Is it possible to make a bootable DVD with Windows on it?

[MikeThorne]

Hi

I was just thinking that it would be nice to have a DVD with a complete operating system on it so that you could run your computer from it in case of a major crash.

My computer will boot to a DVD so is there a way to do this.
Something that would give me access to all my hard drives (both internal and external) and at least let me copy files etc.

In the old days I could do this with a dos disk but it would be nice to have a DVD that would boot up some form of Windows and open Windows Explorer.

Mike

 

[vacunita]

Yes its called BartPE.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[ArizonaGeek]

I don't think there is a way to actually RUN Windows from a DVD, only because things are being written to it all the time. Think page file.

You could create a Ghost image of your PC after a fresh install of the OS and updates then burn that to a bootable DVD to re-image in case of a meltdown.

Use this Google search to find more than one website with directions on how to create a bootable DVD.

Symantec has the instructions on their website as well

And last but not least BartsPE also will help you.

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[vacunita]

That;s what BartPe does it runs Windows from the DVD. Windows doesn't constantly write things to hard drive it writes them to memory, but that's still available in the machine.

Quoting from Bart's page:

It will give you a [red]complete Win32 environment[/red] with network support, a graphical user interface (800x600) and FAT/NTFS/CDFS filesystem support. Very handy for burn-in testing systems with no OS, rescuing files to a network share, virus scan and so on.
This will replace any Dos bootdisk in no time!

If that's not running Windows then I don't know what is

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[goombawaho]

But BartPE is not meant to REPLACE having windows loaded and running off a hard drive. It's meant for troubleshooting Windows installations. I suppose it COULD replace windows if you wanted to only do a very small number of things, like browse the internet (assuming you get the network card drivers installed/enabled). And you are still supposed to own a valid copy/license of windows if use BartPE, so a BartPE disk is not meant to skirt that requirement of owning a Microsoft product.

What I think you want is something like a linux boot disk that can be used in computers as a substitute for a Microsoft operating system and is great for computers that people like to screw around with (like kids or union employees or shared computers).

With those CDs, you just press the reset button and the OS reloads from CD/DVD and you are back up and running. Now, what you can do with those CDs has to do with which one you pick and what you want to do with it.

 

[wolluf]

btw - does bart actually work if you put it on a DVD? (never tried as it fits with lots to spare on a CD - but I have tried creating a bootable XP install disk on DVD with no joy - though I didn't try very hard!)

 

[vacunita]

AS long as the drive its used in can read DVD's there should not be a problem.

OP.k so BartPe is not a full OS but its close enough and filles the OP's main requests:

Something that would give me access to all my hard drives (both internal and external) and at least let me copy files etc.

BartPE will let him use the internal drives, fine although I'm not sure if will let you use externals, never tried that. I Usually just slipstream the network card drivers into it, and transfer files through the network.

As for Linux CD"s I recently gave Madriva a spin, and am very pleased. It even picked up my 3COM USB Wireless Lan adapter without any additional drivers. I could connect to my wireless network right off the bat.

Very cool. Although it had some problems reading from my laptop's hard drive it froze when I was browsing files in a folder.

Still its a good way to get a machine up in an emergency.

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[gbaughma]

BartPE is the answer.

I have Bart with Ghost on it, for doing images of laptops and so forth... Works GREAT!

You can fine-tune a lot of Bart as well; network profiles, and so forth, so a properly built Bart disk will boot on just about anything.



Just my 2¢
-Cole's Law: Shredded cabbage

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[GrimR]

BTW MikeThorne you could have just searched google for Windows Live CD or Linux Live CD, and just to answer wolluf

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/03/burn-windows-live-cd.html

And lastly you can even get a USB copy.

 

[MikeThorne]

Hi

Thanks for the information I will check it out.

Mike