How to Create an Ubuntu Boot Disk

A boot disk, or bootable disk, is any type of removable media such as a diskette, which you can use to boot up your PC. It comes in handy for those times when you need an alternate means for starting up your computer. Such a situation may arise, for example, when a problem with your hard drive prevents it from booting up your operating system.

Unlike most other operating systems, if you want to create a bootable disk for Ubuntu on floppy media, you have to do it manually. This is because it is not available for download from the Internet. Read on to learn how.

Step 1 In the Ubuntu set-up CD, access the \Install\ directory, and locate the sbm.bin file. Copy this file into a separate folder on your PC.

Step 2 Download a file called NTRawrite.exe. You can download it from this address: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/n...1.zip?download. Copy this file into the same folder as the sbm.bin file in Step 1.

Step 3 Open the folder that you copied the two files into. You will now copy them to a floppy disk by running a command line as outlined in the next step.

Step 4 Click your Start button and then click Run. In the dialog box that pops up, type in "cmd" (for Windows 2000 and Windows XP) or type in "command" (for Windows 95, 98, or Me). When you get the command prompt, type in "ntrawrite -f sbm.bin -d a:"

Step 5 Now insert a blank floppy into your floppy disk drive (Drive A:). Next, hit enter on the command prompt.

The boot files will be written to the floppy, and voila! Your bootable floppy disk for Ubuntu has been created! Now start or restart your PC with the boot disk.