China DOS Union

Now many netizens are using operating systems such as WinNT/2K/XP. However, when they start WinNT/2K/XP, they find that many DOS programs cannot run on it, and pure DOS cannot be used either. What's the matter?

Everyone knows that there is something called "Command Prompt" in WinNT/2K/XP, which looks similar to the MS-DOS window in Win3.x/9x on the surface. However, they are completely different. Win3.x/9x is a large protected-mode GUI interface enhancement program running under MS-DOS, while WinNT/2K/XP is an independent operating system based on OS/2 and NT components. Therefore, there are essential differences between them. The real DOS is pure DOS such as MS-DOS and PC-DOS, while the "Command Prompt" in WinNT/2K/XP is just a "WinNT system console" with part of the functions of "DOS virtual machine". Since it is virtual, the effect is naturally not as good as the real one. Therefore, when this "virtual DOS" cannot run DOS programs normally, only the real DOS (such as MS-DOS 7.10) can be used to run them.

Since WinNT/2K/XP does not come with DOS, if you want to install pure DOS on the hard disk after installing these operating systems, you can only use dual-booting. Many netizens know that when WinNT/2K/XP starts, a menu often appears from which you can select the operating system to start. However, sometimes there is no "DOS" option in this menu, and even the boot menu does not appear at all (if you choose to retain the original operating system when installing WinNT/2K/XP, the boot menu of WinNT/2K/XP will have the option of the original operating system). So what should be done? The following introduces the method of installing DOS after installing WinNT/2K/XP.

The startup of DOS requires the boot sector and startup files of the DOS system. The DOS installation program will automatically rebuild the boot sector and startup files of DOS during installation, so that DOS can be started after installation. However, for older versions of DOS (such as MS-DOS 6.x), their installation programs will overwrite the boot information of WinNT/2K/XP, causing WinNT/2K/XP to fail to start. The same situation will occur when using the SYS and other commands brought by DOS for transmission. Therefore, in order to make both DOS and WinNT/2K/XP startable, a better method should be used, or a DOS installation program that can automatically make a dual-boot of DOS and WinNT/2K/XP should be used to complete it automatically.

MS-DOS 7.10 is currently the most powerful, practical, and most compatible DOS. Moreover, since it fully supports large hard disks, large memory, long file names (LFN), FAT32 partitions, and may directly start Win3.x/9x, etc., it is very practical. And its installation program fully supports coexistence with WinNT/2K/XP. The "MS-DOS 7.10 Complete Installation Edition" (can be downloaded in "DOS System") can let the system automatically complete the operation of installing the full version of DOS under WinNT/2K/XP during installation, and automatically realize the dual-boot of DOS and WinNT/2K/XP. Since the MS-DOS 7.10 Complete Installation Edition is very powerful and practical, it is recommended for everyone to use. More detailed information can be seen in the following article:

http://dos.qiee.com/newdos/dosart32.htm The link is invalid (note from administrator)

However, if the primary partition (usually drive C) of the hard disk is in NTFS format, DOS cannot be installed directly because DOS does not directly support the NTFS format. At this time, some multi-boot managers can be used, such as SPFDISK, etc. After setting the system partition with the multi-boot disk manager, directly installing MS-DOS 7.10 can realize coexistence with WinNT/2K/XP.

In addition to installing DOS or starting DOS with a real DOS boot floppy, the method of starting DOS by using a virtual floppy disk image can also be used, that is, directly start the DOS in the virtual DOS boot floppy from the boot menu of WinNT/2K/XP, which is equivalent to starting from the DOS boot floppy. It can be realized by using software such as VFloppy, GRUB for NTLDR, etc., and the specific content can be seen and downloaded in the relevant posts of this forum. However, please note that starting to DOS with a virtual floppy or a real floppy is not installing DOS. If you want to really install DOS, you need to use the DOS installation program to install it automatically.

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In addition to the methods such as installing the full version of DOS mentioned above, there are other methods to add pure DOS under WinNT/2K/XP. Some methods need to manually modify the system configuration or manually use a series of command line operations, etc. For example, the method shared by chujiafu in the following post is an example, which is suitable for people with a certain level of computer. For these people, this method may be faster. However, it should be noted that the DOS added in this way is only the simplest startable streamlined DOS system, not the full version of DOS. If needed, further system configuration, etc. are required. For details, see this post: http://www.cn-dos.net/forum/viewthread.php?tid=16762

Hope wengier writes a tutorial on GRUB for NTLDR

Not very clear about what pure DOS is? Please give guidance.

hunome: Windrv will soon develop a GUI interface program "WinGRUB" for GRUB for DOS/NTLDR running on WIN, which will be much more convenient for general users. Wait until it's developed to write about it.

What is DOS: Pure DOS is the real DOS. DOS is a very powerful and practical operating system.

If everyone needs to install pure DOS under WinNT/2K/XP, please read this article carefully, and do not post the same questions repeatedly in the forum. Thank you!

Can this method also be used to install if there is a dual system of 98 and XP?

Wengier:
Why did only the first disk install when I was installing DOS 7.1, but the second one, which is TOOl, couldn't be installed? I have also extracted the second disk to the same installation directory.

hellen: Is it installed by expanding to a floppy disk? If it's installed by extracting to the hard disk, please try downloading it again.

Oh my god~~~~~~ Can't understand, what should we do everyone??? Help~~~~~~~

I also followed the method the LZ said, but my BIOS is set to boot from a floppy disk, but I don't know how to make a bootable disk, and even the Windows 98 bootable disk doesn't work. What's the matter?

yqy1425: That's a problem with the method you used to make the bootable disk. Please study the method of making the bootable disk carefully!

I used VFloppy to virtualize a floppy disk!! It can be used under 2000XP!! It's okay!! I don't know how to make 7.10 into a CD boot!!

I'm a newbie.
I don't know what "floppy disk boot" is in English.
Please, great expert, give me advice.

happyhua: It's too easy to make it boot from a CD. Just download a DOS CD boot/install disc and make it directly.

Wengier: I unzipped the downloaded file and installed it on the hard drive!
It could be that there's a problem with the downloaded file. Why was the first image okay?
........

Then, I'll try downloading it again first!