Win2k boot on cd?

BruceYBruceY S. Jersey
edited February 2004 in Science & Tech
With the 4 floppy Win2k boot process that has to be followed when installing the Win2k OS, Is it possible to have the boot sequence on a CD-ROM instead. And how would be the best way to make one if it is possible?
Thank You BruceY

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    All legitimate Windows 2000 CDs are bootable by default..... Have you tried booting off the CD?
  • septimusseptimus Toronto, Canada
    edited February 2004
    An alternative method is to create a fat32 partition, copy over the win2k i386 directory to the partition, and start the install off there...
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited February 2004
    True that will work. But you still need to make that a bootable partion which require some sort of boot disk to do so you can get system files onto it. Also you need to be able to read from your cd drive to copy the files to that partition, so that requires drivers.

    Then once you do that you are left with a fat partition just sitting there at the beginning of your drive so even if you fdisk it to get rid of it you have wasted space now. So that will work but it's not a very clean and friendly way to do it.
  • septimusseptimus Toronto, Canada
    edited February 2004
    Its much easier if you do it thusly:

    Get a Win98 Startup floppy and boot off that, create a partition using fdisk, then using sys make the new partition bootable. The startup disk will enable reading from the cdrom drive using generic atapi drivers. Then copy over everything and start setup.

    Still, the best way is to use the cdrom as the boot device or even the 4 floppies
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited February 2004
    So I was thinking more about your fat partition idea and I don't think that will work. NT can't boot from a dos prompt (at least not any version at home or work that I've used). It will only install from the cd if it's a boot cd or it will install from windows. You can't use a win98 boot disk with cdrom support cd to the cdrom and do setup. It'll give you a can't be run in dos mode error.
  • BruceYBruceY S. Jersey
    edited February 2004
    All legitimate Windows 2000 CDs are bootable by default..... Have you tried booting off the CD?
    No I have'nt tried that, the floppy(s) have many drivers for a freash install to new (or fdisked HD's). I have installed on 2 of my machines and the when booting up with the floppies is so S-L-O-W...............thats why I was looking for an alternative way. And yes they are legit............I'll have to experiment Thank You
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