SYS C: from Win ME boot disk?

[Noozer]

I've got an older computer that I'm trying to install MSDos 8 onto (this is
what came with Win ME). Unfortunately, None of the Windows ME disks I have
will write boot info to the hard drive... they error saying that Windows
doesn't support this and that I should use my control panel in Windows to
make a boot disk. Win ME won't install on this PC because it isn't fast
enough.

I could format and SYS the hard drive with a different version of DOS, but
then none of the DOS 8 commands would work. I'd get "Wrong Version" errors
for most things.

Anyone know how I can get Win ME to erase and make bootable the C: drive in
this old PC?

 

[philo]

I've got an older computer that I'm trying to install MSDos 8 onto (this is
what came with Win ME). Unfortunately, None of the Windows ME disks I have
will write boot info to the hard drive... they error saying that Windows
doesn't support this and that I should use my control panel in Windows to
make a boot disk. Win ME won't install on this PC because it isn't fast
enough.

I could format and SYS the hard drive with a different version of DOS, but
then none of the DOS 8 commands would work. I'd get "Wrong Version" errors
for most things.

Anyone know how I can get Win ME to erase and make bootable the C: drive in
this old PC?

Just use dos 7

with a win98 bootdisk format the drive using the format /s
switch
then copy the command folder from win98 to the hd
and you have a dos 7 machine

 

[Noozer]

I could format and SYS the hard drive with a different version of DOS,

Just use dos 7

with a win98 bootdisk format the drive using the format /s
switch
then copy the command folder from win98 to the hd
and you have a dos 7 machine

I thought about using DOS 7, but there are problems with long file names...
If you leave spaces in the names, it thinks each word is a separate
filename. If you enclose them in quotes, you get an error.

Not a big issue, but was a pain getting at some files created on a Windows
box.

 

[philo]

I thought about using DOS 7, but there are problems with long file names...
If you leave spaces in the names, it thinks each word is a separate
filename. If you enclose them in quotes, you get an error.

Not a big issue, but was a pain getting at some files created on a Windows
box.

well i just booted over to msdos7 and tried creating
a two-word folder by putting quotes around it and did not
get any errors...so it should work

however i just though of something.

normally you can boot with most any version of dos
and "sys" a drive except with a winME boot disk...
if it detects that ME is already loaded...will not allow you do "sys"
the drive.

IIRC if you delete command.com . msdos.sys and io.sys
from the drive then boot with an ME boot disk
you should then be able to "sys" the drive

 

[Jim]

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and DL the Windows ME boot disk
image (there are two, one original (OEM) and another customized w/ no
ramdrive (your pick)). These are .exe files that will create a bootable
floppy. Just create a DOS partition using your preferred utility (e.g.,
FDISK), boot the floppy, and then format /s the new DOS partition.

Jim

 

[jameshanley39]

well i just booted over to msdos7 and tried creating
a two-word folder by putting quotes around it and did not
get any errors...so it should work

however i just though of something.

normally you can boot with most any version of dos
and "sys" a drive except with a winME boot disk...
if it detects that ME is already loaded...will not allow you do "sys"
the drive.

IIRC if you delete command.com . msdos.sys and io.sys
from the drive then boot with an ME boot disk
you should then be able to "sys" the drive

funny you should say that, I never noticed that before. But I just
tried booting with a W98 boot disk onto a winME system and had that
problem. The solution you state worked. I ran 'sys c:' and it
claimed "system transferred" but clearly hadn't. So I did attrib -r
-h -s on those 3 files command.com, io.sys, msdos.sys, deleted them,
and then sys c: worked.
The C drive then acts as the floppy boot disk did, displaying "starting
windows 98" (this must be in the boot record) then it gets very
interesting, actually displaying a Windows98 GUI for a second!!!!
Then it exits to DOS immediately. That is normal, i've seen it
before.

I guess that is precisely the case where it's useful for edit msdos.sys
and add bootgui=0. Now I know the main purpose of that command was
probably for boot disks, not necessarily for people 'just' pissed off
with the win98 log on screen!!!! (I haven't actually set bootgui=0 yet
on the boot disk but it should work!)

 

[philo]

windows 98" (this must be in the boot record) then it gets very
interesting, actually displaying a Windows98 GUI for a second!!!!
Then it exits to DOS immediately. That is normal, i've seen it
before.

I guess that is precisely the case where it's useful for edit msdos.sys
and add bootgui=0. Now I know the main purpose of that command was
probably for boot disks, not necessarily for people 'just' pissed off
with the win98 log on screen!!!! (I haven't actually set bootgui=0 yet
on the boot disk but it should work!)

yeah
i've fooled around with boot disks quite a bit.
i even have a win95 boot disk that i was able to hack into
using debug and put my name there instead of it saying
"windows 95"

but i was not able to perform such a hack on a win98 boot disk.

as to ME i avoid it as much as possible!