How To Create a UEFI Bootable FreeDOS USB Stick: Guide and Tips

Creating a UEFI bootable FreeDOS USB stick can be a bit of a challenge, especially if your system doesn’t support the legacy BIOS mode required by FreeDOS. However, with the right tools and a bit of patience, it’s possible to get it done. This guide will walk you through the process step by step.

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

1. A USB stick with at least 2GB of storage
2. The FreeDOS .img file, which you can download from the official FreeDOS website
3. A tool to burn the .img file onto the USB stick. We recommend balenaEtcher, as it’s free, easy to use, and compatible with most operating systems.

Step 1: Burn the FreeDOS .img File onto the USB Stick

The first step is to burn the FreeDOS .img file onto your USB stick. Here’s how to do it with balenaEtcher:

1. Open balenaEtcher and click on “Flash from file”. Locate and select the FreeDOS .img file you downloaded earlier.
2. Insert your USB stick and select it in balenaEtcher.
3. Click on “Flash!” and wait for the process to complete.

At this point, you should have a bootable FreeDOS USB stick. However, if your system is UEFI-only and doesn’t support legacy BIOS mode, it might not recognize the USB stick for boot. This is where the next steps come in.

Step 2: Install FreeDOS in a Virtual Machine

One way to get around the UEFI issue is to install FreeDOS in a virtual machine that can be set to boot in BIOS mode. You can use a virtualization software like VirtualBox for this. Here’s how:

1. Download and install VirtualBox.
2. Create a new virtual machine and set it to boot in BIOS mode. You can do this in the System settings of the virtual machine.
3. Attach the FreeDOS .img file as a virtual disk to the virtual machine and start it.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install FreeDOS.

With this setup, you can run FreeDOS on your UEFI-only system.

Step 3: Try a Different DOS Version

If the virtual machine solution doesn’t work for you, another option is to try a different DOS version that supports UEFI boot. FreeDOS is a 16-bit system, and UEFI doesn’t always support such systems. There are other DOS versions out there that are compatible with UEFI, so you might want to explore those.

Step 4: Update the Firmware from a Linux Environment

In some cases, you might need to update the firmware of your system using a DOS executable. If the Legacy boot option is greyed out in your system settings, you can try updating the firmware from a Linux environment. Dell, for example, provides instructions for updating the BIOS in Linux on their support website.

Conclusion

Creating a UEFI bootable FreeDOS USB stick can be a bit tricky, but it’s definitely doable with the right tools and a bit of patience. Whether you choose to use a virtual machine, try a different DOS version, or update the firmware from a Linux environment, we hope this guide has been helpful in your journey. Good luck!