restarting windows from ms dos

First timer here. my mother who is in her 70's runs win 98se on her computer. When shutting down she hit restart in ms dos in error. How do I get windows back without reformatting hard drive.

 

Welcome to the boards.

Have her turn the computer off, wait thirty seconds and then turn it back on using the power switch located on her computer.

The computer will reboot back into windows.


HTH.

 

The computer will reboot back into windows.

It may or may not do that.

If start/shutdown/restart in MS-DOS mode was selected and was actuall executed and anything other than EXIT was used to get out of it the machine may be locked into the MS-DOS Mode.

This will happen if the machine was powered down or Cntrl-Alt-Del was used to restart.

When the machine is restarted in the MS-DOS Mode EXIT must be used to get out of it PROPERLY.

Restart in MS-DOS Mode is actually a DUAL BOOT process and if not gotten out of properly the machine will be ( or may be ) locked in between MS-DOS & Windows.

Even knowing better, I have done this myself and wound up having to re-install Windows to get things back into the proper places.

BillyBob

 

No format required.

But it does depend on which version of SE was used.

FULL or UPGRADE version will go back in on top of existing.

But if the UPDATE ( $20 ) version was used it may require 98 FE to be re-installed first.

The UPDATE could be re-installed from within Windows. But If Windows won't run that can't be done.

BillyBob

 

If the computer is caught in a dos loop you can fix it without reinstalling windows. Look here .

 

OK. That link looks good.

But, I THINK it only applies to as it states running a DOS program from a shortcut.

I do not think the fix would apply when the machine is actully restarted in the MS-DOS Mode and then shutdown improperly.

I myself have not had ( since I got things set right )a problem when running DOS programs from a shortcut as they are all set to Suggest MS-DOS Mode which is different then use MS-DOS Mode.

Use MS-DOS mode restarts the machine. Suggest MS-DOS does not.

And one set to use new files that is improperly set can s.c.r.e.w things up BADLY.

Also if the shortcut is set to use MS-DOS, then it depends on whether it is set to use existing files or specify different ones ( setting up a Dual Boot ). If the latter is used and all is not right ALL HELL can break loose and is VERY tough to fix.

BillyBob

 

Take a gander here

Contents of the Msdos.sys file

BootGUI=Boolean
Default: 1
Purpose: A setting of 1 forces the loading of the GUI interface. A setting of 0 disables the loading of the GUI interface.

Rookie
- -

 

BootGUI=Boolean
Default: 1


Well I did took a gander and I have to say that I have never seen anything like that before.

BootGUI= 1 or 2 yes. But not the Boolean

I am still using the Win95 Secrets book to find various setting for the MSDOS.SYS

BillyBob

 

BB, The word Boolean is being used to indicate that the user has a choice of either 1 or 0, which is to utilize the Boolean concept that defines 1 = yes and 0 = no.



lodom255, Instruct your mother to type the word EXIT and press enter, when she gets the DOS command line prompt. That should get her back to normal Windows booting.

In the event that it doesn't, have her type WIN /W and press enter. (note the space before the /)

If neither of those methods work, post back for another method which is a little more intense so I'll save it for the coup de grace.

Cheers.

 

Thanks Zephyr

That is what I thought it would mean. I just never saw it before.

1st day of the New Year.

1st new thing learned for the New Year.

Year starting out good.

BB

 

Old George Boole would be proud of you BB.

Here's a little more on the application of his concept in case anyone wonders. He was quite a smart cookie and largely self educated.

Boolean Logic

Cheers.

 

A suggestion to hopefully prevent this type of incident happening is to edit the "dosstart.bat" file by inserting a reminder:

Rem - Type "Exit" to restart Windows "

Make this the last line of the dosstart.bat file and it should show up just above the C:\Windows prompt.

I know it will dissapear if you use DOS but hopefully will trigger something in the old gray matter to do the right thing when exiting back to Windows!

 

thanks everyone

exit command worked. thanks for all the help

 

Oops.....did you lose your original thread lodom255?

Daizy

 

That is a bit of good news.

2nd day of New Year.

2nd thing learned for the new year.

I will need to remember that the next time I mess up.

BillyBob

 

Ok.....who was the smarty pants that moved this post?
I truly didn't need any help looking like a goof.

Daizy