Rescue The Drowning PC - Create Startup Disks

Rescue The Drowning PC - Create Startup Disks

A Startup Disk is used when Windows goes down so hard that you can't even get Windows to open up, or worse, you can't even get a DOS prompt to appear. Use the Startup Disk when this happens by inserting it into the drive slot and starting, or restarting, your computer. It will start from the disk, eventually bringing you to the C: prompt, where you can save data, run a DOS-based virus scan, or attempt to restore your hard drive.

Go into My Computer/Control Panel (or go through Start/Settings). Double-click Add/Remove Programs, select Startup Disk, click Create Disk button (you may be asked for your Windows disk), and find MSDOS.SYS in your C: directory and copy it to your startup disk.

Another way to make a startup disk is to put a blank floppy disk into your disk drive (the A: drive), go into My Computer, right-click the A: drive icon, select Format, click the Copy system files check box and then click Start. When everything is done, click Close twice. Win 98/ME users, you don't get this option.

You can also make a startup disk from the C: prompt. Using a blank disk, type FORMAT A: /S and let 'er rip. You'll still need to copy the CD driver and create or edit CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to get your CD drive to run. Edit each file reference in the floppy disk's AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS to refer to the correct location of the file on the floppy disk. For example, you might have to change C:/WINDOWS/COMMAND/MSCDEX.EXE to A:/MSCDEX.EXE. Yet another way to do it from DOS is to insert a clean disk, then type CD WINDOWS\COMMAND and press Enter. Then type BOOTDISK A: and press Enter again. Windows will format the disk and copy the necessary files to the disk. However you did it, you've created a standard emergency boot disk for yourself.

You'll need to add your CD-ROM information to this disk, especially if your version of Windows 95 is on a CD. There is no one way to do this, because each manufacturer of CD-ROM drives uses their own DOS drivers (small software programs that tell the computer how to run a piece of hardware). Check the documentation that came with your system (it may be a README file on the CD) to find the CD driver: it will be a .SYS file. Copy this file to your startup disk. You'll also need the MSCDEX.EXE file copied onto this disk; find it in your WINDOWS\COMMAND folder. The Startup Disk utility added CONFIG.SYS to this disk, but you may need to edit it (under Notepad; see Part 4 below) to make your CD drive work properly. You may also need to create or copy AUTOEXEC.BAT to this disk to make the CD drive work. You'll need to change CONFIG and AUTOEXEC to reflect that the CD drive is operating from the disk (the A: drive) and not the C:\Windows\ folder. See your documentation. If you just cannot find your CD driver, go to DriversHQ at www.drivershq.com, find your CD's driver, and download it onto your disk. Remember, it's a DOS driver, not a Windows driver. Win 98/ME users, the Startup Disk you create through Add/Remove Programs should have the proper CD drivers already in place.

However, this works pretty well for placing the needed CD-ROM info on your startup disk. Do this: Open Notepad (look in Programs/Accessories). Click File from the toolbar, click Open, and type DOSSTART.BAT in the Open box. Save it as A:AUTOEXEC.BAT using File/Save As. Look for a line in the file containing "MSCDEX.EXE" (no quotes) and delete everything up to it; the first words in the line should be MSCDEX.EXE. Delete everything else from the line also. Save the file under File/Save. Next, hunt down the file MSCDEX.EXE in your WINDOWS\COMMAND folder and copy it to the floppy disk. This is where things get tricky. Open CONFIG.SYS in Notepad (it will be in the C: drive folder). Look for a DEVICE= command that might be for your CD-ROM drive. Why can't I tell you the line? Because every CD manufacturer and PC manufacturer has their own way of doing things. Look for the letters "CD" as a clue. Also look for the CD maker's name to be listed, i.e. NEC, Matsui, or whatever. If CONFIG.SYS contains nothing remotely like this, check for another CONFIG.*** file on your disk, such as CONFIG.DOS. When you've found a file that has what you believe to be the right line, save it as A:CONFIG.SYS on your floppy. If the line begins with REM, delete that word. The line should begin with DEVICE= . The DEVICE= line refers to a file by its path and name. My CONFIG.SYS file contains the line DEVICEHIGH=C:\PBTOOLS\NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD0001, which tells me I need the NEC_IDE.SYS file from the PBTools folder. Find your file and copy it to the boot disk. Still with me? Now remove the path from the line in your A:CONFIG.SYS file. Example: my line would now read DEVICEHIGH+NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD0001. Now test-drive this floppy by placing (or keeping) the floppy in drive A:, inserting a CD-ROM (not a musical CD, please) in the CD drive, and rebooting your computer. When you get the A: prompt, type DIR D: (or whatever your CD-ROM drive uses for its letter; mine uses E: nowadays). If you get a file list, you've successfully created a boot disk that not only boots your PC safely, but accesses your CD drive as well. Label this floppy, write-protect it, and put it somewhere safe. However, if you get the evil error message "Invalid drive specification," all is not lost. Go back and try again with a different CONFIG.*** file. One thing to try: Compare the commands in the floppy's CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Each should have a line that starts with "/D:" (no quotes) followed by other letters. If that parameter isn't identical in both files, try changing one to match the other.

Windows 95 includes two generic CD drivers, OAKCDROM.SYS on newer versions and NEC_IDE.SYS on older versions. These need to be copied onto disk and saved in case of need.

The ERU utility (see the ERU page) copies other essential files as well as making a bootable startup disk. ERU is outdated but still works well for Windows 95.

Utility programs like Norton Utilities or Nuts&Bolts usually create their own startup disks.

It is an excellent idea to have a DOS-based antivirus program on floppy disk, in case a virus remains in your system even after a reinstall. Make sure you write-protect the disk to keep viruses from writing themselves to it.

SCSI hard drives typically require special drivers. If these drivers aren't on your start-up diskette, then that diskette won't let you get to those hard drives. So when you're making that emergency diskette, remember to copy the drivers for any SCSIs. Reading your CONFIG.SYS file for driver commands may help to remind you if you're running SCSI drives.

If you're one of the diehards who have compressed files using DriveSpace, enter this line into the disk's version of CONFIG.SYS: DEVICEHIGH=DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE

Write-protect this emergency disk and store it somewhere safe. It might be smart to make a copy of this disk so you'll have 2, in case one goes to disk heaven. In fact, since disks are subject to age, it's a good idea to check your boot disks every six months or so, either by taking them out of storage and running ScanDisk on them, or to be even safer, scanning and reformatting a new disk to convert it into a fresh emergency boot disk.

On a second (or 2nd and 3rd) floppy, copy WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.1ST, SYSTEM.DAT, SYSTEM.DA0, USER.DAT, and USER.DA0 along with every other .INI and .GRP file in your Windows folder. (You can also keep these on your boot disk if they'll fit.) Copy them again to an aptly named folder on your hard drive.)

High-capacity ZIP or SuperDisk (LS-120) drive owners, you can make a "superdisk" for emergency recoveries. If the high-capacity floppy drive is bootable, make a Windows startup disk as above, copy it onto a clean, formatted high-capacity disk, and add the files and drivers listed above. If the drive isn't bootable, use the Windows startup disk for emergency booting to the C: prompt, and add the above files and drivers to a clean, formatted high-capacity drive. When your system goes kaput, use the high-capacity floppies to more quickly restore your system to its former glory.

You might want to try Ontrack Systems' Data Advisor, a free download from www.ontrack.com/. The program analyzes your hard drive and identifies problems it finds. If your problem is serious enough, the program will offer to contact Ontrack and let a live technician poke through your system info, at a cost of $100. If the technician can fix the problem online, you may have to pay extra. Ontrack even offers to take a dead hard disk and try to recover the data, which is burned onto a CD-ROM and sent back to the customer. Ontrack isn't in the business for their health -- they charge $100 for a disk diagnosis and $1200+ to recover data. Better to take care of business yourself.

There's a general group of "start-up tools" that are worth having on disk somewhere. Take an extra floppy disk and copy these programs.

WIN 95 USERS
ATTRIB.EXE - lets you change file settings
CHKDSK.EXE - checks your disk for errors
DEBUG.EXE - lets you edit binary files
DRVSPACE.BIN - lets you access compressed files
EDIT.COM - lets you edit text files
FDISK.EXE - divides your hard disk into partitions
FORMAT.COM - formats disks
MSDOS.SYS - controls Windows' startup configuration
REGEDIT.EXE - lets you edit the Registry
SCANDISK.EXE - scans your disk for errors
SCANDISK.INI - controls ScanDisk
SYS.COM - makes disks bootable
UNINSTAL.EXE - uninstalls Win 95 if you have an earlier
version on your PC

WIN 98/ME USERS
ATTRIB.EXE* - lets you change file settings
CHKDSK.EXE - checks your disk for errors
DRVSPACE.BIN - lets you access compressed files
EDIT.COM* - lets you edit text files
EXT.EXE* - front end for EXTRACT command
EXTRACT.EXE - extracts files from .CAB files
FDISK.EXE - divides your hard disk into partitions
FORMAT.COM - formats disks
HIMEM.SYS - manages memory
MSCDEX.EXE - lets DOS recognize your CD drive
RESTART.COM - restarts your computer
SCANDISK.EXE - scans your disk for errors
SCANDISK.INI - controls ScanDisk
SYS.COM - makes disks bootable
* - these files are compressed within a file called EBD.CAB

What about Windows Millennium? The fiction is that Win ME is a "DOSless" operating system; the fact is that Win ME, just like its predecessors, is a DOS-based OS with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) balanced on top of it. (Windows XP is closer to being a true DOSless system, but elements still persist.) The big difference is that Win ME doesn't provide you with easy access to DOS itself. If you're using Win ME, or contemplating a migration to that system soon, you should know how to access the CLI (Command Line Interface, what many of us call the C:\ prompt or the DOS prompt). Now, Win 98 SE owners are sneering because right in front of them sits a Microsoft-provided "boot disk." The only problem is that it isn't a boot disk, it's an install disk designed to allow you to install Win 98 SE from the CD to your hard disk. Now, all the 9x flavors of Windows, including ME, will let you make a boot disk through the Control Panel, as detailed above. Although this is a true, bootable diskette with useful files, Microsoft doesn't really intend it to be used for general troubleshooting and repair. Instead, as explained on the README file on the disk, its primarily use is for simple troubleshooting and (as with the "Windows 98 Second Edition Boot Disk" previously described) as a means to install or reinstall Windows from the original CD. Useful, yes, but not a standalone emergency recovery utility. Worse, the boot disk crams a bunch of generic drivers in a compressed file called EBD.CAB; when you use the disk, it creates creates a RAM disk on your PC, decompresses the tools in the CAB, and copies them to the RAM disk. It works, but not without confusion, and can lead to problems with Windows identifying the proper drive letters. Here's a method that works primarily with Win 98 SE, but works with minor modifications for both Win 95 and Win ME:

Insert a blank floppy in a drive. In Explorer, right-click on the drive with the blank floppy, and select Format. Click "Full" format, type CUSTOM BOOT or some similar name in the Label area, and check "display summary" and "copy system files." Then click Start. When the format is done, check the "Format Results" dialog that appears; make sure there are "0 bytes in bad sectors." If the number isn't zero, get a different floppy and start over.

When you have a perfect floppy with the system files on it, copy the following files to the floppy from your \WINDOWS, and/or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM and/or \WINDOWS\COMMAND directories:

ATTRIB.EXE
CHKDSK.EXE
DELTREE.EXE
EDIT.COM
EMM386.EXE
FDISK.EXE
FORMAT.COM
HIMEM.SYS
MSCDEX.EXE
SMARTDRV.EXE
SYS.COM
SCANDISK.EXE
XCOPY.EXE
XCOPY32.EXE
XCOPY32.MOD

These files comprise a very handy tool set: ATTRIB lets you access and remove even system or "hidden" files if you need to do so; CHKDSK and SCANDISK give you, respectively, a fast and thorough way to check the basic integrity of your hard drive; DELTREE gives you a way to wipe out entire branches of your directory structure with a single command; EDIT lets you edit text files such as your AUTOEXEC or CONFIG files, from DOS; HIMEM and EMM386 are useful memory managers; FDISK, FORMAT, and SYS are the trio of apps you need to rebuild a bootable hard drive (or floppy) from the ground up; MSCDEX is one of the two files you'll probably need to access your CD from DOS; the XCOPY files speed and simplify operations such as copying your Windows CAB files from CD to your hard drive; SMARTDRV is a disk cache that can enormously speed DELTREE and XCOPY operations. If you don't know how to use any of these tools, boot to DOS and type the tool name followed by a space, a forward slash and a question mark: For example, typing DELTREE /? Will give you a brief description of what DELTREE does and how to use it.

Copy either OAKCDROM.SYS or NEC_IDE.SYS to the new boot floppy; see above for further explanation of these files.

You may want to include the diagnostic utility MSD.EXE and MEM.EXE from the \TOOLS\OLDMSDOS directory on your Win 98 CD.

Next, you'll need to write a version of both AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS using Notepad. Here's what you do, and make sure you don't save them using the .TXT extension.

For CONFIG.SYS:

For AUTOEXEC.BAT

LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

LH SMARTDRV

Of course, in CONFIG.SYS, if your system uses NEC_IDE.SYS instead of OAKCDROM.SYS, change the line:
DEVICEHIGH=OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD001
to DEVICEHIGH=NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD001

Next, boot to the floppy. If your system doesn't boot, you missed a step -- remove the floppy, boot to Windows, and try again. When you do successfully boot to the floppy, try accessing your CD from DOS (put a CD in the drive, type the appropriate drive letter for the CD, and then type DIR to see a list of files. If it works -- and it probably will if your PC is of fairly recent vintage -- you're all set.

But if you can't access your CD after booting to the floppy, you probably have a nonstandard CD drive or drivers. Check your existing C:\CONFIG.SYS (open it with Notepad) and see if there's something that looks like a CD driver referenced in there -- it will usually end with "sys" and often has the letters "cd" as part of the name. For example, old Creative Labs SoundBlaster CD ROMs might use a driver called something like "SBCD.SYS," and the line referencing it might look something like: DEVICEHIGH=C:\SB\SBCD.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220. Copy the entire line to the floppy's config.sys, but edit the line so it no longer references the C drive, like this: DEVICEHIGH=SBCD.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220. Next, copy the SYS file itself from its original location (C:\SB\SBCD.SYS) to the floppy. Now do the same thing for C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT: Look for a file with "CD" in it. For example, you might see something like:
rem - By Windows Setup -
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V /M:15
Copy this line to the floppy's Autoexec, but remove the REM and the references to the C:\ drive, like this:
LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V /M:15
And then -- if you haven't already -- copy the referenced EXE to the floppy. In this case, you'd copy C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE to the floppy. Now reboot, and see what happens. You might have to dig more lines from your existing C:\CONFIG.SYS and C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT, but when you're done, you'll have full CD access.

This gives you a full-figured DOS boot disk that has all the basic files that you need for utility, repair, diagnostic, and reinstall work. Make a second copy of the floppy for safekeeping, slide the write-protect tab on the back of the floppy, and then tuck both copies in a safe spot.

For more information on this subject, see Fred Langa's excellent articles beginning at content.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/2000/15.htm and going on through 16.htm and 17.htm. Also visit www.opus.co.tt/dave/index.html for lots more links to DOS utilities that you may find useful.

Win 98/ME users can, of course, make an emergency startup disk through Control Panel's Add/Remove applet, as described above. How to use it? Well, if disaster strikes, you've used MS Backup to back up your files, and you need to restore your system with this disk, here's what to do: pop the floppy into the A: drive and from the subsequent menu, choose the "Start Computer with CD-ROM Support." Now, at the command prompt, type the following: D: CD TOOLS\SYSREC PCRESTOR, where D is your CD drive letter (yours may be different). The PCRESTOR.BAT file starts an automatic version of Win 98/ME Setup, and then cranks up the System Restore Wizard. Once this is on screen, take out the floppy disk, click Next in the System Restore Wizard, and you'll see the MS Backup Welcome screen. Click "Restore Backed Up Files" and click OK. You'll need to indicate where your backup files have been stored (on the hard drive, a Zip or Jaz drive, a CD-ROM, a box of floppies, whatever), then you'll choose the most recent system backup and when asked what to restore, check everything. When it asks where to restore the data, choose "Original Locations." The how is "Always replace the file on my computer." Go to www.windows-help.net/windows98/start-1451.shtml for more info on this process. Win ME users, for some unknown reason Microsoft saw fit to remove MS Backup from your OS's standard setup, so you'll either need a third-party backup system or you'll need to install it from the original CD -- look in \ADD-ONS\MSBACKUP\. Also, you may get any of several error messages about concerning the INDEX.DAT file. Don't worry about it, the file will be regenerated and corrected the first time you fire up Internet Explorer. Here's an article giving more info: support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q185/7/13.asp. And don't forget, Win 98 and ME startup disks automatically include the necessary CD drivers.

The trouble with Win ME startup disks is that they contain so much stuff that they have to to create a RAM drive on which to store their files and tools. (A RAM drive is a pseudo-disk drive that exists solely in your computer's RAM.) This RAM drive occupies a drive letter, and sometimes it reshuffles your other drive letters, say, relabeling your CD drive as E: instead of D:. That ain't good. Worse, ME doesn't give you the standard Format command in Explorer that provides a simple way to create a basic, plain-vanilla boot disk (with just the system files). In older versions, you can use the command line FORMAT A: /SYS to format a floppy and to place the basic system files on it. Either way, you get a floppy that will start your PC, but is otherwise empty. Not in ME. Your best bet is to be aware of the ME startup disks' limitations and be ready to reverse any drive letter reshuffling. Microsoft explains how Windows and DOS orders drive letters at support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;51978.

Windows XP users also have System Restore, and XP users also need emergency boot disks. To make one, insert a blank floppy disk into drive A:, select Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt, type FORMAT A:, and press Enter. When asked if you want to format another disk, type N and press Enter. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one.

xcopy c:\boot.ini a: /h
xcopy c:\ntdetect.com a: /h
xcopy c:\ntldr a: /h

Now type EXIT and press Enter to close the window. Remove the floppy disk and label it "Windows XP boot floppy." You can now use this disk to reboot your machine; to use it to fix boot-up problems, launch the command prompt as detailed above and type XCOPY A:*.* C:\/H and press Enter. You can find out lots more about fixing XP boot problems, including how to use the Recovery Console, at www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,112479,findid,43698,00.asp.

If you're running Windows XP Pro, you've got a nice little utility called Automated System Recovery (ASR) just waiting to lend a hand...once you enable it. Here's what to do. First, go into XP's Backup Utility, in the System Tools folder. If you get the Backup or Restore Wizard, click "Advanced Mode." On the Welcome tab, click "Automated System Recovery Wizard." Follow the prompts to make a backup of your system files. This only backs up the Registry and critical system files -- this isn't a data backup. Insert a blank floppy, let the wizard copy the files, and keep the floppy somewhere out of the cats' way. If, pardon me, when disaster strikes, break out the carefully hidden floppy. Restart the computer in either "Last Known Good Configuration" mode or Safe Mode if at all possible. If you can do this, you don't need the ASR disk; hide it again. But if this fails, insert your XP installation CD and restart the computer. Boot Windows from the CD; when you're prompted by the status line at the bottom of the screen, press F2. Now insert the treasured ASR disk and follow the prompts to restore your system.

Want to create a bootable CD-RW using Adaptec's nearly-ubiquitous EasyCD Creator program? You start by making a relatively simple, but specific, DOS boot floppy disk with specific CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Then you use EasyCD Creator to copy your hard drive's contents to the CD, clicking the "Bootable CD" option, choosing "ISO 9660" and "Any MS-DOS 8.3 Name," and complete the CD. Get the complete story by digging around at ask.roxio.com/ -- the info's there, just takes a while to find.

2K/XP users can also create a bootable CD-RW using the Nero CD utility and the information located at www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?id=160&object=article.cfm The tools you'll need to create the CD are a copy of the original Windows XP CD or ISO, Network Installation of SP1 for Windows XP (a big file), the boot file, the Nero CD recording Software, and Windows 2000 or Windows XP (Home/Professional). The instructions provide visual aids for creating the CD using Nero, but there are links for creating the CD with Roxio and earlier versions of Nero (as listed). The article provides links to the XP SP1 download and the boot file, as well. Another method of making a startup disk in 2K/XP is outlined at www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0%2Caid%2C97444%2C00.asp.

Here's a tip from a reader named Yvette who chose to share a neat restore technique using XCOPY32: "I am a computer technician who has had to restore systems for my customers many times, and as you know, when it comes to upgrading a hard drive, the process can be tedious. For quite some time now, I have been using the XCOPY32.EXE option to accomplish this task, quickly, effortlessly and painlessly:
After installing a new hard drive (i.e., FDISK and FORMAT) as a SLAVE drive, from the Windows RUN command line, type the following:
XCOPY32 C:\*.* D:\*.* /c /h /e /k
This command and its related switches will flawlessly copy the entire contents of one hard drive to another. Although the Windows SWAP file cannot be copied over, as you know, it will be reconstructed automatically when the new drive is booted up as PRIMARY. This method has yet to fail me. Once copied, the SLAVE drive can then be switched over to MASTER, and the system will boot up as though no changes were ever made. Rather than setting up and using the RAID technology, I find this method of system recovery to be much easier and less expensive for the average home user. I have suggested to my customers that they install a secondary HDD in their computers as a backup drive, and to use the XCOPY32 command regularly to backup their entire system." Thanks, Yvette!

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