Formatting diskette in XP

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

What DOS-version is put on a floppy disk when using FORMAT A: /S on
Windows XP? (or if you format a harddisk partition with same cmd)?

If you boot from this floppy will you be able to run old MS-DOS
programs, or do you need to keep the COMMAND.COM and FORMAT commads
from Win98se to be able to make old DOS disks (for old games etc)?

 

[Malke]

What DOS-version is put on a floppy disk when using FORMAT A: /S on
Windows XP? (or if you format a harddisk partition with same cmd)?

If you boot from this floppy will you be able to run old MS-DOS
programs, or do you need to keep the COMMAND.COM and FORMAT commads
from Win98se to be able to make old DOS disks (for old games etc)?

If you want to boot into DOS, you'll need to have a separate partition
set up and DOS installed. There is no DOS underlying XP as there was in
Win9x/ME, so when you boot with that floppy you make with XP, you
aren't booting into a full DOS so you can play games. Unfortunately, if
you want to make a partition for DOS after you've already got XP on a
system, you'll need third-party partitioning and boot management
software. You could get an old pc running Win9x for your old games.

Malke

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

Malke skrev:

aren't booting into a full DOS so you can play games. Unfortunately, if
you want to make a partition for DOS after you've already got XP on a
system, you'll need third-party partitioning and boot management
software. You could get an old pc running Win9x for your old games.

No problem, I have Win98se today, and I'm going to buy a new HD before
installing XP, copying my WIn98se installation to both partitions on
the new HD, then upgrading 2nd partition to XP (getting both my old
Win98se to boot from AND a new XP upgraded from the same Win98se

Hope I understand all the partitioning trick and don't forget anything
(will be a lot of switching master/slave disk and activ/inactivating
partitions to do this - but I'll always have my old disk as backup

 

[Malke]

Malke skrev:


No problem, I have Win98se today, and I'm going to buy a new HD before
installing XP, copying my WIn98se installation to both partitions on
the new HD, then upgrading 2nd partition to XP (getting both my old
Win98se to boot from AND a new XP upgraded from the same Win98se

Hope I understand all the partitioning trick and don't forget anything
(will be a lot of switching master/slave disk and activ/inactivating
partitions to do this - but I'll always have my old disk as backup

You don't need to be that elaborate. Buy your new hard drive and connect
it as slave. Leave the c: drive with the Win98 installation in place.
Now boot with the XP cd and take the installation. When it asks you
where to put XP, direct it to the new hard drive. Create a partition
and format it ntfs on the new drive, again leaving the old drive alone.

When the installer says it can't find an older os to upgrade, it will
give you the opportunity to put in an older os cd as qualifying media.
Put in your Win98 cd. Follow the prompts. The installer will tell you
when to put the XP cd back in. Continue to install XP and when it
finishes, you will have a dual-boot system. When you start your pc, the
XP boot manager will give you the option to boot into XP or "Microsoft
Windows" which is your Win98 installation. Now when you want to play
your old games, just boot into Win98 and enjoy!

Cheers,

Malke

 

[Alex Nichol]

What DOS-version is put on a floppy disk when using FORMAT A: /S on
Windows XP? (or if you format a harddisk partition with same cmd)?

It is I think the same as in Win ME. But I regard it as simply a means
whereby you can load a DOS program - for such things as running a
memory tester, or doing a BIOS flash

If you boot from this floppy will you be able to run old MS-DOS
programs, or do you need to keep the COMMAND.COM and FORMAT commads
from Win98se to be able to make old DOS disks (for old games etc)?

For that I would use a Win98 startup floppy. Preferably the one which
can be made on any machine not running XP, by running the program
tools\mtsutil\fat32ebd\fat32ebd.exe on the Win98 CD - and then
simplified a bit to leave out all the CD drivers you do not need