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"Can I create a DOS only (7.10) machine from a Windows 98 system or CD?"

Posted By: Dan Penny | Date Added: 27-11-2005 01:31 AM | Views: 4459

Yes you can. This article assumes you have some level of dos expertise if you're creating a DOS machine. While some procedures etc are outlined, much of the terminology assumes one to have a knowledge of DOS before attempting the task. The startup files presented may or may not have the content and/or structure you would like on your DOS machine.

NOTES:

It is extremely important to remember that tools and utilities which were designed for the FAT16 file system (DOS 6.x and prior) cannot be run on a FAT32 (DOS 7.x) machine. Only software which is designed for the FAT32 file system should be used.

You will loose the ability to defrag your disks unless a third party tool is utilized. You will also need DOS mouse drivers if you plan to use a mouse in some programs.

The MS EDIT program (edit.com, text only editor) can be used to alter files on the target machine once the operating system and command files are copied to it and the PATH statement is set. (The QBASIC.EXE program must be present in the same directory as EDIT.COM to use EDIT.COM.)

Reference to DOS help commands and command switches can be found on the 98/98SE CDROM's in the "\tools\oldmsdos" directories. Once in the directory, simply type HELP to run help.com. This ability will be transferred to the machine once it is set up.

It is easiest to create/modify all the start up files needed (3), and capture the DOS command files on a working Windows machine, then copy them to the target machine utilizing either a burnt CD (preferable) or (many) floppies. Attributes will have to be set for one file on the bootable machine prior to copying.

THE PROCEDURE:

You'll need to capture/gather all the command files which are/would be in the c:\windows\command or c:\windows directory. Either capture them to a cd or floppies from an existing 98/98SE installation, or, extract them from the CDROM cab files utilizing the EXTRACT.EXE command. (Long process.) In the following list, files marked with ** are the files which you will be altering from the original files. These original files should be kept in the C:\Command directory in their original state. Note that the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are intended for bootdisk creation and should not be used as the core files for the standalone machine. The text files normally reside in C:\Windows.

The files required are;

ANSI SYS

ATTRIB EXE

**AUTOEXEC BAT

CHKDSK EXE

CHOICE COM

COMMAND COM

**CONFIG SYS

CONFIG TXT

COUNTRY SYS

DBLBUFF SYS

DBLSPACE BIN

DBLSPACE SYS

DEBUG EXE

DELTREE EXE

DISKCOPY COM

DISPLAY SYS

DOSKEY COM

DRVSPACE BIN

DRVSPACE SYS

EDIT COM

EDIT HLP

EGA CPI

EMM386 EXE

FAQ TXT

FC EXE

FDISK EXE

FIND EXE

FORMAT COM

GENERAL TXT

HARDWARE TXT

HELP COM

HELP HLP

HIMEM SYS

IEXTRACT EXE

IFSHLP SYS

IO SYS

IPCONFIG EXE

KEYB COM

KEYBOARD SYS

KEYBRD2 SYS

KEYBRD3 SYS

KEYBRD4 SYS

LABEL EXE

LICENSE TXT

MEM EXE

MODE COM

MORE COM

MOVE EXE

MSCDEX EXE

**MSDOS SYS

MSDOSDRV TXT

NETSTAT EXE

NLSFUNC EXE

OAKCDROM SYS

PING EXE

PRINTERS TXT

PROGRAMS TXT

QBASIC EXE

QBASIC HLP

RAMDRIVE SYS

SCANDISK EXE

SCANDISK INI

SETVER EXE

SMARTDRV EXE

SORT EXE

SUBST EXE

SULFNBK EXE

SUPPORT TXT

SYS COM

XCOPY EXE

XCOPY32 EXE

XCOPY32 MOD

Use a 98 or 98SE bootdisk to "sys" the target machine to make it bootable. Then create the following three sub directories on it;

command

mouse

temp

(Example; md c:\mouse)

Then msdos.sys must be modified. This file will be set as a Read Only, Hidden, and System file. To alter it, set the attributes. ie; attrib -r -h -s c:\msdos.sys. The space between the three command switches and the file name must be present.

MSDOS.SYS

===========

[Paths]

HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]

drvspace=0

dblspace=0

BootMulti=0

BootGUI=0

BootWarn=0

Network=0

LOGO=0

DoubleBuffer=0

WinVer=4.10.2222

Bootkeys=1

;

;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.

;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

When finished, reset the attributes to the original settings. ie; attrib +r +h +s c:\msdos.sys.

Then create your c:\config.sys and c:\autoexec.bat files.

CONFIG.SYS (Example - alter as you see fit. Please note that the presented configuration loads CDROM support on bootup.)

===========

[COMMON]

SWITCHES=/F

break=on

lastdrive=z

SHELL=c:\COMMAND\COMMAND.COM c:\command\ /E:512 /p

DEVICE=c:\command\HIMEM.SYS /q

device=c:\command\emm386.exe d=64 noems frame=none I=B000-B7FF

dos=high,umb,noauto

;(NOTE - the ",noauto" at the end of the dos= line is important so ifshlp.sys doesn't run.)

devicehigh=c:\command\ansi.sys

FILEShigh=40

stackshigh=9,256

DEVICEHIGH=c:\command\oakcdrom.sys /D:IDE-CD

AUTOEXEC.BAT (Example - alter as you see fit.)

=============

@ECHO OFF

PATH \;C:\command;D:;D:\BATCH;D:\GHOST;D:\TOOLBOX;E:;E: \PKWARE;

::

IF EXIST C:\bootlog.* c:\command\DELTREE/Y C:\bootlog.* >nul

::

SET TEMP=c:\TEMP

SET TMP=c:\TEMP

ECHO.EXIT|%COMSPEC%/K PROMPT $_ $_ $D$_ $_ $T$_|FIND " "

SET COMSPEC=c:\command\COMMAND.COM

SET DIRCMD=/a-d/o/p/v

SET COPYCMD=/V/-Y

LH c:\command\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDE-CD /M:10

::The mscdex line should be before the smartdrv line

c:\command\SMARTDRV

::Smartdrv will load itself into the high memory area if possible

LH c:\command\DOSKEY/INSERT/REINSTALL

LH c:\MOUSE\GMOUSE

EXIT

Copy all the files you captured previously into the new c:\command directory. Copy your DOS mouse drivers into c:\mouse. When you're finished it should be a bootable, fully functional DOS 7.10 machine. If you have a sound card with dos drivers, get the appropriate files onto the new machine and alter the config.sys and autoexec.bat files to accommodate.

This article may not be copied or distributed in part or in full from this site and is copyright D24 Media Limited.

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