Making a Win95 bootdisk

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This applies to all versions of Win9x.  Win98 has another method as well.  Please go here to see it.  Want to download a bootdisk image with generic CD-ROM support?

The first thing you must understand is what operating system to use to create your new boot disk.  Computers cannot read the future.  What I mean is, if you use a Win98 boot disk to SYS a drive, (to make a hard drive bootable) and then try to install any version of Win95 it will fail with a very weird error! (I can't remember the exact error, something about a compressed drive when there isn't one).  Here's the rule of thumb...
Any DOS boot disk (my favorite is MS DOS 6.22) is perfect for ALL versions of Win9x.   Win95 OSR1.0 or OSR1.5 is good for all versions of Win9x.  Win95 OSR2.0 is good for OSR2.0 and newer.  In short, you can use an older boot disk on a newer O.S., but you can't use a newer boot disk on an older OS.

This only applies to method "1" on my install page.  If you plan to install directly from the CD without "SYSing" the hard drive you needn't worry about this.  I hope this doesn't cause any confusion.   If so, please let me know.

What is a boot disk?

It is a floppy disk used to boot (start) a computer.  It normally has drivers for a CD-ROM and possibly a mouse.   It also usually has utilities like "FDISK", "FORMAT", "EDIT", and so on.

To make one follow these steps....

Note: Other people like different files on their boot disk, these are what I like.

from the "windows" folder copy...

EMM386.EXE NEEDED FOR CONFIG.SYS
HIMEM.SYS NEEDED FOR CONFIG.SYS 
REGEDIT.EXE JUST IN CASE, FOR WORKING WITH THE REGISTRY 
SMARTDRV.EXE NEEDED FOR AUTOEXEC.BAT, SPEEDS UP HARD-DRIVE 


 

from the "windows\command" folder copy...

ATTRIB.EXE ALLOWS YOU TO SEE HIDDEN FILES,CHANGE ATTRIBUTES
CHKDSK.EXE QUICK WAY TO CHECK HARD-DRIVE
DEBUG.EXE ALMOST NEVER USED, BUT NEEDED SOMETIMES
FDISK.EXE TO CHANGE PARTITIONS ETC..
MEM.EXE TO CHECK MEMORY STATUS 
MSCDEX.EXE NEEDED IN AUTOEXEC.BAT, FOR CD-ROM TO WORK
SCANDISK.EXE THOROUGH WAY TO CHECK HARD-DRIVE
XCOPY.EXE IT'S MORE ROBUST THAN THE STANDARD COPY COMMAND
EDIT.COM USED TO EDIT FILES
FORMAT.COM USED TO FORMAT HARD-DRIVES
SYS.COM USED TO PUT "SYSTEM FILES ON A HARD-DRIVE I.E...SYS C: tHAT WAY A FRESHLY FORMATTED DRIVE CAN BOOT.

Next you need to add your "real mode" CD-ROM driver and mouse driver.  Each are different, so look in your CD-ROM manual or go to their website for instructions.  You MUST have a CD-ROM driver...otherwise you won't be able to install Win95!  The mouse is optional, handy in some situations.  After that you need to make a config.sys file and an autoexec.bat file.  Here are copies of mine, you can copy them for your use.  NOTE... the CD-ROM line at the bottom of my config.sys WILL be different from what you NEED!  As well as the "MSCDEX" line in the autoexec.bat also the mouse line in the autoexec.bat could be different.

config.sys for boot disk:

DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=A:\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=UMB
DOS=HIGH
FILES=40
BUFFERS=10
LASTDRIVE=Z
FCBS=1
STACKS=0,0
DEVICEHIGH=A:\GSCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD000
NOTE: the /D:MSCD000 switch is to give your CD-ROM a "name", NOT a drive letter!

autoexec.bat for boot disk

@ECHO OFF
PATH A:\;
PROMPT=$P$G
A:\MSCDEX /D:MSCD000 /E /L:X /M:10
A:\SMARTDRV
A:\MOUSE
NOTE: the /L:X switch is to state the drive letter for your CD-ROM.   I ALWAYS suggest the letter "X".

Once you get it done, run "scandisk" or "Norton disk doctor" (if you have it) on the floppy to make sure it's ok.  Then shut down your computer all the way (power off).  Wait 30 seconds or so, then reboot with the boot disk in the floppy drive.  Look for error messages.  If none, verify that you can read a CD-ROM.   (EXAMPLE: put your Win95 CD in the CD-ROM drive, boot with the boot disk, type "X:" then hit enter, type "DIR" hit enter, and see if you can read the CD) BTW you can use this to play "DOS" games as well if you like (but you'll need to add the correct sound card lines to your config.sys and autoexec.bat).  Do these steps at least TWICE!  You must be sure that the boot disk works correctly!   If you format your hard-drive without a GOOD, WORKING boot disk you are (uh) screwed!

Please understand, this is how I do it.  Other people have different methods.  Also this is not the same as the "start-up" disk that you can make in Win95.  I recommend that everyone should have both.  I hope this helps, if this is too basic or too technical let me know and I'll do what I can to help you.

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Last Revised: 10/20/2000