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Need to create a DOS boot ISO


Jason Alexander

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I need to create a DOS boot ISO image that I can add some files to. This is going to be used to update BIOS. The vendor provided the update, but the instructions say to copy them to a DOS-bootable floppy disk (yeah, right).

 

I've spent the better part of the day looking for a bootable CD image, and I can't find one on line. Of course that could just be because I'm looking in the wrong places. I did manage to find a couple of things that looked promising, but they ended up not working for a variety of reasons. For instance I was able to extract the files and boot image from one of the disks at allbootdisks, but all it has is floppy support, and even though the files I added were present on the CD (I could see them in windows) they weren't visible when I booted the CD.

 

I did find a good DOS install for a USB drive at http://www.jamesonline.ca/support/dos-on-usb-support that creates a sort of virtual disk that it looks like I could copy my BIOS updater stuff onto. Would it work to use those files on the CD file system and the BootImage.ima file from the allbootdisks ISO?

 

I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one to run into this situation. I've made slipstreamed XP disks before, so I'm sort of familiar with the general principles, but I'm obviously missing something here and would appreciate any help.

 

Thanks

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Yeah the easiest way is just to make a bootable USB stick and copy the bios files onto it. They're much easier to update with other stuff you need DOS for - and of course can hold way more than a 1.44MB floppy!

 

DOS bootable CDs are ok but you have to mess around with loading the correct CDROM drivers etc so you can access the 'normal' files on the disc. If you could find a floppy image that already does that stuff then it wouldn't be so bad. Add your bios files to the 'Source' box and add the boot image on the bootable disc tab. Then once you've booted from it and are in DOS, you just the current drive/path to the cdrom drive one and do your BIOS stuff.

 

Of course you could get a really basic 1.44MB bootable floppy image and 'inject' the bios files into it using something like WinImage - assuming there's room of course. Then burn that boot image using the bootable disc tab in Build mode (don't add it to 'source').

 

Personally, I'd go the usb stick route if I were you. It's what I use :)

 

It's worth buying one for ~£5, making it bootable and just keeping it aside for rainy days like today.

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Thanks for the reply. I should have been clear that for a variety of painfully complicated reasons using an actual USB stick isn't possible. I need an ISO.

 

You've given me some good directions to look, so I'll poke at it a bit more. Meanwhile I'm still open to suggestions if someone has a pre-cooked solution to this problem.

 

PS, thanks tons for your hard work on ImgBurn. I've been using it for years and can't say enough good things about it. :)

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