"dadiOH" wrote in news:#LKS5LGGHHA.1216
@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:
I recently had a machine where bootup stopped at a C prompt because
of this.

The msdos.sys file is hidden, the attribute is read-only. Yet a
sound card install apparently changed the default BootGUI setting
from 1 to 0.

Changing it back restored the system.

How can any program write to a read only hidden file?

It is only "hidden" from you. It is "read only" only when writing to
it via the system. One can access files totally bypassing the system.
You think viruses use the system??

One can also, as Candlin said, change the attribute, write then
reinstitute the attribute. You can do that too via Windows.

BTW, not a good idea to have hidden files.



Thanks.

I didn't think Creative Soundblaster driver software (from it's own site)
would be written to do that. Windows booting to only a DOS prompt is not
normal, and that's the change it made.

ms