MS-DOS + a custom core set of Setup Utilities (ver 6.22) Abandonware ++++++++++ IMPORTANT: This custom core set of Setup Utilities is -ONLY- to assist in initially placing MS-DOS onto your boot drive. They should -NOT- be kept for use after the computer is configured to boot on its own (instead, if you need a utility that performs a function like one of these utilites, you should download a superior one from the archive on this server). ++++++++++ In order to use DOS software, you have to run an Operating System that supports DOS software. A computer can not boot DOS unless the boot diskette has the bootstrap files located on the first sectors of the diskette. This can NOT be done by simply copying the files onto a blank diskette. To resolve this problem, I have made a special self-creating BootDiskette program called BOOTDISK.EXE. {note: the following can all be done on a MS-Windows Operating System} Place a FORMATTED 1.44mb 3.5" floppy diskette in drive A: (or B:). {warning: any data on the formatted floppy diskette will be lost} Unzip bootdisk.zip to extract the BOOTDISK.EXE program. From the root directory of Drive C: (recommended), enter the command => BOOTDISK A: (or B: as appropriate). ----- Bootdisk.exe replaces the FAT formatted diskette with an image of a customized MSDOS ver 6.22 bootable diskette. Besides the MSDOS operating system (i.e., the hidden first sector files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS, plus the command line interperetor COMMAND.COM), the created diskette contains a number of utility programs useful for setting up a new computer (or resurrecting an old computer). I chose to use mostly Microsoft utilities primarily because of their size (so I could fit everything onto just one diskette). Although Microsoft utilities may not be the choicest utilities available, they are certainly good enough to get the job done. Once your hard drive is FDISKed and FORMATted, you will want to load a full set of quality utility programs. Several such programs have been placed on this website for your convenience. The CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on the bootable diskette are generic files to startup your mouse and optical drives. You should customize them for your specific situation. If you need to add another driver to the bootable diskette, you will probably have to delete some of the utility files to make room. I suggest you delete the DISKCOPY.COM file first, as it is the least likely to be needed to configure a new system. There is no documentation for this diskette. I make the assumption that you know what the utilities are and how to use them. Most of the utilities will list their available "switch" options if you type the command followed by a "/?" switch. Also check the documentation included with the full utility sets elsewhere on this website (as most of these Boot Diskette utilites were extracted from these utility sets). Please note that the larger utilities placed on this diskette have been reduced to their "bare bones" core (i.e., they do not contain their "help" files and such). ----- WARNING: Try to keep total PATH lengths under 128 characters, as many programs are unable to use longer paths. Also try to keep a directory depth limit to not more than 8 levels, as some backup programs (especially those for CD-ROMs) are unable to access below 8 levels. ----- Included on the created bootable diskette are the following files: Append = MSDOS 6.22 Assign = MSDOS 6.22 Attrib = MSDOS 6.22 Autoexec = (user file) Command = MSDOS 6.22 {system attribute} Config = (user file) Cpucache = Bret Johnson 1.00 Ctmouse = Nagy Daniel 2.0a4 Debug = MSDOS 6.22 Deltree = MSDOS 6.22 Diskcopy = MSDOS 6.22 EMM386 = MSDOS 6.22 Expand = MSDOS 6.22 Fdisk = MSDOS 6.22 Format = MSDOS 6.22 Himem = MSDOS 6.22 Io = MSDOS 6.22 {hidden/system attributes} Join = MSDOS 6.22 Label = MSDoS 6.22 Loadfix = MSDOS 6.22 MFT = Quarterdeck Office Systems 9.0 Mode = MSDOS 6.22 More = MSDOS 6.22 Move = MSDOS 6.22 Mscdex = Microsoft 1993 Msdos = MSDOS 6.22 {hidden/system attributes} Nc = Peter Norton Computing 3.0 Ncmain = Peter Norton Computing 3.0 [launched by "NC.EXE"] Nnansi = Tom Almy 1/93 Pkunzip = Pkware 2.04g Pkzip = Pkware 2.04g Ramdrive = MSDOS 6.22 Scandisk = MSDOS 6.22 Setver = MSDOS 6.22 Share = MSDOS 6.22 Slowdown = Bret Johnson 3.10 Sort = MSDOS 6.22 Subst = MSDOS 6.22 Sys = MSDOS 6.22 Undelete = MSDOS 6.22 Unformat = MSDOS 6.22 Vide-cdd = BenQ 2.14 Xcopy = MSDOS 6.22 Note1: For those of you who are having trouble grasping the concept that DOS is -not- defined by utility files, I offer the entire suite of MSDOS 6.22 utility files issued with MSDOS 6.22 elsewhere on this server (see -> "Assorted utilities from Microsoft") ========== Note2: For those uncomfortable with using the abandonware MSDOS 6.22, or even if uncomfortable with any of the third party software included in this diskette image; I suggest getting the computer running with "FreeDOS" http://www.freedos.org ========== Note3: It is strongly recommended that MSDOS -always- be used in conjunction with the QEMM memory management suite. QEMM (and an example Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, and DOS-UP.dat file) can be found elsewhere on this server. (see -> "Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager") +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Many modern computers lack a floppy disk. Thus I have included a CDROM ISO file (DOS.iso) that can be used to boot DOS (assuming of course that the PC allows the CDROM drive to be a boot drive). This is an image of the MS-DOS 6.22 shipped disk, and thus does -NOT- contain the custom core set of Setup Utilities found in Bootdisk.exe. After booting the computer, you can if desired switch to the archive "loose.zip" (which is a copy of the Bootdisk.exe Setup Utilities, that can be placed on any media), to finish the MS-DOS setup proceedure. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MSDOS + core of the bundled Microsoft utilities (ver 3.30) Abandonware For 16-Bit PCs, -THE- best DOS is MS-DOS version 3.30. It provides the best compromise between power and memory usage on XT and 286 computers, while still able to support 386, 486, and Pentium computers (albeit in reduced capacity... so you should try to use MS-DOS 6.22 whenever possible). Because a computer can not boot DOS unless the boot diskette has the bootstrap files located on the first sectors of the diskette, I have had to create this bootable self-extracting 720k image. 720k was chosen because some of the early laptop computers will not accept a 1.44mb floppy diskette. To make a 720k diskette, take a regular 1.44mb floppy and tape over the square hole on the left side (the one without the write protect slide). If you use transparent tape, take a pencil or pen and darken the tape so that light can not pass through the hole (this is because some floppy drives use an optical sensor to determine if the hole is present or missing). {note: the following can all be done on a MS-Windows Operating System} Place a 720k 3.5" floppy diskette in drive A:. Unzip MSDOS330.ZIP to extract the MSDOS330.EXE program. Run the program. It will format the diskette in the A: drive {warning: any data currently on the floppy will be lost} and install a bootable image of MS-DOS 3.30, along with utilities useful to get your 16-bit PC running. BTW, I specifically limited the disk contents to under 360k, so that if you have a machine with both a 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" floppy drive, you could copy the entire disks contents (run SYS.COM first to copy the hidden system files) onto a 360k floppy disk. You could then use it to boot a really ancient PC. ----- A note about the utilities: The utilities on the bootdisk were ones that Microsoft shipped with DOS 3.30. Not all of the utilites that came with MS-DOS are included. If you need them, they can be found elsewhere on this server (see -> "Assorted utilities from Microsoft"). Please note that Microsoft utilites are not the best in their categories, so I suggest that you substitute them with alternatives as needed.