Is the "The Auto exec on the C drive" anything like the startup sequence in bios?

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Rimfire, talking dos, when a pc starts up, once dos has loaded (which uses 2 or 3 normally hidden files)it then uses two further files which 'personalise' the pc:- CONFIG.SYS AUTOEXEC.BAT I do not think the bios should be confused with the these, as its purpose is basically to boot the pc enough to load the operating system (whatever that might be). Good Luck - Keep us posted.

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Hi Mike, Yep. As long as we're at it. [we're at it again] io.sys & msdos.sys are usually hidden. And command.com is usually read-only [+r]. M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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Hi M2 I was trying to keep it simple and provide an overview as it seemed to me it the new question from a different poster changed the thread. Hope I got it right. Regards - Mike Good Luck - Keep us posted

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It's the OP, not RF, who doesn't appear to have the first clue about DOS startups. Kids, it is advisable to do some research before posting the first question that pops into your heads. Informed posters ask better (and fewer) questions, and stand a better chance of comprehending the answers. Ya gotta do the work - we all did Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid. -John Wayne

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Thanks Mike for sharing that wisdom! As we are all struggling to comprehend the original post, I thought it might be worth trying to clear up the terminology used. This may be a question related to a workaround to leaving a boot floppy in the drive. But then it might be a serious question poorly expressed. Until the OP returns we can do nothing but speculate. In the meantime, you can tell me the difference between a floppy and a hard disk if you wish!

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I will try and be clear. Once the pc is switched on it goes through the usual memory test, display bios, starting MS DOS. Then the PC changes directory to A:\> at this point i have to type in the .exe file name to run the program from the floppy. What I would like to know is what to create on the floppy to make the program run without typing in the .exe each time the PC is booted. I know very little about DOS this is why I posted

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Point to the A:\*.EXE file in AUTOEXEC.BAT: http://www.computerhope.com/ac.htm lets surmise the software is "milling.exe", if your AUTOEXEC.BAT looked like this, yours will not but this is an example: @echo off SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\ LH MSCDEX.exe /D:123 LH C:\CTMOUSE\CTMOUSE.exe A: ...then to run the "milling.exe" @echo off SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\ LH MSCDEX.exe /D:123 LH C:\CTMOUSE\CTMOUSE.exe A:\cnc\milling.exe ...this would therefore launch the "milling.exe execution file, DOS does not care wether or not it is upper or lower case........

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As the floppy is dedicated to use one particular program, you should add the location of the program to the path staement if it is not located in the root directory. This allows the program to find any files it might look for. The name of the executable should be at the end of the autoexec.bat file but before the 'end' statement. Putting it too early will cause dos not to execute commands until you exit the program. Putting it after the 'end' statement will cause it to be ignored.

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Hi Rimfire, "end" statement in DOS? M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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Hi M2, Its been a while since I've had to write / edit a dos batch file. I believe that the end statement is optional and as such rarely used. Damn, I really have forgotten. After a call statement is used, do we use the end or return?

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Hi Rimfire, IIRR [I often don't] I have not used "end" or "return" in DOS. It used to be common practice to: goto end ... ... :end But that's simply a convention. It could just as well be: goto blatz ... ... :blatz In NT, there's a "built-in" EOF, which allows for a "hasty exit" and the EOF at the end of the BAT need not be declared. But that's NT, not DOS. BTW [we're at it again] I make it a practice to code: ::== @echo off > quit.bat ... ... ::=== It creates a zero length, do nothing, quit.bat. Typical use: if not exist %1 quit === As to OP's issue, it may suffice to have the last line: x:\somedir\some.exe But some good 'ol DOS progs would not run unless you are in the dir. [They couldn'y find their overlays / INIs etc] Racking my brain here. Maybe dBase II was one of them. In those cases: c: cd \somedir some.exe M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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We digress! I prefer adding the path to the path statement in a single use boot because; 1) Using the full path (as in HiHo's post) does not allow the program to find its files, 2) The CD command works well unless you have cause to use it again. Once the focus has been moved, the target programme no longer has direct access to its own files. I now recall the only time I have had to use the call statement. It was to correct a multiboot configuration where the goto statement was used (to another batch file). This orphaned the rest of the autoexec.bat file.

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Yes M2GO I have have occasion to use the following ie: CD C:\CNC milling.exe end statement? was that not for the old Spectrum BASIC?? LoL!!

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I think END is used in QBasic. Interestingly, a recent thread in 'programming' indicates that END in VB [6?] causes crashes. M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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"I know very little about DOS" Ok - that much was evident "Then the PC changes directory to A:\>" If you're using a bootdisk, that is what you'd expect As has been mentioned, all that is really necessary is to have a line in a:\autoexec.bat (not AUTO EXEC) invoking the file. It *really* doesn't get much more basic than that - running commands is what DOS does - and it's with no small amount of amazement to find this has stymied you for 4 days now (probably longer). good luck - might try some reading Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid. -John Wayne

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Try reading this and throw out any pre-conceptions before hand: http://www.dostutor.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

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