Booting DOS from a USB Drive

Posted on November 3, 2008 by chris

We get technical support questions pretty regularly requesting info on how to perform tasks like updating a mainboard BIOS or making filesystem fixes. I thought it might be helpful to offer our general procedure so others can have access to this information as well. Here’s a quick how-to on Booting to MS-DOS 7.0 from a USB Drive.

Tools you will need:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Download and extract the win98boot.zip. This directory will be used later.
  2. Download SP27608.exe. Run the installer to install HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.
  3. Insert a blank USB thumbdrive into your systb. *** Warning! All data on this USB drive will be erased! ***
  4. Run the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool (Start >> Programs >> Hewlett-Packard Company >> HP USB…Tool)
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
Click for full size
  • Under “Device” select your USB drive.
  • Under “File System” Select ‘Fat’ or ‘Fat32’
  • Type a name for the “Volume Label” if you’d like
  • Place a check in the “Create a DOS startup disk”
  • Click the box labeled “…” and navigate to the “win98boot” directory you extracted earlier.
  • Click “Start”
  • Follow the prompts
  • Safely remove your USB drive

Your USB drive is now bootable.
Insert your newly formatted drive into any USB-bootable mainboard, reboot, and select the USB drive as the first boot device. You will be brought to a Windows 98 MS-DOS prompt. From here you can update your BIOS, make system disk fixes, etc.

About chris
Chris Hovious has been with the company since March 2007. He is one of the many talented technicians and part of the assembly team. He drives a pick-up truck that has very large tires. And a motorcycle.
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4 Responses to Booting DOS from a USB Drive

  1. Scott says:
    December 5, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Thanks!

  2. chris says:
    Logic Supply
    May 19, 2009 at 10:13 am

    A kind reader informed me that my download links were dead. I’ve updated with new links to direct downloads hosted by Extreme Overclocking (extremeoverclocking.com).

  4. TheDudeAbides says:
    August 6, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    so much easier than creating a virtual floppy drive.

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