Create a Bootable Floppy Disk Without Running Setup (75419)


The information in this article applies to:
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
This article was previously published under Q75419

SUMMARY

You can create a bootable MS-DOS version 5.0 floppy disk without running the Setup program.

If there are problems running Setup, this method can be used to continue a manual installation of the Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade. For more information on manual installation, query on the following words:

manual and install and MS-DOS and 5.00 and upgrade

MORE INFORMATION

To create a bootable MS-DOS 5.0 floppy disk from the Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade disks, do the following:

    • Use the DISKCOPY command from the current version of MS-DOS to copy all of the files from the first Upgrade disk to the new floppy disk.

    There must be a direct match between the new floppy disk, the Upgrade disks that were received, and the bootable floppy drive on the machine. For example, if the Upgrade disks are low-density 5.25-inch disks, then a low-density 5.25-inch disk must be used for the boot up disk and the bootable floppy drive must be 5.25-inch. (This procedure copies the boot sector onto the new floppy disk.)
    • Delete all of the files on the new disk with the following command: 
          del a:*.*

    • Create a temporary directory on the hard drive. For example, BOOT. 
          C:
      cd\
      md boot

    • Copy the file EXPAND.EXE to the temporary directory just created using the following command: 
          copy a:expand.exe c:\boot
    Note: EXPAND.EXE is on disk 6 (5.25-inch disks) or disk 3 (3.5-inch disks).
    • Copy the three files listed here from the Setup disk included with the MS-DOS 5 Upgrade into the temporary directory created in step 3: 
          copy a:io.sy_ c:\boot
      copy a:msdos.sy_ c:\boot
      copy a:command.co_ c:\boot
    Note: These files must be copied in the order listed.
    • From the temporary directory, expand each of the three files onto the new floppy disk: 
          expand c:\boot\io.sy_ a:io.sys
      expand c:\boot\msdos.sy_ a:msdos.sys
      expand c:\boot\command.co_ a:command.com
This new floppy disk is now bootable with MS-DOS 5.0.
Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 11/16/1999
Keywords: KB75419
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