I have a compact flash reader/writer connected to Windows XP via USB.
Does anyone know how to write the boot sector?

Thanks.

<louseitchikorders@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1131928313.789657.96410@g44g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> I have a compact flash reader/writer connected to Windows XP via USB.
> Does anyone know how to write the boot sector?
>
> Thanks.

The boot sector, as its name implies, is used to
control the boot process of a bootable device,
e.g. a hard disk. Since it is not possible to boot
from a USB device, there seems to be little point
in writing a boot sector to it.

If you still wish to go ahead then you can use
humble old debug.exe:
l 100 0 0 2
l 100 2 0 2
The first command will load the floppy's boot sector into
RAM location 100 whereas the second will load the boot
sector of the first partition into location 100.

In message <OtStHVL6FHA.2676@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl> "Pegasus \(MVP\)"
<I.can@fly.com> wrote:

>
><louseitchikorders@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>news:1131928313.789657.96410@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
>> I have a compact flash reader/writer connected to Windows XP via USB.
>> Does anyone know how to write the boot sector?
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>The boot sector, as its name implies, is used to
>control the boot process of a bootable device,
>e.g. a hard disk. Since it is not possible to boot
>from a USB device, there seems to be little point
>in writing a boot sector to it.
>
>If you still wish to go ahead then you can use
>humble old debug.exe:
>l 100 0 0 2
>l 100 2 0 2
>The first command will load the floppy's boot sector into
>RAM location 100 whereas the second will load the boot
>sector of the first partition into location 100.
>

What makes you think it's not possible to boot from a USB device?

--
They'll say, 'You can't joke about rape. Rape's not funny.'
I can prove to you that rape is funny. Picture Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd.
See? Hey, why do you think they call him Porky?
-- George Carlin

"DevilsPGD" <spamsucks@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
news:1lofn1ld0hush6dj7dfkjtjntsgeoqmp8s@4ax.com...
> In message <OtStHVL6FHA.2676@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl> "Pegasus \(MVP\)"
> <I.can@fly.com> wrote:
>
> >
> ><louseitchikorders@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> >news:1131928313.789657.96410@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> >> I have a compact flash reader/writer connected to Windows XP via USB.
> >> Does anyone know how to write the boot sector?
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >
> >The boot sector, as its name implies, is used to
> >control the boot process of a bootable device,
> >e.g. a hard disk. Since it is not possible to boot
> >from a USB device, there seems to be little point
> >in writing a boot sector to it.
> >
> >If you still wish to go ahead then you can use
> >humble old debug.exe:
> >l 100 0 0 2
> >l 100 2 0 2
> >The first command will load the floppy's boot sector into
> >RAM location 100 whereas the second will load the boot
> >sector of the first partition into location 100.
> >
>
> What makes you think it's not possible to boot from a USB device?

The numerous discussions I have followed in several newsgroups.
So far I have seen just one post that said it could be done, in a
very roundabout and exotic way. If you know how to do it then
I'm sure you'll have a captive audience. Over to you!

Actually I'm NOT trying to create a Win-bootable compact flash. I want
to write the boot sector under XP, move the compact flash to a
non-windows target system, and boot it there.

However, I should have been more specific in my earlier post: how can I
write to the boot sector programatically, i.e. from a C++ program?

Thanks.