisk
menuitem=GHOST, Ghost
menuitem=NTFS, Ntfs
menuitem=RPM, Partition Manager

[DOS]
DEVICE=OAKCDROM.SYS /D:CDDRIVER /L:X

[TESTDISK]
include=DOS

[GHOST]
include=DOS

[NTFS]
include=DOS

[RPM]
include=DOS

[COMMON]
LASTDRIVE=Z

---

You can add your favorite Programs in the bootcd,
All you need to do is Edit autoexec.bat and config.sys and add all the required files in the folder and double click on build-iso and you are ready to burn bootcd.iso
Example: You want to add Mcafee Antivirus in the bootcd, all you do is create a folder MCAFEE in the folder CD
and add a line in config.sys menu

menuitem=MCAFEE, McAfee Antivirus

add two more lines in config.sys
[MCAFEE]
include=DOS

and add 4 lines in autoexec.bat

:MCAFEE
COPY X:\MCAFEE\*.* R:
R:\scanpm.exe /adl /all /clean
GOTO DOS
when you start your computer with this bootcd, you will get to menu where you can choose which program you want to run. In this example we will create 50Mb Ram Disk (You will have Minimum of 64Mb Memory)

 Microsoft Windows Startup Menu
 ‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

    1. Dos
    2. TestDisk
    3. Ghost
    4. Ntfs
    5. Partition Manager
    6. McAfee Antivirus Enter a choice: 1

You can easily create bootable cd,
all you have to do is add few lines in autoexec.bat and config.sys
and copy files in CD folder and double click on build-iso.cmd
and it creates a iso file BootCD.iso
You can add as many items in the list but you are limited to 9 per screen
to add more items simply add submenu=MORE, More... (under [MENU] block)
and add [MORE] in config.sys and you can add more menuitem there.

source: http://www.hiren.info

Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD)

Having problems booting up your linux or windows-based systems?

Ultimate boots CD is the right tool for you. You can boot, diagnose and repair your computer systems in no time just by using this very impressive FREE boot CD, packed with all the utilities you'll ever need.

Why UBCD?

You need the Ultimate Boot CD if you want to:

• Run floppy-based diagnostic tools from CDROM drives. More and more PCs are shipped without floppy drives these days, and it is such a royal pain when you need to run diagnostic tools on them.

• Free yourself from the slow loading speed of the floppy drive. Even if you do have a floppy drive, it is still much much faster to run your diagnostic tools from the CDROM drive, rather than wait for the tool to load from the floppy drive.

• Consolidate as many diagnostic tools as possible into one bootable CD. Wouldn't you like to avoid digging into the dusty box to look for the right floppy disk, but simply run them all from a single CD? Then the Ultimate Boot CD is for you!

• Run Ultimate Boot CD from your USB flash drive. A simple, easy to use, script on the CD prepares your USB flash drive so that it can be used on newer machines that supports booting from USB devices. You can access the same tools as you would from the CD version, faster!

New features in UBCD v5.0 include:

• New! The Linux-based distro Parted Magic is now included with UBCD v5.0. This should be the method of choice when you need to resize/rescue partitions, access NTFS filesystems or work with USB storage devices.

• New! UBCD v5.0 now supports both syslinux/isolinux and grub4dos. This helps improve the chances that UBCD will boot on any particular machine.

When you boot up from the CD (or USB flash drive), a text-based menu will be displayed, and you will be able to select the tool you want to run. The selected tool actually boots off a virtual floppy disk created in memory. In other words, nothing is installed, stored, or altered on the computer unless you chose it to be (by running a selected tool).
Useful Information

Ultimate Boot CD is completely free for the download, or could be obtained for a small fee. If you had somehow paid a ridiculous amount of money for it, you have most likely been fleeced. The least you could do is to make as many copies of the offical UBCD and pass it to your friends, relatives, colleagues or even complete strangers to minimize the per unit cost of your loss!


Screenshots:

visit their website @ http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Boot from USB without BIOS Support via PLoP CD

Boot from USB without BIOS Support; In the following tutorial, we explain how to create a PLoP Boot Manager CD that can be used to boot from your USB Flash Drive. This is useful for computer systems that do not support booting from USB in BIOS.  The PLoP Boot Manager created by Elmar Hanlhofer, works by first loading essential USB drivers,  CD/DVD drivers, and Hard Disk Drivers. The user is then presented with a (Boot Menu) menu of possible boot devices detected by PLoP. The user can then proceed to select a device to try and boot from.

PLoP Boot Manager Featurs:

• CD/DVD/Floppy boot without BIOS support
• USB boot without BIOS support (UHCI, OHCI and EHCI)
• Different profiles for operating systems should not see that there is another system installed
• Boot countdown
• Hide partitions
• Hidden boot, maybe you have a rescue system installed and the user
• No extra partition for the boot manager
• Password protection for the computer and the boot manager setup
• Define up to 16 partitions
• Backup of partition table data
• Textmode user interface 80×50 and Graphic user interface 640×480, 800×600, 1024×786, 1280×1024
• MBR partition table edit
• Starting from Windows boot menu and from LILO, GRUB, Syslinux, Isolinux, Pxelinux (network)
• Start of the boot manager from harddisk, floppy, USB, CD, DVD

 PLoP Boot Manager (Boot Menu)

Distribution Home Page: PLoP Boot Manager
How to Create a PLoP Boot Manager CD

1. Download PLoP Boot manager, and extract the files from the Zip to your Desktop
2. Burn the plpbt.iso to a CD using your favorite CD/DVD burning software
3. Insert your Newly created PLoP Boot CD and your  pre-prepared Linux USB Flash Drive
4. Reboot your PC and set your System BIOS to boot from the CD

If all goes as planned, you should now be presented with an alternate Boot Manager similar to the one pictured above that can be used to boot your USB Flash Drive or other device.

Note: In some cases the Flash Drive will actually appear as a hard disk.

You can visit the PLoP website for more information and guides about using this amazing boot manager software.

Partition a USB Flash Drive

Partition a USB Flash Drive in Windows XP

One way to Partition a USB Flash Drive from Windows XP and mark it active "bootable". Windows detects Flash Drives as "Removable Disks" and flash drives are typically shipped formatted as a "Super Floppy" (USB-FDD without a partition table) . The Windows built in format utility cannot create a partition table on Removable Disks. Furthermore, the diskpart utility in Windows XP will not allow you to partition Removable Media, although diskpart does work for partitioning a Flash Drive from Windows Vista/7.

To address the inability to Partition a Flash Drive in Windows XP, you need to use a third party low level partitioning tool such as BOOTICE, created by Pauly. BOOTICE Home Page

Note: I partition my flash drives as USB-HDD (with a partition table), simply because my computers support booting from Flash Drives formatted to be seen as a USB Hard Disk.

One way to Partition a Flash Drive from Windows

1. Download BOOTICE, unzip, and run BOOTICE.EXE
2. Make sure your "USB Flash Drive" is set as the Destination Disk
3. Click Parts Manage
4. Click ReFormat USB Disk
5. Select USB-HDD mode, and click Next
6. Select Format as Fat32, and click OK

You should now have an active "bootable" USB-HDD Fat32 formatted Flash Drive, containing a partition table with a single partition. You should be able to Boot It as a Hard Drive.