DaveDDS wrote on 2026-04-05, 20:41:

I cleaned it up some more this morning and will get it updated on the site in the next few days. […]
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daeds wrote on 2026-04-05, 19:59:

DaveDDS wrote on 2026-04-04, 23:59:

... In case you don't have a working floppy drive and your system can boot CD/DVD - I do have a little tool I wrote a while ago which takes a 1.44 Bootable floppy image and makes a bootable .ISO you can write to a CD or DVD. I've not made this "public" yet but I do plan to clean it up a little and add it to the above archive. If there is interest, I can put a rush on doing that.

Sounds awesome! I just have to get some CDs, no need to rush though. 😀 Thank you!

I cleaned it up some more this morning and will get it updated on the site in the next few days.

But as others have pointed out, there is lots of existing software that can make optical media to boot floppy images.

I do recommend one called "MagicISO" because it lets you create a single CD/DVD with many floppy images on it, and prompts for which one to use at boot time. So... you can have lots of different versions of DOS on one disc.
I don't know if it's still around - I got it many years ago... I also don't know if anything newer has this ability (?anyone?)

Another simpler/faster option might be to use a GoTek floppy emulator - lets you put lots of floppy images on a USB stick and select which one to use via front panel buttons.

Emulated drive seems pretty "normal", unlike a CD/DVD you can write to it! - And since it's connected through the floppy drive interface. it can be written in place at the speed of a floppy ... much easier/faster than "burning" CD/DVDs.

Will try my luck on getting some blank CDs around tomorrow. 😀
I wonder what I get from using 6.22 instead of 98se's DOS mode, I remember 6.22 lightly from my kid days but most memories I have was from 95's and 98's DOS mode.
The board is gigabyte GA-586STX with a p133 and a S3 Trio, I guess having the 98se is a win-win, right?

I've updated DOSBOOT on my site to include FDI2ISO.COM (it is a DOS program - works in DosBox)

Also keep in mind that it was something I tossed out quickly, and can only do 3.5" 1.44mb images.

If you want to make anything else, or run under WinBlows, you'll need something else. ImageBurn in free.

I checked an MagicISO is still available, listed as "trialware" - I don't know if it is just time limited or has other limits that might prevent making multiboot.
(If there's enough interest, I can make a multoiboot .ISO and make if available somewhere - I've done some testing and multiboot ISO works with DOS versions from 1.00 up - but can't handle the 0.90 prerelease which is somewhat non-standard in format and layout - but DosBox CAN boot that one!

Also, if you decide to try MagicISO, the one on their site says it's 5.5.281, needs Win8 and last updated in 2025
The one I've been using also says it's 5.5.281 but needs Win7 and is from 2009 - not sure you can trust the build numbers.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-04-05, 13:37:

Using a Gotek doesn't necessarily mean one has to permanently put one in a build. I agree, I'm not a fan of the appearance eith […]
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mistermister wrote on 2026-04-04, 17:30:

A usb floppy drive for your main pc is what I do. Have never gone the gotek route, dont like the appearance and dont want to buy one for each of my retro pcs which all came with a floppy.

Using a Gotek doesn't necessarily mean one has to permanently put one in a build. I agree, I'm not a fan of the appearance either so I put regular floppy drives in all my retro builds.

Where I do use a Gotek is on my test/assembly bench for installing things like driver disks, operating systems, etc. It's much easier to have a Gotek with a hundred disk images installed on it rather than trying to install things from dozens of individual floppy disks. More reliable too.

Once everything I need is installed, then I can swap in a proper disk drive for occasional use.

I just have a stack of floppies at my assembly bench. I typically use the same ones, DOS versions, usb flash driver, some nic driver disks, etc. For pre-usb systems I have zip drives.

Will have some CDs tomorrow, will try to install it that way, should work. 😀 Will report back. Thanks everyone!

Installed! Now... a quick doubt.
How do you guys manage installing the games that need to have the CD or floppy inserted, without having those floppies or CDs inserted?
My floppy drive is acting up and I really want to play ULTIMA.. 😐

You could get a Gotek drive with flashfloppy firmware.
For cd images, there's ZuluIDE. PicoIDE is expected this year as well.

PD2JK wrote on Today, 18:22:

You could get a Gotek drive with flashfloppy firmware.
For cd images, there's ZuluIDE. PicoIDE is expected this year as well.

Oh, nice, didn't know about zuluide,
Software wise, anything that could do such things? I have the floppy images and ISOs.