Tools Are Unavailable on Windows 98 (Retail Version) Boot Disk

If you start your computer with the Boot disk included with Windows 98 (retail version), you may receive a "Bad command or file name" error message when you try to use any of the following commands:

• Format.com
• Attrib.exe
• Chkdsk.exe
• Debug.exe
• Edit.com
• Ext.exe
• Help.bat
• Mscdex.exe
• Scandisk.exe
• Sys.com

This behavior occurs because the files listed above are not included as separate files on the Boot disk. These files are instead included in the Ebd.cab file on the Boot disk.

To use a tool that is stored in the Ebd.cab file on the Boot disk, first extract the tool. To do so, use the appropriate method:

Extracting Format.com to Format the Hard Disk

To extract the Format.com file to your Boot disk, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:

This extracts the Format.com file to your Boot disk so you can format your hard disk.

Extracting Other Tools from the Boot Disk

Extract the tool you want to use to the root folder of drive C, and then use it. To do so, use the following steps:

1. With the Boot disk in drive A, restart your computer, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER
   a:\
   extract ebd.cab <toolname> /l c:\
   where <toolname> is the name of the file or tool in the Ebd.cab file you want to use.

1. Use the tool you extracted in step 1. For information about how to do so, type <toolname> /?, and then press ENTER, where <toolname> is the name of the file or tool you extracted.

When you start your computer using the Boot disk included with Windows 98 (retail version), a RAM drive is not created, and the tools listed earlier in this article are not automatically extracted. Note that these tools are extracted to a RAM drive when you start your computer using a Windows 98 Startup disk.