How to Make a Bootable Flash Drive With Windows 2000

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USB flash drives are a great way to store boot and systems files.

It's not uncommon for personal computer owners to discover that their computer running Windows 2000 is unbootable. Though such an occurrence may cause some PC owners to panic, you don't need to be one of them. It is possible and not difficult to create a bootable USB drive that will support Windows 2000 and ensure that fixing an unbootable computer is as simple as inserting the USB drive into your computer.

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Step 1

Insert the Windows 2000 installation disc, the restore disc or boot CD into the computer's optical drive.

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Step 2

Navigate to the disc's "Boot" folder.

Step 3

Locate and copy "bootsect.exe" to the computer's C: folder.

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Step 4

Insert the USB drive into one of the computer's USB slots. Right-click the drive within "My Computer" and select "Format."

Step 5

Double-click on "My Computer" on the desktop or select "Computer" from the "Start" menu.

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Step 6

Locate the USB drive within the "My Computer" directory. Rick-click on the USB drive. Select the "Format" option. Select the "FAT32" option within the "Format" option. Click "OK" or "Start."

Step 7

Click on the "Start" button on the bottom left of the screen. Click on "Accessories." Right-click "Command Prompt." Select "Run As Administrator." Enter the appropriate password, if necessary.

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Step 8

Type "diskpart" into the Command Prompt window. Press the "Enter" key on the computer's keyboard.

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Step 9

Type "list volume" into the Command Prompt window. Press the "Enter" key. A list of all available drives will appear. Locate the USB drive, which will be identified as removable media. Write down the USB drive's associated volume number and letter (which may be identified as Ltr).

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Step 10

Type "select volume X," replacing X with the appropriate volume number provided in Step 9. Press the "Enter" key.

Step 11

Type "activate." Press "Enter."

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Step 12

Type "exit." Press "Enter."

Step 13

Type "cd C:\" if the command prompt reads"C:>_."

Step 14

Type "bootsect.exe /nt60 X:," replacing X with the appropriate letter (Ltr) provided in Step 9. Press "Enter."

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Step 15

Type "xcopy X:. /s/e/f Y:." Replace "X" with the appropriate drive letter for your CD drive (this is often "D" or "E"). Replace "Y" with the appropriate drive letter for your flash drive (this is often "E," "F" or "G"). Allow the files to copy onto the USB drive.

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