Re: How can I make a bootable USB memory key

From: Al Dykes (adykes_at_panix.com)
Date: 02/21/04 

Date: 21 Feb 2004 12:11:33 -0500

In article <#UDim2F#DHA.3648@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>,
Picsou <picsou@world.globe> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I have to setup several empty laptops with a corporate set of software like
>WinXP Pro, Lotus Notes, Office 2000 etc.
>All the laptops are of the same brand and type.
>All the software is nicely prepared in an image file on the local network.
>I used to load my PCs via a bootable DOS-floppy that created a RAM disk and
>with the necessary script to format the hard-disk and to load the image from
>the network onto the laptops.
>
>Nowadays my laptops come without a floppy however and I got stuck with my
>DOS-floppy-solution.
>
>What I would like to do is making a bootable USB-memory-key that does the
>same for me.
>But I cannot figure out how to do it.
>I can make a bootable USB-key, but it becomes a WinXP key, it does not boot
>into a DOS-session the way I did with my floppy.
>
>I hope that I explained my problem properly, if not please feel free to ask
>for the details that you might need to help me.
>
>I am in deep trouble with this, can somebody please help me ?
>
>

First, confirm that your PCs _can_ boot from USB, the one's I've
worked with can't (a small sample). From what I read, USB fobs vary
widely in how completely they implement the IDE spec. I don't think
that boot is high on theor priorities.

I suggest you burn a simple CD that is an image of a DOS boot disk. I
know Rixio can, I assume the other burners can, also.

Boot the system, pop a CD with your software on it, and run "setup" or
whatever your script is called. With a little more work you could make
a DOS floppy that has NIC drivers and can see a workgroup share on
your server. Burn that into a bootable CD. 

-- 
Al Dykes
-----------
adykes@panix.com