How to make bootable flash memory USB in Win98?

[Tony Phan]

Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system. It
is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how, please
help.

Thanks.

 

[Ron Badour]

If I understand you correctly, I don't think you can do that. Drivers have
to be loaded for USB to work and since you are flashing the BIOS, the system
is not yet running and drivers are not loaded.

--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system.
> It
> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how, please
> help.
>
> Thanks.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system.
> It
> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how, please
> help.
>
> Thanks.

 

[Ron Badour]

Hi Gary,

Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS? If so,
I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.

--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system.
>> It
>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how, please
>> help.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>

 

[Bill in Co.]

I'd suggest if there is any doubt or confusion for the OP, I'd stick with
bootable floppy disc method. (It's likely simpler and more fundamental).

Ron Badour wrote:
> Hi Gary,
>
> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS? If
> so,
> I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Ron Badour
> MS MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system.
>>> It
>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>> please
>>> help.
>>>
>>> Thanks.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

My primary intention was to show Tony the potential difficulties even
booting to a flash drive. I don't think his machines qualify. But if you can
boot to a flash drive using whatever OS the BIOS flash requires, then I
don't see why you can't flash the BIOS using one. What's the difference how
the OS and BIOS ROM & Utility get loaded into memory before going to work?

Anyway, since I believe my machine qualifies under the list of requirements
mentioned on the page, I'll see if it can be done.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddressBuddy.com> wrote in message
news:eAFz5rg5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Hi Gary,
>
> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS? If
> so, I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Ron Badour
> MS MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system.
>>> It
>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>> please
>>> help.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

I was wrong. My fancy, one-year-old Asus P5B Deluxe does not support booting
to a USB stick.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:O4X82fk5IHA.1468@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> My primary intention was to show Tony the potential difficulties even
> booting to a flash drive. I don't think his machines qualify. But if you
> can boot to a flash drive using whatever OS the BIOS flash requires, then
> I don't see why you can't flash the BIOS using one. What's the difference
> how the OS and BIOS ROM & Utility get loaded into memory before going to
> work?
>
> Anyway, since I believe my machine qualifies under the list of
> requirements mentioned on the page, I'll see if it can be done.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddressBuddy.com> wrote in message
> news:eAFz5rg5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Hi Gary,
>>
>> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS? If
>> so, I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>>
>> --
>> Regards
>>
>> Ron Badour
>> MS MVP
>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>
>>
>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>
>>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS
>>>> system. It
>>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>>> please
>>>> help.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Wrong again. This board *does* boot to USB flash drive. Thing is, this board
only puts one HD in the list of bootable devices (the others being my floppy
and DVD drives.) then there's another section where you choose the order of
the HDs for purposes of enumeration, the first one being the one that shows
in the boot list. When you have a USB flash drive attached, it gets
enumerated as one an HD. You then have to make it the bootable HD (first in
the list of HDs.)

I had previously used the first HP tool mentioned in the bootdisk.com
article to make the drive a DOS boot disk, added the DOS BIOS flash tool
from Asus (AFU236U.EXE) and the update ROM file, restarted, it booted to the
flash drive, I used AFU236U to backup the old ROM, then install the new one.
Of course, then it was necessary to check settings afterwards.

In short, booting from a flash drive for the purposes of flashing the BIOS
is not only possible, it's rather easy, depending on what has to go onto the
flash drive. (If the OS used is not DOS, then I'm not sure what other tools
are available to set up the flash drive properly. In my case, it also
require a bit of fumbling around in the BIOS to make the flash drive
bootable if it' snot already set up that way.

Since I have a floppy drive, and since Asus actually has BIOS flash
utilities of all sorts, including ones that run from Windows and one that's
built right into the BIOS, using the flash drive is a relatively poor choice
for me, but for systems that have no floppy drive and can boot to a flash
drive, I see no problems

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:O8BjNFl5IHA.1592@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I was wrong. My fancy, one-year-old Asus P5B Deluxe does not support
>booting to a USB stick.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:O4X82fk5IHA.1468@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> My primary intention was to show Tony the potential difficulties even
>> booting to a flash drive. I don't think his machines qualify. But if you
>> can boot to a flash drive using whatever OS the BIOS flash requires, then
>> I don't see why you can't flash the BIOS using one. What's the difference
>> how the OS and BIOS ROM & Utility get loaded into memory before going to
>> work?
>>
>> Anyway, since I believe my machine qualifies under the list of
>> requirements mentioned on the page, I'll see if it can be done.
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddressBuddy.com> wrote in message
>> news:eAFz5rg5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> Hi Gary,
>>>
>>> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS? If
>>> so, I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> Ron Badour
>>> MS MVP
>>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>>
>>>
>>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>>> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>>>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>>
>>>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS
>>>>> system. It
>>>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>>>> please
>>>>> help.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

That second tool from HP will image any drive to a flash drive. I just made
a usable BING installation stick imaged from a floppy. Pretty cool! Only
thing is when you use the "image from floppy" method, it makes it look JUST
like a floppy, including the 1.38 MB capacity.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:uGoUs9l5IHA.3768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Wrong again. This board *does* boot to USB flash drive. Thing is, this
> board only puts one HD in the list of bootable devices (the others being
> my floppy and DVD drives.) then there's another section where you choose
> the order of the HDs for purposes of enumeration, the first one being the
> one that shows in the boot list. When you have a USB flash drive attached,
> it gets enumerated as one an HD. You then have to make it the bootable HD
> (first in the list of HDs.)
>
> I had previously used the first HP tool mentioned in the bootdisk.com
> article to make the drive a DOS boot disk, added the DOS BIOS flash tool
> from Asus (AFU236U.EXE) and the update ROM file, restarted, it booted to
> the flash drive, I used AFU236U to backup the old ROM, then install the
> new one. Of course, then it was necessary to check settings afterwards.
>
> In short, booting from a flash drive for the purposes of flashing the BIOS
> is not only possible, it's rather easy, depending on what has to go onto
> the flash drive. (If the OS used is not DOS, then I'm not sure what other
> tools are available to set up the flash drive properly. In my case, it
> also require a bit of fumbling around in the BIOS to make the flash drive
> bootable if it' snot already set up that way.
>
> Since I have a floppy drive, and since Asus actually has BIOS flash
> utilities of all sorts, including ones that run from Windows and one
> that's built right into the BIOS, using the flash drive is a relatively
> poor choice for me, but for systems that have no floppy drive and can boot
> to a flash drive, I see no problems
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:O8BjNFl5IHA.1592@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I was wrong. My fancy, one-year-old Asus P5B Deluxe does not support
>>booting to a USB stick.
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>> news:O4X82fk5IHA.1468@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>> My primary intention was to show Tony the potential difficulties even
>>> booting to a flash drive. I don't think his machines qualify. But if you
>>> can boot to a flash drive using whatever OS the BIOS flash requires,
>>> then I don't see why you can't flash the BIOS using one. What's the
>>> difference how the OS and BIOS ROM & Utility get loaded into memory
>>> before going to work?
>>>
>>> Anyway, since I believe my machine qualifies under the list of
>>> requirements mentioned on the page, I'll see if it can be done.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>
>>> "Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddressBuddy.com> wrote in message
>>> news:eAFz5rg5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> Hi Gary,
>>>>
>>>> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS?
>>>> If so, I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards
>>>>
>>>> Ron Badour
>>>> MS MVP
>>>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>>>> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>>>>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>>>
>>>>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS
>>>>>> system. It
>>>>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>>>>> please
>>>>>> help.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Correction: The HP Drive Key Boot Utility will only image drive A to the
flash drive, limiting the drive to whatever size the floppy disk is.
Otherwise it will create a DOS-based bootable disk that allows the full size
of the stick to be used for other purposes (DOS utilities, data for
transfer, whatever.) The only other function it has is to create an HP
firmware upgrade disk.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:uUIeaJn5IHA.4084@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> That second tool from HP will image any drive to a flash drive. I just
> made a usable BING installation stick imaged from a floppy. Pretty cool!
> Only thing is when you use the "image from floppy" method, it makes it
> look JUST like a floppy, including the 1.38 MB capacity.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
> news:uGoUs9l5IHA.3768@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Wrong again. This board *does* boot to USB flash drive. Thing is, this
>> board only puts one HD in the list of bootable devices (the others being
>> my floppy and DVD drives.) then there's another section where you choose
>> the order of the HDs for purposes of enumeration, the first one being the
>> one that shows in the boot list. When you have a USB flash drive
>> attached, it gets enumerated as one an HD. You then have to make it the
>> bootable HD (first in the list of HDs.)
>>
>> I had previously used the first HP tool mentioned in the bootdisk.com
>> article to make the drive a DOS boot disk, added the DOS BIOS flash tool
>> from Asus (AFU236U.EXE) and the update ROM file, restarted, it booted to
>> the flash drive, I used AFU236U to backup the old ROM, then install the
>> new one. Of course, then it was necessary to check settings afterwards.
>>
>> In short, booting from a flash drive for the purposes of flashing the
>> BIOS is not only possible, it's rather easy, depending on what has to go
>> onto the flash drive. (If the OS used is not DOS, then I'm not sure what
>> other tools are available to set up the flash drive properly. In my case,
>> it also require a bit of fumbling around in the BIOS to make the flash
>> drive bootable if it' snot already set up that way.
>>
>> Since I have a floppy drive, and since Asus actually has BIOS flash
>> utilities of all sorts, including ones that run from Windows and one
>> that's built right into the BIOS, using the flash drive is a relatively
>> poor choice for me, but for systems that have no floppy drive and can
>> boot to a flash drive, I see no problems
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://grystmill.com
>>
>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>> news:O8BjNFl5IHA.1592@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>I was wrong. My fancy, one-year-old Asus P5B Deluxe does not support
>>>booting to a USB stick.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>
>>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>>> news:O4X82fk5IHA.1468@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>> My primary intention was to show Tony the potential difficulties even
>>>> booting to a flash drive. I don't think his machines qualify. But if
>>>> you can boot to a flash drive using whatever OS the BIOS flash
>>>> requires, then I don't see why you can't flash the BIOS using one.
>>>> What's the difference how the OS and BIOS ROM & Utility get loaded into
>>>> memory before going to work?
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, since I believe my machine qualifies under the list of
>>>> requirements mentioned on the page, I'll see if it can be done.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>>
>>>> "Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddressBuddy.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:eAFz5rg5IHA.2060@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>> Hi Gary,
>>>>>
>>>>> Is the procedure you pointed out going to allow him to flash a BIOS?
>>>>> If so, I stand corrected on the info in my post to Tony.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Regards
>>>>>
>>>>> Ron Badour
>>>>> MS MVP
>>>>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
>>>>> news:e8lDaWg5IHA.2240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>I would consider this page a good source on the topic.
>>>>>> http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Gary S. Terhune
>>>>>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>>>>>> http://grystmill.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Tony Phan" <TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:ABADE4E4-27C8-46EE-911B-805348ABD66A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>> Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS
>>>>>>> system. It
>>>>>>> is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how,
>>>>>>> please
>>>>>>> help.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:24:00 -0700, Tony Phan
<TonyPhan@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and
composed:

>Hi, now we are still using the Windows 98 bootable to flash BIOS system. It
>is very usefully to boot by USB flash memory but I don't know how, please
>help.
>
>Thanks.

In addition to what others have said, you may find that your BIOS can
either treat your flash drive as a hard disc with an MBR and partition
table, or as a "super floppy", ie an un-partitioned drive where the
first physical sector is a boot sector. IIRC, the super floppy gets a
drive letter of B: in DOS mode, but I'm very hazy on this.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.