WinXP boot disk, WinXP DOS

[Patches Forever]

Hello. What are the rules for tinkering with DOS in WinXP ? I see that the
traditional DOS commands are in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. I can use the
traditional commands if I am in a DOS session in Windows, but I can't run
any of them if I boot with a WinXP diskette. I haven't figured how to do
much of anything with the boot diskette. I'm very handy with old fashioned
DOS but I don't understand how things are hooked up in WinXP.

Can someone point me to a webpage that explains how this stuff is hooked up
in WinXP.

 

[Larry(LJL269)]

DOS in XP is called command-line which I think is
super-set of DOS. See
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx?mfr=true

HTH-Larry

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:26:27 -0800, "Patches Forever"

|Hello. What are the rules for tinkering with DOS in WinXP ? I see that the
|traditional DOS commands are in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. I can use the
|traditional commands if I am in a DOS session in Windows, but I can't run
|any of them if I boot with a WinXP diskette. I haven't figured how to do
|much of anything with the boot diskette. I'm very handy with old fashioned
|DOS but I don't understand how things are hooked up in WinXP.
|
|Can someone point me to a webpage that explains how this stuff is hooked up
|in WinXP.
|
|

Any advise is my attempt to contribute more than I have received but I can only assure you that it works on my PC. GOOD LUCK.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello. What are the rules for tinkering with DOS in WinXP ? I see that the
traditional DOS commands are in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. I can use the
traditional commands if I am in a DOS session in Windows, but I can't run
any of them if I boot with a WinXP diskette. I haven't figured how to do
much of anything with the boot diskette. I'm very handy with old fashioned
DOS but I don't understand how things are hooked up in WinXP.

Can someone point me to a webpage that explains how this stuff is hooked up
in WinXP.

You did not explain what exactly you mean when you talk
about a WinXP diskette but regardless of what it is, it will
never run any of the commands located in the System32
folder. These commands require Windows to up up and
running and your boot diskette cannot possibly launch Windows.

A good starting point might be for you to explain what
exactly you're trying to achieve when booting your PC with
this "boot diskette" and how you manufactured it.

 

[Tim Slattery]

Hello. What are the rules for tinkering with DOS in WinXP ? I see that the
traditional DOS commands are in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. I can use the
traditional commands if I am in a DOS session in Windows, but I can't run
any of them if I boot with a WinXP diskette. I haven't figured how to do
much of anything with the boot diskette. I'm very handy with old fashioned
DOS but I don't understand how things are hooked up in WinXP.

There's no DOS in XP. There is a 32-bit command console. It runs
32-bit console commands, many of which are very much like their old
DOS counterparts. Many of them have additional options. And console
programs scan do anything that a Windows GUI program can do, even open
windows.

You can get a list of built-in commands by opening a console window
and typing "help" (no quotes, of course). Then find out about each
program by typing its name followed by "/?". For example, to get all
the options for the "dir" command, type

dir /?

And of course you should look at the web page that Larry pointed to.

As for your bootup disk: what is that? How did you make it?

 

[Patches Forever]

I apologize for the flame.

Bill S.

You did not explain what exactly you mean when you talk
about a WinXP diskette but regardless of what it is, it will
never run any of the commands located in the System32
folder. These commands require Windows to up up and
running and your boot diskette cannot possibly launch Windows.

A good starting point might be for you to explain what
exactly you're trying to achieve when booting your PC with
this "boot diskette" and how you manufactured it.

 

[Patches Forever]

There is an option to make one of these disks. You right click A drive in
Explorer, then choose FORMAT and there is an option to create a DOS boot
disk. I didn't analyze the floppy in detail but it doesn't have a binary
MSDOS.SYS file like DOS 6.22. It is like a Win98 MSDOS.SYS file. It is a
text file. The dates on the various files are 6-8-2000.

So I guess it is basically COMMAND.COM and IO.SYS from Win98.

Thank you for the info. It is helpful information.

Bill S.

 

[Patches Forever]

Thanks. Bill S.

 

[Patches Forever]

Thanks. Bill S.

 

[Tim Judd]

There is an option to make one of these disks. You right click A drive in
Explorer, then choose FORMAT and there is an option to create a DOS boot
disk. I didn't analyze the floppy in detail but it doesn't have a binary
MSDOS.SYS file like DOS 6.22. It is like a Win98 MSDOS.SYS file. It is a
text file. The dates on the various files are 6-8-2000.

So I guess it is basically COMMAND.COM and IO.SYS from Win98.

Thank you for the info. It is helpful information.

Bill S.

There's no DOS in XP. There is a 32-bit command console. It runs
32-bit console commands, many of which are very much like their old
DOS counterparts. Many of them have additional options. And console
programs scan do anything that a Windows GUI program can do, even open
windows.

You can get a list of built-in commands by opening a console window
and typing "help" (no quotes, of course). Then find out about each
program by typing its name followed by "/?". For example, to get all
the options for the "dir" command, type

dir /?

And of course you should look at the web page that Larry pointed to.

As for your bootup disk: what is that? How did you make it?

Actually, it's the equivelant to a MS WinMe boot diskette. If you
create the diskette in XP, boot to the disk, and type 'ver' -- it says
it's Millenium Edition.

So, if you want to expand the capabilities of the boot disk, you need a
Me system to copy the dos utilities from (or extract them from the CABs
if you're lucky enough.

I actually use the XP/Me boot disks to reimage computers at home -- I
have a modular floppy disk that either boots:

1) Clean -- nothing loaded except the virgin *.SYS files to give me a
command prompt
2) Standard DOS tools (which are loaded into a ramdisk) -- but no networking
3) MS Networking ( which inherits the standard dos tools ) -- you'll
need to know what NIC is in the system before telling the menu to boot
to the networking ability. I have ~6 NICs I can run and still have room
for a few more!

I would share it, lacking the system files (which all y'all have). I
don't check this NG often, but I can make them available eventually. I
don't check the email address either, too much spam between the legit
mail. Post here if anybody's interested -- I'll get it online and let
y'all hack at it. Documentation isn't made (yet, don't know when it
will be).

Enjoy, everyone.