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I have recently reformatted & re-installed Windows 98 2nd Edition.
When I select 'Restart in MS-DOS mode' from the 'Shut Down Windows' dialogue my screen goes blank & displays a quick flashing cursor with no DOS prompt. I can, however, get the MS-DOS window to display via the Programs menu.
Also when I shut down the PC I am left with the Windows 98 screen permanently displayed - I don't get the 'It is now safe to shutdown your computer' message. When I restart the PC Scandisk doesn't run, so I assume that Windows did shutdown OK.
I assume these two problems are connected & have looked at Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 'Computer Hangs When You Try to Restart in MS-DOS Mode (Q232657)'. This refers to two files (dosstart.bat & 'Exit to DOS.pif') which I don't seem to have!
What should I do know?
Rrobshaw,
Go to Start>Run and type msconfig.
Select the advance button and ensure the disable fast shutdown box is checked.
Post back.Good Day!
Mesich
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Rrobshaw,
You can also run SFC (system file checker) and extract the Dos.pif file.
Not sure on the Dosstart.bat file as I have not located it on my computer either.
Suppose to be in C:\windows.Good Day!
Mesich
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Rrobshaw,
Not sure on the Dosstart.bat as I just tried to extract it off the Win98 CD. Not sure what microsoft is referring to in the Knowledge Base article on that one.
Maybe someone else can answer on that file.Good Day!
Mesich
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Rrobshaw,
Was curious on these two files so I did a little reading. The dos.pif, actually is dosprmpt.pif is the shortcut located in your windows folder. It is the exit to dos command. Selecting Start>Shutdown>Restart in MS-Dos is no different than double clicking the dosprmpt.pif file. The command line needs to be command.com
Under advanced tab in this file you can manually configure specific things in the config.sys and autoexec.bat.
If you do this then the file dosstart.bat is created. This is why neither of us have that file on our computer.
Ensure the command line in your dosprmpt.pif file is command.com.
Right click the file go to properties and select the Program Tab. The command line is there.Good Day!
Mesich
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Many thanks for your help Mesich. I can now restart in MS-DOS mode.
Still the Windows 98 splash screen freezing to look into.
Russell
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To All,
Russell and I actually got this corrected through e-mail. Although none of my above post help we tried several other things.
1. Extracted exitto~1.pif,(found this is actually the shortcut to restart in MS-DOS Mode), as the command line in the shortcut is C:\windows\command.com. The exitto.~1.pif is named Exit To Dos in C:\Windows. This did not help.
2. Extracted winoa386.mod,(found you must extract winoa386.new then rename winoa386.mod (winoa386.old) and the extracted file winoa386.new (winoa386.mod). This did not help either though.
3. Renamed the file vgafull.3gr to vgafull.old and extracted new vgafull.3gr.
Once again no help.4.Went back to the file Exit To Dos in C:\Windows. Then went to properties selected the programs Tab. Selected the advance Tab and selected Specify a New Dos Configuration.
That worked!I am posting this response as to what we did to correct the problem in hopes it may help someone else in the future.
Good Day!
Mesich
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To All Again,
My computer was able to restart into MS-Dos in either configuration. Use Current MS-Dos Configuration or Specify a New MS-Dos configuration. Russell's as stated above would not. I did notice that when Use Current was selected there was nothing in the config.sys or the autoexec.bat boxes beneath the settings. After selecting Specify New the following was inserted.
Under config.sys MS-Dos mode:
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys
DeviceHigh=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.exeUnder autoexec.bat MS-Dos mode:
SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMANDI guess my question is what in the config.sys and/or the autoexec.bat was needed for him to restart in MS-Dos Mode?
And why didn't I have to configure this way?Good Day!
Mesich
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Mesich
If me old grey cells remember right from DOS and win 3.x days:
The config.sys lines are three of the basic lines needed to boot to a workable DOS environment.
DOS=HIGH,UMB causes most of the basic DOS info to be loaded to upper section of DOS memory ( first meg of RAM, first 640k is dos low )
UMB is short for Upper Memory Block, assignable blocks of upper DOS memory, some of which get reserved for system bios and video bios.Hymem.sys and emm386.exe are memory managers to enable DOS to efficiently access RAM.
Much the same for the autoexec.bat entries needed to run dos from the windows 9x version located in C:\windows\command
The set temp entries specifiy which folder/s to use for temp operations or temporary file storage.
SET PROMPT=$p$g sets the common dos prompt to look like C:\>
SET winbootdir and the PATH statment show DOS programs where to look for dos and windows files.
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Can't restart in MS-DOS mode
Using Windows Explorer Find the File "Exit To Dos"
located in C:\Windows
(a) highlight the file "Exit To Dos"
(b) Go to Properties, selected the programs Tab
(c) Select the advance Tab
(d) Select Specify a New Dos
(e) Shut Down and restart...Big Thanks To: Mesich problem solved
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Can't restart in MS-DOS mode
Using Windows Explorer Find the File "Exit To Dos"
located in C:\Windows
(a) highlight the file "Exit To Dos"
(b) Go to Properties, selected the programs Tab
(c) Select the advance Tab
(d) Select Specify a New Dos
(e) Shut Down and restart...Big Thanks To: Mesich problem solved
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Can any1 help me plz?¿ See when i click on ms-dos prompt it always says:
windows cannot find ms-dos prompt.pif.
This program is needed for opening files of type 'Shortcut to ms-dos prompt program'i also cannot restart in ms-dos mode.
i also know that u should extract winoa and vgafull but i dont know how to extarct a file specially the part restore from thingy.
plz help me any1 that can help plz if u find the solution send me an email @ mark_9113@hotmail.com i would appreciate it alot thx u :)
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