98 boots into command Prompt

[RJMartino]

I've got a Windows 98 machine that a user says it had a MSDos icon on the desktop. He clicked it and now it boots into command prompt. When you type Win it restarts the machine but goes right back into command prompt. Same with typing 'exit'. Any idea's

[drn]

try reinstalling win that should fix it

[NDC]

No, that is not the problem. There are advanced options for the DOS prompt. There are settings for the MSDOS Prompt that allows you to set specific settings for the autoexec.bat and config.sys files for the DOS Prompt icon. I'm not refering to the autoexec.bat and config.sys files in the root directory, DON'T TOUCH THOSE! That is why the system is rebooting into DOS mode because settings are different from DOS Prompt icon and the settings in the root directory for the config.sys and autoexec.bat files.

I believe you set these settings in an advanced option for the MSDOS icon by pressing the right mouse button after selecting the icon. I'm definetly sure that is that problem, but can't remember exactly how it was done because it's been a loooong time since I used Win98. But I believe that is how you set it, like the way I said above. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by NDC (edited 10-05-2000).]

[BFlurie]

To see if he's in "pure" DOS or a DOS window, hit Alt-Enter. It'll do nothing in pure DOS, & reduce to a window if a DOS window.

[NDC]

OK, got the answer for you now, I just played with my buddies win98 system.

Right click on the MSDOS Prompt icon and select Properties and then Programs[/d] and then click on the [b]Advanced button. You will see 3 radio buttons. Make sure that MS DOS Mode is [b]NOT[b] checked off. Just have the 2nd radio button checked off among the 3 radio buttons. When you uncheck the MSDOS-Mode radio button, you will see that the option to put in commands for config.sys and autoexec.bat boxes below will gray out, so that the feature is disabled. This should take care of the problem. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by NDC (edited 10-05-2000).]

[shadow]

If that dont work, edit your config.sys from dos editor...type: edit config.sys
Take a look at whats in there, copy and paste (or write it down) the contents to a txt file for reference and possible future needs, then wipe out the contents of config.sys completly, save that empty space as config.sys then reboot. Windows needs nothing in there to work properly.
If it doesnt help, simply copy and paste from your saved text file back into config.sys and save.

[Doryforos]

There is a file in your HDD's root directory, MSDOS.SYS; this used to be a binary in DOS, but with Win9x it became an editable text file.

If you can't see it, open Windows Explorer and select View | Folder Options | View (tab); check "Show all files" radio button and uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types".

MSDOS.SYS is a read-only, hidden and system file (these are its attributes), as you can see by typing attrib msdos.sys at your command line, in a DOS window; here is the screen output:

C:\>attrib msdos.sys
A SHR MSDOS.SYS C:\MSDOS.SYS

C:\>

Now, right-click MSDOS.SYS in Windows Explorer, and "Open with..." | Notepad.

You will see a section in it, much like the following:

[Options]
BootMulti=0
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=1
AutoScan=1
WinVer=4.10.2222

If you see "BootGUI=0" instead, there is your problem. Shut down Notepad, and go to your DOS window.
Type c:\>attrib -r -h -s msdos.sys<ENTER>

Return to Windows Explorer, re-open MSDOS.SYS with Notepad, and change "BootGUI=0" to "BootGUI=1"; Reboot and the system should boot in Windows GUI (Graphical User Interface). Don't forget to change again the MSDOS.SYS attributes, by typing at the command line
C:\>attrib +r +h +s msdos.sys

Good Luck!

[Wiruz]

You beat me to it Doryforos.

Or else use this command:

type win>autoexec.bat

The trick of not loading the gui, used to be a tweak for increasing the ammount of free upper memory....

I remember in the good old "tweakin the cyrix" days, where that sort of tweaks was popular.... once i ran with only 19 kilobyte used out of 640.... i was proud!

NOTE: i cant remember if it is one > or 2 >>'s

one of them ads a line to the end of a file, the other one overwrites the entire file...

~Wiruz

[henry]

bootgui that option refers to if you want the Window 9x graphic to appear while it's loading Windows interface


Your main complain is, the computer doesn't boot to windows interface automatically or it won't boot to windows interface @ all?

first case, I don't know the problem, but th remedy is to simply edit autoexec.bat and add "win" at the end of the file.

second case, win.com is screwed? no idea about this one.

[phx]

that's not true at all. 'bootgui' does indeed refer to the system booting either the gui(graphical user interface, WINDOWS) or not(dos). if you add win.com to your autoexec.bat it will make it work but it's more of the half a** way of doing things. and if you ever do want to boot into just dos you'll have problems

[OuTpaTienT]

Well, phx, you're right...and you're not.

The bootGUI thing does make it bootup to the Windoze desktop, and disabling it will let it boot to DOS.

But having it boot to DOS with the WIN command in autoexec.bat is not a "half-assed" way of doing things, and will certainly cause no problems.

I have BOOTGUI=0 and my autoexec.bat setup to give me a menu upon bootup. I can choose from a few various DOS configurations or Windoze. If I chose Windoze (which it defaults to in 3 seconds) then it skips to the line in autoexec.bat where it says "WIN" and starts Windoze just as normal.

Nothing "half-assed" about that at all.

[onesense]

Use your Startup Disk(for your system), boot from if and at the A prompt type sys c: That has worked for me many times in the same situation