Guide to Creating Bootable CD/DVD's without A:\ Floppy Drive

Nero's OEM NeroExpress6

Nero's OEM NeroExpress6 appears to be a watered down 'lite' version of Nero's burning program. It will allow you to create a bootable CD or DVD, but it will not let you choose a 'boot image file' to create the bootable optical media. It has a 'built-in' boot image file that the program calls (or uses) when running the 'Data|Bootable Data Disc' routine. If you have a floppy drive, it will allow you to use a floppy disk with boot information to be used to create the bootable CD or DVD

t turns out that the boot image file is named 'DosBootimage.ima'. It is in the 'Nero' subdirectory (screen shot).

I experimented and found that I could re-name the original Nero file to 'DosBootimage.old.ima' (so I could keep it for future use, if needed, by re-naming it back to it's original name).

I placed a copy of my boot image file (bootcdp1.ima ) in the 'Nero' subdirectory along with Nero's re-named 'DOSBootimage.old.ima' file. I then renamed my boot image file (bootcdp1.ima) to 'DosBootimage.ima' . So, it looks like this now--screen shot.

Now, when I ran the 'Data|Bootable Data Disc' routine, the NeroExpress6 program used my boot image and successfully created a bootable CD with my boot files!

(There was a 'non-critical error' when initiating the 'burn' saying that the Nero program was not able to open 'DosBootimage.ima--that it was in use by another process--and asking if I wished to continue--I selected 'Yes', and the boot image file was successfully added to the optical disc which booted just fine!)

So here's the outline of the steps for NeroExpress6 (v6.3.1.25):

1. Re-name the Nero file 'DosBootimage.ima' to 'DosBootimage.old.ima'. Copy 'bootcdp1.ima' from 'C:\Bootable CD Project\Boot Image' subdirectory, and paste the copy to the Nero subdirectory as outlined above. Then re-name the 'bootcdp1.ima' to 'DosBootimage.ima' .
2. Launch NeroExpress
3. From the opening Menu page, select 'Data|Bootable Data Disc' from the 'What would you like to burn?' menu list. The next screen, (Disc Content), gives you the option to select data to be burned to the disc. For this bootable CD project, skip adding any files to the data portion of the disc--the burn will be much quicker. Click the 'More >>' button at the bottom, and I selected 'Use the date and time from the original file.' See Screen Shot here: and See 'More' options Screen Shot here: Click 'Next'.
4. You are now at the 'Select Boot Image' dialog screen. This is where you find out you do not have the option of selecting any boot image file of your choosing. You only have the option of:
   1. read a floppy boot disk, or
   2. use the built-in 'Nero's bootable floppy image.'
   The built-in 'Nero's bootable floppy image' will now be our custom boot image file that we created with WinImage and have re-named to 'DOSBootimage.ima' at the beginning of this outline. So: Select 'Use standard boot image' Select 'English (United State)' for 'Boot Locale'. Screen Shot here: Click 'Next'.
5. You are now at 'Final Burn Settings' dialog page. Select your optical recorder if not selected by default. Type in a 'Disc Name'--I used 'Ghost Boot CD' . Select Write Speed. I checked 'Verify data on disc after burning'. Select the 'More >> ' button. Select Write Method--'Track-at-once'. Check only 'Write' . Click 'Burn' (Recommend using re-writeable disc while testing.) Screen Shot here:
   
   This is where I got the 'non-critical' error message and elected to continue, but the disk was burned successfully.
6. Return to Step #12, Page 3 on the 'Step-by-Step Instruction' page and test your bootable CD.