Need help installing Win 3.11
William Brooks
it's not working- please let me know if I'm right. I have the set of 8
disks which I installed on a newly formatted drive. It only asked for the
first 6 disks during setup. Anyway, when I rebooted, I got the c:\windows
prompt. I typed in "win" and it said "missing himem.sys file". When I try
to check the config.sys file by typing "edit c:\config.sys", I get a bad
command error. I'm suspecting that this needs to be installed on a machine
that already has a version of dos on it (I don't have an instruction
manual). If so, does it matter what version? Thanks in advance.
William
Stephan Grossklass
>
> Hi folks. I'm trying to install 3.11 on a 486. I have a guess as to why
> it's not working- please let me know if I'm right. I have the set of 8
> disks which I installed on a newly formatted drive. It only asked for the
> first 6 disks during setup. Anyway, when I rebooted, I got the c:\windows
> prompt. I typed in "win" and it said "missing himem.sys file". When I try
> to check the config.sys file by typing "edit c:\config.sys", I get a bad
> command error. I'm suspecting that this needs to be installed on a machine
> that already has a version of dos on it (I don't have an instruction
> manual).
That's correct.
> If so, does it matter what version?
Any version of MS-DOS 6 or higher should be fine, and DR-DOS and PC-DOS
should work, too.
Stephan
--
Stephan Großklaß (7bit: Grossklass)
eMail: mailto:jgros...@t-online.de | Webmaster: http://www.i24.com/
Home: http://jgrossklass.bei.t-online.de/
P3-500, 128MB, 8+8+19GB HDD; MS-DOS 6.22, WfW 3.11, Calmira II 3.1
Bill Marcum
William Brooks wrote in message <99l6kp$v91$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net>...
be sitting there saying "missing operating system" or "non-system disk
or disk error". But if "edit c:\config.sys" gives you a bad command
error, either c:\dos\edit.com is missing, or your autoexec.bat file
does not set the PATH properly. It's possible you might have MSDOS version
3, which did not come with EDIT, only EDLIN. EDLIN is a primitive editor
with no built-in help. Try these commands at the DOS
prompt:
VER tells you what version of DOS you have
DIR C:\DOS
C:\DOS EDIT C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
if this works, make sure autoexec.bat contains a line like
PATH C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS
Then you can edit c:\config.sys and add the line
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
(this should be the first line)
Tony Saragosa
disk, and formated /s, rebooted, then installed windows 3.11, just a
thought.
"Bill Marcum" <bma...@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:3abe4...@news.iglou.com...
James Buss
You probably only used 6 of 8 disks because you didn't choose the networking
options.
Microsoft has a patch for FileManager to make it Y2K compatible. File Manager
works fine, it just doesn't display dates correctly. Sorry don't have the URL
handy, but if you do a search in the knowledge base, you should find it.
EZoto
recently. Everything worked fine until I got the window for entering my name and
company. There was no mouse cursor. Just wondering why it did this.
EZoto
William Brooks
boot up with the first disk in, it said that it wasn't a system disk. When
I try to run setup instead, it just says to reboot. BTW, would it matter if
I installed dos with the windows already there?
Stephan Grossklass <sgrossklas...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:99le4m$mun$01$2...@news.t-online.com...
Steven V.A.
>Hi folks. I'm trying to install 3.11 on a 486.
First DOS, Then Win 3.11...
>I typed in "win" and it said "missing himem.sys file".
This means you must load the HIMEM driver in config.sys
Typically this line is like:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
> When I try
>to check the config.sys file by typing "edit c:\config.sys", I get a bad
>command error.
This means DOS can't find the extern file(s) 'edit.com - qbasic.exe'
in the active directory OR in the specified search pad(s) in
autoexec.bat. First make sure you actually have all thes DOS files. It
would seem that your DOS is incomplete or misconfigured.....
>I'm suspecting that this needs to be installed on a machine
>that already has a version of dos on it (I don't have an instruction
>manual). If so, does it matter what version? Thanks in advance.
First DOS, then WIN....(It's a shell for DOS after all )
Best is to look for a copy of DOS v6 or higher. (6.22 is the last
offical MS-DOS version)
Greetings,
Steven V.A.
---
/// The Mysterious Cities of Gold ///
/// http://www.unity.force9.co.uk/mcog ///
Coi...@mindspring.com
>I'm trying to install 3.11 on a 486. I have a guess as to why
>it's not working- please let me know if I'm right. I have the set of 8
>disks which I installed on a newly formatted drive.
How did you format the drive?
William Brooks
<Coi...@MindSpring.com> wrote in message
news:eebvbtkdrm9ngpkd6...@4ax.com...
I used a Win98 boot disk to start the computer, then typed "format c: /s"
James Buss
computer think that it's running Windows 98 (or at least will run it when the
whole thing gets going). So when you used format c: /s you copied the Windows
98 boot files to the hard drive. Each time you boot up, your telling the
computer you're going to use Windows 98.
Get DOS 6.22 (you need the whole thing (on several disks, not just one disk
with the 6.22 patch). Boot with that. Install DOS (which will copy the DOS 6
boot files), then install Windows. All will be well.
Coi...@mindspring.com
>I used a Win98 boot disk to start the computer, then typed "format c: /s"
That puts an absolute minimum bootable DOS on the hard drive: problem is,
the DOS that comes with Win98 isn't compatible with Windows 3.x --- and I
doubt DOS 6.22 is willing to install itself on top of that version.
Did the site where you downloaded DOS 6.22 (*don't* repeat the URL here,
please) give any suggestion as to how to make the first disk bootable (as
the first disk from a real DOS installation set would be)?
If so, you might want to try it.
It's not clear to me if there is a way to make a bootable floppy for a
given version of DOS without access to a system that can already be booted
into that version of DOS. I can think of a couple of possibilities, but I
don't know if any of them will actually work.
The following "brute force" method might be worth a try.
Boot from your hard drive.
Use:
md c:\dos622
path c:\dos622
to make a DOS directory and put it in your path.
Put the first pseudo-DOS diskette in the floppy drive.
If you set the system or hidden attributes on any files on that diskette,
you'll need to clear them; do this:
copy a:\attrib.exe c:\dos622
attrib -s a:*.*
attrib -h a:*.*
to remove those attributes from all files on the diskette.
Use this command:
copy a:\*.* c:\dos622
to copy all the diskette's files to the hard drive.
Put in a fresh floppy diskette.
Use:
format a: /s
attrib -s a:*.*
attrib -h a:*.*
attrib -r a:*.*
del *.*
write a bootable floppy (which will, however, have the wrong boot files),
clear the system, hidden and read-only attributes from all files on the
floppy, and then delete all the files.
Copy files to the new diskette, in this order:
copy c:\dos622\io.sys a:
copy c:\dos622\msdos.sys a:
copy c:\dos622\command.com a:
copy c:\dos622\*.* a:
(for the last command, answer NO when asked whether to replace files).
Now, try to boot from the new diskette.
If it won't boot, I don't know what to try next.
If it boots, but Setup complains about the version of DOS already on the
hard drive, boot from your Win98 boot disk again and "format c:" *without*
the "/s" switch; then boot from the new disk again.
--
Peace, Randy aka Coi...@MindSpring.com
Pages at http://www.mindspring.com/~coises/ were updated 2 March 2001.
Jake
support) and typed format C: and then installed DOS (6.22) and then Win 3.11 wfwg and all is
running fine.I also had to make a boot disk for Dos 6.22 that I found on the net. I will post
the instructions if you are interested.
<Coi...@MindSpring.com> wrote in message news:ct01ctc69vn079orp...@4ax.com...
James Buss
DOS, it will make your hard drive bootable with the DOS version you are
installing. However, the original problem was that he didn't install DOS at
all, and therefore, booting with Win98 and then trying to run Win 3.1 doesn't
work.
Steven V.A.
>Microsoft has a patch for FileManager to make it Y2K compatible. File Manager
>works fine, it just doesn't display dates correctly. Sorry don't have the URL
>handy, but if you do a search in the knowledge base, you should find it.
even better:
Get a "special" File Manager here:
http://www.webtribe.net/m/maxim/
Tony Saragosa
6.22 setup disk, if the drive is unpartitioned, setup will automatically
paritition your drives, reboot, then format them.
you can also do this your self, but pressing f5 when booting from disk 1,
and use fdisk, or format, whcih ever is needed.
also pressing f3 when the setup program starts, (if you were slow to press
f5 on boot up) to exit it, and use the fdisk and format commands.
--
.
"Jake" <poo...@NOSPAMusa.net> wrote in message
news:Ypaw6.1888$Os.6...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Coi...@mindspring.com
>Use:
> format a: /s
> attrib -s a:*.*
> attrib -h a:*.*
> attrib -r a:*.*
> del *.*
>write a bootable floppy (which will, however, have the wrong boot files),
>clear the system, hidden and read-only attributes from all files on the
>floppy, and then delete all the files.
Oops. That last line should have been:
del a:*.*
(hopefully that was obvious if you've already tried this).
Coi...@mindspring.com
>why format the drive with a win98 boot disk, you can do this with ms-dos
>6.22 setup disk, if the drive is unpartitioned, setup will automatically
>paritition your drives, reboot, then format them.
The original poster's fundamental problem is that he downloaded
MS-DOS 6.22 from somewhere on the Internet. The first disk *may* contain
the correct files --- but however he made it, it isn't bootable.
The key question here is how to make a *bootable* MS-DOS 6.22 floppy (or
otherwise get MS-DOS 6.22 installed) when you have copies of all the
installation files, but only a Win 98 boot floppy. Something has to write
the boot record --- will any DOS command write a correct boot record for
MS-DOS 6.22 when it's running under some other DOS (such as the one from
Windows 98)? I don't know. If and when he gets a working boot floppy for
MS-DOS 6.22, he indeed should use *it* to format the hard drive.
Of course, another question is whether one cares to aid in piracy, which
may explain why some of our regulars aren't falling over themselves to
help out... Personally, I couldn't care less about that; and I find the
problem interesting. I can easily picture it arising after a meltdown in a
legitimate system where good backups of all the installation files are
available, but the original installation media and the emergency boot
floppy have both failed. It would be worthwhile to learn how to do this.
Artur Yelchishchev
Hi Randy,
May I add my $0.02? :-)
Instead of three separate ATTRIB commands, just one will be enough -
"attrib -s -h -r a:" (asterisks aren't needed). And to further "code
optimizing", 'del a:*.*' may also be stripped to "del a:." only.
Regards,
Artur
Jake
<Coi...@MindSpring.com> wrote in message news:ukg4ctsvg9ttfodld...@4ax.com...
> The original poster's fundamental problem is that he downloaded
> MS-DOS 6.22 from somewhere on the Internet. The first disk *may* contain
> the correct files --- but however he made it, it isn't bootable.
>
> The key question here is how to make a *bootable* MS-DOS 6.22 floppy (or
> otherwise get MS-DOS 6.22 installed) when you have copies of all the
> installation files, but only a Win 98 boot floppy. Something has to write
> the boot record --- will any DOS command write a correct boot record for
> MS-DOS 6.22 when it's running under some other DOS (such as the one from
> Windows 98)? I don't know. If and when he gets a working boot floppy for
> MS-DOS 6.22, he indeed should use *it* to format the hard drive.
>
The problem was solved.
William Brooks
I now have a bootable 6.22 startup disk, but the last time I tried it, I was
still trying to use it on the drive formatted with the win98 disk. Setup
would not install because there is another version of dos on the computer.
I'll format it with the 6.22 disk next chance I get. Thanks, everyone!
Jake <poo...@NOSPAMusa.net> wrote in message
news:aRww6.4260$Os.12...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Jake
"William Brooks" <william...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:99v5da$a48$1...@slb0.atl.mindspring.net...
> Just an update to my proress here. You folks have been extremely helpful.
> I now have a bootable 6.22 startup disk, but the last time I tried it, I was
> still trying to use it on the drive formatted with the win98 disk. Setup
> would not install because there is another version of dos on the computer.
> I'll format it with the 6.22 disk next chance I get. Thanks, everyone!
>
start disk. I used a Win98 start disk (not a Win98SE start disk ) without CD-ROM support and
formatted my drive then shut off the computer and cold booted with the 6.22 start disk (the same
one you have) and installed DOS 6.22 and then Win 3.11 wfwg. Not 1 problem. I have done it
several times and no problems. I am really interested in your problem so in case I ever get the
same one.
Tony Saragosa
must be a full version, which doesn't like to install, when a different
system files are on the hard drive. previous or higher version of dos, when
its the same version, it works fine.
--
.
"Jake" <poo...@NOSPAMusa.net> wrote in message
news:cOOw6.6690$Os.16...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Jake
"Tony Saragosa" <jsar...@home.com> wrote in message
news:1HPw6.162602$p66.46...@news3.rdc1.on.home.com...
William Brooks
boot disk. Yes, I was formatting from the win98 disk with format c: /s. I
had read somewhere to do that, but didn't realize that leaving the /s off
would fix it. Anyway, Win3.11 is running fine (damn it looks weird). I'm
used to recent windows versions, so I'll have to get used to it. I bought
the 486 from a school where they had installed win95, taking up over 70 mb
of the 121 mb hard drive. I figured that a smaller OS was in order here.
Thanks, everyone!
Jake <poo...@NOSPAMusa.net> wrote in message
news:cOOw6.6690$Os.16...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Stephan Grossklass
>
> SUCCESS AT LAST! I got everything loaded after formatting with the 6.22
> boot disk.
Glad to hear that :).
> Yes, I was formatting from the win98 disk with format c: /s. I
> had read somewhere to do that, but didn't realize that leaving the /s off
> would fix it. Anyway, Win3.11 is running fine (damn it looks weird). I'm
> used to recent windows versions, so I'll have to get used to it.
Check out <http://www.calmira.org/>.
> I bought
> the 486 from a school where they had installed win95, taking up over 70 mb
> of the 121 mb hard drive. I figured that a smaller OS was in order here.
Indeed...
Jake
> SUCCESS AT LAST! I got everything loaded after formatting with the 6.22
> boot disk. Yes, I was formatting from the win98 disk with format c: /s.
I think the /s is used on new out of the box HDDs
Stephan Grossklass
>
> I think the /s is used on new out of the box HDDs
No, it's just an option for transferring the DOS startup files and
making the hard disk / floppy bootable.