how to create a booting cd from HDD

[windchimes]

Hi,

I've the XP installation package copied on my HDD. How can I create a bootable cd out of it..??

[slugger]

if the directory structure and files in it are not disturbed, u can just burn the content as it is, except the folder in which it is transferred
4 ex New Folder>Setup files

then burn the whole thing without the New Folder folder

[infra_red_dude]

Just maintaining the file structure won't do it. You need to extract the XP bootable image too. Pop inthe XP cd from whre you copied the files to your HDD, just sfotware like isobuster/magiciso or any other iso editing software and extract the boot image. alternatively you can search on the net and download xpboot.bin

When burining the CD you need to select the above file as the boot image, change No. of sectors from 1 to 4 in the boot options and then burn.

[slugger]

oops!!
been playin with autorun.inf files since the past couple of days. in a hurry to post i replied wronlgy

well wat infra_red_dude has said is the correct method and also easier

i prefer going about it a lil differently

using a image of win 98 startup disk from a CD, i first boot up and transfer the necessary files on2 d HDD making the HDD bootable including making the DVD drive accesible

Onece this is done, i boot up through the HDD and pop in the non-bootable XP disk and start the install

Advantage
By this method u can use the remainin space on the CD/DVD for other applications

the XP setup files are only 239MB in size
if you make the CD bootable then AFAIK u wud not b able to use the remainin space for anythin else

[i actually have this doubt myself. if anbody could please clear it]

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by slugger

Advantage
By this method u can use the remainin space on the CD/DVD for other applications

the XP setup files are only 239MB in size
if you make the CD bootable then AFAIK u wud not b able to use the remainin space for anythin else

[i actually have this doubt myself. if anbody could please clear it]

That is incorrect. Hafing a boot image is all that matters. Then you can add any number of folders to the CD/DVD and yet retain the bootable tag.

XP setup files afaik are about 530MB. So you can fill up the remaining 170MB without any fear or messing up with the boot status.

[slugger]

thanks

i had earlier tried to add a few files to the boot cd [after i had alredy burnt it]

d CD stopped workin l8r - it probably had sumthin to do with multi-session and not the actual adding the files to the CD.
so i came to the conclusion and never took a chance

Thanks fo clerin my doubt

[infra_red_dude]

^^^ BTW, with the boot sector don't forget to retain the original file/folder structure. Other than this you can add as many folder/files as you want till it fills up. The bootable flag and setup files will be intact

[VexByte]

See :

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=297