> Do you still work with the MS DOS Tutorial??
YES !!!!!!!
It was originally set up
for some friends at work, but was so
popular that I was persuaded
to put it on the WEB.
Give it a go, and mail me
the 'answers' if you like, or just read
it and maybe find some snippet
that you had forgotten, or didn't
know :-)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When I try to run a certain
game in DOS ( pure DOS with no Windows),
I get an error message that
I don't have enough Low memory. How could I
free up more low memory?
> What the error message
is about is the FIRST 640Kb of memory, also known
> as 'conventional memory'
this all stems back to around 1982 when 1Mb
> was thought to be the
maximun that anyone would need (or could afford at
> over $500 per Mb of RAM)
> Anyway history lesson
over, have you read Parts 5 & 6 of the 'DOS
> Tutor'? Either way I suggest
you log onto them and print them off.(and
> read them!)
> Basically what you need
to do is remove as many as possible TSR
> (Terminate and Stay Resident)
programs form the first 640Kb by using the
> 'DEVICEHIGH' command instead
of 'DEVICE' in CONFIG.SYS, and the
> 'LOADHIGH' command in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT to move the TSRs into some of
> the 384Kb left of the
first 1Mb
> NOTE - some programs will
not run in high memory e.g. HIMEM.SYS &
> EMM386.EXE - Both of which
WILL be required to gain access to the 384Kb
> that you need to use.
> To check your configuration
type MEM /C /P at the DOS pormpt, this will
> give you a run down of
what programs are loading and where. NB - you
> MUST re-boot after you
make change(s) to the above files for them to
> become operative.
>
> Good luck, it can be a
long (and frustrating) job, TIP - try changing
> the order in which Config.sys
and Autoexec.bat call programs, if you can
> load the largest first
(see the MEM screen) it may free up more memory
> than otherwise possible.
>
> Let me know how you get
on, or email me your startup files and I will
> see what I can do (but
YOU won't learn a lot that way)
-------------------------------------
I finally got the game to
work, by doing the step-by-step confirmation while
the computer was booting,
and telling it not to load the Double Space
Drivers. I also changed
the word DEVICE to DEVICEHIGH in the startup file.
Thanks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Saw your DOS tutorial, and
need some advise. Was trying to upgrade my
hard drive to Win95 B and
had copied all of my original
files to another hard drive.
Then I removed the partitions on the
current disk, rebooted,
and repartitioned the disk under FAT32.
Had some trouble reinstalling
some software, so I again removed the
partitions, and reformatted
the original hard drive. Installed
Win95 and some other software
and AGAIN had problems with WIN95 locking
up on the load of the Windows
drivers. Was
frustrated, and departitioned
the old hard drive, repartitioned, and
reformattted the drive.
OOPS! I had actually formatted my
BACKUP drive. I have heard
that there are some programs that will go
out and recover data from
a formatted hard drive.
Do you have any recommendations?
Yes, I have most of my files
backed up on tape, but the software now
says that it cannot rebuild
the catalogs from the data
on the tape. Needless to
say, I am quite frustrated! Any advise will
be appreciated.
-------------------------------------------------------
Oh dear!
ON NO ACCOUNT TRY TO WRITE TO THE FORMATED BACKUP DISC!!!!!
I believe that 'Norton' have
a disc recovery facility in their suite,
but can find nobody who
has, as yet, used it with any degree of success
:-(
A long shot, if it is still
FAT 16, you could try the DOS 6 'UNFORMAT'
command, as it is an external
command of only 13Kb it can be used from a
'System' floppy disc. I
have attached a 'printout' of the DOS help file
that will show you how to
use the command.
Sorry not much help, the
only other advice I can give is NEXT TIME, back
up the tape catalogue files
to a floppy!!
Return to Menu
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Can one create a variable in DOS that is answered during the operation of a batch file, such as "Input the computers control number found on the tag next to the keyboard" %1. then pass that onto a set statement such as SET control_number=%1
----------------------------
Well, DOS will ONLY let
a batch file accept input as %1, %2 ...
etc. when called initially.
(e.g. a file called 'folder.bat'
determines personal folders
on a computer and everybody must enter
their own user foldername
before commencing work. So we would get
' folder butterwi ' entered
to define my personal work,
etc.)
That seems out of the question,
so how about getting input from
the keyboard within the
file itself, easy ... BUT DOS will ONLY
accept a SINGLE key press
to be scanned by 'ERRORLEVEL' commands,
in reverse order, on Sundays,
wearing red underpants.... you get
the picture.
BUT, DOS will let you CALL
another batch file, and use that files
contents . . .
So, we have to be SNEAKY
!!!
----------------------------------------------
First we create a file called
' input ' that's it, NO
extension, you will find
it attached to this mail, ALL it is is a
file containing "set answer="
and a 'CTRL+Z', and it is VERY
important
that it is in the same directory
as 'contno.bat' (A CTRL+Z
character is an 'End of
File' or 'delimiter' character, ASCII 26
dec. 1A Hex.)
Stage 2. We create a batch
file to ask for the input, remove
traces of earlier uses,
get input from the keyboard into RAM, save
it out as a file we can
use, recall the file and use the contents
to SET an environmental
variable. Phew, long winded, but know
body said it would be easy!!!
The file is of course attached!
it is HEAVILY commented (thats so
as I could understand what's
happening!) so have fun.
The 'Input' file contains:-
set answer=
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In general, I am pretty much oblivious to DOS. Unfortunately, that proved true when windows crashed and I needed to reinstall. I can access my CD-ROM to reinstall windows 98, although I do not have enough space in the hard drive to install. I typed "format c:" and it appeared to format the hard drive, but it only took about 10 seconds to complete. I attempted to reinstall and it still says that I do not have enough space. I would have thought that the format command would have deleted my hard drive, thus allowing for space, but it doesn't appear to have done so. What shall I do in order to erase enough files to allow for Windows 98 to install? I've tried getting a directory of C, where previously it had shown it to me, but now I keep getting a file not found message.
I would appreciate any assistance that you can give me.
----------------------------------------
First. Are you using a 'large' hard drive i.e. over 512Mb? If so are you using a disc manager program so your hardware can access it? (e.g. Seagate Diskmanager, Quantum 'Ontrack', etc. you can usually tell because on normal boot up a banner ad. comes up) If so are you waiting for the 'Press SPACE BAR' to boot from Floppy' message and THEN putting the floppy in drive A: and booting? Because if not DOS cannot recognise the drive and will give you the error you are getting.
Second. Drives OVER 8.4Gb will also cause problems for DOS.
***** As a LAST resort, and assuming that you have no DATA files that you MUST keep still on drive C: (and I assume not as you tried to Format it!!) *****
Boot up from the floppy, ( after the banner ad.if needs be) and run 'FDISK.EXE' **** be very careful **** from the menu choose the 'Display Partition Information' and check the 'Mbytes' and 'Usage' of the disc. I suggest you then 'Esc' and 'Delate partition or Logical DOS drive', then delate any logical drives, any Extended DOS partitions, and the Primary DOS partition.
THEN choose 'Create DOS partition or Logical drive' and then 'Create Primary DOS partition' Esc. out of 'Fdisk', re-boot and then FORMAT C: /S (this will Format and put the system files onto drive C:) remove the floppy and reboot to drive C: (just to prove you can!). Finally, Boot from the floppy, engage CD drivers and re-install Win98.
-------------------------------------
Thank you, Paul! What you said did the trick. I GREATLY appreciate your voluntary assistance.
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-----Original Message-----
Subject: your ms-dos tutorial
Thank you, Paul, for the life saving tutorial. I know Unix and Linux, but don't know DOS commands. I crashed a PC at work, and couldn't find the info I needed on the web anywhere. (I've put off learning it forever!)
Thanks again!
---------------------------------------
Glad to have been of some assistance. Did you manage to un-trash the machine at work or not? I have been trying to get to grips with Linux for some time but ... (enter any excuse you can think of ) .
----------------------------------------
Yes, I went back to work and got it working in no time. I am Assistant SystAdmin. at the company I work for, and our Sys Admin has been telling me how important it is that I learn DOS for quite a while. I, too, have a myriad of excuses...none of them served me yesterday when I needed the knowledge!
Thanks again. Very well done.
Regards,
Return to Menu
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> -----Original Message-----
> Subject: help on cd-rom drive!
>
>
> >
> >i need your help. I do not know how to install
> cd-rom
> >drivers through dos . I think it has got something
> to
> >do with the MSCDEX command. help now.
> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Assuming you are using an IDE drive -
>
> First you will need the DOS driver that came with
> the CD drive, it will be called 'cd.sys' or 'imes_cd.sys' or
something like
> that :-)
>
> Then edit the 'CONFIG.SYS' file, and add something like the following
>
> DEVICE=C:\CD.SYS /D:MCD01
>
> Where CD.SYS is the name of the program,
>
> Then edit AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the following
>
> C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MCD01
>
> The bit after the /D: MUST be IDENTICAL
in both lines!!!!!!!
>
> If you haven't got a DOS driver I suggest you try
> http://winfiles.com
Hi Paul , this is xxxxxxxx,thank u for yr help. I am
able to install it now, thank u so much. Yrs is a good
website.
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