I've created flash drives and DVDs with what should be bootable Spinrite images, but none of them show in the boot list on my DELL. I even tried a flash drive with just FreeDos and nothing. Flash drives with linux installs and the MS Windows Media Creation tool all show up in the boot list and work fine. What is it about an image with FreeDos that keeps it from showing itself. (DELL Inspiron 3020 S with BIOS 1.12.0)
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BootAble – FreeDOS boot testing freeware
To obtain direct, low-level access to a system's mass storage drives, SpinRite runs under a GRC-customized version of FreeDOS which has been modified to add compatibility with all file systems. In order to run SpinRite it must first be possible to boot FreeDOS.
GRC's “BootAble” freeware allows anyone to easily create BIOS-bootable media in order to workout and confirm the details of getting a machine to boot FreeDOS through a BIOS. Once the means of doing that has been determined, the media created by SpinRite can be booted and run in the same way.
The participants here, who have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience, their successes and some frustrations with booting their computers into FreeDOS, have created a valuable knowledgebase which will benefit everyone who follows.
You may click on the image to the right to obtain your own copy of BootAble. Then use the knowledge and experience documented here to boot your computer(s) into FreeDOS. And please do not hesitate to ask questions – nowhere else can better answers be found.
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Google tells me this is a new Dell Inspiron DT with Windows 11 on It. That means it is certainly UEFI booting. UEFI and FreeDOS are incompatible. FreeDOS requires legacy/DOS booting.
And as it is new, it likely does NOT support the CSM legacy boot option in its BIOS emulation.
By all means, please follow the link Colby provided for information on how to verify this!
And as it is new, it likely does NOT support the CSM legacy boot option in its BIOS emulation.
By all means, please follow the link Colby provided for information on how to verify this!
Near as I can tell from this manual ( https://dl.dell.com/content/manual2...all-desktop-service-manual.pdf?language=en-us ) your PC is not able to boot a legacy OS. You will not be able to get it to boot SpinRite 6.x without support for a CSM and Legacy OS Booting.
Try a visit to your local GoodWill Store and see if they have an old used CPU box, typically with MB but no drives.
It takes a bit of work and requires a fast external SSD/NMVE but this is a workaround for UEFI only PC.
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