Bootable Command Prompt

Is there a way to create a CD that allows you to work with the command prompt before Windows XP loads. I know it can be done with a Windows XP CD and pressing R at the menu, but I was wondering if it could be done without a Windows XP CD. Thanks in advance.

 

Depends. Do you want to be able to modify files & settings on the hard drive? If the drive is formatted as FAT32 (unlikely) then you can easily create a bootable Win98SE boot CD that'll let you mess around to your heart's content. Otherwise, if the drive is formatted as NTFS, then you'll either need the XP CD, or something like BartsPE or UBCD4Win:

BartsPE - http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

UBCD4Win - http://www.ubcd4win.com/

 

I took a look at BartsPE, that seems like what I am looking for, but I have one question about it. After I build BartsPE and put it onto a CD can it be run on any comptuer and see the files on that computer or can it only be used on the computer where it was built?