Restart in ms-dos mode does not restart.

Hi,

I tried to restart my husband's computer in MS-DOS mode and all I get is a black screen. I then have to hold the power button in to turn the computer off and then when I restart the computer if has to run a scan disk before it returns to normal.

I did search the posts and replaced the two files recommended, vgafull.3gr and winoa386.mod but nothing has changed.

Do you have any other ideas I could try.

Thanks,
Jean

 

Try this:
Open the start menu, click on run, and type msconfig. Click on the "advanced" button, and it should display a list of options. There are 2 things you can try here.
Number one is "Disable Fast Shutdown ". However, I've noticed on some PCs that this means the PC will actually rebot instead of shutting down when Shut Down is selected.
Number 2 is "Enable Startup Menu ". so I can't be sure exactly what it's called. Anyway, what this does is that every time you restart your PC, you are given a list of about 6 options, ranging from "Normal" to "Safe Mode Command Prompt ". You want the option that says "Command Prompt Only ". Just type the number of this option, and press enter.
BTW why do you want to boot to MS-Dos mode in the first place?

 

larsonjean

If you are indeed refering to Start~run~restart in MS DOS Mode then there are five files invloved.

Autoexec.bat and Autoexec.dos
Config.sys and Config.dos.
Dosstart.bat.

Renaming of the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat is invloved when going to and from the MS DOS Mode. And anything wrong in either one will produce the results you are seeing.

Going to and from MS DOS Mode is basicly Dual Booting.

Ryder

The Command Prompt at bootup is not the same as the MS DOS Mode from within Windows. There is no renaming of files involved. It just uses the Autoexec and config as they are.

BillyBob

 

Some months ago I was baffled by the same symptoms.
Maybe not like your problem, but I found out that the PC
actually was rebooting in MS-Dos mode - but there was no DOS video card driver loaded so the monitor screen appeared totally black.
Maybe reinstall your video card drivers from the medium that
came with the monitor.
regards

 

Merlin - I actually found out that the PC is rebooting in MS-Dos mode because when the screen was all black and nothing was happening, I clicked CTRL-ALT-Delete and it booted up into Windows. So I must have a similar problem that you experienced. I did reinstall my new video card driver that is located on my CD that came with the video card but there still was no DOS screen that appeared. Recently we upgraded the memory and video card on this computer so we could play the "golf links" game. Any other ideas I shoud try.

BillyBob - Is there any way that I can tell if the 5 files (Autoexec.bat and Autoexec.dos , Config.sys and Config.dos.
Dosstart.bat.) are bad?

Ryder - I did go to msconfig and selected "Disable Fast Shutdown." I again tried to bring it up in the DOS mode but the same black screen appeared with no words showing. I then hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE and it booted back into windows. I then went to your number 2 "Enable Startup Menu." This worked when I rebooted and seleted 5 - Command Prompt only. (I was able to get the DOS prompte - C:\. But I don't think my husband would want to go through this selection every time the computer is started so I went back and deselected it.

The reason I was trying to boot to MS-Dos in the first place was because I was trying to show a friend how to SCANDISK through the DOS mode, and I was shocked when my DOS prompt didn't come up and the screen remained black.

I guess it is really no big deal that I can't boot in DOS mode but I just don't like the idea that the computer is not doing what it is supposed to and wondered why this doesn't work.

Thanks for all your help.

Jean

 

Hi Folks. I just now got my Internet back

The MS DOS Mode is VERY tricky.

IF you had nothing on the screen then you were not in the MS DOS Mode. You were inbetween.

The real honest to goodness MS DOS Mode requires " EXIT : to be type to get bak to Window properly.

It also depends on whether the same Auteoexec.bat and Config,sys are being used for both. I have a strange feeling that yours is trying to use different ones. Other wise you would have problems on a normal boot.

I clicked CTRL-ALT-Delete and it booted up into Windows.

If you were able to use CAD and get back into Windows than there is a strong possibility that you were not in the MS DOS Mode. Other wise it will come back into the MS DOS MODE.

Is there any way that I can tell if the 5 files (Autoexec.bat and Autoexec.dos , Config.sys and Config.dos

You do a start~run~sysedit. And see what is in them. You can also use sysedit and put REM and a space in front of all lines in each. Restart Windows and then select restart in MS DOS Mode.

Not being able to see your machine I would be willing to bet you will get there. But if you do TYPE "EXIT" and enter and it should REBOOT again.

If this works then maybe you can get the contents posted here so we can look see what might be causing problems.

BillyBob

 

Also you cna COPY the two files to a floppy and then delete the ones on the HD.

Windows does not need them.

BB

 

BillyBob,
I just Restated the Computer in MS-DOS mode. I had the complete black screen. I decided to type the word "EXIT" and hit the enter key. The computer booted up in windows properly although I never saw anything until Windows appeared.

I did run start-run-sysedit and here is what is in there:

C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
REM - By Windows 98 Network - C:\WINDOWS\net start

C:\CONFIG.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\setver.exe

You said, "You can also use sysedit and put REM and a space in front of all lines in each. "
Did you mean I should put REM in all of the other window boxes, such as Win.INI, SYSTEM.INI, PROTOCOL.INI??? I'm afraid to mess with all of these windows.

You also said to COPY the two files to a floppy and then delete the ones on the HD. Did you mean AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS?

FYI, I searched the hard drive for autoexec and I came up with these files:
Autoexec.dos in C:\
autoexec.bat in C:\
Autoexec.bat in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD

I searched the hard drive for config.sys and I came up with these files:
Config.sys in C:\
Config.sys in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD
config.sys in C:\Program Files\Rescue Disk
Config.dos in C:\

I don't know if the above is helpful but I thought I would include it.

Jean

 

Do not do anything in these windows !

Yes, you can try this.

regards

 

Config.sys in C:\
Config.sys in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD
config.sys in C:\Program Files\Rescue Disk
Config.dos in C:\

This is correct. but only the one in C:\ gets used.

The config.sys and Config.DOS are the ones that get renamed and switched when booting in and out of the MS DOS MODE.

And normally I believe there should be one for the Autoexec.bat also.

According to what I found on my two 98 SE machines there is also a config.syd and autoexec.syd.

To this by Merlin I agree. He is correct.

Now if you did type " EXIT " and it did restart then I believe it IS working correctly. But why nothing shows on the screen is a puzzle to me.

C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
REM - By Windows 98 Network - C:\WINDOWS\net start

C:\CONFIG.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\setver.exe


The Autoexec sure should be no problem.

But I question DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\setver.exe being needed in the Config,sys. I thought that went out with Win95 ? I do not see it on either of my SE machines and I DID put 98 over 95 and then 98SE or 98.

Also this bring up a question. Was 98 SE put in clean or overtop of something ? The kine in question makes me ask that.

I got to fire up a 98SE machine to check something. OK. I found what I was looking for. It has been so long since I mess witht he DOS mode that I forgot waht was where.

In the C:\Windows folder there should be a file named DosStart.Bat Edit that file and see what is in it.

Stuff in there can cause problem problems too.

BillyBob

 

Hi,
I copied the two files to a floppy (autoexec.bat and config.sys) then deleted them from the computer. Rebooted normally and then tried to reboot to MS-DOS. Same thing happened, black screeen, I typed EXIT and it booted into Windows.

I then found the DosStart.Bat file and opened it in Wordpad. This is what it said:

REM DOS MOUSE DRIVER ADDED BY MICROSOFT INTELLIPOINT MOUSE SETUP
LH C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\MOUSE\mouse.exe

I also just double clicked the DosStart.Bat file and it gave me a black screen with the following:
C:\WINDOWS:REM DOS MOUSE DRIVER ADDED BY MICROSOFT INTELLIPOINT MOUSE SETUP

C:\WINDOWS>LH C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\MOUSE\mouse.exe
The mouse driver for MS-DOS cannot be loaded from an MS-DOS session within Windows. Exit Windows to load the mouse driver for MS-DOS.

C:\WINDOWS>

 

Sorry I accidently hit the send button before I was finished.

Does the previous message show any hints of why I can't boot into DOS?

Thank you for your help.

Jean

 

That is the correct command line for the DOS Mouse.

NO. That message is true as you are in Windows when you double clicked.

If that were an actual DOS problem then an error would ( or should ) show up on screen when booting into the MS DOS Mode.

When you get to the black screen I take it that you can not see what you type. Is that correct ?

If you can't but typing " EXIT " works then I am having to lean toward a Video problem.

I am getting deepr in the out of ideas columne now.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob,
Yes, that is correct, when I get to the black screen I cannot see what I type. I screen is completely black.

It may indeed be a video problem after all... I have been thinking about it and remembered that several months ago, we had a terrible lightning storm here in Florida and lightning struck somewhere near our house and uprooted a water pipeline and did various damage to many houses in our neighborhood.

The computer I'm typing on right now was not turned on but my husband's was. When I came in the room after the large strike, I noticed my husband's monitor had many strange colors on it although I could still see the icons. I knew it was affected. I turned it off and it came back into the Windows program but we had lost the cable modem, plus the router and also his network card. We had to replace all of these. I do notice when we turn on the computer the monitor screen (blue) has a slight black streak running diagonally across the screen. I feel that the monitor was also affected by the lightning strike. Other than this we have noticed different hang-ups on the computer. Since this has happened I completely reformatted the hard drive and reloaded the software. The system is working better except there are a few hang-ups once in awhile and the mouse acts erratic now and then.

Maybe we should just forget about the booting to MS-DOS problem for now as it really isn't necessary to have especially since you should me how to get it turned on through MSCONFIG.

Thanks for all the help anyway. I think we should start thinking about replacing this computer in the near future.

Jean

 

I now think that it the better idea. Monitor and all.

After reading your reply all I can say is that I think you are REAL lucky if it did not get a lot more than the computer.

The worst thing that has happened to me when we have been in Florida is the year we ran into the Love Bug problem. Those things must be built out of Crazy Glue the way the stuck to the car.

When my Son lived in Jacksonville and my two Step-Daughters were in College in Atlanta we used to get down there at least once a year in late August or early September.

BillyBob