how to make (format) a system disk

I want to make an emergency disk for Solo Antivirus. The first part of the
instructions are to format a floppy disk with system files, ie...take a
floppy and at a Dos prompt run "format a:\ /s".

I tried that with the CMD prompt from within Win2000. Then I booted up in
Dos (from another floppy already set to do this) and tried the same command
from a Dos prompt. It didn't work either way. From the CMD prompt the
result was "invalid parameter - /s". I forget the exact words from the Dos
prompt but basically it wasn't finding the format.com file in the root
directory.

I'm trying to create the system files needed to boot up this antivirus
emergency disk in Dos. This is one of the ways Solo Antivirus repairs
certain viruses/trojans that it's detected. This used to be easy to do back
in the Dos days, even with the early Windows. But I guess the format.com
command that comes with Win2000 doesn't respond to the /s switch.

So the question is where do I find a format.com that will work with this /s
switch. Or is there a way to format this floppy disk and add the Dos system
files from somewhere in Win2000.

John




"Dave Patrick" <DSPatrick DeleteThis @nospam.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7ABF8B40-F3DE-4882-892F-35A22256EFF4@microsoft.com...
> What system files are you after?
>
>
> --
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
> Microsoft Certified Professional
> Microsoft MVP [Windows]
> http://www.microsoft.com/protect
>
> "jbclem" wrote:
> >I want to put system files on a floppy disk. But going to a cmd prompt
and
> > typing format a:\ /s doesn't work because the format command is not
> > recognized. Does Win2000 have a way to do this.
> >
> > I tried booting up into Dos to do this, but I still don't know where the
> > appropriate format.exe file is so that didn't work either.
> >
> > I'm using FAT32 for a file system. Where can I find a format.exe that
> > will
> > work with this?
> >
> > John
> >
> >
>

Have you looked at Format, within Win, from explorer, if recollection serves
me theres an option to create one
Otherwise www.bootdisk.com

"jbclem" <jbclem1.DeleteThis@charter.net> wrote in message
news:HsVgk.3182$KI7.1170@newsfe08.iad...
>I want to make an emergency disk for Solo Antivirus. The first part of the
> instructions are to format a floppy disk with system files, ie...take a
> floppy and at a Dos prompt run "format a:\ /s".
>
> I tried that with the CMD prompt from within Win2000. Then I booted up in
> Dos (from another floppy already set to do this) and tried the same
> command
> from a Dos prompt. It didn't work either way. From the CMD prompt the
> result was "invalid parameter - /s". I forget the exact words from the
> Dos
> prompt but basically it wasn't finding the format.com file in the root
> directory.
>
> I'm trying to create the system files needed to boot up this antivirus
> emergency disk in Dos. This is one of the ways Solo Antivirus repairs
> certain viruses/trojans that it's detected. This used to be easy to do
> back
> in the Dos days, even with the early Windows. But I guess the format.com
> command that comes with Win2000 doesn't respond to the /s switch.
>
> So the question is where do I find a format.com that will work with this
> /s
> switch. Or is there a way to format this floppy disk and add the Dos
> system
> files from somewhere in Win2000.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> "Dave Patrick" <DSPatrick.DeleteThis@nospam.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7ABF8B40-F3DE-4882-892F-35A22256EFF4@microsoft.com...
>> What system files are you after?
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
>> Microsoft Certified Professional
>> Microsoft MVP [Windows]
>> http://www.microsoft.com/protect
>>
>> "jbclem" wrote:
>> >I want to put system files on a floppy disk. But going to a cmd prompt
> and
>> > typing format a:\ /s doesn't work because the format command is not
>> > recognized. Does Win2000 have a way to do this.
>> >
>> > I tried booting up into Dos to do this, but I still don't know where
>> > the
>> > appropriate format.exe file is so that didn't work either.
>> >
>> > I'm using FAT32 for a file system. Where can I find a format.exe that
>> > will
>> > work with this?
>> >
>> > John
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>

Probably easiest to get one here.

http://www.bootdisk.com/



--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

"jbclem" wrote:
>I want to make an emergency disk for Solo Antivirus. The first part of the
> instructions are to format a floppy disk with system files, ie...take a
> floppy and at a Dos prompt run "format a:\ /s".
>
> I tried that with the CMD prompt from within Win2000. Then I booted up in
> Dos (from another floppy already set to do this) and tried the same
> command
> from a Dos prompt. It didn't work either way. From the CMD prompt the
> result was "invalid parameter - /s". I forget the exact words from the
> Dos
> prompt but basically it wasn't finding the format.com file in the root
> directory.
>
> I'm trying to create the system files needed to boot up this antivirus
> emergency disk in Dos. This is one of the ways Solo Antivirus repairs
> certain viruses/trojans that it's detected. This used to be easy to do
> back
> in the Dos days, even with the early Windows. But I guess the format.com
> command that comes with Win2000 doesn't respond to the /s switch.
>
> So the question is where do I find a format.com that will work with this
> /s
> switch. Or is there a way to format this floppy disk and add the Dos
> system
> files from somewhere in Win2000.
>
> John

"Dave Patrick" <DSPatrick DeleteThis @nospam.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:503738EF-3A55-4A67-8629-8F8F4836EA9E@microsoft.com...
> Probably easiest to get one here.
>
> http://www.bootdisk.com/
>
>
>



That's correct, as Win2k by itself cannot create a dos boot floppy

"philo" <philo.DeleteThis@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Oepb6W%236IHA.4204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Dave Patrick" <DSPatrick.DeleteThis@nospam.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:503738EF-3A55-4A67-8629-8F8F4836EA9E@microsoft.com...
> > Probably easiest to get one here.
> >
> > http://www.bootdisk.com/
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> That's correct, as Win2k by itself cannot create a dos boot floppy
>
>
You can make a bootable floppy if you have the cd. Browse to the
X:\VALUEADD\3RDPARTY\CA_ANTIV folder on the win2k cd and run makedisk.bat.
It will make a DOS boot disk containing an antivirus utility.
Louis