Users Opinion Needed: Dos conundrum

I've discovered some interesting problems when I was installing MS-DOS indev-hda1. One of my older system Pentium4 it worked (although it read 100 GIG hard-drive as 1.2 Gig! Furthermore, msdos didn't work on any modern college computers with PCIx, Sata-II HD + Command-que.

I also discovered that even Windows XP (pre SP2) can't not be installed on Sata-II hard-drive - XP needs a driver to know there is a HD!

Mr. Adler who posted this interesting problem - when I was trying to solve this problem, I learn that an average window$' user is better of with dos-box, which can be use in Linux & Windows XP. However, Mr. Adler need free-dos in his system. I have written this based on my personal experience - and I hope that some of you can look at it, and give your own opinion.

Allan Adler

remaining missive deleted for brevity

Okay, I will try to explain this to you one more time... As you know Windows XP can't be install on SATA II. You need a driver so Windows XP knows you have a hard-drive & ID card! The problem is that Win-XP doesn't have the SATA drivers built in.

Now, you can see them problem, right? You have not informed us of your computer's profile, we can't not determine what you need. It's not that time if a newbie is not providing proper amount of information -- starting with computer's profile..

The reason I am pointing out all this - I have no idea what you have. I decided to test DOS on my system -- I should systems. I learn that most modern computers will not be able to run Ms-Dos. Just as Windows XP can not be installed on SATA-II HD "see the url".

Now, you must be thinking -- what does this have to do with "installing" dos indev-hda1?

As I told you in my previous missives - I've tested MS-Dos in my computer's parbreastiondev-hda1 -- it worked. It is an old system - Pentium 4.

However, this may not work in 64bit CPU -- ask yourself what chance a 1982 DOS have against AMD 64bit duel core or even single core?

Further more, DOS -- and Free-Dos -- don't work well with modern video card: specially AGP, PCI-X.

They also don't work with SATA base hard-drives. "Think of blue-screen"

In-fact windows 9xs don't work well either..

Unlike Windows, with DOS, you can't use a CD until you have the drivers for CD-Roms. That is why all those 1-800 guys use to tell us "don't throw away 286-DX! We Dos users needed a working computer to have another computer working.

However, it is my sincere hope that a solution to your problem is very simple, however, without knowing anything about your computer -- it's bit hard.

If that is what you saw in c:-- then -- you maybe able to boot into dos - 3 seconds! seriously.. buttuming you don't end-up with SATA-II, Dos's nVida issues.

However, I need to explain you bit more --- You are trying to use a 16 years old Microsoft Operating System, and Microsoft doesn't even support Windows 98SE! I know it's freedos -- apples & oranges..

Here is a very simple solution...

I am using this word "MS-DOS" here but this apply to "alternative" dos too.

File kernel.sys is the equivalent of MSDOS's system files -- In Windows 9x-MS-DOS you need three files for booting the system: msdos.sys, io.sys, and command.com -- without these files -- system will not boot.

Understand?

Okay, You are almost set. You have vfat formatted, and it is read by freedos.

You only need to do one thing.. Transfer the "system file" to c: You can't just copy them into c:-! you need a command which will create one for your system. In MS-Dos it's called "sys".

-------------- Try to Understand This -------------- #1 In dos you need three system files"

cmmands.com

When we are compiling a kernel -- "make install" command creates a vmlinuz file intobootdirectory, and all we have to do is just listed on grub, or lilo.

In MS-DOS you need "sys" command for such transfer, that is if you don't want to use "setup.exe" command. As far as I know this is the only way to do. You can't just copy "system" files and hope it will boot. Are you with me so far?

#2 You will also need config.sys & autoexec.bat.

These files loads drivers when system starts. Without these files you will not be able to use cdrom-dvdrom, sound-card, and few other things, and you also need himsys.sys --- otherwise you system will be very slow -- and some programs will not work!

Here: I should point out that - some dos games run too fast or two slow on a new system - around 500MB-1.2 Gig rams.

As I said before -- new computer come with AGP-PCIx video cards, Sata-II HD, and few other things. Dos need drivers for these hardware to run. As far as I know it is very hard to find them. In one of my expirement - dos was working fine in SATA-II HD, however, then it frozen the system. I had to restart it - test it same problems.

As you know -- in linux we have System-V init tree

In Dos, most drivers are kept in c:-dos -- msdos drivers do not come with OS.

Let me reemphasized this point

If you have a computer with AGP-PCIx card, and Sata-II hard-drive, you are going to need theses drivers, to boot MS-Dos-Freedos properly! Furthermore, Free-does like MS-Dos is using 1980's codes - and is based for such system.

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If you didn't have anyone of the issues I have sated above then, all you need to do is make suredev-hda1 is formated. To run dos program format must "FAT-16".

Most dos program such as: word perfect 5.1, lotus, ms-dos word, and games will not work proeperly if system has more then 50meg of rams. SD-Ram, Rambus will freeze the dos program.

In one of my test - I had to remove devices iPod from USB 2.0, Wifi network card, firewall, and disable them from bios.

In my second test - old games such as commander keen, jill of the jungle, were not working. I had to use 90s ps-2 keyboard, ball mouse (no wheel, non-laser).

In my third test - word perfect 5.1, lotus, were not showing fonts - I had to use an old PCI video card 8MB --- my current card is ... nvidia nforce3 250mb - too fast.

In my forth test - when playing 3d dos games, computer start flickering - after doing some resarch - it turns out my LCD monitor wasn't good enough.

I should point out that I had remove wide-screen LCD monitors + DVI, and I was using 17inch decrypt old LCD monitors.

Luckily, I was able to find Mono-VGA (not SVGA!) even then Dos was barely working with 3D Dos Games!

Oh, I also had to remove color Laser printer - MS-Dos and Freedos didn't boot b-c of them.

I did this test in my college, and if you can over come all these problem then you can have dos running in two seconds.

Restart your computer - dos floppy in floppy disk.

see if you have "sys" command in freedos, and then all you need to do is type "sys a: c:"

That's it. My post is big + few English errors, it was written after spend three hours with MS-dos, so, my hands are very tired, not to mention my mind. I gotta go home, college will be closing soon.

PS: This the first time I have tested-review any product, and last MS-Windows we have is Windows 95b. I hope other users will inform me of any error I made during DOS test - on a modern computers 32 bit-64 bit + duel core.