Restarting in MS-DOS mode

Stegozor · External Since: Jul 14, 2006 Posts: 9

Hi all,

I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode. The problem
is that I lent my hard disk to a friend who needed to make a backup on
his PC, and he returned it to me with a new partition containing Windows
XP and many copies of his files. I haven't really understood what he
did, but anyway, now when I reboot my computer, I have to choose between
two versions of Windows and pressing F8 doesn't offer the choice of
DOS mode anymore. The start menu of Windows Me doesn't offer to reboot
in this mode either.

Could someone tell me what should I do in order to get a "pure" DOS
console? (in order to test DOS version of packet drivers for my network
interface card, all this for the Arachne web suite, but that's another
story).

Crosspost to news:microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support ,
follow-up to microsoft.public.windowsme.general

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Ayush · External Since: Oct 24, 2006 Posts: 10

Replied to [Stegozor]s message :
-----------------------------------------------------------
> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode.....

Post in :
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsme.general

--
Ayush [ Be Smile

Happy ]
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Snip your long urls - http://snipurl.com/
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John John · External Since: Jun 05, 2004 Posts: 1937

Do you intend on using that Windows XP installation? Out of the box
Windows Me never had an option to boot to DOS in its boot menu. You
would have had to hack it a tiny bit to gain that option. You can boot
to DOS using a floppy diskette. As for the boot menu no use giving you
instructions without knowing which boot loader you want to stick with.
Your questions regarding Windows Me and its boot options should be
posted to the Windows Me group,
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsme.general there are
some very knowledgeable people there who will be able to give you good
help and advice.

John

Stegozor wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode. The problem
> is that I lent my hard disk to a friend who needed to make a backup on
> his PC, and he returned it to me with a new partition containing Windows
> XP and many copies of his files. I haven't really understood what he
> did, but anyway, now when I reboot my computer, I have to choose between
> two versions of Windows and pressing F8 doesn't offer the choice of
> DOS mode anymore. The start menu of Windows Me doesn't offer to reboot
> in this mode either.
>
> Could someone tell me what should I do in order to get a "pure" DOS
> console? (in order to test DOS version of packet drivers for my network
> interface card, all this for the Arachne web suite, but that's another
> story).
>
> Crosspost to news:microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support ,
> follow-up to microsoft.public.windowsme.general
>

philo · External Since: Mar 05, 2004 Posts: 342

"Stegozor" <stegozor.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4573048a$0$171$a3f2974a@nnrp1.numericable.fr...
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode. The problem
> is that I lent my hard disk to a friend who needed to make a backup on
> his PC, and he returned it to me with a new partition containing Windows
> XP and many copies of his files. I haven't really understood what he
> did, but anyway, now when I reboot my computer, I have to choose between
> two versions of Windows and pressing F8 doesn't offer the choice of
> DOS mode anymore. The start menu of Windows Me doesn't offer to reboot
> in this mode either.
>
> Could someone tell me what should I do in order to get a "pure" DOS
> console? (in order to test DOS version of packet drivers for my network
> interface card, all this for the Arachne web suite, but that's another
> story).
>
>

WinME never had the ability to restart in pure DOS...
that was win95/98

Although WinME could be hacked to do so...it might be easier to just bootup
using a winME boot floppy
with your own customized autoexec.bat and config.sys

BTW: Good for you working on an Arachne website

I've used Arachne a number of times of ancient hardware...
even a 386 with 2 megs of RAM can have a GUI-based web browser!!!!

Ayush · External Since: Oct 24, 2006 Posts: 10

Replied to [Stegozor]s message :
-----------------------------------------------------------
> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode.....

Post in :
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsme.general

--
Ayush [ Be Smile

Happy ]
-------------
Search - www.Google.com | Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org
Snip your long urls - http://snipurl.com/
-------------

Bruce Chambers · External Since: Jun 26, 2005 Posts: 60

Stegozor wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode. The problem
> is that I lent my hard disk to a friend who needed to make a backup on
> his PC, and he returned it to me with a new partition containing Windows
> XP and many copies of his files. I haven't really understood what he
> did, but anyway, now when I reboot my computer, I have to choose between
> two versions of Windows and pressing F8 doesn't offer the choice of
> DOS mode anymore. The start menu of Windows Me doesn't offer to reboot
> in this mode either.
>
> Could someone tell me what should I do in order to get a "pure" DOS
> console? (in order to test DOS version of packet drivers for my network
> interface card, all this for the Arachne web suite, but that's another
> story).
>
> Crosspost to news:microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support ,
> follow-up to microsoft.public.windowsme.general
>

It sounds like your friend took liberties with your system and created
a dual-boot scenario for you, probably using a pirated copy of WinXP,
since your didn't own a license for it to start with. The WinXP boot
loader has replaced WinME's boot files.

I'm not entirely positive that the following will work, never having
actually used a computer with WinME, but to remove a dual-boot:

Normally, assuming Win9x/Me is installed to the C: drive, you'd
just have to boot from your Win98/Me startup diskette, type "SYS C:."
Then delete C:\NTLDR, C:\NTDETECT.COM, C:\BOOT.INI, C:\BOOTSEC.DOS, and
C:\PAGEFILE.SYS. Delete or reformat the WinXP directory/partition, as
applicable. Remove the startup diskette and reboot.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

Stegozor · External Since: Jul 14, 2006 Posts: 9

philo wrote:
> "Stegozor" <stegozor.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4573048a$0$171$a3f2974a@nnrp1.numericable.fr...
>>
>> I'd like to restart my Windows Millennium under MS-DOS mode.
>
> WinME never had the ability to restart in pure DOS...
> that was win95/98

OK, I was confusing these versions then.

> Although WinME could be hacked to do so...it might be easier to just bootup
> using a winME boot floppy

It was so simple! Thanks for the answers, I just created a boot diskette
under Win Me and it works like a charm.

> BTW: Good for you working on an Arachne website

Not yet on an Arachne website, I'm merely trying to make Arachne work
right now, and although I think I have the right packet driver, I can't
make them work together (yet?). If I succeed, I seriously think about an
howto for beginners so all my suffering may at least be useful to others Smile

> I've used Arachne a number of times of ancient hardware...
> even a 386 with 2 megs of RAM can have a GUI-based web browser!!!!

Yup. Last but not least, it's now open sourced under GPL license and is
still being developed. The latest improvements include news & IRC
clients. If you want to recall the good old days have a look at
http://www.cisnet.com/glennmcc/ Wink

Stegozor · External Since: Jul 14, 2006 Posts: 9

Bruce Chambers wrote:
> Stegozor wrote:
>
>> he returned my hard disk to me with a new partition containing Windows
>> XP and many copies of his files. I haven't really understood what he
>> did, but anyway, now when I reboot my computer, I have to choose between
>> two versions of Windows and pressing F8 doesn't offer the choice of
>> DOS mode anymore.
>
>
> It sounds like your friend took liberties with your system and
> created a dual-boot scenario for you, probably using a pirated copy of

Oh, you know, I feel lucky enough since he brought me back my hard disk
in one piece Smile

> WinXP, since your didn't own a license for it to start with. The WinXP

Dunno. He just bought himself a killer laptop which came with a legal
copy of XP, but as a matter of fact, I have an unlicensed copy now.

> boot loader has replaced WinME's boot files.
>
> I'm not entirely positive that the following will work, never having
> actually used a computer with WinME, but to remove a dual-boot:

I'll look at your advice and those of anonyma in order to remove XP and
the dual boot soon, even if removing a dual boot seems rather
complicated/unusual to do. Thanks to all for the responses.