Does Windows XP really emulate DOS?

B

Bible John

If it does, please explain why when my PC boots up I see DOS screens? Also
explain how a PC can contain a GUI at its core, as every PC seems to ship
with DOS instructions on the ROM chip.Some also doing advanced registry
repairs need to do so from DOS with a floppy disk.



John

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B

Bruce Chambers

Bible said:
If it does, please explain why when my PC boots up I see DOS screens?


You don't see any "DOS" screens; what you're seeing is the computer's
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) going through its POST (Power-On Self
Test) before it hands off control of the hardware to the operating system.

Also
explain how a PC can contain a GUI at its core, as every PC seems to ship
with DOS instructions on the ROM chip.


Ah, but the "seems" is completely wrong.

Some also doing advanced registry
repairs need to do so from DOS with a floppy disk.


How does booting a computer from a separate operating system located
entirely on a floppy disk have any bearing on the question, whatsoever?


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
K

Ken Blake, MVP

Bible said:
If it does, please explain why when my PC boots up I see DOS screens?


Because you don't. If you are referring to the text -based screens when you
first power on, they are not DOS at all. They are coming from the BIOS and
those screens appear well before Windows even begins to load. You would see
theose same screens even if there were *no* operating system on your drive.


Also explain how a PC can contain a GUI at its core, as every PC
seems to ship with DOS instructions on the ROM chip.


If by "the ROM chip" you mean the BIOS, that has nothing to do with
Windows, and it's not DOS you see. Moreover it's not the PC that "contains a
GUI at its core," it's the operating system--Windows XP.

Some also doing
advanced registry repairs need to do so from DOS with a floppy disk.


That's completely irrelevant to the question of whether XP is based on DOS
or not.
 
B

Bible John

Bruce Chambers said:
How does booting a computer from a separate operating system located
entirely on a floppy disk have any bearing on the question, whatsoever?

Because the repairs need to be performed from a DOS environment, when they
should be performed from Within Windows. Why is this?

On the Mac (even OSX) one does not need to do such a thing. OSX has Unix at
its core, and I still never have a need to use it, even for advanced repair.

I thought PC's had fully elliminated DOS support, but I thought wrong, after
I read a post on Usenet about a user that had to perform some advanced
registry repairs that had to be done from a DOS floppy.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Bible said:
Because the repairs need to be performed from a DOS environment, when they
should be performed from Within Windows. Why is this?


Because you are confusing a simple command-line interface for sonething
it isn't. Again, there is *NO* MS-DOS in WinXP, your inability to
understand the difference notwithstanding.

On the Mac (even OSX) one does not need to do such a thing. OSX has Unix at
its core, and I still never have a need to use it, even for advanced repair.

Your point?

I thought PC's had fully elliminated DOS support, but I thought wrong, after
I read a post on Usenet about a user that had to perform some advanced
registry repairs that had to be done from a DOS floppy.

You clearly have no concept of the differences between the computer and
the software loaded on it.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
B

Bible John

Bruce Chambers said:
Bible John wrote:

You clearly have no concept of the differences between the computer and
the software loaded on it.

And a reason why I come here for help.

Your point?
 
P

Papa

I thought PC's had fully elliminated DOS support, but I thought wrong,
after I read a post on Usenet about a user that had to perform some
advanced registry repairs that had to be done from a DOS floppy.

That's incorrect if you are talking about the latest Windows operating
system, which is Windows XP. All ties to DOS are gone for Windows XP - and
of course DOS cannot be used for repairs to the register (a very risky
endeavor even if possible).

....and posts in Usernet are not always factual.
 
P

Pop`

Papa said:
That's incorrect if you are talking about the latest Windows operating
system, which is Windows XP. All ties to DOS are gone for Windows XP
- and of course DOS cannot be used for repairs to the register (a
very risky endeavor even if possible).

...and posts in Usernet are not always factual.

All ties to DOS are not gone; several familiar DOS functions still work in
XP and many old DOS programs from, say, 6.22 still work in XP. XP can
indeed run many DOS programs. Usually when an old DOS program won't work in
XP it's a matter of getting the right program to make it run.
It is also possible to edit the "registry" from the command prompt, or as
MS often calls it in their documents, also known as a "DOS window".
Technically, the command prompt replaces the DOS window and provides
magnitudes more commands and programs than were available under the old DOS
structures. Where windows used to be built on DOS, now the old DOS
functions are built into XP.

Pop`
 
J

Jim Macklin

There is a Recovery Console, which can be installed or run
from the Windows XP CD, it looks like a DOS command window
and is intended for repairs that must be done to NTFS files
and such without booting Windows.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654



| Papa wrote:
| >> I thought PC's had fully elliminated DOS support, but I
thought
| >> wrong, after I read a post on Usenet about a user that
had to
| >> perform some advanced registry repairs that had to be
done from a
| >> DOS floppy.
| >
| > That's incorrect if you are talking about the latest
Windows operating
| > system, which is Windows XP. All ties to DOS are gone
for Windows XP
| > - and of course DOS cannot be used for repairs to the
register (a
| > very risky endeavor even if possible).
| >
| > ...and posts in Usernet are not always factual.
|
| All ties to DOS are not gone; several familiar DOS
functions still work in
| XP and many old DOS programs from, say, 6.22 still work in
XP. XP can
| indeed run many DOS programs. Usually when an old DOS
program won't work in
| XP it's a matter of getting the right program to make it
run.
| It is also possible to edit the "registry" from the
command prompt, or as
| MS often calls it in their documents, also known as a "DOS
window".
| Technically, the command prompt replaces the DOS window
and provides
| magnitudes more commands and programs than were available
under the old DOS
| structures. Where windows used to be built on DOS, now
the old DOS
| functions are built into XP.
|
| Pop`
|
|
 

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