Computer Problems? Computing.Net has over 1,000,000 posts about all things technology related! Over 90% answered within 24 hours! Click here to start participating now! Also, be sure to check out the New User Guide.
getting out of DOS mode on startup
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 15:07:01 Pacific OS: Win 98 CPU/Ram: intel inside celeron
Comment:
i rebooted my comp with a floppy http://www.mirrors.org/archived_software/www.bootdisk.com/winfiles/boot98se.exe
now when i open my computer it is in DOS mode, C:\> , i tried writing c:\windows\explorer.exe but it says "this progtram cannot be run in DOS mode", what do i do to start up my comp, and not have it start in dos mode anymore?
Name: Johnw Date: December 26, 2002 at 16:13:05 Pacific
Reply:
Go to Start, Shutdown, Restart in MSDOS. You'll be at c:\windows. Type in cd\ and press Enter. Once at the c prompt type in the following ren autoexec.bat autoexec.moo (acutally any 3 letter will do for the last part...which I have chosen to be moo) then press enter. You'll be at a c prompt again. Then type ren config.sys config.moo press Enter. You'll be at a C prompt. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL or just shut down the system and turn it back on. That will get you out of a DOS Loop most of the time. ---- http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q136/4/16.asp -- http://www.windows-help.net/bbs/Forum2/HTML/000834.html
0
Response Number 2
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 18:54:31 Pacific
Reply:
It already starts up in DOS and theres no way to shut down unless i pull out the plug or hold the modem button. i cant run ren autoexec.bat autoexec.moo it says file not found - autoexec.bat or if i enter only only of them it says -required parameter missing i don't get how i change BootGUI=0 to BootGUI=1...is it still on the C:\> line? and i followed the instructions of the first link, but the asking to delete it didn't come up another C:\> just came up...
0
Response Number 3
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 26, 2002 at 19:47:11 Pacific
Reply:
At the c:\> prompt type:
win
and return. Windows should start then. Post back. If you don't have config.sys or autoexec.bat (and assuming everything else is OK) all you'll need to do then is edit the msdos.sys file to change it to 'Bootgui=1'. But first let's see if it goes into windows with the 'win' command.
0
Response Number 4
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 20:05:55 Pacific
Reply:
when i typed win it says bad command or filename
0
Response Number 5
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 26, 2002 at 20:20:46 Pacific
Reply:
Ok try changing to the window directory and then typing it:
cd\windows
and return. Then at the c:\windows> prompt type:
win
and return.
0
Response Number 6
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 20:44:53 Pacific
Reply:
it says HIMEM.SYS is missing. Make sure that the file is in your WIndows directory.
0
Response Number 7
Name: Pc Dr Date: December 26, 2002 at 21:08:05 Pacific
Reply:
Ok boot with the floppy
at a:\ type: sys c: then type c: then: cd windows then cd command then edit c:\msdos.sys then change bootgui = 0 to bootgui=1 then to make sure exit out of edit then type edit c:\autoexec.bat type Path=c:\windows return then type win exit save and reboot
0
Response Number 8
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 26, 2002 at 21:08:56 Pacific
Reply:
Ok, at the c: prompt type:
cd\
and return. Then:
path c:\windows;c:\windows\command
and return. Then:
attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
and return. Then (and making sure the prompt is c:\>) type:
edit msdos.sys
and return. Scroll down, lookig for the BootGUI line. If it says 'BootGUI=0' change it to 'BootGUI=1'
Then hit 'alt' then 'enter' then 's'. Then hit 'alt' then 'enter' then 'x'. Then at the c:\> prompt type:
attrib +h +s +r msdos.sys
and return. Then reboot and see if windows comes up then. Post back the results.
Oh and I guess I should have asked this before, but your're not booting from the bootdisk, are you?
0
Response Number 9
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 21:32:06 Pacific
Reply:
aren't i suppose to be booting from the bootdisk?
0
Response Number 10
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 21:36:12 Pacific
Reply:
i just want to make sure..to reboot i just put the floppy in the comp again right?
0
Response Number 11
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 26, 2002 at 21:42:47 Pacific
Reply:
I thought when you were booting without the bootdisk in the a: drive it wasn't going into windows but was leaving you at the c:\> prompt.
You shouldn't need the bootdisk unless you need to sys the c: drive. However as long as the windows version of msdos.sys is intact the sys command won't overwrite it, as the version on the floppy bootdisk is different.
So do all the above recommended stuff by booting from the c: drive.
0
Response Number 12
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 22:01:58 Pacific
Reply:
when i went into the notepad bootgui was already in 1, so does that mean nothing was wrong with it?
0
Response Number 13
Name: bena Date: December 26, 2002 at 23:14:48 Pacific
Reply:
ugh..im confused now..what exactly does it mean to reboot?
0
Response Number 14
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 26, 2002 at 23:32:28 Pacific
Reply:
Reboot means restart the computer.
If your computer won't go into windows how did you get into notepad?
Please explain again what happens when you start the computer WITHOUT the bootdisk in the floppy drive. And if after booting from the hard drive (WITHOUT the bootdisk in the floppy drive), if it doesn't go directly into windows, explain again what happens when you type win at the c:\> prompt.
I think there's some confusion since you were booting from the floppy when you were describing your problem earlier.
0
Response Number 15
Name: bena Date: December 27, 2002 at 00:49:44 Pacific
Reply:
when i start my comp, it first starts off with a hewlett packard blue screen, then goes to the windows clould screen, then a black screen comes up and all it says is C:\> , it used to say microsoft (R) windows 98 ..and some other stuff above the text of C:\>, but i followed repsonse #7's directions, it doesnt even say that anymore..so all it says is C:\> three times in a column i followed your directions but at the end of it, another C:\> just comes up again, i restart, and the same thing happens-black screen with C:\> (all happening with no floppy in pc)..and the notebook comes up when i type the the edit stuff..its a blue screen notebook..
in #7's response, i followed the instructions(w/ floppy in) to the part edit c:\msdos.sys then change bootgui = 0 to bootgui=1
but in the notebook all it said was sys
0
Response Number 16
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 27, 2002 at 01:49:19 Pacific
Reply:
So you're sure the line in msdos.sys now reads 'bootgui=1'? At the c: prompt type:
moreand return. It should show the contents of the file one page at a time.
If windows is installed OK the only other reason I can think of for it not going into windows is if the config.sys and/or autoexec.bat files have been modified. In a previous post you indicated these files weren't there. However you might want to check again. Again at the c: prompt type:
type c:\config.sys
and return. Then:
type c:\autoexec.bat
and return. If it gives a 'file not found' message then they're not there. If it lists them, post back their contents so we can see if there's something in them that's causing the problems.
I'll check back tomorrow.
0
Response Number 17
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 27, 2002 at 02:05:03 Pacific
Reply:
Ok in the second paragraph the 'moreand' should be:
type c:\msdos.sys|more
and return. It should show the contents of the file one page at a time.
I had used a '<' sign in a different command not realizing it's seen as a formatting character when not in quotes.
0
Response Number 18
Name: jonajsil Date: December 27, 2002 at 08:47:25 Pacific
Reply:
if there is no config.sys, type EDIT and type
device=c:\windows\himem.sys
and save it as config.sys If there is no autoexec.bat, do the same but say path c:\windows;c:\windows\command;c:\ instead. OK?
Don't use the bootdisk at all when you do this.
0
Response Number 19
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 27, 2002 at 12:32:43 Pacific
Reply:
Windows will load himem.sys and set a path without config.sys and autoexec.bat. I think he was getting the himem.sys error and the 'bad command or file name' (indicating no path) because he was booting from a bootdisk and then trying to start windows.
0
Response Number 20
Name: bena Date: December 28, 2002 at 12:34:49 Pacific
Reply:
c:\msdos.sys|more and device=c:\windows\himem.sys does not work, it says bad command or file name
0
Response Number 21
Name: bena Date: December 28, 2002 at 12:57:31 Pacific
Reply:
..i think my brother might have deleted something important off the computer..because he wanted to delete some old stuff off the computer because it was taking up space
0
Response Number 22
Name: KDog849 Date: December 28, 2002 at 14:30:17 Pacific
Reply:
It sounds like it would be best to reinstall windows.
0
Response Number 23
Name: bena Date: December 28, 2002 at 14:47:45 Pacific
Reply:
i don't have the recovery disks though..
0
Response Number 24
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 28, 2002 at 19:09:09 Pacific
Reply:
The entire line has to be:
type msdos.sys|more
and return. You left out the 'type'.
The 'device=c:\windows\himem.sys' line has to be edited into config.sys. It's not something you can run from the command line. But like I said above I don't think the himem.sys error is a problem.
If stuff got deleted it's probably best to attempt to reinstall. You don't need any recovery disks as long as you have a windows cd. Boot with your bootdisk, choose cdrom support and at the a:\> prompt type:
d:\setup
and return where d: is your cdrom drive letter. It may be e: or even r: depending on the source of your bootdisk.
0
Response Number 25
Name: bena Date: December 30, 2002 at 13:40:50 Pacific
Reply:
when i typed type msdos.sys|more it said ;SYS
i dont have my win disk..
0
Response Number 26
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 30, 2002 at 15:45:33 Pacific
Reply:
Ok, that msdos.sys is the one on the floppy bootdisk. If it also is on your hard drive, that's certainly one reason why it's not booting. The one that should be on the hard drive is longer.
I need to know if when you typed the command it read the msdos.sys on the bootdisk or on the hard drive. Did you do this:
type c:\msdos.sys|more
or was it:
type msdos.sys|more
Also was the prompt a:\> or was it c:\> ?
0
Response Number 27
Name: bena Date: December 30, 2002 at 23:13:46 Pacific
Reply:
i typed type c:\msdos.sys|more
but I tried both those commands and they gave me the same result ;SYS
then I tried both those commands with the boot disk floppy and I got the same result too ;SYS
0
Response Number 28
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 31, 2002 at 00:05:54 Pacific
Reply:
Ok, you've got the wrong msdos.sys on your hard drive. I'm going to email you mine but first I need to know if you have first or second edition of windows 98 installed on the computer.
0
Response Number 29
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: December 31, 2002 at 10:22:47 Pacific
Reply:
Post back the version of 98 you have.
0
Response Number 30
Name: bena Date: January 1, 2003 at 15:30:34 Pacific
Reply:
hey my comp is fixed! the hp disks did work..thanks for your effort to help everyone!
0
Response Number 31
Name: DAVEINCAPS Date: January 1, 2003 at 15:56:59 Pacific
Reply:
Glad you got it going. Just for the heck of it do the:
type c:\msdos.sys|more
now that you've got it fixed and see what you get.
Summary: I was trying to upgrade by adding a cd writer. After serveral attempts I could not install writer. My computer went into dos mode and has not recovered. I did put the recovery disk in to refomat, bu...
Summary: Thank you M2 and Dan - yes, I guess that scan registry hasn't been ticked, my fault. Thanks, will take your advice. The thing is though, how am I gonna get it to load properly. I just can't get out ...
Summary: My computer wont stop running in MS-DOS compatibility mode file system!! It says a driver is using it, and I cant find out which driver it is, so I cant get out of the mode, and since then, my CD-ROM ...
0 
