Windows 2000 AUTOEXEC.BAT functions

Hey folks-

How do I automate DOS programs to start before a Windows 2000 bootup process? I put commands in AUTOEXEC.NT and they simply do not load.

I am using a batch program that I put into AUTOEXEC.NT that will take Ghost image files on a partition and use Ghost (DOS program) to write them to the boot partition and another partition.

However, when I reset my machine to see this operation occur, all of the commands are simply ignored. I don't see echo text or anything. For the sake of simplicity, assume the commands run every time the system is booted.

How can I get these DOS commands to run before Windows 2000 boots?

-Blaine

 

Easiest answer is why waste your time? Buy the newest version of ghost and you wont have any problems. as far as i know there isnt a way to run DOS programs b4 W2K startup unless you dual boot blah blah because there is no DOS in 2K it is only an emulation mode...................

 

Easiest Answer

That is the easiest answer, and totally useless to me. I have Ghost corporate and I'm doing this so that I can have the machines image themselves without lagging the network or requiring a machine dedicated to running a GhostCast server. The partition with the images hosted on it is shared on the Windows network so I can roll out a new image by just mapping the drives and copying the image file over with a batch program. These are publicly accessed machines running users with limited permissions, hence I want to perform this task outside of a Windows 2000 enviroment.

Plus, the system partition is getting overwritten. Windows can't be running while this happens.

>Easiest answer is why waste your time? Buy the newest version >of ghost and you wont have any problems. as far as i know >there isnt a way to run DOS programs b4 W2K startup unless >you dual boot blah blah because there is no DOS in 2K it is only >an emulation mode...................

 

Symantec says:
http://service2.symantec.com/SUPPOR...225?OpenDocument&src=ent_hot&dtype=corp&tpre=

http://service2.symantec.com/SUPPOR...625?OpenDocument&src=ent_hot&dtype=corp&tpre=

http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/enterprise/products/symghost/symghost_7/index.html

You want the machines to re-image themselves everytime they are booted? If i am interpreting this correctly might i ask why(curious)?? and hopefully any of this helps you....the question was not exactly clear in the first post but i think i have a somewhat better understanding of it this time...

 

This may help clarify things some.

In MS-DOS, when the system boots, the boot sector of the first hard disk loads a program that, in turn, loads the two core MS-DOS system files, Msdos.sys and Io.sys. Next, the Config.sys file is processed, and the DOS command processor, Command.com, is loaded. Finally, the commands in the Autoexec.bat file (if any) are executed.

Autoexec.bat and Config.sys have the same function in Windows 95/98 that they have in regular MS-DOS; that is, all lines in both files are executed before loading Windows 95/98. Windows NT 4.0/2000 do not use the files in this manner; they use the files only for environment-variable information.

Very different boot-up sequence for the NT systems and I don't know of any way right off hand to force the system to read/execute any lines from autoexec.nt.

If all else fails, I think you could boot the systems from a floppy, run whatever lines you need in autoexec.bat, and have the thing exit to a normal 2K boot. I think.

 

replies

VoodooU- None of those links are relevant!

Newt- These are HP machines with no floppy drives in a public use environment; boot media is out of the question.

-Blaine

 

Blaine, The only thing I can think of for your purpose would be a program called GoBack. It can be configured to auto-revert the drive at either a pre-determined time each day or else each time it is rebooted.

I have used the program for years but have never used that particular feature since I don't need it. Here is an excerpt from the help files of GoBack regarding auto-revert,

 

Good call Zephyr. Sounds like in his environment that should do the trick.

Put it back to exactly it was at last boot time. And a good deal faster than Ghost as well.

 

Well hey blaine forgive me for i posted the wrong links, i had done some looking through the microsoft msdn sight looking for info and had found a few things that i thought would help you but at the same time was looking into some symantec for another unrelated issue, and i posted the incorrect links. Forgive me for my ignorance and my mistake. Im sorry for not addressing your issue directly...please dont hold this against me in the future as im really not that stupid ( i know hard to tell with this thread) anyhow i hope that GoBack solves your problem i have used a previous versions of it and it is a wonderful program and should do exactly what you desire....

once again forgive my ignorance, i will pay more thourough attention to what i am doing in the future.

and once again...

Good luck and have a wonderful day!!!!!!!

 

Resolved

I just blew away the partitions and started over, using XOSL as a boot loader. Better luck next time, I guess.

-Blaine

 

You lost me there Blaine. How does repartitioning and installing a boot loader solve your problem of automating a dos routine at Win 2k startup? Perhaps XOSL has some magic I don't understand.