Hello Is there a way to create a WIN95 boot disk that has a size greater than 1.4MB? Thanks James

The best way I've seen to fit more than 1.44 MB on a disk is to zip up the files you don't need immediately available. Then you create a RAM disk during boot up and extract the files into that from the zip. A quick path statement and the user will never know the difference anyway. So you might want to investigate that route. As I've never done it myself, I can't really suggest much unto you - especially since the closest thing I have to DOS around here is NT's simulated DOS box. Hope that helps.

I have actually experimented with creating RAM disks boot disks that Doomsday spoke of, but using CABinet files instead of Zipped files. Microsoft uses this very method with their Windows 98 boot disk. I have had problems with the CABinets themselves not extracting using the DOS extract command (it claims the cabinets are corrupt)but no problems extracting them from a windows environment. You may have better luck than I did. There are several utilities for creating CABinet files on shareware.com (just do a search for them). You could go the route that Doomsday said and zip them up, then you PKUNZIP to extract to the RAM Disk. However I have found that CABinet files are much smaller than a comparable ZIP file. Hope this helps, Michael P.S. If you need more help with the whole procedure of creating the ram disk and such, let me know via e-mail and I'll try to help.

Thank you for your response I am familiar with creating a ramdrive and using pkunzip. That's exactly how I was able to fit 1.6 MB of info into a 1.4 floppy for a network bootdisk. I was wondering if someone can create a bootable disk with a size > 1.4 without using ramdrive or pkzip. There are many utilities that let you oversize a floppy but I don't know if there is one that makes it bootable. Thanks James

The problem with 'Oversize' Floppy disks is that your Computer BIOS does not know how to handle them, that includes Microsofts 1.68MB DMF Format. All Microsoft Bootdisks are limited to 1.44MB for the same reason. If you look at the Windows 95 DMF Disk set, The Bootdisk and Setup Disk 1 are in 1.44MB Format while Disk 2 to 13 are 1.68MB DMF Format. That is so the DMF loader can be installed. FD Format is a Utility that can create 'Oversize' Floppy Disks such as 1.68MB and 1.70MB but they need FDREAD to access most of them. which loads after the boot process. So as far as I can see it cannot be done. One exception to the rule is if you have a IBM PS/2 BIOS Then you can use the 2.88MB Disk Format!

I just saw some 2.88 Megabyte floppies at auction on HAGGLE.COM if you decide to try that method.

yeah yeah this is all very interesting. the fact is this can and has been done. in fact my own bootdisk -> http://w0rm.8m.com (techw0rm) used to be 1.74 megs for about 4 or 5 public releases. i'm not exactly sure what i used; however it was either FDFORMAT or 2MF. if I recall correctly, 2mf seemed to be unstable and corrupt itself after a few uses; fdformat was the stable one. you can find it at simtel.net somewhere; look around. i think i formatted it with fdformat then did a sys c: a: and it was fine. whatever. - W0rm