How do you create restore boot?

[nickp]

I just built my first pc.Now, I would like to know how to make a boot disk that would restore all the software installed in my computer after a crash.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
nickp2

[starchase]

You want to make a bootdisk that will get you to the A:\ prompt and allow you to use your CD-ROM drive to load your operating system fresh? And you are using Windows?

You could just make a Windows Startup disk but that loads al kinds of junk you probably don't need, like a RAM Drive. Windows won't reinstall with such a compressed drive loaded. I've tried. You just want a clean boot to A:

Take a clean formatted floppy and put your system files on it (bring up a MSDOS prompt and type sys a: and press Enter)
This puts these files on it:

Msdos.sys
Io.sys
Command.com
Drvspace.bin

Then add these files:

Config.sys file to include only the lines:

DEVICE=A:\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS

where oakcdrom.sys is replaced by you own cd_rom driver (it'l be a sys file). My CD-ROM is drive letter G: but I still used "D" in the "/D:mscd001" phrase, so it probably doesn't refer to the drive lettter.

Autoexec.bat file that reads:

A:\mscdex.exe /D:mscd001 /L:e

Mscdex.exe (found in the c:\windows\command directory)

Your CD-ROM driver (mine is oakcdrom.sys found in my C:\Windows\Command\EBD directory)

Then add other DOC command files you may use in formatting, fdisking, and doing things in DOS:

Chkdsk.com
Command.com
Deltree.com
Edit.com
Format.com
Fdisk.com
Mem.exe
Move.exe
Xcopy.exe
Xcopy32.exe
Scandisk.com
Scanreg.exe

This is my Windows 98 boot disk I made for myself--not the Windows98 Startup disk. I used it a couple times to freshly format a drive and reinstall Windows.

Here are a couple web sites that explain it:

<A HREF="http://www.netpathway.com/~kramer/reinstall.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.netpathway.com/~kramer/reinstall.html</A>

<A HREF="http://www.everythingcomputers.com/windows_boot_disk_print.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.everythingcomputers.com/windows_boot_disk_print.htm</A>

[This message has been edited by starchase (edited 05-18-2001).]

[nickp]

Starchase,
I have to say thanks to you for that well of information you provided to me regarding my restore disk question.
once again,thanks
nickp2