Booting windows to a command prompt?

M

Matt

Hello,
Is there anyway to get windows2000 or w2k server to boot to a command
prompt instead of the GUI? And I'm not talking about booting into safe
mode. What I mean is a fully working O/S but with only a CLI rather
then the whole GUI overhead.

~ Matt
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

No. The Command Prompt is a process inside Windows 2000;
it cannot exist on its own.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Greetings --

There is no way to reboot a Win2K PC into Real Mode DOS unless
you've set up a dual-boot system. The WinNT family of 32-bit
graphical operating systems, of which Win2K is a member, has never
used or included MS-DOS. The closest they have is the Command Prompt
window.

Win2K, like its predecessor WinNT, is a pure 32-bit GUI OS, and
does not include or "ride upon" any version of DOS, as did Win3.x &
Win9x/Me. Win2K does include a command-line emulator for those times
when GUI applets are unnecessary/redundant, but it cannot be started
in "DOS mode."


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
M

Matt

Ok.. maybe I wasn't clear....
I'm not trying to "boot into" DOS mode.
I want to run a fully operational W2K server without the graphical
overhead and in-stability that comes from a graphical interface.
You can already do most things (change Ip address/add/remove
users/start/stop services) from the CLI, why is it not possible to boot
into a CLI without the GUI?
 
C

CyberDroog

Ok.. maybe I wasn't clear....
I'm not trying to "boot into" DOS mode.
I want to run a fully operational W2K server without the graphical
overhead and in-stability that comes from a graphical interface.
You can already do most things (change Ip address/add/remove
users/start/stop services) from the CLI, why is it not possible to boot
into a CLI without the GUI?

YOu can. It's called Linux. Microsoft recommends it highly... they are
using it for their web services after all.

---
When under the pretext of fraternity, the legal code imposes mutual sacrifices
on the citizens, human nature is not thereby abrogated. Everyone will then
direct his efforts toward contributing little to, and taking much from, the
common fund of sacrifices. Now, is it the most unfortunate who gains from this
struggle? Certainly not, but rather the most influential and calculating.

- Fredric Bastiat
 
D

Doug Allen [MSFT]

Obviously Linux is not a command-line shell for Windows 2000. The only way
to get a command-line type shell interface would be to use our Services for
UNIX package.

CyberDroog - Your snide remarks do not help anyone especially the poster,
nor answers his question. Please do not waste anyone's time with these
types of responses. Thank you.

--
Doug Allen
Windows 2000 MCSE
Microsoft Enterprise Support - NT4/Win2k/XP/Win2k3

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
M

Matt

Yes,
I'm aware that Linux is not a command-line shell for W2K. I'm not
sure what your Services for UNIX package does exactly, but I'm not 100%
sure that's what I was wondering about.
I'm trying to figure out if there is a way (registry hack even?) to boot
a w2k machine into CLI mode without the GUI loading up, and have the
full network functions, and services be able to start.

I'm very curious .. what is this Services for UNIX package that you are
speaking of? The line "only way to get a command-line type shell" and
use our "services for UNIX package" has me intregued(sp?). Can you
give me a URL to this? I'm not able to find it from googeling.
 
G

Guest

Go here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...familyid=d702dbdb-7e39-4668-a635-3bd11db26460

and here
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sfu/default.asp

To answer your question about using Windows 2000 on the CLI - your question has basically been answered in previous posts. I would add, however, there are *some* very limited CLI uses in Windows 2000. Microsoft has moved away from DOS entirely. Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server are strictly GUI. What you are asking for no longer exists in the 32/64 bit environments.

Pete Choppin, MCP
http://www.websolutionpro.com
 
E

Enkidu

Go here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...familyid=d702dbdb-7e39-4668-a635-3bd11db26460

and here
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sfu/default.asp

To answer your question about using Windows 2000 on the CLI - your question has
basically been answered in previous posts. I would add, however, there are *some*
very limited CLI uses in Windows 2000. Microsoft has moved away from DOS entirely.
Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server are strictly GUI. What you
are asking for no longer exists in the 32/64 bit environments.
That is a very strange and slightly inaccurate way of looking at it.
At the last Tech-Ed one of the themes that came across was *increased*
use of the command line, particularly for system maintenance tasks.
How easy do you think that it would be to add 200 users to a Domain
using the GUI? There's a CLI program that will let you do just that
easily and simply. Even on a single user machine, the CLI is useful
for things like backup scripts and whatnot. The CLI is not going to
die, and is showing a resurgence.

However there is no way to bring up a Win2K server without the GUI,
simply because the GUI is an integral part of the OS and not a shell.

Cheers,

Cliff
 
E

Enkidu

Is there anyway to get windows2000 or w2k server to boot to a command
prompt instead of the GUI? And I'm not talking about booting into safe
mode. What I mean is a fully working O/S but with only a CLI rather
then the whole GUI overhead.
There is no way to bring up a Win2K server without the GUI, simply
because the GUI is an integral part of the OS and not a shell.

Cheers,

Cliff
 
J

Joseph Conway [MSFT]

WinPE is about as close as youre going to get to having a non-GUI workable
Windows and it doesnt have all the functionlity of the OS. I guess the
short answer here is: No.

--
Joseph W. Conway, MCSE
Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server Group

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Pete Choppin said:
question has basically been answered in previous posts. I would add,
however, there are *some* very limited CLI uses in Windows 2000. Microsoft
has moved away from DOS entirely. Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003
Server are strictly GUI. What you are asking for no longer exists in the
32/64 bit environments.
 
P

Pegasus \(MVP\)

I think you are mixing up DOS (which stands for Disk Operating
System) and the Command Prompt (which is a process under
Win2000). As Pete Choppin said, MS have moved away from
DOS. However, the Command Prompt is alive and well - but
it requires Win2000 to run!
 

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