Whither goest DOS?

Marcus:

This reply is a little long winded, but I hope it helps you and others set
their Win based machines so they have the option to boot either Windows or
Plain DOS. The newer the version of Windows, the less "real DOS" you'll
encounter. My understanding of the situation is:

1. Anything built with NT as a kernel (Win 2000, Win XP, etc.) does not have
DOS, plain and simple. Every "DOS" program runs under an emulator.

2. Anything else from MicroSoft still has the "tried and true" DOS as a
base. Each "later" version of Windows 3.1->95->98->98SE->98ME makes it more
difficult to boot a plain DOS system, even though DOS is there.

3. With Windows 95, 98, 98SE (don't have 98ME, don't particularly want it)
you may edit both MSDOS.SYS and CONFIG.SYS to build a dual boot system - one
that boots either into a DOS only environment or one that boots into a
Windows environment.

4. Edit the MSDOS.SYS as follows:

[Options]
AutoScan=0 No ScanDISK if you simply turn the machine off
BootMulti=1 Allow multiple operating environments
BootGUI=0 Boot into DOS first
DoubleBuffer=1
LOGO=0 Don't display bitmap while booting.

5. One way to edit CONFIG.SYS is:

[Menu]
MenuItem=4DOS, MS-DOS 7.1 + 4DOS CLI
MenuItem=NORMAL, MS-DOS 7.1 + COMMAND CLI with EMM386 Driver
MenuItem=WIN98, Windows GUI
MenuItem=CD, MS-DOS 7.1 with CD Support
MenuItem=NOTHING, MS-DOS 7.1 Unadorned
MenuDefault=Win98, 10 <== Line sets default, set to 4DOS or NORMAL for
DOS
MenuColor 11, 1

[Common]
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Device=C:\Windows\HiMem.SYS /TestMem:OFF

[4DOS]
SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
rem Device=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mouse.drv

[Normal]
Shell=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:3072 /P
Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS

[WIN98]
SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS

[CD]
SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
DeviceHigh=\sys\oakcdrom.sys /D:MSCD001
DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS

[NOTHING]
SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
DeviceHIgh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS

[Common]
Set OS=WIN98
Files=50

Note that I prefer to use 4DOS from JPSoftware as a command line interpreter
rather than Command.COM. I also prefer to have a means of booting into a
real mode environment without EMM386.EXE when I want to do some debug.

6. Set AutoEXEC to look something like:

CLS
IFF "%CONFIG%"=="WIN98" THEN
ECHO %COMPUTER% \\ MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
ECHO Loading Windows '98 GUI, Please Wait
VERIFY OFF
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM
ENDIFF
IFF "%CONFIG%"=="%NORMAL%" THEN
ECHO %COMPUTER% \\MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
ECHO MS Command Line Interface
ENDIFF
IFF "%CONFIG%"=="4DOS" THEN
ECHO %COMPUTER% \\ MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
ECHO 4DOS Command Line Interface
VERIFY OFF
ENDIFF

Note that this code is for the 4DOS command interpreter, which allows for
if-then-else and if-endif blocks. You'll have to modify it to work properly
under Command.COM, but you get the idea of how it can work.

If you boot into the command line, simply type "Windows\WIN<EnterKey> to
start Windows.

I hope this helps.

-- Carol & Jerry Jankura
Strongsville, Ohio
So many toys, so little time....


|-----Original Message-----
|From: Marcus & Eva [mailto:implmex@...]
|Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:27 AM
|To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
|Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Whither goest DOS?
|
|
|Hi all:
| I was under the impression that the later versions of Windoze offered
|only an approximation of DOS when accessed as "MSDOS" from the main screen.
|I was also told that if you boot directly to DOS by editing your MSDOSsys
|file, you will get a clean version that will perform as DOS should.
|Have I been mis-led??
|It seems to be OK for my DOSSHELL application (DX32 Bridgeport control),
but
|if I try to run from "MSDOS" I get a screenful of Chinese noodles!!
|Cheers