In the days of Windows 98, creating a boot disk was a non-trivial task that required a cunning approach, the ability to read between lines and understand a computer in short. Then it was not enough just to have the media from which it was required to put the operating system on the computer. It was necessary to comprehend the whole art of creating
boot floppy disks, using them and controlling a computer with the help of two or three intuitively mastered commands, the hints to which given by the installer were even more confusing and seemed to be aimed at mocking the user.
The emergence of new programs became a breath of fresh air, which made it possible to install the system without even having special knowledge or practically shamanistic ability to convince the computer of its rightness. In order to create a boot disk of Windows XP, you need to get a program that can work with ISO-images. It is quite possible to choose Nero Burning Rom as such a utility. Many considered this step optional and used the utility for burning discs built into the system . She, of course, wrote all the necessary files to the CD, but she could not create a boot disk.
The fact is that such a record simply burns certain files to the media, but the structure of the original disk is not saved. This means that there is no special sector that will take control of the computer and initiate the installation. In order for the system to recognize the media as an installation disk, it is necessary to take a full copy of the arrangement of ones and zeros on the surface of the compact. For this, an ISO image was made. He completely copied the sequence of pits and legends that are necessary to correctly create a boot disk.
Then this image was loaded into a program that knows how to work with this type of file, after which the burning process began. Depending on the quality and speed of the drive, this process could take from ten minutes to an hour or more. When the process ended, the output was a real installation disk of Windows XP. It was enough to insert it into the computer and reboot the system, selecting the necessary boot order in the BIOS - first from the CD, and then, if the media was not found, from the hard drive.
Creating a bootable Windows 7 disc is completely identical to the method used for a previous generation system. The main difference is that for this process you need to use a DVD-ROM, as the volume of the installation files exceeds the free space on a regular CD.
In addition to the methods listed above, in the modern world where flash media are widely used, you can use an alternative way to install the system by creating a bootable flash drive. To do this, you will need installation files that can be copied from any Windows XP / 7 drive, as well as a gigabyte flash card for XP and about three gigabytes for 7. Using the WinToFlash program, you can create a bootable flash drive in a few clicks. Since the utility is focused on the average user, it has a special installation wizard that does all the necessary procedures on its own.