Windows 98/XP Startup Disk Creator
==================================
Version 1.0.0

Written by : Fahad Khowaja (fahadkhowaja@hotmail.com)

Readme file last updated on: 03 August, 2003


TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

  1) Introduction
  2) Version History
  3) Installation Requirements
  4) Uninstalling the program
  5) Important Notes for Windows XP
  6) Known Issues
  7) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  8) Feedback and Support
  9) Copyright
 10) Acknowledgements


1. INTRODUCTION
   ============

Windows 98/XP Startup Disk Creator (Win98XPSDC) allows users to create a startup disk for Windows 98 or Windows XP. For the Windows 98 option, it creates the extremely popular Windows 98 startup disk which allows users to boot the system with CDROM support. For Windows XP the startup disk is quite different. Read "Important Notes for Windows XP" for a detailed explantion.


2. VERSION HISTORY
   ===============

Version 1.0.0	-	First version released in August 2003.


3. INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
   =========================

This program is written using MS Visual Basic 6.0. Therefore it requires the MS Visual Basic 6.0 runtimes to be installed on the system for it to function properly. Also, it requires some other component files (.ocx) to be present on the system. If you have installed and run any program created in Visual Basic 6.0 earlier, there is a very high likelihood that you already have these files installed.

But keeping in mind those that do not have these files, this program is available for download in three different versions:

1.  W98XPSDC_Full.exe	-	This version contains all the files that are required for the program to run properly.
2.  W98XPSDC_OCX.exe	-	This version contains all the files other than the VB6 runtime files.
3.  W98XPSDC_Lite.exe	-	This version contains only the program files and no VB6 runtimes or component files.

If you downloaded the Lite or OCX version and it did not run on your system, try downloading the VB6 runtimes (VB6_Runtimes.exe) from the "Downloads" section of the support wesbite. If the program still does not run and you have installed the Lite version, it means that the Component files required are not installed. In this case you will need to download the OCX version (W98XPSDC_OCX.exe). If you downloaded the OCX version and the program does not run even after installing the VB6 runtimes then please check the support section of the program website if any information on this error has been added there. If not then email me with the description of the error.


4. UNINSTALLING THE PROGRAM
   ========================

The setup for this program creates an uninstall file and places a shortcut called "Uninstall Windows 98-XP Startup Disk Creator" in the Programs menu group "Windows 98-XP Startup Disk Creator". When you need to uninstall the program use this shortcut.


5. IMPORTANT NOTES FOR WINDOWS XP
   ==============================

Limited scope of the startup disk for XP
----------------------------------------
Windows XP's boot process is similar to the NT systems. Its kernel is too big to fit on a single floppy. Therefore, the startup disk contains only 3 files - ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini - which load the operating system from the hard disk. ntldr calls ntdetect.com and boot.ini (which contains information about where on the hard disk windows actually is). These files provide it the information to begin loading the rest of the operating system from the hard disk.

This means that the Windows XP startup disk created by this program can only start a Windows XP system if its boot sector is corrupted or any of the boot files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini) are corrupted or missing due to a virus or other activity. If the XP system is failing to start because some of its files, other than the three mentioned earlier, are corrupted or missing, the boot disk created by this program will also be unable to start the system. In this case you can try using the recovery console provided in the XP installation CD.

Difference between a XP startup disk created on a system running Windows 98 and one created on a system running Windows XP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows XP supports multiple OS booting and thus it can be installed on a non active partition. To implement this feature it uses the boot.ini file which tells the loader program which drive or partition contains Windows XP. The boot.ini file also differs between users having IDE drives and those having SCSI drives. Since different people may have XP installed on different partitions or drives or they may be using different types of drives (IDE or SCSI), this file becomes specific to quite an extent to the system being booted.

If you create a XP startup disk on a Windows 98 system, the boot.ini file written by this program to the floppy contains the description of a single OS system having an IDE drive with Windows XP installed on the first partition C:\. This maybe the installation configuration of a lot of users and the floppy created by this program will be able to start all such systems. In case your configuration does not match this, then you can find a system which has the same configuration and copy its boot.ini file to the boot floppy created. Thereafter, the floppy should boot your system.

If you create a XP startup disk on a system running Windows XP, this program copies to the startup disk the boot.ini file that is being used by XP at that moment. In this way, it does not matter what configuration your system has because the boot.ini file copied to the startup disk is the one that is being used by XP to start your system. This disk will boot your system even if it does not have an IDE drive with XP on the primary C: partition!

TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM AND MAKE IT MORE USEFUL FOR ALL TYPES OF USERS I URGE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE XP RUNNING ON THE PRIMARY C: PARTITION OF AN IDE DRIVE TO EMAIL ME (@ WIN98XPSDC@HOTMAIL.COM) THEIR BOOT.INI FILE WITH A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT TYPE OF DISK AND PARTITION THEY HAVE XP INSTALLED ON SO THAT I CAN INCLUDE THEM IN FUTURE RELEASES OF THE PROGRAM. THIS WILL MAKE THE PROGRAM USEFUL FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF PEOPLE!


6. KNOWN ISSUES
   ============

None yet since this is the first release of the program. This section will be updated in future releases as people send in feedback. In the meanwhile, visit the program's website at http://www28.brinkster.com/Win98XPSDC


7. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
   ================================

a) Why doesn't the program run after installation?
A: This program is written in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and requires the VB6 runtimes plus some other component files in order to run properly. Read the "Installation Requirements" section above for all the files required.

b) The boot disk for Windows XP does not boot the system!! What's wrong??
A: There can be two different causes for this:

First:
Your system is failing to start because some of the files required by it other than ntldr, ntdetect.com or boot.ini are corrupted or missing due to a virus or other activity. The boot disk created by this program can only start a XP system if its boot sector is corrupted or any of the three files - ntldr, ntdetect.com or boot.ini - are missing or corrupted. In all other cases it will fail to start the system. Try to use the Recovery Console on the XP installation CD.

Second:
If you created the XP startup disk on a system running Windows 98 and your system does not have XP installed on the primary C: partition of an IDE drive the boot floppy will fail to start the system. Read the section "Important Notes for Windows XP" above.

c) Why can't the Windows 98 startup disk find my C: drive?
A: This can because of any of the reasons listed during the startup process by the boot program. A common reason is that your C: drive may be formatted with a NTFS file system which is supported by Windows NT/2000/XP but not by Windows 9x/ME. Therefore a 98 startup disk can't find the NTFS formatted C: drive.


8. FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT
   ====================

Your feedback, whether it is accolades or brick-bats, is extremely important in ensuring the continued development and improvement of this program. So please write to me at win98xpsdc@hotmail.com or post at the discussion forum on the program's website when I get it up and running. Also, please visit the website to donate something if you can to keep this and other open source projects running free.

Update news and downloads of new versions, source code and VB6 runtimes plus a lot of other important info are all available at http://www28.brinkster.com/Win98XPSDC

9. COPYRIGHT
   =========

This program is freeware and open source. You are free to use it as you require but please acknowledge my work where you use it. Proper acknowledgement ensures that open source and free projects can continue to flourish!

10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    ================

Part of this program's code was inspired by code written by Arkadiy Olovyannikov (ark@fesma.ru) and Kenneth Ives (kenaso@attbi.com).