Can I make a Redhat 8 bootdisk through Windows or DOS?

milkmood · 08-14-2003, 09:44 AM

I received an older Pentium laptop with a formatted 2 GB HD. I can get no DOS prompt, nor can I get it to recognize any MS related OS install CDs. I can get to the BIOS. When it gets past BIOS, it tells me there is an invalid disk (assuming the HD since there's no floppy and no CD in there). I want to install Redhat 7.3 or 8.0 on it, but I need to know how to make a bootable floppy that will begin the install process. What files do I include on a floppy off of the Redhat CDs?

Thanks,
CP

Norrin · 08-14-2003, 10:01 AM

If you can't get the system to boot at all, I would imagine you're going to have a very difficult time installing anything on it. Perhaps you should try a windows 98 SE boot disk on it first. Once it loads, open up fdisk and see if the HDD is even being recognized by the system. If it is, try to format it with FAT and make sure you get no errors. After that, you'll need help from somebody else. If you can install DOS on the machine you can use rawrite to make a Linux boot disk.

milkmood · 08-14-2003, 10:03 AM

Can I make a boot disk on another PC through Windows XP or DOS?

Norrin · 08-14-2003, 10:08 AM

Try this [link=http://www.bootdisk.com/linux.htm]Site[/link]

It looks like they have some small linux distros that fit on a disk or two. They'll also have more information on making linux boot disks in windows.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Note: You can also download a Windows boot disk at www.bootdisk.com if you want to check your drive.