DOS boot (f8)

When this particular machine boots, hitting f8 gets you the
menu that lets you go into pure DOS.

Isn't there some binary .sys file you replace with a text version in
order to get this startup menu automatically?


- = -
Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for Bimbos]

Start menu, Run, type: msconfig and click OK. On the resulting screen,
click the Advanced button, mark the Enable Startup Menu box and click OK.

--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



wrote in message
...
When this particular machine boots, hitting f8 gets you the
menu that lets you go into pure DOS.

Isn't there some binary .sys file you replace with a text version in
order to get this startup menu automatically?


- = -
Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for
Bimbos]

Hi,
Try modifying the BootMenu= option in the msdos.sys file to a value of "1"
instead of "0".
Here is some more info about msdos.sys:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdossys.htm
Do not change it to a text file as you mentioned below. Be sure to make a
backup copy of the file first too. And also, it is a good idea to verify your
system can boot successfully to a ERD repair floppy before messing with any
of the files that boot the OS on your hard drive.

" wrote:

When this particular machine boots, hitting f8 gets you the
menu that lets you go into pure DOS.

Isn't there some binary .sys file you replace with a text version in
order to get this startup menu automatically?


- = -
Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus, BioStrategist
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for Bimbos]

The suggestion from Ron does that same thing, change BootMenu=0 to
BootMenu=1, only a lot more easily.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Bryan" wrote in message
...
Hi,
Try modifying the BootMenu= option in the msdos.sys file to a value of "1"
instead of "0".
Here is some more info about msdos.sys:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdossys.htm
Do not change it to a text file as you mentioned below. Be sure to make a
backup copy of the file first too. And also, it is a good idea to verify
your
system can boot successfully to a ERD repair floppy before messing with
any
of the files that boot the OS on your hard drive.

" wrote:

When this particular machine boots, hitting f8 gets you the
menu that lets you go into pure DOS.

Isn't there some binary .sys file you replace with a text version in
order to get this startup menu automatically?


- = -
Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus,
BioStrategist
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully
disclaimed.}---
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for
Bimbos]

Forgot we were talking about Windows ME. Windows ME doesn't *have* an
MSDOS.SYS file.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Bryan" wrote in message
...
Hi,
Try modifying the BootMenu= option in the msdos.sys file to a value of "1"
instead of "0".
Here is some more info about msdos.sys:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdossys.htm
Do not change it to a text file as you mentioned below. Be sure to make a
backup copy of the file first too. And also, it is a good idea to verify
your
system can boot successfully to a ERD repair floppy before messing with
any
of the files that boot the OS on your hard drive.

" wrote:

When this particular machine boots, hitting f8 gets you the
menu that lets you go into pure DOS.

Isn't there some binary .sys file you replace with a text version in
order to get this startup menu automatically?


- = -
Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus,
BioStrategist
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully
disclaimed.}---
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for
Bimbos]

On Wed, 16 May 2007 11:57:43 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:

Forgot we were talking about Windows ME. Windows ME doesn't *have* an
MSDOS.SYS file.

Really? How does it define WinDir and other Path variables?

Perhaps what the original poster was referring to, was the way that
MSDOS.SYS used to be a binary code file in pre-Win95 MS-DOS, but since
then has been a text-editable settings file.

WinME rolls some "loose" code files into IO.SYS, such as HiMem.sys,
SetVer.exe and SmartDrv, but AFAIK it still reads Winboot.ini (usually
not present) and if no Winboot.ini, MSDOS.SYS (usually present) to
define OS paths and determine some boot-time settings.

Some of these settings won't work anymore (e.g. BootGUI=0), while
others should (e.g. Bootmenu=1).

Other "DOS" settings files that are crippled in WinME, include
Config.sys, Autoexec.bat and WinStart.bat - only environment variable
Set statements are harvested from these (now held in a registry key)
before replacing the files with empty boilerplate forms.

Scandisk.ini is still present, and edits to it are retained, but these
settings have no impact on the way WinME's GUI-based auto-Scandisk
operates. There's far less control available, reached via the
Scandisk UI, and settings there don't "stick" unless you run a
Scandisk after setting them, before closing the dialog box.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/startup.htm





--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -
If you're happy and you know it, clunk your chains.
--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

Maybe I failed to search decently, but AFAIK, my clean install of ME has no
MSDOS.SYS file. (It's sitting aside while I use the desk space for another
project, so I can't check right now.) I'll look again.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote in
message ...
On Wed, 16 May 2007 11:57:43 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:

Forgot we were talking about Windows ME. Windows ME doesn't *have* an
MSDOS.SYS file.

Really? How does it define WinDir and other Path variables?

Perhaps what the original poster was referring to, was the way that
MSDOS.SYS used to be a binary code file in pre-Win95 MS-DOS, but since
then has been a text-editable settings file.

WinME rolls some "loose" code files into IO.SYS, such as HiMem.sys,
SetVer.exe and SmartDrv, but AFAIK it still reads Winboot.ini (usually
not present) and if no Winboot.ini, MSDOS.SYS (usually present) to
define OS paths and determine some boot-time settings.

Some of these settings won't work anymore (e.g. BootGUI=0), while
others should (e.g. Bootmenu=1).

Other "DOS" settings files that are crippled in WinME, include
Config.sys, Autoexec.bat and WinStart.bat - only environment variable
Set statements are harvested from these (now held in a registry key)
before replacing the files with empty boilerplate forms.

Scandisk.ini is still present, and edits to it are retained, but these
settings have no impact on the way WinME's GUI-based auto-Scandisk
operates. There's far less control available, reached via the
Scandisk UI, and settings there don't "stick" unless you run a
Scandisk after setting them, before closing the dialog box.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/startup.htm





--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -
If you're happy and you know it, clunk your chains.
--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

I don't have ME installed anywhere at home or work to check, but as I recall it does
have an MSDOS.SYS file, and this seems to concur:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/118579#appliesto

http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm

I have very little experience with ME, as I rarely saw it installed. Only one
machine at work ever had it, and we took it out of service a while ago.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Maybe I failed to search decently, but AFAIK, my clean install of ME has no
MSDOS.SYS file. (It's sitting aside while I use the desk space for another
project, so I can't check right now.) I'll look again.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 May 2007 11:57:43 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:

Forgot we were talking about Windows ME. Windows ME doesn't *have* an
MSDOS.SYS file.

Really? How does it define WinDir and other Path variables?

Perhaps what the original poster was referring to, was the way that
MSDOS.SYS used to be a binary code file in pre-Win95 MS-DOS, but since
then has been a text-editable settings file.

WinME rolls some "loose" code files into IO.SYS, such as HiMem.sys,
SetVer.exe and SmartDrv, but AFAIK it still reads Winboot.ini (usually
not present) and if no Winboot.ini, MSDOS.SYS (usually present) to
define OS paths and determine some boot-time settings.

Some of these settings won't work anymore (e.g. BootGUI=0), while
others should (e.g. Bootmenu=1).

Other "DOS" settings files that are crippled in WinME, include
Config.sys, Autoexec.bat and WinStart.bat - only environment variable
Set statements are harvested from these (now held in a registry key)
before replacing the files with empty boilerplate forms.

Scandisk.ini is still present, and edits to it are retained, but these
settings have no impact on the way WinME's GUI-based auto-Scandisk
operates. There's far less control available, reached via the
Scandisk UI, and settings there don't "stick" unless you run a
Scandisk after setting them, before closing the dialog box.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/startup.htm





--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -
If you're happy and you know it, clunk your chains.
--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

We'll just have to wait until I hook the machine back up. At least, *I*
won't be convinced until then, bg.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
I don't have ME installed anywhere at home or work to check, but as I
recall it does have an MSDOS.SYS file, and this seems to concur:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/118579#appliesto

http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm

I have very little experience with ME, as I rarely saw it installed. Only
one machine at work ever had it, and we took it out of service a while
ago.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Maybe I failed to search decently, but AFAIK, my clean install of ME has
no MSDOS.SYS file. (It's sitting aside while I use the desk space for
another project, so I can't check right now.) I'll look again.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote in
message ...
On Wed, 16 May 2007 11:57:43 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:

Forgot we were talking about Windows ME. Windows ME doesn't *have* an
MSDOS.SYS file.

Really? How does it define WinDir and other Path variables?

Perhaps what the original poster was referring to, was the way that
MSDOS.SYS used to be a binary code file in pre-Win95 MS-DOS, but since
then has been a text-editable settings file.

WinME rolls some "loose" code files into IO.SYS, such as HiMem.sys,
SetVer.exe and SmartDrv, but AFAIK it still reads Winboot.ini (usually
not present) and if no Winboot.ini, MSDOS.SYS (usually present) to
define OS paths and determine some boot-time settings.

Some of these settings won't work anymore (e.g. BootGUI=0), while
others should (e.g. Bootmenu=1).

Other "DOS" settings files that are crippled in WinME, include
Config.sys, Autoexec.bat and WinStart.bat - only environment variable
Set statements are harvested from these (now held in a registry key)
before replacing the files with empty boilerplate forms.

Scandisk.ini is still present, and edits to it are retained, but these
settings have no impact on the way WinME's GUI-based auto-Scandisk
operates. There's far less control available, reached via the
Scandisk UI, and settings there don't "stick" unless you run a
Scandisk after setting them, before closing the dialog box.

See http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/startup.htm





--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -
If you're happy and you know it, clunk your chains.
--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

On Sun, 27 May 2007 17:43:37 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:

We'll just have to wait until I hook the machine back up. At least, *I*
won't be convinced until then, bg.

Heh... I don't have WinME running anywhere (tho I have clients who do)
but I may have some "contents of HD" lying around. Trouble is, they
will be on a pile of loose 320G S-ATAs that I can't hot-swap too
easily (I don't think one can bang 'em into the internal S-ATA?)

Hm... a look through the first few .CAB in the pre-installation file
set doesn't show any MSDOS.SYS either. Mind you, that's true for the
Win98SE pre-installation file set too.

A search( Win ME MSDOS.SYS ) finds...

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/microsoft/msdos.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=118579

....and the latter pretty much settles the issue, I guess.



---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
On the 'net, *everyone* can hear you scream
---------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -