The resource CD can be used to boot to a MS-DOS, not the Windows disc.

Also here explain some steps to boot from USB drive

Doe anyone know why the "Create an MS-DOS startup disk" is "greyed out" on  my Windows XP SP2 Format Utility?

7388,

 

The reason that "Create an MS-DOS Startup Disk" is "greyed out" out is that this command refers only to a floppy disk.   It's really of no use as far as troubleshooting XP because an MS-DOS Startup Disk uses a 12-bit FAT which does not recognize a Windows XP NTFS partition.  Refer to GioAguilar's links on how to make a USB drive bootable. 

 

See this for a discussion of the FAT-12 and FAT-16 files systems:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/67321/EN-US/

 

See this for a discussion of the FAT-32 file system:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463

 

Here's how to create a bootable floppy disk for Windows XP:  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314079

 

Hope this answers your question.

 

Tony

Thanks very much Tony. This is the most definitive information I have received. There seems to be a lot of conflicting and confusing information on the subject. To complicate matters I bought the Dell E510 computer without a floppy drive and no CD of Windows XP SP2 or any other boot disk was supplied. I am trying to be prepared if my Hard Drive should fail. Thanks again.

Jay....W2LTU

7388,

 

Just installed an E510 last week.  USB floppy was ordered with the system.  Works good.

 

One of the best tools for troubleshooting and repairing hard drive problems is the Universal Boot CD (UBCD) for Windows.  Instructions for downloading, customizing, and burning an ISO image copy are here:  http://www.ubcd4win.com/

 

You can request backup copies of your E510 CDs here: 

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1 . 

 

Tony

Many thanks for the additional information. I wonder what you think of making a "Mirror Image" of C: drive on an external USB Hard Drive? Would that allow booting Windows XP and retain all software that was on the internal C: drive?

 

7388,

 

That's an excellent idea.  I have a version of Ghost that came with a USB IOMega external hard drive that does exactly that.  Basically, I boot from the Ghost CD and image my hard drive to the USB drive.  Should my hard drive fail, I would simply install a new one, boot from the Ghost CD and restore the GHO image to the new drive.  For simplicity's sake, I have a spare hard drive that is the same make and model as the one installed in my PC.  In the past, I would simply disconnect my CD-ROM drive, connect the spare drive and clone my hard drive to the spare drive using the drive manufacuter's software.

 

The Universal Boot CD for Windows that I mentionned has utilities that do essentially the same thing.  You boot from the UBCD and use one of its utilities to image the hard drive to a USB drive.  Other UBCD utilities let you clone the drive as I just described, backup data to CDs, DVDs or USB drives.  I have even used the UBCD to modify the Windows XP registry of an existing drive so that the drive could be connected to a new motherboard and boot to the Windows desktop without doing a repair install of XP to supply   Once Windows booted, motherboard-specific drivers could then be installed.  Saves time over a clean install because all you applications and personal settings are still there.

 

Hope this info helps.

 

Tony

 

Hope this info helps.

 

Tony

 

 

I have a SanDisk 2gig jump drive. Works fine on Gateway laptop but nogo on my Dell 4550. Does not show up in My Computer.

 

Ideas?

 

GL

Georgelink,

 

Ran into something similar recently with an older laptop running Windows Me.  The problem turned out to be that usbstor.sys driver was not present in the c:\windows\system32\drivers folder.  For some reason it would not install from Panasonic camera installation disk.  Therefore, it would see the camera, but not the SD memory chip installed in the camera.  I cheated on this one.  Hooked up an external USB hard drive.  Windows hardware wizard found it and installed the usbstor.sys file.  Unplugged the external USB hard drive and Voila!, the laptop could see the Camera's SD memory chip as a logical drive and download pictures from it.

 

A good source of information for matters relating to USB devices is www.usbman.com .  Is the Gateway running Windows XP also?  What is your version of XP (Home or Pro) and its SP number?

 

Tony

 

 

My laptop is XP PRO SP 2 as is the desktop.

 

The flash drive worked OK last night...it is hit or miss. A tech friend said that there is a design flaw in some front panel USB ports--the plug cannot get in far enough. Maybe...but...

 

GL