There are times when things do not go as
expected, and the computer has trouble starting. To troubleshoot the
problem, an alternate way of starting the system is needed. A DOS boot
disk is a great tool to use to perform this task. One of its most
useful functions is in booting a newly assembled computer to install
the operating system. A DOS boot disk is just a floppy disk with three
necessary system files on it:
- COMMAND.COM
- IO.SYS
- MSDOS.SYS
It is a good idea to place diagnostic programs on this disk as
well. To create the boot disk perform the following steps (this
process assumes DOS is installed on the hard disk):
- Start the computer.
- Insert a blank floppy disk in the drive.
- At the command prompt type FORMAT A: /s and press
Enter.
- If the disk is already formatted, type SYS A: and press
Enter.
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Lab
Activity (PDF, 10 KB) |
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In this lab,
students will know which files are necessary to
make a floppy disk bootable. Also, students will
know the commands necessary to create a boot
disk. |
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