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COMP1.EXE
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BOOT.PRS
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1993-12-20
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åêòêìå ÿÄöæ Åé Ç üÄÄô ╬╠╬╠╬╠╬╠╧╧╬╠╬╠╬╠╡
│ Boot disks. You know the
│ things. They came with your PC
≤τΣ τ⌠∞ßδΣ │ when you bought it.
▄▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ │ If you don't have a hard drive
█▄▄▀ █ █ █ █ ▐▌ │ (and not many people don't these
█▄▄▀ ▀▄▄▀ ▀▄▄▀ ▐▌ │ days), then you still use it to
▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ │ start your machine up, but for
█ █ █ ▀▄▄ █▄▀ │ the vast majority of you, they
█▄▄▀ █ ▄▄▄▀ █ ▀▄ │ get stuck in a box and forgotten
│ about. Until that dreaded day
│ when your hard drive fails, or a
│ virus strick's or some similar
ß√ ∩Σ≤Σ Γαδ⌡Σ±≤ │ catastrophe sends you searching
University of Adelaide │ through your disk collection for
│ it so that you can rescue all
│ your work.
" φΣ⌡Σ± ßεε≤ εσ α σδε∩∩√ ÷τε≥Σ │
τΦ≥≤ε±√ √ε⌠ α±Σ ⌠φα÷α±Σ εσ. " │ There also comes a time in the
│ computing life of all but the
│ most unadventurous PC users when
you want to fiddle around with │ Then there are other people
your PC's autoexec.bat and │ who have several versions of
config.sys files. Fine! It's fun │ their startup files and will
and you can really enhance your │ rename the appropriate ones to
PC's performance if you know what │ config.sys and autoexec.bat when
you are doing. │ they require that their PC
Unfortunately most people │ functions in a particular way.
don't fully understand all the │ σε± αφ Σ≈α∞∩δΣ, ≥ε∞Σ≤Φ∞Σ≥ Φ
ins and outs of DOS programming │ ÷αφ≤ ≤ε ΓεφφΣΓ≤ ≤ε α φΣ≤÷ε±Ω,
and can turn out a couple of │ ≥ε∞Σ≤Φ∞Σ≥ Σ∞⌠δα≤Σ≈∩αφπΣπ ∞Σ∞ε±√,
system files that not only won't │ ≥ε∞Σ≤Φ∞Σ≥ ≥Σ≤ ⌠∩ α ±α∞ π±Φ⌡Σ, αφπ
improve your system's │ ≥ε∞Σ≤Φ∞Σ≥ ΓταφµΦφµ ≤τΣ Γε∞∞αφπ
performance, they might actually │ ≥τΣδδ ≤τα≤ Φ ε∩Σ±α≤Σ Φφ.
prevent it from booting up │
altogether. A quick control-c can │ α ≥εδ⌠≤Φεφ ≤ε ∞αΩΦφµ ßε≤τ
sometimes rectify the problem, │ ≤τΣ≥Σ ≤α≥Ω≥ Σα≥ΦΣ± Φ≥ ≤τΣ τ⌠∞ßδΣ
giving you the opportunity to fix │ ßεε≤ πΦ≥Ω. In fact, there are a
them up again, but wouldn't it be │ growing number of games these
nicer to have some added │ days that require a PC's
insurance. │ resources be set up in a
particular way so that they can │ The first one is the one that
be played - and have a "make boot │ came with your PC, with the
disk" option to create the │ original settings, or, failing
appropriate config.sys and │ that, a boot disk with the
autoexec.bat files that will do │ minimum number of bits to it to
just that (plus launch the game). │ get the machine to boot up. This
│ disk can be used in a larger
But, I hear you say, boot │ variety of PCs (if you have more
disks take longer to boot from │ than one, or are using other
than from a hard drive. True. But │ people's machine's - with their
if the config.sys and │ permission of course), and can
autoexec.bat files are short and │ easily be a starting point for
simple then the time saving │ developing new config.sys and
gained by not having to edit your │ autoexec.bat files.
hard disk's copy of these files │
more than outweighs any time │ ≤ε ≤±αφ≥σε±∞ α πΦ≥Ω Φφ≤ε α
saving in speed of disk access. │ ßεε≤⌠∩-πΦ≥Ω, you simply place a
│ formated disk (preferably new, to
Φ ≥⌠µµΣ≥≤ ≤τα≤ √ε⌠ τα⌡Σ α≤ │ insure it is virus free), and
δΣα≥≤ ≤÷ε ßεε≤ πΦ≥Ω≥. │ then issuing the SYS command:
│ The above files are, as I
SYS A: │ said, very basic. Loading Dos
│ into high memory, running the
(this copies the system files │ HIMEM memory manager and setting
needed for boot-up to the disk in │ up a temp directory aren't
drive A:) │ included. With a little
You are left with a boot-up │ adjustment according to what
disk, you may wish to leave it at │ version of DOS you are using you
that, however, you can configure │ should come up with a basic no
your system by creating a │ frills set of files. Have a look
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT on │ at your dos manual for details on
the disk - can be done using a │ each bootup option.
simple editor. An example of a │ Write protecting the system
very basic config.sys and │ disk is essential. If your hard
autoexec.bat is shown here. │ drive is infected with a virus,
│ your only hope of stopping the
ΓεφσΦµ.≥√≥ α⌠≤εΣ≈ΣΓ.ßα≤ │ infection from spreading, is to
buffers=10 prompt $p$g │ reboot of a clean system disk. In
files=30 path=c:\dos │ the next issue we will look at
│ virus detection and prevention.
│ Your collection of boot disks
The second set of disks, is │ can grow when you discover other
that of your current system │ boot requirements, making a new
files. If you want to muck around │ boot disk for each config.sys and
with different settings: install │ autoexec.bat combination that
a RAM drive, emulate expanded │ will be used in the future (and
memory, change the command shell │ don't forget to comment it with
etc. then you have a backup of │ remarks).
your boot files in case anything │ DOS 6 users can set up their
goes wrong. You don't have to │ system to give them a choice of
remember what the files looked │ configurations to boot the
like before you started tampering │ machine with (ie: a choice
with them, you have them on disk. │ between a number of config.sys &
Liberally sprinkling your files │ autoexec.bat on bootup). We will
with rem statements is also good │ show you another alternative for
idea, particularly if someone │ multi-autoexec.bat bootup for any
with less DOS knowledge than you │ Dos version in the next edition.
is trying to understand how your │
files work. │ Its not a bad idea to clear
│ your root directory of all but
the system files (hidden .sys │ to determine why your PC isn't
files plus config.sys, │ working the way that it should.
autoexec.bat and command.com) │
plus any special batch files that │ Keep in mind that you might
can't be squirrelled away │ also want to have your boot disks
elsewhere. │ on different size floppies too.
Your boot disk can then be │ While most PCs now have a 3.5"
copied to c:\ (thus replacing │ high density disk drive as drive
config.sys, autoexec.bat, │ A:, some older PCs still have
command.com and any of the │ only double density drives, and
special purpose batch files) in │ others have 5.25" drives for A:.
preparation for a fast reboot to │ Definitely not the most exciting
the required setup. │ disks in your collection, they
│ will certainly be some of the
It also makes it a lot easier │ most valuable, especially if the
to show others how you have set │ wheels fall off. And lets hope it
up your PC for a particular task. │ never happens.
Just copy your boot disk for │
them. This is a positive boon for │ A point in closing. φΣ⌡Σ± ßεε≤
tech support when they are trying │ εσ α σδε∩∩√ ÷τε≥Σ τΦ≥≤ε±√ √ε⌠
α±Σ ⌠φα÷α±Σ εσ. You could be │
putting a virus on your PC. │
Putting a virus scanner (and │
there are plenty around) on one │
of your "clean" boot disks and │
checking periodically for viruses │
can save a lot of heartache. You │
owe it to yourself to keep your │
PC running as it should, clean of │
"diseases" and able to be rescued │
should things go wrong. │
│
And one last thing. Don't forget │
to write protect your boot disks │
either. It's a small price to pay │
for peace of mind ñ │