Installing Multi-boot Capabilities
The combinations of boot configurations that will be covered step by step here are:
1.) DOS is the only OS installed (and maybe you also have Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups).
2.) Windows 95 is installed [not osr2 FAT32] visit Beyond the Darkness at the Edge of Town
3.) Windows NT is installed [not NTFS]
4.) Installing several Hard drives, each bootable to a unique OS.
By far the Windows NT installation ( item 3) is the easiest to discuss since it does not change
the DOS environment or any portion of the installed DOS software.
Simply select DOS from the boot menu, and the original DOS autoexec.bat and config.sys files
will be used as Windows NT switches over and boots into MS-DOS.
Note: unless you have a photographic memory DO NOT run scandisk or defrag from DOS !
ALL your Long Windows NT filenames and Windows NT sub-directories that are longer than
the DOS 8.3 type (filename.ext) will soon be truncated back into 8.3 types. Obvious,
reeked havoc will be realized when you boot back into Windows NT, since NT is looking
for the `c:\Microsoft Program Files' sub-directory and all NT sees is c:\MICROP~1 or
something to this destructive effect.
The following is the boot.ini file Windows NT uses to select the boot method.
BOOT.INI
[boot loader]
timeout=8
default=c:\
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA mode]"
/basevideo /sos
C:\="Windows 95 and MS-DOS 6.22
indicated in the `default=' statement above, I boot into `Windows 95 and MS-DOS 6.22' in
8 seconds if I do not manually select the Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00 statement.
If you choose to install Windows 95, and Windows NT is already installed (assume you want
to keep NT), just boot into the MS-DOS environment and install Windows 95 from the dos
prompt. This will allow your P.C. to either boot Windows NT or Windows 95.
Of course I could get real complicated here and jump into the fact that you can also boot
Windows 95 at this point, into the previous version of DOS, however; unless you have had
an extremely simple autoexec.bat and config.sys back in the `ol days of DOS only.
Windows 95 has pretty well messed up your c:\DOS sub-directory as well as that Autoexec.bat
and Config.sys ! Further problems come into play if you have upgraded your P.C. hardware,
like Windows 95 returning you to MS-DOS with the CD-ROM drivers installed for the 2x drive
you removed when you upgraded to a 8x months ago ! I'm digressing, but wish to point out
this clear method of installing all these OS's on the same P.C. and moving smoothly between
each OS with the intent of accomplishing productive work with the P.C. as a tool, or quickly
jumping into the OS that supports the favorite GAME !
Summing up the OS's so far, you have Windows NT and Windows 95 installed. The P.C. boots
into a Windows NT menu where you can select to either branch off into Windows NT or Windows 95.
Note: You had no choice but to install Windows 95 into a different Subdirectory and NOT over
your Windows NT sub-directory. You could have even elected to chose a different drive for the
OS installation.
You will have to re-install all the Non NT specific software you installed in Windows NT
from scratch again, while booted into Windows 95, if you wish Windows 95 to recognize
and use it. This is in your installation instructions.
If you install Windows 95 into the Windows 3.x or Windows for work groups sub-directory,
Windows 95 will read and use the Windows 3.x ini files to smooth its installation process
and enable you to keep using other software programs you've previously used with Windows 3.x
or Windows for work groups. This is a good way to get keep the network running as you change
OS's also.
Back to item 1.) from above:
DOS is the only OS installed (and maybe you also have Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups).
This is where I started from, DOS 6.22 with Windows for workgroups. I also used many
autoexec.bats and config.sys's each pair configured for each type of DOS based game.
I would switch between them to obtain the correct DOS environment that supports the Game
I intended to play.
Steps:
1.) I wanted to keep Windows for work groups since I had everything up and running with my
favorite icons. I knew that moving over to Windows 95 would be vital to keeping current at
work (learn at home type of thing). With such a major OS change, I felt that I would lose
to much time learning the new OS while losing valuable productivity when I needed to use my
P.C. for work, and what if my software just didn't work with Windows 95 ! All these thoughts
and more gladly allowed the extra 100 megabytes these steps would require.
2.) copy, or xcopy your DOS sub-directory to another sub-directory (i.e. make one called
c:\keep-it)
3.) CD up to the root directory if you are not already there ( CD\ )
4.) change the attributes of the msdos.sys file (attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys)
a.) change the attributes of the io.sys file (attrib -s -h -r io.sys)
5.) copy msdos.sys to msdos.622 (copy msdos.sys msdos.622)
6.) copy msdos.sys to msdos.dos (copy msdos.sys msdos.dos)
a.) copy io.sys to io.dos (copy io.sys io.dos)
7.) change back the attributes of the msdos.sys file (attrib +s +h +r msdos.sys)
a.) change back the attributes of the io.sys file (attrib +s +h +r io.sys)
8.) copy autoexec.bat to autoexec.622 (copy autoexec.bat autoexec.622)
9.) copy autoexec.bat to autoexec.dos (copy autoexec.bat autoexec.dos)
10.) copy command.com to command.622 and command.com to command.dos
11.) copy my to-622.bat and to-w95.bat files into your c:\ (root) sub-directory.
Of course, if you don't have a copy of ync.exe in your c:\dos sub-directory you'll get an
error when you try to invoke them. I'll have to change the ync statements to `on error level'
types. I found ync.exe on a 3 1/2 disk that contained Microsoft access 2.0 information.
Neat little program, but I don't think I can give it away. If you know who owns ync.exe let
me know and I'll ask if I can put up here for downloading. Its not a big deal to get the ync
errors, I just like the `bat' file to stop and show me what its accomplishing *everytime*.
I will quickly follow up with the alternate `to-622' and `to-w95' bat files that are `on
error level' type !
Article ID: Q153762 (a must read)
This article explains how to set up Windows NT to dual boot with MS-DOS on a computer
that was originally installed as Windows NT only. In order to dual boot,
the system partition must be a file allocation table (FAT) partition and not a
Windows NT file system (NTFS) partition.
-----------------------------------------
Note: at this point if you don't have Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups installed, you
can install Windows 95. Then skip down to where I begin to talk about `putting DOS
back'.
11.) create a sub-directory off the c:\ root called win95 (md win95)
12.) xcopy the entire Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups software and directorys into
this new sub-directory (xcopy c:\windows\*.* c:\win95 /s /e /v)
it is going to take a while for xcopy to `clone' all these files.
13.) CD over to win95. (CD win95 or CD\win95)
14.) Now we have to go change a few ini files, so that what was once referenced to c:\windows
will now be referenced to c:\win95. We're going to make the P.C. boot into the new c:\win95
and run everything from the c:\win95 copy of Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups and THEN
install Windows 95 over the c:\win95 copy. Thereby leaving intact the original Windows 3.x or..
WFWG for instant productive use!
15.) Run DOS edit from the c:\win95 sub-directory, or windows notepad or write (text only).
Alt File Open SYSTEM.ini. ALT File Change(replace). Type in `find what' c:\windows and
TAB down to 'replace with' type in c:\win95 , TAB or click on Okay or confirm and change
every instance of c:\windows to c:\win95. Then Alt File Save, and Alt File Open WIN.INI.
Accomplish the same changes with this file. Include the following ini files in your editing
session. Progman.ini, Control.ini for sure. I must have 160+ ini files in my c:\win95
sub-directory and I went through most the major ones, excel, access,word, etc. If you think
you could confuse all those ini files from both sub-directories, by all means back them up.
Copy the c:\windows\*.ini to c:\windows\*.311 and copy the c:\win95\*.ini to c:\win95\*.w95.
16.) finally, CD up to the c:\ root (CD\) and edit config.sys and autoexec.bat to
change any c:\windows paths to c:\win95 paths. Your original autoexec.bat and config.sys is
autoexec.622 and config.622 and they still point to the `untouched' c:\Windows
so we're doing okay.
17.) We're ready to re-boot now, (press the reset or Ctrl Alt Del).
18.) The P.C. will boot into c:\win95 and run Windows 3.x or WFWG. Try a couple programs to
see if you successfully changed all the ini files. Actually just to see if they work, since
anything you missed editing will just go over to the c:\windows anyway. It is important
though that your Windows 3.x (or WFWG) be correct since later if you decide to get rid of
c:\windows and delete everything out of there, Windows 95 will still be `entwined' to
c:\windows and you'll all of a sudden get program faults. If you like to `clean' your
harddrives up, now would be a good time to run scandisk and defrag. Sometimes install's
and setup's have problems with a disk that has fragmented files. DON'T run scandisk and
defrag from DOS 6.22 AFTER you've installed windows for the same reason as NT above!
19.) Now you can proceed to install Windows 95, either from the DOS prompt (exit Windows)
or from within Windows 3.x (or WFWG).
20.) Windows 95 will erase key programs from the c:\dos sub-directory, totally ruin the
autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Msdos.sys will shrink to a measly 1700 bytes from
approximately 38,000 bytes. Doing a (ver) from the Windows 95 dos windows or going
to dos from the Windows 95 shutdown menu will get you Windows 95 dos!
21.) So if you have already opened that dos window, (click Start, slide on up to Programs,
over and down to MS-DOS prompt) we'll accomplish the rest of the story.
22.) CD up to the c:\root. Copy autoexec.bat to autoexec.w95 and autoexec.bat to
autoexec.w40. Copy Config.sys to config.w95 and config.sys to config.w40.
23.) change the attributes on the msdos.sys file (attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys)
24.) copy msdos.sys to msdos.w95 and copy msdos.sys to msdos.w40
25.) copy command.com to command.w95 and command.com to command.w40
26.) copy the entire dos sub-directory back into c:\dos from the c:\keep-it (or whatever).
You can delete the temp holding sub-directory after you accomplished this.
(del C:\keep-it) and rd c:\keep-it. Your c:\dos sub-directory should now be completely
restored.
27.) Your c:\ root sub directory should look like mine + or - a couple of bytes.
These files must be present among all the others that have migrated there in the
Directory of C:\
TO-622.BAT 907
TO-W95.BAT 1,066
AUTOEXEC.BAT 487
AUTOEXEC.W95 487
AUTOEXEC.622 577
AUTOEXEC.W40 487
AUTOEXEC.DOS 577
CONFIG.SYS 331
CONFIG.W95 331
CONFIG.622 325
CONFIG.W40 331
CONFIG.DOS 325
MSDOS.SYS 1679
MSDOS.W95 1679
MSDOS.622 38138
MSDOS.W40 1679
MSDOS.DOS 38138
COMMAND.COM 92,870
COMMAND.W95 92,870
COMMAND.622 54,645
COMMAND.W40 92,870
COMMAND.DOS 54,645
IO.SYS 223,148
IO.DOS 40,774
28.) I edited my msdos.sys file to allow the Windows 95 boot menu to appear at each boot
after Windows NT's Boot menu has timed out. This allows me some time to select Previous
DOS or to let the menu time out and boot into windows 95.
MSDOS.SYS
[Paths]
UninstallDir=E:\
WinDir=C:\WIN95
WinBootDir=C:\WIN95
HostWinBootDrv=C
[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootMenu=1
BootMenuDelay=5
BootMenuDefault=8
Logo=0
BootGUI=1
Network=1
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs
BootKeys=1
BootDelay=2
29.) Now with everything ready and in place (worth the effort to me) all I have to do
to switch to DOS 6.22 is open a DOS prompt Window from the Windows 95 start (programs,
ms-dos prompt) and CD up to c:\ , type to-622. All the correct files are put in
place and then I type exit to return to windows 95 desktop. Go to Start shutdown and
pick Shutdown.
30.) When I am prompted to shut off the P.C. I SHUT IT OFF. Not reset, not Ctrl Alt Del
but OFF!
31.) Then I turn back on the P.C. and drill down through the NT menu to DOS and drill
down through the Windows 95 menu to Previous DOS. The P.C. boots into DOS 6.22 and on
into Windows for Workgroups 3.11. I can exit to DOS and run any games that will work
in this environment or copy over autoexec's and config's that will run a particular game.
Then re-boot (reset, or Ctrl Alt Del is good here), drill down through the menus to
Previous DOS and the P.C. boot into a DOS 6.22 game machine.
32.) To return to Windows 95 I exit WFWG 3.11 and CD to c:\. I type to-w95.
33.) Here I can press the reset button, or Ctrl Alt Del. Drill Down Through the menus
to Windows 95. Actually my defaults automatically bring up Windows 95.
34.) Minor warning. Scandisk from Windows 95 (NT has a form of scandisk that works also)
might indicate that command.com, msdos.sys have a file error, but they don't...so simply
agree and click on fix it. (not delete). What happens here is the Windows 95 Long file
name is not attached to each these files, since we've copied and renamed them they have
changes positions on the harddrive and Windows 95 simply writes a new one for each file.
Finally.... putting DOS 6.22 back on your P.C. when you really miss running that legacy app !
note: Please do not just install your DOS from the floppies unless you want a real mess
on your hands trying to get back to Windows 95 and all those 32 bit apps you spent up
to minutes at a time installing.
1.) First look for the remnants of your old DOS 6.22 msdos.sys file in the c:\ root
sub-directory. Windows 95 might have deleted it or called it msdos.--- or msdos.dos.
Its about 38000 bytes. Do a dir /ah to show hidden files. If you find it, all
the better. Look for command.dos or command. Something thats approximately 54000 bytes.
Look for a io.dos of about 40,774 bytes also.
2.) If you have to change the attributes of msdos.dos do so (attrib -s -h -r msdos.dos)
3.) copy msdos.dos to msdos.622 and copy command.dos to command.622
4.) see where we're going with this... we're going to end up with the same c: root files
as listed above. So make the appropriate copies of the required files.
5.) The hard part begins, no msdos.dos, no command.dos, or io.sys or anything with a w40
extension.
6.) Do you remember where you put your MS-DOS installation floppies ? We'll need them to
go on.
7.) Disk 1 the DOS setup disk. Copy from disk 1 the msdos.sys and io.sys (careful here).
use this command: copy a:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.622 and copy a:\io.sys c:\io.dos
You can see the problem if you successfully copy a:\msdos.sys to c:\msdos.sys and
a:\io.sys to c:\io.sys. Then you will have to rebuild the Windows 95 msdos.sys.
So the msdos.622 and io.dos is the name you want to end up with here after copying it
up to your harddrive. You shouldn't of course be able to write over the
msdos.sys on your c:\ root but did anyone tell Windows 95 it shouldn't ? Windows 95
pulls some neat tricks when trying to fix itself once detecting a configuration change.
Which is why the P.C. is shut off after changing to the DOS autoexec.bat and config.sys
(to-622.bat), besides the DOS partition error that Windows 95 DOS and MS-DOS can have on
a warm boot. I haven't seen that particular error, but I read about it somewhere, I'm
digressing again.
8.) back on track, copy the a:\command.com to c:\command.622.
Again this naming is important.
9.) There are key files missing from your c:\dos sub-directory if indeed it even exists
on your Windows 95 P.C. I've had to manually expand them from the DOS install disks.
If you are only missing the few then your task is not so great (time consuming).
If you can get the c:\dos sub-directory from your backups do it, thats 6 to 8 meg
of files to expand. Using the command expand a:\emm386.ex_ c:\dos\emm386.exe etc...
10.) Don't mess with the IO.SYS file in your c:\ root at all !! Unless you know that
it contains some good info, and then if you do know you'd probably not be reading
this anyway. The IO.SYS file is not important to what we're doing here anyway,
but its everything to your P.C. at boot time.
11.) Don't mix up your DOS versions while restoring your c:\dos sub-directory.
12.) Once you've restored your c:\DOS then you have to find your old autoexec.bat
and config.sys files. Here are two examples for dos 6.22 just in case you can't find yours.
Autoexec.622
LH C:\logitech\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE
SET BLASTER=A220 I10 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET SOUND=C:\VIBRA16
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
C:\VIBRA16\DIAGNOSE /S
C:\VIBRA16\MIXERSET /P /Q
call C:\AUTOSYNC.BAT
REM WFWG 3.11 cd-rom configuration
prompt $p$g
PATH=c:\;c:\dos;c:\vibra16;c:\bat;..;c:\quickenw;c:\temp;D:\
LH C:\dos\MSCDEX.EXE /L:F /D:TEAC-CDI /E
LH C:\dos\DOSKEY
set TEMP=c:\TEMP
set TMP=c:\TEMP
set dircmd=/o:n /p
c:\ziptools\guest.exe
cls
call c:\bat\sound.bat
REM DOS 6.22 booting
config.622
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 2048 RAM AUTO X=C800-CFFF I=D000-EFFF
REM device=c:\dmdrvr.bin
buffers=32
files=50
DOS=UMB
LASTDRIVE=Z
FCBS=1,0
STACKS=0,0
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /e:1024 /p
DOS=HIGH
REM DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\TEAC\TEAC_CDI.SYS /D:TEAC-CDI /P:S-M
13.) Change the lines above to match your P.C. hardware. Of course you could e-mail me
with a list of your installed hardware and I could write these files for you and
e-mail then back. (whatever)...
14.) I found by booting into the Previous DOS (drilling down....) I could find the
DOS files that were missing from the errors reported as DOS executed the config.sys
and autoexec.bat.
15.) So here we end up at the same spot as above in preparing the P.C. to be truly
multiboot.
16.) So you're sitting at the c:\ prompt after you've ran successfully the `to-622.bat'
and drilled down to Previous DOS. Doing a `ver reveals dos 6.22 (5.0 or 6.x) and
typing set indicates the correct paths to DOS sub-directories.
17.) You could install Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups at this point.
18.) You could install Windows NT. CD to the cd-rom down to i386 or wherever the
install files are and type winnt /b and install Windows NT, Windows 95 will
be unaffected and DOS 6.22 (etc.) will not be bothered.
The only thing that might bother you is the approximately 400 megs you've consumed
installing all these OS's. You'd be suprised how many frustrations are cured when
running that legacy app in the correct OS ! You might not even have to learn another
new chuck of software and `how many man hours will that take?' You could even be
productive in DOS Windows 3.x (etc.) and switch over to Windows 95 for a while to
`get up to speed' on that new OS. (at least until you attained headache levels).
Or finished debugging that 16 bit app that is supposed to run okay under the new OS.
** If you are ~absolutely~ having trouble getting this multiboot going!.. you can fall
back to re-booting and select menu-item 7 safe mode command prompt only.
This will allow you to type to-w95 and switch back to Windows 95 boot.
This safe mode will switch your io.sys back to windows 95 from the filename winboot.sys
which it uses to store the Windows 95 io.sys while the ms-dos io.sys is used (check it out).
ms-dos io.sys (io.dos) = 39.8k and windows 95 io.sys (Winboot.sys) = 217k
**these are Windows 95 explorer numbers, not dos dir numbers**
but really! all base 10 :-)
** I have found that the more I get used to long file names and even longer paths, that
windows 95 scandisk starts to warn you about ms-dos having trouble reading the paths
and this DOES show up if you like to do DOS copying and use DOS commands !
I insure that my DOS software is on one drive that has a minimal use of long paths and long
file names. Especially for DOS games. ** I have C: drive very sparse with long file names.
If I know that the software I'm installing is going to create a very long path, I put it up
on E: drive. Those paths that have spaces reek terror on DOS ! I try to use `_' instead.
Then in DOS, I never go near those paths or directories with spaces. Especially, never put
a directory name with a space above a well used DOS directory like C&C ! **