How to make Windows XP sp2 CD Bootable ?

Question

Here is the problem..I recently have downloaded a Windows xp sp2 os and burned it in a cd (from rapidshare links),but the CD is not bootable,it's not being able to boot from the install cd i burned.So is there any process to make it bootable ? If not then i need any/some link to download Windows xp sp2 then burn it in any cd so that it's possible to directly boot from that CD? Please suggest me.
Thanks.

My BIOS is set to boot from optical drives..it's not the problem,I have another Win xp install cd,it's bootable and boots normally,but it's out of date..

Answer 1

You probably burned it orginally as a data disk, which is incorrecto. Need to burn the downloaded disk as ISO (if the download file was in this format), or append a boot record on the CD using one of the CD boot options availible in your burner software. My guess is ISO will work for you.

Answer 2

Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2

Answer 3

As long as your BIOS is set to boot from the CD drive it should be bootable. If not then you have a bad Windows XP Disk.

Answer 4

Normally all ISO are bootable, so I suggest you first check that your CD drive is working and BIOS are set to see the optical drive first.

To make a non boot CD into bootable is not that simple, as you will need to boot portion injected , and you need that from a bootable CD, so if you can get a bootable CD, then you dont even have to do this at all.

Answer 5

Learn to use this:http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm Alex is very bright, and the software is free. What a guy! It must be burned as a .iso file AND you will need a valid COA. Stay away from that "recipe", whatever you do.

Answer 6

if you are using it on your system there should be an option on your taskbar to make a recovery disk that you make on, i would use a dvd, and it would be bootable from cd or dvd drive. its gonna take up alot of cds thats why id use a dvd.

Answer 7

WHY DONT YOU BUY IT!!!! lol

but seriously...it should already be burnt as an ISO image and just burn it as a bootable ISO.. use FinalBurner....just google it.. its a good one...

Answer 8

I suggest you go directly to prison - you can't just steal software like that! The best way to "make it bootable" is to purchase a licence and media like anyone else would.

Answer 9

This recipe requires the following ingredients: Windows XP Professional Setup disc, Neroburn 5 or 6, Windows 98 Bootdisk, smartdrv.exe, FAT32 Parition to install XP on (REQUIRED, NTFS is not detected in DOS w/o appropriate software)

This recipe will explain how to make a copy of your windows xp bootable from cd. This requires a FAT32 Partition! NTFS partitions are not accessible with Win98 Bootdisk

First, you will need your copy of windows xp setup disk, a windows 98se floppy boot disk (go here to get one: http://www.bootdisk.com/ ), a copy of smartdrv.exe, and neroburn 5 or 6 installed.

Creating Bootable Windows XP Setupdisk
1. Copy the contents of your Windows XP Setupdisk to your PC's harddrive, be sure you copy ALL the files. (for our example, we'll copy them to c:\winxpboot\ )
2. Then copy the file: smartdrv.exe to this same folder (c:\winxpboot) (smartdrv.exe can be found with the windows 98 or on the web)
3. Open neroburn.
4. In the wizard or startsmart, go to Create Bootable Disc.
5. Put in the windows 98 boot disk floppy
6. Nero will ask for either the boot image locatoin or to use the Floppy, use the floppy. Then Click NEW.
7. Now go to the C:\winxpboot folder and copy all of the files on the CD project. and then Burn the disk, be sure to finalize the disk too!

Once it finishes, you will have a bootable windows xp disk. When it boots, it will boot up like when you put in the windows 98 floppy disk. Very helpful for installing OS when you don't have a floppy or want to bother with the floppy.


Installing XP from this Boot Disk:

1. First things first, go into your PC's BIOS and change the Boot Order, so your PC Boots your CD Drive first. Save your settings and put in your bootable XP disk we made.
2. It will boot to the Windows 98 Setup screen, click Boot with CD-ROM
3. Once it finishes going though setting up the cd drivers, and ramddrive, it will bring you back to a A:\ prompt.
4. If you have to create partitions or format the harddrive do so now.
5. Once the drives are ready, reboot again with the BIOS Settings as they were and the xp bootable disk in. Again, choose to Boot with CD-ROM.
6. Once at the A:\ again, go to the drive assocated with your CD (for example, the e drive) by typing e:
-now you will be at a: e:\
-now type: smartdrv
-then type it again, it will hopefully show your C drive with disk cache enabled.

The reason i suggest using smartdrv when installing from dos is that it drastically improves file transfer speed and XP reommends it.

7. Now that smartdrv is enabled, we will want to start the installation process. We should still be at the E:\ prompt.
-now type: CD i386
the prompt should change to: E:\I386\
-then type: winnt

8. This will start the Windows XP installation program.
Once it gets down copying files, it will tell you that you will need to reboot. Hit Enter to reboot.

NOTE!!!! When it is rebooting, we will need to be sure to go into the PC's BOIS Settings again and change the boot order so that the Harddrive is the first boot device or just remove the cd until the xp installation program starts again (since we have the cd set as the primary boot device and the cd is a bootable disk, we would just boot back into our bootdisk rather than the windows xp installation program that gets copied to the computers harddrive)

9. Now the rest of the windows xp installation will be like any other method.- Chef Lloyd