MS-DOS Compatibility Mode
Robert Damer
running in MS-DOS Compatibility Mode. The following are the details
displayed and their associated Win Help:
Compatibility mode paging reduces overall system performance.
Windows was unable to identify a real-mode driver or memory-resident
program loaded in your Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file. You will see
another message that lists the name of the driver or program causing the
problem.
Because Windows could not identify the driver or program, it has
switched to MS-DOS compatibility mode to ensure the program will run.
However, this decreases overall performance. To improve performance,
remove the program or driver causing the problem, or contact its
manufacturer for an upgraded version.
Drive X (both C: and D:) is using an MS-DOS compatibility mode file
system.
This problem often occurs on more than one drive. Usually it is caused
by a driver listed in the Config.sys file that Windows does not
recognize and that is related to the message Compatibility mode paging
reduces overall system performance. If you see both messages, see the
Help for the Compatibility mode paging reduces overall system
performance message first.
If you only see the message Drive X is using an MS-DOS compatibility
mode file system on one drive, that drive is using an MS-DOS
compatibility (real-mode) driver, which may reduce that drive’s
performance. Contact your hardware manufacturer to see if an updated
driver is available for your drive. If not, the drive’s performance may
be less than optimal, but you can still use it.
The following are the contents of the Autoexec and Config files in
question:
C:\Autoexec.bat
REM [Header]
REM [CD-ROM Drive]
REM DEVICE=C:\CDROM\GSCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD001 /PIO
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [Display]
DEVICE=c:\windows\setver.exe
[COMMON]
DEVICE=C:\DELL\RTC.CLK +R
C:\Config.sys
REM [Header]
REM [CD-ROM Drive]
REM DEVICE=C:\CDROM\GSCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD001 /PIO
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [Display]
DEVICE=c:\windows\setver.exe
[COMMON]
DEVICE=C:\DELL\RTC.CLK +R
A situation predating the one above is occurring in Device Manager under
Disk Drives. Generic IDE disk type 01 is "red X'd". The second HDD is
not displayed. (Both HDD's are identical in capacity, model and brand.
There is no data on the slave drive.) In properties for disk 01, it's
noted that "the device is not working properly because the primary IDE
controller has been dynamically disabled"! Going to properties for the
Primary IDE controller, it's noted that it's "not present, working
correctly or does not have all the drivers installed (code 10)"!
(However the secondary IDE controller has no problems reported and is
using the same two driver files as the primary.)
The situation in Device Mngr has been intermittent, on rare occasion
reporting no problems with either HDD. There is no Disk Manager
installed on either drive. And finally, there does not seem to be
anything wrong with the PC's opperation or performance !!!
Any insights invited.
thanks/bobd
Tom Porterfield
<3AC2680B...@cdsnet.net>:
Only thing in config.sys is RTC.clk. This is Dell's real time clock driver
designed to fix y2k problems on older Dell systems. See this site for more
info:
http://www.dell.ca/en/lpo/topics/y2k_notes.htm
It may be what is causing the problem. According to
http://www.hommelamerica.com/Y2K.htm, follow these steps to see if your
Dell PC is Y2K compliant:
Procedure For Checking DELL Computer Y2K Compliance
Log on to the internet: Go to http://www.dell.com
Under CORPORATE click "Y2K compliance".
Under COMPLIANCE click "Hardware".
Go to step 1
You will see:
"Find out if your hardware is year 2000 compliant under Dell's Statement of
Compliance."
-more information-
Click on "Year 2000 (Y2K) Compliance".
Step 2
At bottom of page enter in your computer's serial number.
Make sure System Service Tag is selected and not the Express Service Code.
Step 3
Click "Submit selections and display reports"
It will then tell you if your computer is Y2K compliant and if the bios can
be upgraded or not.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP DTS
http://users.vei.net/tomp/support
Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. I do this on my time, and
there isn't enough of that to provide personal e-mail support.
Robert Damer
Tom...
The link
http://www.dell.com
...does not provide the selections (Corporate etc;) you suggest following.
The Dell is a DimensionXPS T500 configured in Nov/99.
This is well after the '97 NSTL Y2k accreditation date for Dell PC's and no Y2k
problem has occurred to date (as mentioned, all seems well??). Do you see any
possible connection to the Device Mngr. errors? bobd
Tom Porterfield
in <3AC2BEEB...@cdsnet.net>:
>Tom...
>The link
>http://www.dell.com
>...does not provide the selections (Corporate etc;) you suggest
>following. The Dell is a DimensionXPS T500 configured in Nov/99.
>This is well after the '97 NSTL Y2k accreditation date for Dell PC's and
>no Y2k problem has occurred to date (as mentioned, all seems well??). Do
>you see any possible connection to the Device Mngr. errors? bobd
>
Try remarking the line in your startup files and rebooting to see if that
makes any difference.
Ron Badour
MS-DOS Compatibility Mode Problems with PCI-IDE Controllers [Q151911]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q151/9/11.asp
Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard Disks [Q130179]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q130/1/79.asp
Large IDE Hard Disk May Run In Compatibility Mode [Q175629]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q175/6/29.asp
FAT32 Using Compatibility Mode with OnTrack Disk Manager [Q152701]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q152/7/01.asp
Troubleshooting Floppy Disk Drive Problems in Windows [Q131690]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q131/6/90.asp
--
Regards
Ron Badour, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
Making good newsgroup posts:
http://badour.freewebsites.com/assets/images/Gpost.zip
Tips: http://badour.freewebsites.com/index.html
Knowledge Base Info: http://support.microsoft.com/support/search/c.asp
No email support please--post to the group where others can benefit
"Robert Damer" <imn...@cdsnet.net> wrote in message
news:3AC2680B...@cdsnet.net...
Robert Damer
Ron...
The first two kb articles look like they point in the right direction,
especially since they do link the
problems I have in Device Manager with the compatibility mode condition.
thanks/bobd
Robert Damer
Tom...
No luck with that. (To easy?)
Ron's provided some kg articles that may hold the clue.
thanks/bobd
Robert Damer
> Robert Damer wrote:
>
> >In Sys Properties under Performance, Virtual Memory is being reported as
> >running in MS-DOS Compatibility Mode. The following are the details
> >displayed and their associated Win Help:
>
> It may be that a glitch has forced on a flag which tells Windows not
> to try using 32 bit drivers. Worth checking, anyway: look with
> regedit.exe at
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\IOS
> and in the right pane if there is a line NOIDE, delete it and reboot.
>
> --
> Alex Nichol MVP (DTS)
> Bournemouth, U.K. Alex....@mvps.org
> Check out:'How to make a good newsgroup post'at
> http://members.home.com/dts-l/goodpost.htm
Alex...
Your suggestion is also among those found in one of the kb articles Ron
recommended.
I checked the key for NOIDE and did a find to be sure, but no NOIDE's.
Some of the info in those kb articles indicates a link between the problem in
Device Mngr and running in compatibility mode. So we shall see...
thanks/bobd
Robert Damer
Another twist, I commented that, "The situation in Device Mngr has been
intermittent, on rare occasion reporting no problems with either HDD." It
seems that entering setup and exiting (with no changes made) by selecting
"Save Changes" the conditions reported in Device Mngr show no problems.
Still, in Sys Properties/Performance, we get "Device D is using MS-DOS
compatibility mode file system."
And, how the hell do I get this Dell XPS T500 to cough up a boot log???
Unless my timing is wrong, CTRL won't!
thanks/bobd
ps: I've posted twice to the Dell newsgroup for "help" accessing the Win 98
Startup menu and no reply. Makes you wonder....:)
Ron Badour
email them. The number and address is available on the Dell web site.
To get to the start up menu, run msconfig.exe, general tab, advanced button
and mark:
Enable Start Up Menu
That gets you to the start up menu, choose the logged start. You will need
help interpreting the log:
Boot Log Analyser, http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/
BootLogExaminer: http://members.xoom.com/jescott/index.html
--
Regards
Ron Badour, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
Making good newsgroup posts:
http://badour.freewebsites.com/assets/images/Gpost.zip
Tips: http://badour.freewebsites.com/index.html
Knowledge Base Info: http://support.microsoft.com/support/search/c.asp
No email support please--post to the group where others can benefit
"Robert Damer" <imn...@cdsnet.net> wrote in message
news:3AC58137...@cdsnet.net...
Robert Damer
the bootlog.txt for Esdi 506.pdr (the protected-mode driver in question) is all
that's needed here. It comes up twice, once with an "Init Failure" and later
with "INITCOMPLETESUCCESS". hmmmm...One or the other would have defined the
problem, so It looks like more trouble to shoot tomorrow..:) thanks
Ron/bobd
Robert Damer
> A situation predating the one above is occurring in Device Manager under
> Disk Drives. Generic IDE disk type 01 is "red X'd". The second HDD is
> not displayed. (Both HDD's are identical in capacity, model and brand.
> There is no data on the slave drive.) In properties for disk 01, it's
> noted that "the device is not working properly because the primary IDE
> controller has been dynamically disabled"! Going to properties for the
> Primary IDE controller, it's noted that it's "not present, working
> correctly or does not have all the drivers installed (code 10)"!
> (However the secondary IDE controller has no problems reported and is
> using the same two driver files as the primary.)
>
> The situation in Device Mngr has been intermittent, on rare occasion
> reporting no problems with either HDD. There is no Disk Manager
> installed on either drive. And finally, there does not seem to be
> anything wrong with the PC's opperation or performance !!!
>
> Any insights invited.
> thanks/bobd
At wits end...
I've run through 'Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatability Mode on Hard Disks'
end to end, boot sector viruses, bootlog.txt files, extracting the protected
mode driver Esid_506.pdr, the IOS.LOG , resourse conflicts, etc; etc; etc;
and have yet to find why the compatability mode condition persists!!!.
"Touching" setup and "Saving Changes" (without any changes being made) on
exiting seems to clear things up in Device Mgr. But..a reboot resets the
errors. Another anomaly occurs when NAV Rescue Disks are attempted. A NAV
warning comes up stating that a drive overlay is present? (It is not...)
When I remove the slave drive ( same size,type and make as the oem master),
all is well.
Puuurobably not an MS at this point...if I 'unplug' the CD and tape drive
from the secondary controller and move the two HDD's to the secondary
controller, will I get a "test" of the primary cntlr by default?.....or any
other sugestions??? thanks/bobd
ps: Is this so unique? Has there been no other CM conditions reported here
in??
Kelly
This article seems to address quite a bit of your issues. Some advice is a
repeat from the other one your mentioned, but does have some other added
info.
MS-DOS Compatibility Mode Problems with PCI IDE Controllers
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q151/9/11.asp
FYI: Problems with Hard Disk Controller ...
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q189/5/18.ASP
Best of Luck,
Kelly
"Robert Damer" <imn...@cdsnet.net> wrote in message
news:3ACEB378...@cdsnet.net...
Terry
Did you ever findd a solution? I have the same sort of
problems with win95,and so far the only solution that I have found that
works is to Wipe my hard drive (boot drive only D: works after fixing C:)
clean including the hidden read-only and system files, and reinstall all
my programs which is a real time consumer, I have even reformatted my HD
but the problem seems to keep re-occuring whenever it fells like it. Too
bad we can't run web browsers without GUIs. If I could surf the net with
dos 6.22 I'd be alot happier. Please let me know if you have found a fix.
Tinker Terry
--
Posted via CNET Help.com
http://www.help.com/
Robert Damer
So far none of the MS kb articles have lead to a solution to the compatibility
mode situation I am experiencing when a slave HDD is mounted in the pc. Things
have been busy here of late and I have not been able to spend much time on the
problem. I have removed the "slave" HDD from the machine and no longer get any
errors reported in Device Manager. (My wife says to put the cover back on her
Dell, as though the parts exposed were pushing the limits of indecency. I
explain that, "I'm not done yet.... besides, it runs cooler with it off"...
well sorta...:) I have another IDE cable to try to see if the one being used is
faulty. And, I will try booting with the secondary cable unattached to see if
any drivers for the CD-ROM or Seagate tape drive are a problem. Thirdly, I am
going to move the two HDD's over to the secondary IDE controller and see what
the response is there. Lastly, I am going to see what results when a different
HDD is mounted.
Are you still running Win95? Have you looked at the MS kb articles that have
been "suggested reading" earlier in this thread, to see if any may help resolve
your problem? This has been a rather weird "problem" as there doesn't seem to
be any impairment of system performance. How is it with you?
I will let you know if anything results in further attempts to fix things...
linux?bob
pst: Your affection for DOS reminds me of a time some years ago when I went
into DOS to "do something". When I found no solution and tried to go back to
Windows and couldn't, I panicked, and phoned my wife at work for help. "Turn
off the machine, Bob", she suggested. By god that worked!