Making bootable CD's

[Sizzle]

I'm having some problems making bootable CD's. I want to use them with some Drive Image's so I can just put the disks in and it'll go, no user intervention. Anyway, when I make my boot CD using Nero (and in Roxio actually too), I can't see the whole CD. In Windows I can see the image files and if I boot from the CD, it only sees the boot disk part of the CD, not the image file. I've tried varying my image sizes, tried 550, 600, and 630, that didn't help. Any suggestions from anyone?

[Ken]

That's weird, I never heard of that happening before.

What program are you using for the images. Are you making the images first and then burning them or are you burning them on the fly. Also what is the command line you are using in your autoexec.bat file to restore the images.

I guess that's would be a start for some of us to try and help you.

[Sizzle]

We tried using both Drive Image and Ghost. The image file that goes on the boot disk has been stored on the hard drive. It's just wierd. booting from the CD does not allow us to see the image files, just the boot disk files.

[Ken]

Hopefully you're using a cd-rw to practice with.

Tell us what happens when you boot from the CD.

[Sizzle]

When we boot from the CD it boots up the autoexec and errors out when it gets to the command line for either pqdi or the Ghost. That being because we cannot see those image files on the CD. The CD basically looks like a boot disk, nothing else on there.

[Ken]

Give me the name of your ghost file and I'll make something up for you to try.
Also tell me if you would like your drive formatted first.

[Sizzle]

The file name is T23.GHO.

[Ken]

You didn't tell me if you wanted your c: drive formatted first before the drive gets imaged.

I also need to know where you are putting the image file, on the root of the cd or in a folder. If in a folder, I need to know the name of the folder.

[Sizzle]

I'm sorry. Yeah, we can format the drive first, going to be testing it on a box we have images off. Plus, everything is in the root folder of the cd.

[Ken]

ok I made a little something for you to try. It should format your drive and then image it using your t23.gho file.

pm me your e-mail address and I send it to you.

[EEG161]

With Drive image 5 and 2002, the Image Cd's that are made are bootable.
they are made bootable automatically, no boot files needed.
With Ghost, depending on the version, there are several ways to go. I've experimented extensively on both. I've come up with Custom Boot floppies for Ghost that add Mouse support and work very well when Ghosting direct to CDRW drive or using nero5 BootCD ISO option.

If anyones interested in my results, let me know. I'd be happy to share my findings and experience.

[shearerkazaa]

Like EEG161 said, if you write the image file directly to a CD, DriveImage will make it bootable.

Since you're doing it manually here, I think I've a clue what's going on. Sizzle, you said the error happened at the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT because the system can't find pqdi/GHOST exe files, right?

You're using floppy emulation for the bootable part. Means that the contents of your boot sector will be in drive A:, and your actual floppy will be pushed to B: , and the data part of your CD can be accessed through D/E/F/....

Make sure real-mode CD drivers are loaded via MSCDEX.EXE. Then at the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT, change the directory to your CDROM/RW drive.

Eg, if you're inserting the CD into drive E:

--------------------------------------
mscdex.exe /D:mscd001 /M:20
E:
pqdi.exe
--------------------------------------

OR just put E:\pqdi.exe

I also had this prob a while back. Hope this helps!!

[EEG161]

Shreakezza is correct, the flppy drive gets pushed to B: if you make a Drive Image CD bootable. You can test this by changing the directory to B: then typing PQDI.EXE. i had this happen to me and now I just let DI make the Image bootable, whether thru Nero5 or direct to CDRw burner.