[syslinux] Fwd: Boot from USB without C Drive

[Nazo]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nazo <nazosan at gmail.com>
Date: Sep 19, 2006 1:44 AM
Subject: Re: [syslinux] Boot from USB without C Drive
To: Adiguna Muhammad <adiguna at gmail.com>


On 9/18/06, Adiguna Muhammad <adiguna at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear All
> I have a problem with my Compaq EVO n410c laptop.
> I want to install Windows (Win98/WinXP) on it.
> But this laptop don't have any floppy/cdrom to boot from.
>
> I have try to use My USB Drive to boot, using syslinux.
>
> Here's my step
> 1. Format the USB Drive using "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool"
> 2. Install syslinux (syslinux -f F:). F is my USB Drive
> 3. Using "memdisk" to load FreeDos.
>
> Here is my syslinux.cfg file
> label FreeBoot
>     kernel memdisk
>     append initrd=FreeBoot.img
>
> Finally I able to boot from USB.  The USB drive is detected as C:\ drive in
> FreeDOS.
> Then I copied Win98 CD to My HD.
> The thing is, when I launch setup.exe on Win98 directory, it try to access
> the C drive (which is My USB Drive).
> Is there anyway to boot FreeDOS without the C:\ drive included?
>
> I want to make my USB Drive act like floppy, so I can install Win98 in
> normal floppy-boot scenario.
>
> I have try another image :
> - 622 Dos. It boot without C drive, but it doesn't detect my Laptop
> harddisk. It fail when I try to launch fdisk
> - Win98/ME boot disk image. But it can't boot. It stop when show "Starting
> MS..."
>
> Or, Is there any other method for me to install Windows on my Laptop.
>
> Thanks you
>
> Regards//Adiguna
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>

The easiest thing for you to do would be to install the DOS loader to
the harddrive.  Just type "SYS D:" (no quotes -- and change D: to
whatever your harddrive is if it's not assigned the letter D) and next
time you reboot it will boot from the harddrive.

The DOS 6.22 bootdisk doesn't support FAT32.  The same applies to
Win95a, though I think MAYBE 95b supported FAT32 (I never had occasion
to try it firsthand on a harddrive > 2GiB.)  Ideally you want to find
a 98/98se bootdisk which works correctly to use here.  It sounds to me
like something is wrong with the image you are using, so perhaps try
elsewhere.  I used to get my bootdisk images from www.bootdisk.com but
in past years they have moved more and more towards becoming a bloated
useless site -- nonetheless, you may still want to try here for your
boot image.  If you use a MS-DOS, I suggest placing a config.sys file
(it can be blank -- eg "ECHO. > D:\CONFIG.SYS") so that it won't make
you enter the date and time when you start up.

[Sorry for the forward.  I hit reply instead of reply all by accident.]