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Bootable CD blues

PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:05 pm
by searcherrr
Why will NERO version 6.6.1.4 or "WindowsXP OS burn wizard" not transfer files over to the CDR with the proper file "attributes" intact? IE: Read Only, Archive, System, Hidden - In particular I am wanting files to transfer/burn to the CDR with the System, Hidden and Read Only attributes intact, but every time I burn them over to a CDR the files lose their attributes. Why is that? I ask this because I know what old DOS files need those attributes in order for it to be a bootable CD/Disk.

I have wasted count'em 7 CDRs trying to build a PRE-Win2000 bootable CD for purposes of wanting to flash the BIOS. I guess the file system type does not matter as long as windows does not start and that I can run tools from the CD via command line. I'm a very advanced user, but I'm having a lot of trouble with this which should be so simple to do.

I realize people say to get an image of an already bootable CD or floppy disk, but what if you don't have one? This should be doable without having that stuff. I am on WindowsXP SP2.

So far I have tried:
1. Moved contents of a bootable floppy disk to CDR: failed.
2. Moved contents of a EBD floppy disk to CDR: failed.
3. Tried Win98's fat32ebd.exe EBD maker: failed due to XP OS error
4. Tried WinImage to mount a blank .ima file as A:\: failed; won't allow formatting to system disk and even when I make the files the right attributes after copying them to this virtual A:\ burning to CDR changes their attributes. I am unimpressed with WinImage for a free solution.

If I use one of the Microsoft .img files from a Windows install CD that takes me into NTFS land and I'd rather be pre-NTFS with this boot CD. What I'd like to do is use my Win98 bootable CD and strip it of all Windows 98 stuff and just keep the bootable portion of it on an .ISO and then put all the things i want on that ISO, but how to figure out what parts of the Win98 CD are the parts that make it boot up is the trick that I haven't mastered.

Here are the settings I've been using with Nero:

System: Windows XP SP2
Nero CD/DVD ROM Burning Software, v6.6.1.4

Choosing CD-ROM (Boot)
The defaults are,
- Floppy Emulation 1.44 MB
- Load Segment of Sectors at 07C0
- Number of loaded Sectors: 4

I've tried my own options,
- Hard Drive Emulation and No Emulation (drop down box choices)
- Load Segment of Sectors at 0x07C0
- Number of loaded Sectors: 4

ISO tab
Data mode: Mode 1
File System: ISO 9660 Only
File name length: Max of 11 = 8 + 3 characters (Level 1)
Character set (ISO): ISO9660 (standard ISO CD-ROM)
Allow path depth of more than 8 directories: NO
Allow more than 255 characters in path: NO
Do not add the '1;' ISO file version extension

Is there such a thing as a Windows 2000/XP/Vista bootable CD-ROM that does NOT start the Windows shell/kernel and just delivers you to a black screen and command line?

If I get anything out of this thread I'd like to know why the file attributes change when burned to CD????? Is the CDFS not capable of storing files with hidden and system attributes?

Re: Bootable CD blues

PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:35 pm
by Ian
searcherrr wrote:Is there such a thing as a Windows 2000/XP/Vista bootable CD-ROM that does NOT start the Windows shell/kernel and just delivers you to a black screen and command line


Sure, you could create one that boots into DOS. You're probably better off finding an ISO of WinPE though. BartPE is pretty nice too.

If I get anything out of this thread I'd like to know why the file attributes change when burned to CD????? Is the CDFS not capable of storing files with hidden and system attributes?


It supports the hidden flag but I don't think it will do system.