I have a question about Boot Directly into DOS:

I would like to be able to go to C:\ from Windows. How can I ad the "go to dos" in the shutdown menu on windows me?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Removed from Windows ME.

Try Windows ME recovery diskette, boot from it, add CD C:\ to AUTOEXEC.BAT on diskette.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I don't have a recovery disk only a boot disk. I don't have the uninstall option. I want to get "windows me" out of my comp for good and nothing works. I can't get to dos at start up to follow the tips I found at annoyances for removal. I've been having problems since May when it was installed. Please help!


On Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 11:48 pm, Jack Gulley wrote:
>

Removed from Windows ME.

Try Windows ME recovery diskette, boot from it,
>add CD C:\ to AUTOEXEC.BAT on diskette.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

you can get to a dos prompt by making a shortcut to command.exe....right click the desktop, click new, click shortcut, click browse. locate the COMMAND file (likely located in c:\windows\), click next, click finish... a shortcut to ms-dos will appear. you an also drag and drop the icon to the start button if you would rather it appear on the start menu (click on the start button to see it, it will be near the top) you may have to right lick the shortcut to dos icon and click properties to make some changes to make some dos programs run. under the properties menu, click the progrem tab and put a checkmark next to prevent dos programs form detecting windows....try changing settings under the memory tab if you need to, you may try selecting "protected" and "uses HMA", and you may try different settings in the conventional, expanded, extended, and DPMI memory boxes, it probably wont hurt to use the highest settings possible...under the MISC tab, you may want to disable screen saver. you can also get to a command prompt by getting to the startup menu- while the computer is first turning on, tap the F8 key a few times (be persistant) and if you do it right, a text menu will appear. you should be able to choose from about 5 differnt options, one being command prompt, which will take you to a dos prompt. Be warned if you do this, most windows drivers will not be installed, so you may not have support for sound, printers, etc... I have also seen tweaks available for download by typing dos in windows ME into google or yahoo, but I have been too chicken to try them out.... hope this helps!


On Friday, July 19, 2002 at 3:49 am, Patty wrote:
>I don't have a recovery disk only a boot disk. I don't have the uninstall option.
>I want to get "windows me" out of my comp for good and nothing works. I can't get
>to dos at start up to follow the tips I found at annoyances for removal. I've been
>having problems since May when it was installed. Please help!
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

We've been asked this same question many times recently as beta testers review pre-release versions of Windows ME and more and more information leaks out to the general public. Well, the answer is No, Real-mode DOS has not been removed from Windows. Well hidden maybe, and removed from the boot process, but it's still there. Windows ME is still DOS based like its predecessors, but in an effort to speed up the startup process Microsoft has restructured some of the files necessary to allow you to boot to DOS, use config.sys and autoexec.bat files and view and use a boot menu. We have a patch that will modify your "IO.SYS", "COMMAND.COM" and "REGENV32.EXE" files in order to unhide the real-mode DOS in Windows ME systems, thereby providing you with a boot process like that of previous versions of Windows. This will allow you, for example, to reach the DOS boot menu directly by pressing "Shift-F8" at boot-up, and to use "CONFIG.SYS" and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" as part of the startup process before Windows loads. This patch was tested only with the final release of Win ME (build 4.90.3000) and may not be compatible with other pre-release versions. Note: As stated above, this has only been tested on Windows ME version 4.90.3000 U.S. If you are using a Non-US version of Windows ME this patch may not work and may even cause problems. Installation Procedure In order to install this patch correctly, please follow the instructions below explicitly! While these particular instructions refer to "C:\Windows", you should use the specific directory on your computer into which Windows ME was originally installed. Step One: (This can be done in Windows using Windows Explorer) Create two temporary directories on your hard drive such as C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage and make sure that both are empty. Download the patch (Real_dos.zip) and unzip the 5 included files into the C:\Temp directory. You should have these 5 files: autoexec.bat config.sys File_id.diz Mfd.nfo Winmedos.com Copy the following original Windows ME files into both the C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage directories. Their location is already noted for you. C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM C:\Windows\Command\EBD\IO.SYS (See the "Notes" below, #4) C:\Windows\System\REGENV32.EXE Now you will need to make sure that the "R", "H" and "S" attributes have been removed from the 3 files noted above in only the C:\Temp directory. You can do this from within Windows Explorer by right clicking on each file and choosing "Properties", then uncheck any of the attribute boxes, "Read-only", "Hidden" and "Archive", that may be checked and then click "Apply" and then close the box. Next, using Windows Explorer, locate the "WINMEDOS.COM" file from the (Real_dos.zip) you downloaded and unzipped earlier. Double click on "WINMEDOS.COM" to execute it. Do not move to step two unless you are certain that patch completed successfully. Step Two: Once the patch completes successfully, perform the following tasks in order to complete the installation: Copy the following 3 patched files back to their original locations as noted below, overwriting the originals. Copy "IO.SYS" from the C:\Temp directory to "C:\" Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\" Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp "C:\" Copy "REGENV32.EXE" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM" Next, copy the Config.sys from C:\Temp to C:\ and the Autoexec.bat from C:\Temp to C:\ Notes: 1. The Config.sys contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line: "DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS". You may add any other lines to your Config.sys file as long as the above line remains. 2. The Autoexec.bat contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line: "C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM". You may add any other lines to your Autoexec.bat file as long as the above line remains. 3. In the event that you wish to create a startup menu that will permit you to choose between Windows and MS-DOS at startup, it can be done by editing your "Config.sys" and "Autoexec.bat" files. The syntax of the startup menu is identical to the syntax on Win 9x systems. Keep in mind that the option configured to launch Win ME has to include the appropriate lines that load "IFSHLP.SYS" and run "WIN.COM" as noted above. 4. At startup you will see "Starting Windows Emergency Boot". This can be ignored as the patch uses the IO.SYS provided with the Windows ME Emergency Boot Disk. If you have a problem initially with the function of the DOS boot, replace the IO.SYS file as noted above with the one on your Windows ME Startup Boot Disk. During testing, we noted that on occasion the File Protect features built into Windows ME replaced this file during the boot process. 5. Remember! You saved copies of your original files to the C:\Dos_Storage folder you made at the beginning of this feature. To return your system to its original state, copy the 3 changes files from this directory back to their original directories and remove the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files from the root of your C:\ drive. Disclaimer: We make no warranty of any type or kind with respect to this patch and its use by you or anyone else. Making this change will alter the way your operating system starts and, if done incorrectly, could render your operating system unusable!

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I am unable to locate the patch "real_dos.zip" as listed in your answer. Where can I find It? It is not listed under Software. Thank you for the information.


On Thursday, December 5, 2002 at 5:50 pm, Reines wrote:
>
>We've been asked this same question many times recently as beta testers review pre-release
>versions of Windows ME and more and more information leaks out to the general public.
>Well, the answer is No, Real-mode DOS has not been removed from Windows. Well hidden
>maybe, and removed from the boot process, but it's still there.
>
>Windows ME is still DOS based like its predecessors, but in an effort to speed up
>the startup process Microsoft has restructured some of the files necessary to allow
>you to boot to DOS, use config.sys and autoexec.bat files and view and use a boot
>menu.
>
>We have a patch that will modify your "IO.SYS", "COMMAND.COM" and "REGENV32.EXE"
>files in order to unhide the real-mode DOS in Windows ME systems, thereby providing
>you with a boot process like that of previous versions of Windows. This will allow
>you, for example, to reach the DOS boot menu directly by pressing "Shift-F8" at boot-up,
>and to use "CONFIG.SYS" and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" as part of the startup process before
>Windows loads. This patch was tested only with the final release of Win ME (build
>4.90.3000) and may not be compatible with other pre-release versions.
>
>Note:
>
>As stated above, this has only been tested on Windows ME version 4.90.3000 U.S. If
>you are using a Non-US version of Windows ME this patch may not work and may even
>cause problems.
>
>Installation Procedure
>
>In order to install this patch correctly, please follow the instructions below explicitly!
>
>While these particular instructions refer to "C:\Windows", you should use the specific
>directory on your computer into which Windows ME was originally installed.
>
>Step One: (This can be done in Windows using Windows Explorer)
>
>Create two temporary directories on your hard drive such as C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>and make sure that both are empty.
>
>Download the patch (Real_dos.zip) and unzip the 5 included files into the C:\Temp
>directory. You should have these 5 files:
>
>autoexec.bat
>config.sys
>File_id.diz
>Mfd.nfo
>Winmedos.com
>
>Copy the following original Windows ME files into both the C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>directories. Their location is already noted for you.
>
>C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM
>C:\Windows\Command\EBD\IO.SYS (See the "Notes" below, #4)
>C:\Windows\System\REGENV32.EXE
>
>Now you will need to make sure that the "R", "H" and "S" attributes have been removed
>from the 3 files noted above in only the C:\Temp directory. You can do this from
>within Windows Explorer by right clicking on each file and choosing "Properties",
>then uncheck any of the attribute boxes, "Read-only", "Hidden" and "Archive", that
>may be checked and then click "Apply" and then close the box.
>
>Next, using Windows Explorer, locate the "WINMEDOS.COM" file from the (Real_dos.zip)
>you downloaded and unzipped earlier.
>
>Double click on "WINMEDOS.COM" to execute it. Do not move to step two unless you
>are certain that patch completed successfully.
>
>
>Step Two:
>
>Once the patch completes successfully, perform the following tasks in order to complete
>the installation:
>
>Copy the following 3 patched files back to their original locations as noted below,
>overwriting the originals.
>Copy "IO.SYS" from the C:\Temp directory to "C:\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp "C:\"
>
>Copy "REGENV32.EXE" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM"
>Next, copy the Config.sys from C:\Temp to C:\
>and the Autoexec.bat from C:\Temp to C:\
>Notes:
>
>1. The Config.sys contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Config.sys file as long as the above line remains.
>
>2. The Autoexec.bat contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Autoexec.bat file as long as the above line remains.
>
>3. In the event that you wish to create a startup menu that will permit you to choose
>between Windows and MS-DOS at startup, it can be done by editing your "Config.sys"
>and "Autoexec.bat" files. The syntax of the startup menu is identical to the syntax
>on Win 9x systems.
>
>Keep in mind that the option configured to launch Win ME has to include the appropriate
>lines that load "IFSHLP.SYS" and run "WIN.COM" as noted above.
>
>4. At startup you will see "Starting Windows Emergency Boot". This can be ignored
>as the patch uses the IO.SYS provided with the Windows ME Emergency Boot Disk. If
>you have a problem initially with the function of the DOS boot, replace the IO.SYS
>file as noted above with the one on your Windows ME Startup Boot Disk. During testing,
>we noted that on occasion the File Protect features built into Windows ME replaced
>this file during the boot process.
>
>5. Remember! You saved copies of your original files to the C:\Dos_Storage folder
>you made at the beginning of this feature. To return your system to its original
>state, copy the 3 changes files from this directory back to their original directories
>and remove the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files from the root of your C:\ drive.
>
>Disclaimer: We make no warranty of any type or kind with respect to this patch and
>its use by you or anyone else. Making this change will alter the way your operating
>system starts and, if done incorrectly, could render your operating system unusable!
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I've been having the same prob mate and have just sorted it out. Go to Add/Remove programs and click on the third tab, "Make a Recovery disc" (something like that). Make a disc and then re-boot with the disc in. It should give you the option of starting without CD Rom support, which you should choose. At this point, it should come up with the A:\ prompt which you can then turn to C:\ and format or what ever you want to do. Good luck and any probs, email me. Mark


On Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 11:02 pm, Jerry Sisler wrote:
>I have a question about Boot
>Directly into DOS:

>I would like to be able to go to C:\ from Windows. How can I ad the "go to dos"
>in the shutdown menu on windows me?
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Okay, this *would* work...supposing your system will even boot, which brings me to my problem. My system is crashed. I can't get into anything except BIOS. What could a person do? I can't get it to do anything. I thought if I could boot to DOS mode then I might be able to work from there to fix my problem (Missing wininit.exe & KRNL386.exe). No luck anywhere. I might mention that I can't boot off of a floppy(even changing the boot sequence). Wouldn't ya know I don't have a start up disk either, smart huh? Wondering...if I had a copy of Windows ME, which I don't, (it came pre-installed) could I just re-install over top of the corrupt one? Any help would be appreciated. X-tra 411...suspect bymer virus is responsible for corrupted files. In case you are wondering why I am in this shape...this isn't my PC. I have anti-virus AND a start-up disk. :)


On Thursday, December 5, 2002 at 5:50 pm, Reines wrote:
>
>We've been asked this same question many times recently as beta testers review pre-release
>versions of Windows ME and more and more information leaks out to the general public.
>Well, the answer is No, Real-mode DOS has not been removed from Windows. Well hidden
>maybe, and removed from the boot process, but it's still there.
>
>Windows ME is still DOS based like its predecessors, but in an effort to speed up
>the startup process Microsoft has restructured some of the files necessary to allow
>you to boot to DOS, use config.sys and autoexec.bat files and view and use a boot
>menu.
>
>We have a patch that will modify your "IO.SYS", "COMMAND.COM" and "REGENV32.EXE"
>files in order to unhide the real-mode DOS in Windows ME systems, thereby providing
>you with a boot process like that of previous versions of Windows. This will allow
>you, for example, to reach the DOS boot menu directly by pressing "Shift-F8" at boot-up,
>and to use "CONFIG.SYS" and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" as part of the startup process before
>Windows loads. This patch was tested only with the final release of Win ME (build
>4.90.3000) and may not be compatible with other pre-release versions.
>
>Note:
>
>As stated above, this has only been tested on Windows ME version 4.90.3000 U.S. If
>you are using a Non-US version of Windows ME this patch may not work and may even
>cause problems.
>
>Installation Procedure
>
>In order to install this patch correctly, please follow the instructions below explicitly!
>
>While these particular instructions refer to "C:\Windows", you should use the specific
>directory on your computer into which Windows ME was originally installed.
>
>Step One: (This can be done in Windows using Windows Explorer)
>
>Create two temporary directories on your hard drive such as C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>and make sure that both are empty.
>
>Download the patch (Real_dos.zip) and unzip the 5 included files into the C:\Temp
>directory. You should have these 5 files:
>
>autoexec.bat
>config.sys
>File_id.diz
>Mfd.nfo
>Winmedos.com
>
>Copy the following original Windows ME files into both the C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>directories. Their location is already noted for you.
>
>C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM
>C:\Windows\Command\EBD\IO.SYS (See the "Notes" below, #4)
>C:\Windows\System\REGENV32.EXE
>
>Now you will need to make sure that the "R", "H" and "S" attributes have been removed
>from the 3 files noted above in only the C:\Temp directory. You can do this from
>within Windows Explorer by right clicking on each file and choosing "Properties",
>then uncheck any of the attribute boxes, "Read-only", "Hidden" and "Archive", that
>may be checked and then click "Apply" and then close the box.
>
>Next, using Windows Explorer, locate the "WINMEDOS.COM" file from the (Real_dos.zip)
>you downloaded and unzipped earlier.
>
>Double click on "WINMEDOS.COM" to execute it. Do not move to step two unless you
>are certain that patch completed successfully.
>
>
>Step Two:
>
>Once the patch completes successfully, perform the following tasks in order to complete
>the installation:
>
>Copy the following 3 patched files back to their original locations as noted below,
>overwriting the originals.
>Copy "IO.SYS" from the C:\Temp directory to "C:\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp "C:\"
>
>Copy "REGENV32.EXE" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM"
>Next, copy the Config.sys from C:\Temp to C:\
>and the Autoexec.bat from C:\Temp to C:\
>Notes:
>
>1. The Config.sys contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Config.sys file as long as the above line remains.
>
>2. The Autoexec.bat contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Autoexec.bat file as long as the above line remains.
>
>3. In the event that you wish to create a startup menu that will permit you to choose
>between Windows and MS-DOS at startup, it can be done by editing your "Config.sys"
>and "Autoexec.bat" files. The syntax of the startup menu is identical to the syntax
>on Win 9x systems.
>
>Keep in mind that the option configured to launch Win ME has to include the appropriate
>lines that load "IFSHLP.SYS" and run "WIN.COM" as noted above.
>
>4. At startup you will see "Starting Windows Emergency Boot". This can be ignored
>as the patch uses the IO.SYS provided with the Windows ME Emergency Boot Disk. If
>you have a problem initially with the function of the DOS boot, replace the IO.SYS
>file as noted above with the one on your Windows ME Startup Boot Disk. During testing,
>we noted that on occasion the File Protect features built into Windows ME replaced
>this file during the boot process.
>
>5. Remember! You saved copies of your original files to the C:\Dos_Storage folder
>you made at the beginning of this feature. To return your system to its original
>state, copy the 3 changes files from this directory back to their original directories
>and remove the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files from the root of your C:\ drive.
>
>Disclaimer: We make no warranty of any type or kind with respect to this patch and
>its use by you or anyone else. Making this change will alter the way your operating
>system starts and, if done incorrectly, could render your operating system unusable!
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

IT WORKS!!! THANKS MATE!


On Friday, December 13, 2002 at 7:03 am, Mark Naylor wrote:
>I've been having the same prob mate and have just sorted it out. Go to Add/Remove
>programs and click on the third tab, "Make a Recovery disc" (something like that).
> Make a disc and then re-boot with the disc in. It should give you the option of
>starting without CD Rom support, which you should choose.
>At this point, it should come up with the A:\ prompt which you can then turn to C:\
>and format or what ever you want to do.
>
>Good luck and any probs, email me.
>
>Mark
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Please tell me where I can download the patch (Real_dos.zip) Thank You


On Thursday, December 5, 2002 at 5:50 pm, Reines wrote:
>
>We've been asked this same question many times recently as beta testers review pre-release
>versions of Windows ME and more and more information leaks out to the general public.
>Well, the answer is No, Real-mode DOS has not been removed from Windows. Well hidden
>maybe, and removed from the boot process, but it's still there.
>
>Windows ME is still DOS based like its predecessors, but in an effort to speed up
>the startup process Microsoft has restructured some of the files necessary to allow
>you to boot to DOS, use config.sys and autoexec.bat files and view and use a boot
>menu.
>
>We have a patch that will modify your "IO.SYS", "COMMAND.COM" and "REGENV32.EXE"
>files in order to unhide the real-mode DOS in Windows ME systems, thereby providing
>you with a boot process like that of previous versions of Windows. This will allow
>you, for example, to reach the DOS boot menu directly by pressing "Shift-F8" at boot-up,
>and to use "CONFIG.SYS" and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" as part of the startup process before
>Windows loads. This patch was tested only with the final release of Win ME (build
>4.90.3000) and may not be compatible with other pre-release versions.
>
>Note:
>
>As stated above, this has only been tested on Windows ME version 4.90.3000 U.S. If
>you are using a Non-US version of Windows ME this patch may not work and may even
>cause problems.
>
>Installation Procedure
>
>In order to install this patch correctly, please follow the instructions below explicitly!
>
>While these particular instructions refer to "C:\Windows", you should use the specific
>directory on your computer into which Windows ME was originally installed.
>
>Step One: (This can be done in Windows using Windows Explorer)
>
>Create two temporary directories on your hard drive such as C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>and make sure that both are empty.
>
>Download the patch (Real_dos.zip) and unzip the 5 included files into the C:\Temp
>directory. You should have these 5 files:
>
>autoexec.bat
>config.sys
>File_id.diz
>Mfd.nfo
>Winmedos.com
>
>Copy the following original Windows ME files into both the C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage
>directories. Their location is already noted for you.
>
>C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM
>C:\Windows\Command\EBD\IO.SYS (See the "Notes" below, #4)
>C:\Windows\System\REGENV32.EXE
>
>Now you will need to make sure that the "R", "H" and "S" attributes have been removed
>from the 3 files noted above in only the C:\Temp directory. You can do this from
>within Windows Explorer by right clicking on each file and choosing "Properties",
>then uncheck any of the attribute boxes, "Read-only", "Hidden" and "Archive", that
>may be checked and then click "Apply" and then close the box.
>
>Next, using Windows Explorer, locate the "WINMEDOS.COM" file from the (Real_dos.zip)
>you downloaded and unzipped earlier.
>
>Double click on "WINMEDOS.COM" to execute it. Do not move to step two unless you
>are certain that patch completed successfully.
>
>
>Step Two:
>
>Once the patch completes successfully, perform the following tasks in order to complete
>the installation:
>
>Copy the following 3 patched files back to their original locations as noted below,
>overwriting the originals.
>Copy "IO.SYS" from the C:\Temp directory to "C:\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\"
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp "C:\"
>
>Copy "REGENV32.EXE" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM"
>Next, copy the Config.sys from C:\Temp to C:\
>and the Autoexec.bat from C:\Temp to C:\
>Notes:
>
>1. The Config.sys contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Config.sys file as long as the above line remains.
>
>2. The Autoexec.bat contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Autoexec.bat file as long as the above line remains.
>
>3. In the event that you wish to create a startup menu that will permit you to choose
>between Windows and MS-DOS at startup, it can be done by editing your "Config.sys"
>and "Autoexec.bat" files. The syntax of the startup menu is identical to the syntax
>on Win 9x systems.
>
>Keep in mind that the option configured to launch Win ME has to include the appropriate
>lines that load "IFSHLP.SYS" and run "WIN.COM" as noted above.
>
>4. At startup you will see "Starting Windows Emergency Boot". This can be ignored
>as the patch uses the IO.SYS provided with the Windows ME Emergency Boot Disk. If
>you have a problem initially with the function of the DOS boot, replace the IO.SYS
>file as noted above with the one on your Windows ME Startup Boot Disk. During testing,
>we noted that on occasion the File Protect features built into Windows ME replaced
>this file during the boot process.
>
>5. Remember! You saved copies of your original files to the C:\Dos_Storage folder
>you made at the beginning of this feature. To return your system to its original
>state, copy the 3 changes files from this directory back to their original directories
>and remove the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files from the root of your C:\ drive.
>
>Disclaimer: We make no warranty of any type or kind with respect to this patch and
>its use by you or anyone else. Making this change will alter the way your operating
>system starts and, if done incorrectly, could render your operating system unusable!
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I would not recommend using the utility WinMeDOS.COM with Windows Me. Here's why:

1. I wanted to use Ramdrive to put my swap file into RAM for faster access. To do 
this, I had to modify my boot files with WinMeDOS. It didn't work. Ramdrive allows 
only 32 KILOBYTES (not megabytes) maximum size. This wasn't large enough for my Windows 
Temp directory. Forget the swap file.

2. The changes to my boot files caused problems with startup and shutdown. Sometimes 
startup would hang and I would have to hit reset at least once to get the boot sequence 
to finish. When I would shut down, it would occasionally hang on Rundll32.exe. EVERY 
TIME it would get to the bitmap message "Windows is shutting down" and show a screen 
of vertical orange bars without shutting off the computer. Replacing the modified 
files with WinMe's original files solved the problems.

Some people might have better luck with WinMeDOS than I did, but all I can say is, 
"Caveat emptor." Maybe Microsoft really does know what they are doing.

Don, y'all
.






On Thursday, December 5, 2002 at 5:50 pm, Reines wrote:
>
>We've been asked this same question many times recently as beta testers review pre-release 
>versions of Windows ME and more and more information leaks out to the general public. 
>Well, the answer is No, Real-mode DOS has not been removed from Windows. Well hidden 
>maybe, and removed from the boot process, but it's still there.
>
>Windows ME is still DOS based like its predecessors, but in an effort to speed up 
>the startup process Microsoft has restructured some of the files necessary to allow 
>you to boot to DOS, use config.sys and autoexec.bat files and view and use a boot 
>menu.
>
>We have a patch that will modify your "IO.SYS", "COMMAND.COM" and "REGENV32.EXE" 
>files in order to unhide the real-mode DOS in Windows ME systems, thereby providing 
>you with a boot process like that of previous versions of Windows. This will allow 
>you, for example, to reach the DOS boot menu directly by pressing "Shift-F8" at 
boot-up, 
>and to use "CONFIG.SYS" and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" as part of the startup process before 
>Windows loads. This patch was tested only with the final release of Win ME (build 
>4.90.3000) and may not be compatible with other pre-release versions.
>
>Note:
>
>As stated above, this has only been tested on Windows ME version 4.90.3000 U.S. 
If 
>you are using a Non-US version of Windows ME this patch may not work and may even 
>cause problems.
>
>Installation Procedure
>
>In order to install this patch correctly, please follow the instructions below explicitly!
>
>While these particular instructions refer to "C:\Windows", you should use the specific 
>directory on your computer into which Windows ME was originally installed.
>
>Step One: (This can be done in Windows using Windows Explorer)
>
>Create two temporary directories on your hard drive such as C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage 
>and make sure that both are empty. 
>
>Download the patch (Real_dos.zip) and unzip the 5 included files into the C:\Temp 
>directory. You should have these 5 files: 
>
>autoexec.bat 
>config.sys 
>File_id.diz 
>Mfd.nfo 
>Winmedos.com 
>
>Copy the following original Windows ME files into both the C:\Temp and C:\Dos_Storage 
>directories. Their location is already noted for you. 
>
>C:\Windows\COMMAND.COM 
>C:\Windows\Command\EBD\IO.SYS (See the "Notes" below, #4) 
>C:\Windows\System\REGENV32.EXE 
>
>Now you will need to make sure that the "R", "H" and "S" attributes have been removed 
>from the 3 files noted above in only the C:\Temp directory. You can do this from 
>within Windows Explorer by right clicking on each file and choosing "Properties", 
>then uncheck any of the attribute boxes, "Read-only", "Hidden" and "Archive", that 
>may be checked and then click "Apply" and then close the box. 
>
>Next, using Windows Explorer, locate the "WINMEDOS.COM" file from the (Real_dos.zip) 
>you downloaded and unzipped earlier.
>
>Double click on "WINMEDOS.COM" to execute it. Do not move to step two unless you 
>are certain that patch completed successfully. 
>
>
>Step Two:
>
>Once the patch completes successfully, perform the following tasks in order to complete 
>the installation:
>
>Copy the following 3 patched files back to their original locations as noted below, 
>overwriting the originals. 
>Copy "IO.SYS" from the C:\Temp directory to "C:\" 
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\" 
>
>Copy "COMMAND.COM" from C:\Temp "C:\" 
>
>Copy "REGENV32.EXE" from C:\Temp to "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM" 
>Next, copy the Config.sys from C:\Temp to C:\
>and the Autoexec.bat from C:\Temp to C:\ 
>Notes:
>
>1.  The Config.sys contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Config.sys file as long as the above line remains.
>
>2.  The Autoexec.bat contained in the Real_dos.zip file contains only this line:
>
>"C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM".
>
>You may add any other lines to your Autoexec.bat file as long as the above line 
remains.
>
>3.  In the event that you wish to create a startup menu that will permit you to 
choose 
>between Windows and MS-DOS at startup, it can be done by editing your "Config.sys" 
>and "Autoexec.bat" files. The syntax of the startup menu is identical to the syntax 
>on Win 9x systems.
>
>Keep in mind that the option configured to launch Win ME has to include the appropriate 
>lines that load "IFSHLP.SYS" and run "WIN.COM" as noted above.
>
>4.  At startup you will see "Starting Windows Emergency Boot". This can be ignored 
>as the patch uses  the IO.SYS provided with the Windows ME Emergency Boot Disk. 
If 
>you have a problem initially with the function of the DOS boot, replace the IO.SYS 
>file as noted above with the one on your Windows ME Startup Boot Disk. During testing, 
>we noted that on occasion the File Protect features built into Windows ME replaced 
>this file during the boot process.
>
>5.  Remember! You saved copies of your original files to the C:\Dos_Storage folder 
>you made at the beginning of this feature. To return your system to its original 
>state, copy the 3 changes files from this directory back to their original directories 
>and remove the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files from the root of your C:\ drive.
>
>Disclaimer: We make no warranty of any type or kind with respect to this patch and 
>its use by you or anyone else. Making this change will alter the way your operating 
>system starts and, if done incorrectly, could render your operating system unusable!
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER - THANKS


On Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 3:23 am, paul smith wrote:
>you can get to a dos prompt by making a shortcut to
>command.exe....right click the desktop, click new, click shortcut, click browse.
> locate the COMMAND file (likely located in c:\windows\), click next, click finish...
>a shortcut to ms-dos will appear.
>
>you an also drag and drop the icon to the start button if you would rather it appear
>on the start menu (click on the start button to see it, it will be near the top)
>
>you may have to right lick the shortcut to dos icon and click properties to make
>some changes to make some dos programs run.
>
>under the properties menu, click the progrem tab and put a checkmark next to prevent
>dos programs form detecting windows....try changing settings under the memory tab
>if you need to, you may try selecting "protected" and "uses HMA", and you may try
>different settings in the conventional, expanded, extended, and DPMI memory boxes,
>it probably wont hurt to use the highest settings possible...under the MISC tab,
>you may want to disable screen saver.
>
>you can also get to a command prompt by getting to the startup menu- while the computer
>is first turning on, tap the F8 key a few times (be persistant) and if you do it
>right, a text menu will appear. you should be able to choose from about 5 differnt
>options, one being command prompt, which will take you to a dos prompt. Be warned
>if you do this, most windows drivers will not be installed, so you may not have support
>for sound, printers, etc...
>
>I have also seen tweaks available for download by typing dos in windows ME into google
>or yahoo, but I have been too chicken to try them out....
>hope this helps!
>
>

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