Common DOS Error Messages and Countermeasures
If you don't understand English, do you often feel completely at a loss when English prompts appear? Of course, the best idea is to start learning English now. The future is the age of the Internet, and most materials on the Internet are in English. If you don't understand it, then you lose one means of communication. Still, I think it's necessary to give everyone some common error messages, so when you don't understand one, just come look it up here.
A__C
[English prompt] Abort,Retry, Ignore,fail?
[Chinese] Abort, retry, ignore, cancel?
[Cause] The given command cannot be recognized, or a disk or device error has occurred that prevents the command from being executed. It may be because the disk is damaged or the floppy drive door is not closed.
[Countermeasure] Press the A key to terminate completely and return to the DOS prompt. Press the R key to execute the command again. Press the I key to continue processing and ignore the error; this is very risky, and it is recommended not to use it. Press the F key to skip executing the problematic command and continue with the following processing. This is sometimes useful.
[English prompt] Access Denied
[Chinese] Access denied
[Cause] An attempt was made to open a file marked read-only, stored on a write-protected disk, or locked on a network. This message can also appear if you use the "Type" command on a subdirectory, or the "CD（chdir）" command on a file.
[Countermeasure] Use the "Attrib" command to remove the file's read-only status or remove the write protection from the disk, then try again.
[English prompt] Bad Command or file name
[Chinese] Bad command or file name
[Cause] The entered command cannot be recognized.
[Countermeasure] Check to make sure the command was entered correctly. Confirm that the command file can be found in the specified directory or in the search path specified with the Path command.
[English prompt] Boot error
[Chinese] Boot error
[Cause] The required peripheral cannot be detected during boot.
[Countermeasure] Check the computer's settings parameters. If you cannot solve this problem yourself, find a repair technician.
[English prompt] Cannot find system files
[Chinese] Cannot find system files
[Cause] An attempt was made to load the operating system from a drive that does not contain system files.
[Countermeasure] Use the sys command to copy the system files into the root directory. Only if the system files truly cannot be recovered should you use the Format/s command to reformat the disk.
[English prompt] Cannot load command，system halted
[Chinese] Cannot load command, system halted
[Cause] The application has overwritten all or part of Command.com in memory.
[Countermeasure] Reboot the computer and check whether the data modified by the application is intact. If necessary, copy Command.com to a subdirectory, so that when the application exits, DOS can find Command.com there.
[English prompt] Cannot read file allocation table
[Chinese] Cannot read file allocation table
[Cause] The file allocation table is damaged.
[Countermeasure] If you can still find some data, back it all up to a blank disk. You can also use the Chkdsk command to repair the file allocation table. If necessary, reformat the disk. If the problem happens repeatedly, then the drive should be repaired or replaced.
D__F
[English prompt] Divide Overflow
[Chinese] Allocation overflow, divide-by-zero error
[Cause] The program may have been written incorrectly and not properly debugged, or it may conflict with other programs in memory.
[Countermeasure] Check the other programs in memory, or stop using this program.
[English prompt] Drive Not Ready Error
[Chinese] Drive not ready
[Cause] That drive does not exist or no disk has been inserted.
[Countermeasure] Check the disk or replace the disk.
[English prompt] Duplicate File Name or File Not Found
[Chinese] Duplicate file name or file not found
[Cause] When naming a file, the name duplicates an existing file, or when operating on a file, that file does not exist at all.
[Countermeasure] Use a different name or check the spelling of the file name.
[English prompt] Error loading operating system
[Chinese] Error loading operating system
[Cause] The operating system files cannot be found or have been damaged.
[Countermeasure] Use the SYS command to copy the operating system files to that drive. If necessary, copy the config.sys and autoexec.bat files to the root directory. If the system files cannot be recovered, then boot from a floppy disk, back up the data, and use the Format/s command to reformat the disk.
[English prompt] EXEC failure
[Chinese] File execution failed
[Cause] The application's executable file contains errors that affect processing, or the file cannot be opened because too many files are already open, or the file may be incompatible with the current DOS version.
[Countermeasure] Check the DOS version. If the version is correct, this problem can be solved by editing the Files command in Config.sys.
[English prompt] File allocation table bad
[Chinese] File allocation table is damaged
[Cause] There are many possible reasons. For example, a virus outbreak, sudden shutdown, improper shutdown, etc. can all damage the allocation table.
[Countermeasure] Back up whatever data can still be found to a blank disk, and do not overwrite previous backups. This problem may perhaps be solved by using the Chkdsk command. If necessary, reformat the floppy disk. If the problem repeats, then send the drive in for repair.
[English prompt] File cannot be copied onto itself
[Chinese] A file cannot be copied onto itself
[Cause] You specified the same file as both source and target, or you forgot to write the file name.
[Countermeasure] Change the source or target file as needed, then try again.
[English prompt] File creation Error
[Chinese] File creation error
[Cause] There may not be enough space on the disk for the file the user wants to create, the file to be created may already exist and be read-only, or you may be trying to rename a file using a name that already exists.
[Countermeasure] You can switch to another disk, use another target name or another target location, or use the Attrib command to remove the file's read-only attribute.
[English prompt] File not found
[Chinese] File not found
[Cause] The file cannot be found in the current directory or any directory specified by the Path or Append command, or the specified directory is empty.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling and location of the file name, and change the search path if necessary.
G__I
[English prompt] General failure
[Chinese] General failure
[Cause] DOS cannot determine the cause of the error. Usually this is because the disk in the drive is unformatted, or it was formatted as a non-DOS system.
[Countermeasure] The disk should be reformatted.
[English prompt] Incorrect DOS version
[Chinese] DOS version mismatch
[Cause] An external command of a different version was entered.
[Countermeasure] Use setver to set the version, or use the correct executable file.
[English prompt] Insufficient Disk Space
[Chinese] Insufficient disk space
[Cause] There is no available space left on the disk to copy files or create files.
[Countermeasure] You can delete some useless files or replace it with a larger disk.
[English prompt] Insufficient memory
[Chinese] Insufficient memory
[Cause] There is not enough memory to process the command entered by the user; this generally refers to conventional memory.
[Countermeasure] Some memory-resident files should be removed, or memory should be better optimized and managed. You can also add more memory to the system to suit the application.
[English prompt] Invalid directory
[Chinese] Invalid directory
[Cause] An invalid directory name or a directory name that does not exist was entered.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling of the directory name.
[English prompt] Invalid Drive Specification
[Chinese] Invalid drive specification
[Cause] That drive does not exist at all; it may be a spelling mistake. If the CD-ROM drive cannot be specified, the driver may not be installed.
[Countermeasure] Reinstall the CD-ROM drive.
[English prompt] Invalid filename or file not found
[Chinese] Invalid file name or file not found
[Cause] The entered file name contains invalid characters or wildcards, or a reserved device name was used as the file name.
[Countermeasure] Try using a different file name.
[English prompt] Invalid Media,track 0 Bad or Unusable
[Chinese] Invalid format, track 0 damaged or unusable
[Cause] Usually the disk is damaged.
[Countermeasure] Replace the disk.
[English prompt] Invalid parameter
[Chinese] Invalid parameter
[Cause] The correct parameter was not specified on the command line, or there are duplicate or forbidden parameters.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling or syntax of the command input.
[English prompt] Invalid partition table
[Chinese] Invalid partition table
[Cause] There is an error in the hard disk partition information.
[Countermeasure] Back up whatever data can be found, and run Fdisk to reconfigure the hard disk partitions.
[English prompt] Invalid path,not directory,or directory not empty
[Chinese] Invalid path, not a directory, or directory not empty
[Cause] The system cannot locate the specified directory, or the user entered a file name in place of a directory name, or the directory contains files (or subdirectories) and therefore cannot be deleted.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling of the directory name. If the directory appears empty, it may contain hidden files. Use the Dir/ah command to display any hidden files that may be present, use attrib to change their attributes, and delete them.
[English prompt] Invalid syntax
[Chinese] Invalid syntax
[Cause] The system cannot process the syntax format entered by the user.
[Countermeasure] Consult the correct file format and try again.
N__W
[English prompt] No fixed disk Present
[Chinese] No hard disk present
[Cause] The system cannot detect the presence of a hard disk.
[Countermeasure] Check the configured drive-type parameters. If this cannot solve the problem, send it in for repair.
[English prompt] Non-System Disk or Disk Error
[Chinese] Non-system disk or disk error
[Cause] The system cannot find the system files on the current disk.
[Countermeasure] Insert a disk containing the system files, or reboot the computer.
[English prompt] Not enough memory
[Chinese] Insufficient memory
[Cause] See Insufficient memory
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] NOT READY,READING DRIVE X
[Chinese] Drive X not ready
[Cause] There is no disk in the specified drive or the drive door is not closed.
[Countermeasure] Insert a disk into the specified drive or close the drive door.
[English prompt] Program too big to fit in memory
[Chinese] The program is too large to load into memory
[Cause] See Insufficient memory
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] Required Parameter missing
[Chinese] Required parameter missing
[Cause] See Invalid Parameter
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] Too many open files
[Chinese] Too many open files
[Cause] The number of open files exceeds the system limit.
[Countermeasure] Use the Files command in the Config.sys file to increase the maximum number, then reboot the computer.
[English prompt] Unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS
[Chinese] Unrecognized command in config.sys
[Cause] When booting the system, a command in the Config.sys file cannot be recognized.
[Countermeasure] Edit the config.sys file and correct the invalid line.
[English prompt] Write fault error
[Chinese] Write failure error
[Cause] The system cannot write data to the disk.
[Countermeasure] Take out the disk and reinsert it, then try again. If it still does not work, run Chkdsk or Scandisk. If the disk cannot be recovered, throw it away.
[English prompt] Write protect error
[Chinese] Write-protect error
[Cause] The disk is write-protected.
[Countermeasure] Take out the disk, remove the write protection, and try again.
If you don't understand English, do you often feel completely at a loss when English prompts appear? Of course, the best idea is to start learning English now. The future is the age of the Internet, and most materials on the Internet are in English. If you don't understand it, then you lose one means of communication. Still, I think it's necessary to give everyone some common error messages, so when you don't understand one, just come look it up here.
A__C
[English prompt] Abort,Retry, Ignore,fail?
[Chinese] Abort, retry, ignore, cancel?
[Cause] The given command cannot be recognized, or a disk or device error has occurred that prevents the command from being executed. It may be because the disk is damaged or the floppy drive door is not closed.
[Countermeasure] Press the A key to terminate completely and return to the DOS prompt. Press the R key to execute the command again. Press the I key to continue processing and ignore the error; this is very risky, and it is recommended not to use it. Press the F key to skip executing the problematic command and continue with the following processing. This is sometimes useful.
[English prompt] Access Denied
[Chinese] Access denied
[Cause] An attempt was made to open a file marked read-only, stored on a write-protected disk, or locked on a network. This message can also appear if you use the "Type" command on a subdirectory, or the "CD（chdir）" command on a file.
[Countermeasure] Use the "Attrib" command to remove the file's read-only status or remove the write protection from the disk, then try again.
[English prompt] Bad Command or file name
[Chinese] Bad command or file name
[Cause] The entered command cannot be recognized.
[Countermeasure] Check to make sure the command was entered correctly. Confirm that the command file can be found in the specified directory or in the search path specified with the Path command.
[English prompt] Boot error
[Chinese] Boot error
[Cause] The required peripheral cannot be detected during boot.
[Countermeasure] Check the computer's settings parameters. If you cannot solve this problem yourself, find a repair technician.
[English prompt] Cannot find system files
[Chinese] Cannot find system files
[Cause] An attempt was made to load the operating system from a drive that does not contain system files.
[Countermeasure] Use the sys command to copy the system files into the root directory. Only if the system files truly cannot be recovered should you use the Format/s command to reformat the disk.
[English prompt] Cannot load command，system halted
[Chinese] Cannot load command, system halted
[Cause] The application has overwritten all or part of Command.com in memory.
[Countermeasure] Reboot the computer and check whether the data modified by the application is intact. If necessary, copy Command.com to a subdirectory, so that when the application exits, DOS can find Command.com there.
[English prompt] Cannot read file allocation table
[Chinese] Cannot read file allocation table
[Cause] The file allocation table is damaged.
[Countermeasure] If you can still find some data, back it all up to a blank disk. You can also use the Chkdsk command to repair the file allocation table. If necessary, reformat the disk. If the problem happens repeatedly, then the drive should be repaired or replaced.
D__F
[English prompt] Divide Overflow
[Chinese] Allocation overflow, divide-by-zero error
[Cause] The program may have been written incorrectly and not properly debugged, or it may conflict with other programs in memory.
[Countermeasure] Check the other programs in memory, or stop using this program.
[English prompt] Drive Not Ready Error
[Chinese] Drive not ready
[Cause] That drive does not exist or no disk has been inserted.
[Countermeasure] Check the disk or replace the disk.
[English prompt] Duplicate File Name or File Not Found
[Chinese] Duplicate file name or file not found
[Cause] When naming a file, the name duplicates an existing file, or when operating on a file, that file does not exist at all.
[Countermeasure] Use a different name or check the spelling of the file name.
[English prompt] Error loading operating system
[Chinese] Error loading operating system
[Cause] The operating system files cannot be found or have been damaged.
[Countermeasure] Use the SYS command to copy the operating system files to that drive. If necessary, copy the config.sys and autoexec.bat files to the root directory. If the system files cannot be recovered, then boot from a floppy disk, back up the data, and use the Format/s command to reformat the disk.
[English prompt] EXEC failure
[Chinese] File execution failed
[Cause] The application's executable file contains errors that affect processing, or the file cannot be opened because too many files are already open, or the file may be incompatible with the current DOS version.
[Countermeasure] Check the DOS version. If the version is correct, this problem can be solved by editing the Files command in Config.sys.
[English prompt] File allocation table bad
[Chinese] File allocation table is damaged
[Cause] There are many possible reasons. For example, a virus outbreak, sudden shutdown, improper shutdown, etc. can all damage the allocation table.
[Countermeasure] Back up whatever data can still be found to a blank disk, and do not overwrite previous backups. This problem may perhaps be solved by using the Chkdsk command. If necessary, reformat the floppy disk. If the problem repeats, then send the drive in for repair.
[English prompt] File cannot be copied onto itself
[Chinese] A file cannot be copied onto itself
[Cause] You specified the same file as both source and target, or you forgot to write the file name.
[Countermeasure] Change the source or target file as needed, then try again.
[English prompt] File creation Error
[Chinese] File creation error
[Cause] There may not be enough space on the disk for the file the user wants to create, the file to be created may already exist and be read-only, or you may be trying to rename a file using a name that already exists.
[Countermeasure] You can switch to another disk, use another target name or another target location, or use the Attrib command to remove the file's read-only attribute.
[English prompt] File not found
[Chinese] File not found
[Cause] The file cannot be found in the current directory or any directory specified by the Path or Append command, or the specified directory is empty.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling and location of the file name, and change the search path if necessary.
G__I
[English prompt] General failure
[Chinese] General failure
[Cause] DOS cannot determine the cause of the error. Usually this is because the disk in the drive is unformatted, or it was formatted as a non-DOS system.
[Countermeasure] The disk should be reformatted.
[English prompt] Incorrect DOS version
[Chinese] DOS version mismatch
[Cause] An external command of a different version was entered.
[Countermeasure] Use setver to set the version, or use the correct executable file.
[English prompt] Insufficient Disk Space
[Chinese] Insufficient disk space
[Cause] There is no available space left on the disk to copy files or create files.
[Countermeasure] You can delete some useless files or replace it with a larger disk.
[English prompt] Insufficient memory
[Chinese] Insufficient memory
[Cause] There is not enough memory to process the command entered by the user; this generally refers to conventional memory.
[Countermeasure] Some memory-resident files should be removed, or memory should be better optimized and managed. You can also add more memory to the system to suit the application.
[English prompt] Invalid directory
[Chinese] Invalid directory
[Cause] An invalid directory name or a directory name that does not exist was entered.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling of the directory name.
[English prompt] Invalid Drive Specification
[Chinese] Invalid drive specification
[Cause] That drive does not exist at all; it may be a spelling mistake. If the CD-ROM drive cannot be specified, the driver may not be installed.
[Countermeasure] Reinstall the CD-ROM drive.
[English prompt] Invalid filename or file not found
[Chinese] Invalid file name or file not found
[Cause] The entered file name contains invalid characters or wildcards, or a reserved device name was used as the file name.
[Countermeasure] Try using a different file name.
[English prompt] Invalid Media,track 0 Bad or Unusable
[Chinese] Invalid format, track 0 damaged or unusable
[Cause] Usually the disk is damaged.
[Countermeasure] Replace the disk.
[English prompt] Invalid parameter
[Chinese] Invalid parameter
[Cause] The correct parameter was not specified on the command line, or there are duplicate or forbidden parameters.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling or syntax of the command input.
[English prompt] Invalid partition table
[Chinese] Invalid partition table
[Cause] There is an error in the hard disk partition information.
[Countermeasure] Back up whatever data can be found, and run Fdisk to reconfigure the hard disk partitions.
[English prompt] Invalid path,not directory,or directory not empty
[Chinese] Invalid path, not a directory, or directory not empty
[Cause] The system cannot locate the specified directory, or the user entered a file name in place of a directory name, or the directory contains files (or subdirectories) and therefore cannot be deleted.
[Countermeasure] Check the spelling of the directory name. If the directory appears empty, it may contain hidden files. Use the Dir/ah command to display any hidden files that may be present, use attrib to change their attributes, and delete them.
[English prompt] Invalid syntax
[Chinese] Invalid syntax
[Cause] The system cannot process the syntax format entered by the user.
[Countermeasure] Consult the correct file format and try again.
N__W
[English prompt] No fixed disk Present
[Chinese] No hard disk present
[Cause] The system cannot detect the presence of a hard disk.
[Countermeasure] Check the configured drive-type parameters. If this cannot solve the problem, send it in for repair.
[English prompt] Non-System Disk or Disk Error
[Chinese] Non-system disk or disk error
[Cause] The system cannot find the system files on the current disk.
[Countermeasure] Insert a disk containing the system files, or reboot the computer.
[English prompt] Not enough memory
[Chinese] Insufficient memory
[Cause] See Insufficient memory
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] NOT READY,READING DRIVE X
[Chinese] Drive X not ready
[Cause] There is no disk in the specified drive or the drive door is not closed.
[Countermeasure] Insert a disk into the specified drive or close the drive door.
[English prompt] Program too big to fit in memory
[Chinese] The program is too large to load into memory
[Cause] See Insufficient memory
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] Required Parameter missing
[Chinese] Required parameter missing
[Cause] See Invalid Parameter
[Countermeasure]
[English prompt] Too many open files
[Chinese] Too many open files
[Cause] The number of open files exceeds the system limit.
[Countermeasure] Use the Files command in the Config.sys file to increase the maximum number, then reboot the computer.
[English prompt] Unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS
[Chinese] Unrecognized command in config.sys
[Cause] When booting the system, a command in the Config.sys file cannot be recognized.
[Countermeasure] Edit the config.sys file and correct the invalid line.
[English prompt] Write fault error
[Chinese] Write failure error
[Cause] The system cannot write data to the disk.
[Countermeasure] Take out the disk and reinsert it, then try again. If it still does not work, run Chkdsk or Scandisk. If the disk cannot be recovered, throw it away.
[English prompt] Write protect error
[Chinese] Write-protect error
[Cause] The disk is write-protected.
[Countermeasure] Take out the disk, remove the write protection, and try again.
