DOS question

"Ben Myers" wrote in
:


Sounds like the computer is having trouble reading the floppy. To
test it, try it on another computer or use ScanDisk in thorough or
surface scan mode. Concerning the floppy drive in the problem
computer, you might try cleaning it or replacing it with a known good
drive.

The floppy reads fine in another computer.

ms

Brian A. wrote:
"Marcus Red" wrote in message
...

Well it's too late now, but the reason you couldn't CD DOS is that
"DOS" is a file; very likely the last one that "copy a:*.* c:\dos"
overwrote - if there isn't a directory called c:\DOS then "copy"
ASSuMEs that the target is a filename.
You needed to have "md c:\dos" first.


From the OPs original post:
quote
Rebooted to (W95) C prompt.

Copied the 3 DOS install disks to a new DOS directory in C.

Rebooted, DIR at C shows the DOS directory
/quote

Well, that's what he *thought* he was doing. I'm betting that Marcus
is right and that ms's DIR showed him a file named "DOS"...that he
never made a directory.


--�

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
Brian A. wrote:
"Marcus Red" wrote in message
...

Well it's too late now, but the reason you couldn't CD DOS is that
"DOS" is a file; very likely the last one that "copy a:*.* c:\dos"
overwrote - if there isn't a directory called c:\DOS then "copy"
ASSuMEs that the target is a filename.
You needed to have "md c:\dos" first.


From the OPs original post:
quote
Rebooted to (W95) C prompt.

Copied the 3 DOS install disks to a new DOS directory in C.

Rebooted, DIR at C shows the DOS directory
/quote

Well, that's what he *thought* he was doing. I'm betting that Marcus
is right and that ms's DIR showed him a file named "DOS"...that he
never made a directory.


--�


A likely possiblity it could have been a file instead of a directory. Since ms
never mentioned either way and we can't see his machine, only he could explain what
he did and what he saw. That waters under the bridge and passed by at this point in
time.



--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"Ben Myers" wrote in
:

Sounds like the computer is having trouble reading the floppy. To
test it, try it on another computer or use ScanDisk in thorough or
surface scan mode. Concerning the floppy drive in the problem
computer, you might try cleaning it or replacing it with a known good
drive.

"ms" wrote in message
...

The floppy reads fine in another computer.

This seems to confirm that you should replace the
floppy drive as recommended. These things do not
last for ever . . .

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

"Brian A." gonefish'n@afarawaylake wrote in
:

"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
Brian A. wrote:
"Marcus Red" wrote in message
...

Well it's too late now, but the reason you couldn't CD DOS is that
"DOS" is a file; very likely the last one that "copy a:*.* c:\dos"
overwrote - if there isn't a directory called c:\DOS then "copy"
ASSuMEs that the target is a filename.
You needed to have "md c:\dos" first.


From the OPs original post:
quote
Rebooted to (W95) C prompt.

Copied the 3 DOS install disks to a new DOS directory in C.

Rebooted, DIR at C shows the DOS directory
/quote

Well, that's what he *thought* he was doing. I'm betting that Marcus
is right and that ms's DIR showed him a file named "DOS"...that he
never made a directory.


--�


A likely possiblity it could have been a file instead of a
directory. Since ms
never mentioned either way and we can't see his machine, only he could
explain what he did and what he saw. That waters under the bridge and
passed by at this point in time.


It was simply that the copy parameters worked, but my path statement was
wrong, it's been years since I used DOS, so tried to copy to a new
directory, DOS does not do that, have to create the directory first, then
copy files into it. The result was the intended directory name, but was
actually empty.

Sorry that I exercised you folks when the dirctory did not exist, but I
learned how to detect it in this thread.

ms

"Don Phillipson" wrote in
:

"Ben Myers" wrote in
:

Sounds like the computer is having trouble reading the floppy. To
test it, try it on another computer or use ScanDisk in thorough or
surface scan mode. Concerning the floppy drive in the problem
computer, you might try cleaning it or replacing it with a known
good
drive.

"ms" wrote in message
...

The floppy reads fine in another computer.

This seems to confirm that you should replace the
floppy drive as recommended. These things do not
last for ever . . .


Don, I should have included that the machine's floppy drive works fine,
that was a possibility, but not the solution. If I could get into BIOS
and change the boot sequence, I think that would do it.

ms

ms wrote:

Don, I should have included that the machine's floppy drive works
fine, that was a possibility, but not the solution. If I could get
into BIOS and change the boot sequence, I think that would do it.

Why?

1. You have no DOS (or other OS) on the HD.
2. You are trying to install to HD DOS from floppies. Without
success.
3. You want to copy the install floppies to HD and use the HD data to
install.

If you do #3 and then dump A: from the boot chain then how, pray tell,
do you think you are going to access the HD? It does not compute...


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"dadiOH" wrote in news:#P$#0ajQIHA.5692
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:

Don, I should have included that the machine's floppy drive works
fine, that was a possibility, but not the solution. If I could get
into BIOS and change the boot sequence, I think that would do it.

Why?

1. You have no DOS (or other OS) on the HD.
2. You are trying to install to HD DOS from floppies. Without
success.
3. You want to copy the install floppies to HD and use the HD data to
install.

If you do #3 and then dump A: from the boot chain then how, pray tell,
do you think you are going to access the HD? It does not compute...



I came to that conclusion when I posted about that, and stated it.

As usual, your post is not helpful.

ms

ms wrote:
"dadiOH" wrote in news:#P$#0ajQIHA.5692
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:

Don, I should have included that the machine's floppy drive works
fine, that was a possibility, but not the solution. If I could get
into BIOS and change the boot sequence, I think that would do it.

Why?

1. You have no DOS (or other OS) on the HD.
2. You are trying to install to HD DOS from floppies. Without
success.
3. You want to copy the install floppies to HD and use the HD
data to install.

If you do #3 and then dump A: from the boot chain then how, pray
tell, do you think you are going to access the HD? It does not
compute...



I came to that conclusion when I posted about that, and stated it.

You did? I quoted what you posted when I replied to it. I did not
and do not see your conclusion, do you?
_____________

As usual, your post is not helpful.

And as usual your posts and replies are generally a morass of
unsnipped verbiage that is unnecessary and which makes finding
something very difficult. This one happens to be one of the rare
exceptions but only because others had already snipped.

Also as usual you are thrashing about trying to do something about
which you haven't a clue. Which is good in a way as it gives others
in the group something to do. Have you considered a hobby other than
computers?

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:
ms wrote:
"dadiOH" wrote in news:#P$#0ajQIHA.5692
@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl:

ms wrote:

Don, I should have included that the machine's floppy drive works
fine, that was a possibility, but not the solution. If I could get
into BIOS and change the boot sequence, I think that would do it.

Why?

1. You have no DOS (or other OS) on the HD.
2. You are trying to install to HD DOS from floppies. Without
success.
3. You want to copy the install floppies to HD and use the HD
data to install.

If you do #3 and then dump A: from the boot chain then how, pray
tell, do you think you are going to access the HD? It does not
compute...



I came to that conclusion when I posted about that, and stated it.

You did? I quoted what you posted when I replied to it. I did not
and do not see your conclusion, do you?
_____________

As usual, your post is not helpful.

And as usual your posts and replies are generally a morass of
unsnipped verbiage that is unnecessary and which makes finding
something very difficult. This one happens to be one of the rare
exceptions but only because others had already snipped.

Also as usual you are thrashing about trying to do something about
which you haven't a clue. Which is good in a way as it gives others
in the group something to do. Have you considered a hobby other than
computers?

That wasn't very nice, Don. Come on now, you can be a little bit more of
a gentleman than that. Old school values? Nevermind, I'm probably
dating myself.