RSS FeedNowadays, most computers come built without a 3.5″ floppy drive. And 99% of the time, the floppy drive just is not required anymore. USB Flash drives, otherwise known as memory sticks or thumb drives, have made the floppy disk obsolete. Therefore, booting from a memory stick is the next step.To create a memory stick, you will need to first download and extract (unzip) two files: HP USB Disk Format Tool and Windows 98 System Files. Follow the steps below:
- To create the bootable USB memory stick, install the HP USB Disk Format Tool.
- Insert your USB memory stick into a the computer.
- IMPORTANT: Backup files you wish to keep onto the local hard drive (as this process will delete all files on the memory stick).
- Start up the installed application from the HP USB Disk Format Tool.
- The device dropdown will automatically populate and identify your memory stick.
- Select Fat32 from the Filesystem dropdown.
- Check the box with “Create a DOS startup disk”.
- In the following textbox, browse to the location of the extracted files from the Windows 98 Systesm Files.
- Click the “Start” button.
- Click “Yes” to the following dialog box warning you of file deletion.
- Next, copy all extracted files from the Windows 98 System Files folder onto the USB memory stick to enable cd rom and mouse support.
Your USB memory stick is now bootable. If you wish to boot your computer from the USB key, be sure to set the proper settings in the BIOS.
Posted in 
Tags: 
I just want to say this is the best web site i have visited for programmings and aid in info about programmes , i have searched the web for about a day or so before i came across this site that gave me step by step instructions on how to get things resolved , way go guys , Hats off to the developers and team, thanx alot
regards
hayden
Worked very easily.
Great structured explanation.
Took 5 minutes
Just wanted to said THANKS!!!
Glad I could help John!
Good Work Guys.. was able to create it without any hassles!
I echo all the above replies…Been searching on and off for several weeks to find such an easy soln. – Does just what it says on the tin!
BTW: Several other references direct you to original HP Utility – which is no longer available.
Q: Are all the system files required, I read somewhere that only about 3 where essential – command.com, io.sys, etc.
thx a lot,
now I would like hirensbootdisk on my stick ;-) or go on lets make a bootable winxpcd on usb and linux of course !
Greetings and thanx again !
JUst really want to say Thanks heaps – spent most of the day looking for something like this, nothing else worked – but this did and was very easy – keep up the great work Victor
Also wanted 2 say thnx…
:)
Very useful. Worked a treat..Thanks
Looking at your posts, it works for everyone else but it didn’t work for me. I followed your instructions and then transferred the iso file that I want to boot onto my netbook onto the stick but it won’t boot. I know that my PC can boot from usb because I have created them using cds before. I use win xp any idea what went wrong and how to fix it.
Grateful for any help.
Oh no i follow step by step but win 98 logo still running about 5 to 10 mins, no sign of c:/ will come out. ps help me 2 fix it tq.
I’m pulling my hair out after 4 hours of trying to create a bootable USB stick! I don’t have a floppy drive, don’t have a cd rom drive… i can copy an ISO image of a boot disk to the key but can’t get the thing to boot! FFS i’m going to kil myself
I’m pleased to say I found your website and thought it was just what I was looking for. Unfortunatley like a couple of others I cannot get this to work after several attemps. Have checked BIOS and its set to boot from USB-FDD which I thought would have worked. I followed the instructions which I found very simple but have obviously missed something. I do hope someone can help me to get this working.
Thanks Grandad
I am having the same Windows 98 logo problem. Do I need to leave all the windows 98 files in their folder on my flash drive, or do I take them out of the folder? I am using this to boot windows 7 on my netbook, should I use the iso file, or the files that I used to create a disk from the iso file?
great help very easy and wokrs wel…. thanks!!!
thanks…great help…keep up the good work.
Hello I saw your name no the website. And I need help from you. I cannot boot from USB Flash drive. Can you help me? Thank you before hand.
Thats really Kool Man ,Just in some lines you some up so simply
Simply AweSome
will it work on windows xp
thank uuuuuuuuuuuuuu very much
Exelent guide :)
Take a look at this link http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345
An easy guide to make a bootable Vista\7 memory stick
this is the best site, every file needed is provided, thanks a lot
Thanks Anon
thanx for the post works like a champ.
what if you are running Windows XP instead of Windows 98?
This works for me on Windows XP. I actually have no tried on Windows 98.
While searching the Net I found your web site. Very helpful post. info. Thanks a lot for the meaningful insights. I will thank the person who told me to visit your blog.
I found this most useful. I was unable to use Acronis loader from my cdrom drive & I followed your instructions.I then ran the “Create Bootable Rescue Media” from Acronis True Image Program, chose my usb memory stick as the selected drive & I can now boot my Compaq Laptop Vista machine to restore a backup image.
Many thanks for the work you have done & made available to everyone.
Alan
this website solved my issue which was pending for a long time\\thanks a lot
Excellent guide :)
But take a look at this link http://trismund.techno-zone.net/troubleshooting-tweaks-tutorials-f29/how-to-create-a-multiboot-usb-with-windows-xp-hiren-s-bootcd-104-windows-7-setup-t7.htm
An easy guide to make a bootable XP+hirens+Windows 7 USB Flash Drive
Have followed instructions to the letter and managed to create the bootable USB drive, however it has been sitting on the WIN98 logo screen for about 5 mins now. Is there anything else I should have done?
I did the proceedure but still cannot boot. My problem is I aquired an old laptop and the OS reports that it is pirated. I have a legal install but it is older than the one in use and so will not install.
In the bios (Dell latitude C600)there is not setting to boot from USB.
Can you help me?
-Robby
btw I found a good Windows Boot CD, works nicely and is easy to use