China DOS Union

Hello!
I have installed two operating systems, Windows 98 and Windows 2000, on one computer. I want to ask how
to start the operating system only after running an authentication program under DOS. So that only people who pass authentication can start Windows 98 or Windows 2000, in order to manage the computer. The hard disk is protected with a protection card. Thank you!

Set a boot password in the BIOS /

Thanks!
I need to run an authentication program, enter a login interface, then send the user's account and password over the network to the server for authentication. Only after authentication can the computer start Win98 or Win2000 (like the boot screen when Win98 and Win2000 dual operating systems are installed). And then bill this computer. The problem now is that I don't know how to handle Win2000. Because Win98 can be called under DOS to start. But Win2000 seems not to work that way. Because Win2000 and Win98 are independent operating systems.

What you mean is to start network functions before the computer has entered any system; this doesn't seem very realistic. If you use DOS, I suggest you use FreeDOS. Under FreeDOS you can start the network and run your already-compiled login program, and perhaps find an effective method. But if Win2000 is placed in an NTFS partition, then DOS programs can't be used.

What you want is rather troublesome to implement. You would definitely have to write your own program. It would be better to install management software in both systems and verify after the user enters the system. Some Internet cafés do it this way /

Thanks, everyone:
When only the Win98 operating system is installed, in autoexec.bat I load the DOS network card driver to start network functions. Then I run my own authentication program (based on tcpip), and after authentication, I can call Win98 and successfully start Windows. But the problem is when adding another Win2000. I don't know how to handle it. I know Internet café management programs can do it. But they cannot meet my requirements. I want to implement large computer room management (300~500). And there are specific functional requirements. Both Win98 and Win2000 are FAT32.

What you're doing won't work. autoexec.bat can be skipped when starting up, or before your bat file has run, it could just be deleted first. Would that still be useful? You can try System Commander multi-boot system management; passwords can be set.

autoexec.bat really can be easily skipped, so I suggest using FreeDOS; maybe that can avoid being skipped. Also, Win2000's boot method is not based on DOS, so there is no way to complete login authentication beforehand through DOS. Maybe some other DOS versions can boot into Win2000 .....

Too deep for me, I half understand and half don't

Just use an IC card hardware authentication system together with your authentication program's database!

Thanks! Using an IC card hardware authentication system together with the authentication program's database would cost much more. And some university computer room management setups already use it, but its function is only that only people who swipe a card can enter the computer room. It also stores that person's information in the database, and then that person can use their own account to log into the system. After adding IC card hardware, it's equivalent to having one more layer of protection.

autoexec.bat can be skipped, but before it runs the keyboard is locked. So after doing it this way, the security is still acceptable.

The key point is that Win2000 is not booted based on DOS, so DOS can't do anything about it. You can look into the boot process of win200/nt/xp and information related to network card drivers.