"Bad or Missing Command interpreter" -- can anyone help ?

[Fred Baker]

I have an Emerson 8088 clone here and sometimes (though not always)
when I boot it it gives me the message "Bad or Missing Command
interpreter" after the hard disk sputters about for a minute or so.
Is the Command interpreter a software or hardware feature?
What could be the problem? The machine has a Complete Comunicator
card for answering machine, fax, modem etc that seems to be working
(at least I'm using the modem now). Thanks to anyone who
can help.

-fba...@jade.tufts.edu

[Frank Slootweg]

"Bad or Missing Command interpreter" normally means that one of the
two hidden system files (IBMBIO.COM, or whatever it is named in MS-DOS
(I have DR-DOS)), can not load the command interpreter, which normally
is COMMAND.COM. So check if COMMAND.COM is in the root directory of your
C drive, and then boot without executing CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT (If
you do not know how to do that, then just rename these files, but first
make sure that you can boot from diskette if something goes wrong.).

[W.E. Nick Nichols]

In article <354rkl$8...@Emerald.tufts.edu> fba...@jade.tufts.edu (Fred Baker) writes:
>From: fba...@jade.tufts.edu (Fred Baker)
>Subject: "Bad or Missing Command interpreter" -- can anyone help ?
>Date: 13 Sep 1994 18:39:17 GMT

I can not find the command.com file. These old 8088 get quirky about that
sometimes. I have seen it as an indication to replace the puter.

Nick
W.E. "Nick" Nichols | Illegitimi non Carborundum
Divergent Resources | *************
w...@infi.net | I don't work for the government,
CIS 71242,2077 | so I speak with complete honesty!

[Andrew Williams]

Most likely your HD (hard disk) is getting a little flaky in it's old age.
You might want to try renaming your COMMAND.COM file to something like
GARBAGE.FIL. Then copy GARBAGE.FIL to COMMAND.COM. This will create a
*NEW* copy of the file. Later (if you dare) you could erase GARBAGE.FIL.
However, if the surface under the GARBAGE.FIL file, *is* flaky, putting
it back into general use (by erasing the file) may not be a wise idea.

OR Let a program like Norton Disk Doctor explore and test your Hard
disk.

In any case, you might want to consider looking for either a new HD.

Just my .05 worth, (inflation)
--
Andrew Williams _\^/_ | "You keep use dat word. I no think
awil...@bnr.ca >_ _< | it means what you think it means."
#include <std.disclaimer> '|` | - Inigo (Princess Bride)
---

[Kenward Bradley]

W.E. "Nick" Nichols (w...@infi.net) wrote:
: >Subject: "Bad or Missing Command interpreter" -- can anyone help ?

: I can not find the command.com file. These old 8088 get quirky about that

: sometimes. I have seen it as an indication to replace the puter.

try rewriting the system files to the HDD. do this:

boot from a bootable floppy with "SYS.COM" on it, in FD "A"
from "A>" prompt type "SYS C:"

that will overwrite the old system files.

you might wish to run some kind of disk diagnostic on the sucker.

--
Kenward <ken...@rci.ripco.com> <kenw...@aol.com>
sysop Spagmumps 312-989-9316
pgp public key by request or via finger

[RICHARD KORCZYK - UMKSEM]

I had this same problem a looooong time ago.

1) Boot your system with the original DOS disk

1a) If you do not have the original DOS disk boot from the hard drive

2) Copy COMMAND.COM & SYS.COM to a floppy

3) Delete COMMAND.COM off your hard drive

4) Copy COMMAND.COM from floppy to the hard drive

5) From the floppy type: SYS C:

NOTE - be sure your hard drive is in the root (ie. CD\) BEFORE doing
the above.

RK

[Robert keng]

RICHARD KORCZYK - UMKSEM (rkor...@sadis05.kelly.af.mil) wrote:
: I had this same problem a looooong time ago.

: 1) Boot your system with the original DOS disk
: 1a) If you do not have the original DOS disk boot from the hard drive
: 2) Copy COMMAND.COM & SYS.COM to a floppy

I believe you have to have a bootable floppy in order to do this. A bootable
floppy has not only command.com, but io.sys and msdos.sys also. Sys.com makes
target drive/floppy "bootable": without io.sys and msdos.sys sys.com will
report an error because it won't be able to locate those files.

: 3) Delete COMMAND.COM off your hard drive

: 4) Copy COMMAND.COM from floppy to the hard drive
: 5) From the floppy type: SYS C:
: NOTE - be sure your hard drive is in the root (ie. CD\) BEFORE doing
: the above.
: RK

--

*****************************************************************************
* Robert "StarBlade" Keng *What is good in life??? *
* pri...@netcom.com *Crush enemies, see them driven before you, and *
* Aka "Crom", "Wraith" *to hear the lamentation of the women!!! *
*****************************************************************************
*Pilot, MechWarrior, and Knight of Solamnia. Programmer in real life. *
*Addicted to paintball and VW BTech.. Care to dance the "circle" with me?!? *
*****************************************************************************

[RICHARD KORCZYK - UMKSEM]

In article <primusCw...@netcom.com> pri...@netcom.com (Robert keng) writes:
>RICHARD KORCZYK - UMKSEM (rkor...@sadis05.kelly.af.mil) wrote:
>: I had this same problem a looooong time ago.
>: 1) Boot your system with the original DOS disk

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

1a) If you do not have the original DOS disk boot from the hard drive

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>: 2) Copy COMMAND.COM & SYS.COM to a floppy
>
>I believe you have to have a bootable floppy in order to do this. A bootable
>floppy has not only command.com, but io.sys and msdos.sys also. Sys.com makes
>target drive/floppy "bootable": without io.sys and msdos.sys sys.com will
>report an error because it won't be able to locate those files.

The original DOS disk and the hard drive ARE bootable disks!