[Help] How to enter DOS from Windows XP?

[ANNlearner]

Could anyone tell me how to enter DOS from Windows XP, I mean the real
DOS, such as reached from Windows 98, not the emulater enter from
start-run-...

Thanks a lot for your help!

ANNlearner

 

[Tom Willett]

There is no DOS on XP.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "ANNlearner" <[email protected]>

| Could anyone tell me how to enter DOS from Windows XP, I mean the real
| DOS, such as reached from Windows 98, not the emulater enter from
| start-run-...
|
| Thanks a lot for your help!
|
| ANNlearner

Boot from a Win98 MS DOS floppy disk.

 

[Bob Harris]

Insert a floppy disk containing DOS, such as win95, 98, or ME. Reboot the
PC.

Note that XP will make an ME-type boot floppy for you.

However, if the purpose of getting to "DOS" is to fix something, be aware
that XP usually comes with the NTFS file system, and DOS can not see that,
without special drivers. The read-only drivers are free, but the read/write
drivers are pricey.

An alternative to DOS is a bootable CD or DVD with LINUX, such as KNOPPIX,
which is free. The latest version can boot most PCs and gives full access
to all windows hard drive partitions. KNOPPIX does NOT install on the hard
drive, so it is "safe" to play with. By default the access is read-only,
for your protection. But, you can change that with a mouse click.

links:

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Main_Page

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Could anyone tell me how to enter DOS from Windows XP, I mean the real
DOS, such as reached from Windows 98, not the emulater enter from
start-run-...

Not to put too fine a point on it, you don't.

There is no way to reboot a WinXP PC into Real Mode DOS unless
you've set up a dual-boot system. The WinNT family of 32-bit (and now
64-bit) graphical operating systems, of which WinXP is the latest
generation, has never used, included, or "ridden upon" MS-DOS. The
Recovery Console's CLI (Command Line Interface) is the closest you can
come to the old "DOS mode." What, precisely, are you trying to accomplish?


--

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

 

[ANNlearner]

Thanks a lot for your help!

What I want to do with DOS is to back up my C drive, since I just
reinstall the windows XP a few days before. The software such as ghost
seems can not create image for C drive under windows XP system. And I
have heard from some of my friends that under DOS, there will not be
problem to back up.

Do you have any suggestions about this matter or the back up of the
system?

Thanks a lot!

ANNlearner

 

[ANNlearner]

To Dave and Bob:

I do not have a floppy disk drive on my pc.

To Bob:

May I use that KNOPPIX to back up my system as I stated in the last
message?

Thanks a lot!

ANNlearner

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Thanks a lot for your help!

What I want to do with DOS is to back up my C drive, since I just
reinstall the windows XP a few days before. The software such as ghost
seems can not create image for C drive under windows XP system. And I
have heard from some of my friends that under DOS, there will not be
problem to back up.

Do you have any suggestions about this matter or the back up of the
system?

Image for Windows, by TeraByte Unlimited. (http://www.bootitng.com/)

The fully functional evaluation version is free. If the computer has a
CD Burner, Image for Windows will even create a bootable CD from which
to restore the image onto the new hard drive.


--

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

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks a lot for your help!

What I want to do with DOS is to back up my C drive, since I just
reinstall the windows XP a few days before. The software such as ghost
seems can not create image for C drive under windows XP system. And I
have heard from some of my friends that under DOS, there will not be
problem to back up.

Do you have any suggestions about this matter or the back up of the
system?

As others have told you, there is no real DOS that is under or part of
Windows XP, and the only way you can boot to DOS is by booting from a DOS
diskette (or by installing DOS as a dual-boot option).

Moreover, if your hard drive is NTFS (as most Windows XP drives are), even
if you booted from a DOS diskette, it wouldn't be able to see your drive (at
least not without special software).

If your intent is to do a complete backup of the drive, the way to do is
under Windows, with appropriate software designed for this purpose. There is
more than one such product, but the one I use and like is Acronis True
Image.

 

[easymike29]

Could anyone tell me how to enter DOS from Windows XP, I mean the real
DOS, such as reached from Windows 98, not the emulater enter from
start-run-...

Thanks a lot for your help!

ANNlearner

ANN

If you have a Ghost 2003 CD you can boot from it directly to create the
"image". You don't need a floppy. It won't care if you have Fat or NTFS.
You'll need a place to store the image such as a separate partition on your
HD or even CD's or USB devices. You can buy an OEM of Ghost 2003 for less
than 20 dollars including shipping.

Gene

 

[ANNlearner]

Thanks a lot for your help!

Your suggestions will be very helpful for me to solve the problem!

sincerely,

ANNlearner