After a lot of reading I figured out how to create a DOS bootable USB stick... These are my very own steps below for all of you who would like to do this. Remember I am not responsible for any damages you may incur.
Follow the steps outlined below to setup any USB stick as a DOS bootable device:
http://bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm
[Note: You don't need to do the cdrom step. Also note that the 3 files left on the USB stick, on the 2nd last image, from the above page are HIDDEN, so you may NOT see them though they are still present.]
Copy the "wdidle3" application to the root of the USB stick when you have completed the aforementioned steps to setup your bootable DOS usb. You can get WDIDLE3 from here:
http://support.wdc.c...pid=609&sid=113
Reboot the pc with your USB stick connected, and enter the bios. Do whatever you have to in order to configure the bios to use the USB stick as your primary boot selection. Keep in mind all of the settings you changed. Save & Exit the bios...
Power off your pc.
Connect your WD20EARS [or other compatible hdd] to your computer via sata data, and power connection.
Power on your pc with the USB DOS stick connected, and it should boot accordingly.
Type the following without the quotes, and press ENTER to check your idle status:
"wdidle3"
To reconfigure the idle time for maximum performance/longevity type the following without the quotes and than press ENTER:
"wdidle3 /s300"
If done correctly your drive should state the following:
“Idle 3 timer is enabled and set to 300 (five minutes)”
To double check the idle time type the following without the quotes:
"wdidle3 /r"
Wait at least or over five minutes before shutting down the pc. You can simply power off your computer via the power on/off button on the front of your pc, since dos doesn't require a command to do so. Your drive should now be set for maximum longevity... Don't forget to set any bios settings back to what they were!
Edited by superstar, 05 September 2010 - 06:33 PM.