Easy Boot Mode 2.0

[Tarja Rabito]

Iordered a PCB with the following schematic based on an STM32F411. As you can see, the NSRT pin is connected to a LP filter. I think I should have connected it to a switch to easily enter boot mode, but I still have 6 external pins: GND, +3V3, SWDIO, SWO, SWCLK, and NRST.

It does not need to have that high frequency, slower crystals are easier and simpler to get working, and the bootloader appnote recommends to prefer slower than faster crystals for more reliably detecting the crystal frequency.

1. Using 95DossApp only did not work as mentioned in the comments below the tutorial as I did not have a CTCM folder in my windows directory from the AWE64 Drivers bundled in the Windows 98 Install. I stuck with SBBASIC and CTCMBBS files as you described for install. (You can download these from Phil's website here -labs-drivers.html)

2. I had skipped the first part of this tutorial by downloading "MS-DOS Mode Super Easy" from Phil's website at -dos-mode-super-easy.html

PROBLEM: The "Restart in MS-DOS mode" Shortcut doesn't have the "SETVER" command line in the config.sys file so I could not run the install by spoofing the DOS version as instructed

SOLUTION: If you do download "MS-DOS Mode Super Easy", simply right click on the shortcut that you moved to your desktop in Win98 and select "properties" click on the "program" tab and add in the following command below the LASTDRIVE=H in the CONFIG.SYS sectoin

Where was Phil back in 1998 ?

Could have used him then. Would have made my life allot easier.

But it's good to have him today too.

Now appears to be the best time to build a retro computer because there is allot of help and resources available.

Even though I find Phil's resources and guides awesome, in this particular case he unfortunately overcomplicated things too much with these startup files and unnecessary boot menus, and I see many folks just use them without thinking.

I followed the guide, minus the sound card setup stuff as my sound card works fine under DOS already. But, I'm trying to install SimCity 2000 and it keeps saying I only have 1024k of memory no matter which option I chose. How can I easily fix this!?

For MS-Dos games, I used Phil easy setup for MS-Dos, almost everything works but I can't get the sound working for the installed 'Sound blaster AudioPCI 64' as when loading from Phils menu it says "Error: "SNDSCAPE" environment variable not found. PCI audio driver NOT loading".

I think I found a interim solution by using the below config/Autoexec configuration but its not perfect as conventional memory drops to 540kb and another game I want to play "Wizardry VIII" wont run at all but, I am getting there! Also noticed when I try exit MS-DOS it hangs but a reset, loads windows.

The dead ROM is a fair advice, as will work in many situations, but you can't assume it will work on his PC. I recall you said it can work on standard BIOS, but his appears to be a Dell-branded PC. Are you sure it will work? The monochrome region may be a safer bet after all... In any case I would try both and see what works.

I understand from your comment "Also still for whatever reason it doesn't allow me to reset the computer if I type "Exit", just hangs, until I reset manually via power button and it boots into windows." that you are using Win98 restart-to-MSDOS mode.

I must confess that I am not accustomed to using this mode, and in the past when I tried it a few times, I found it unreliable, with similar symptoms to what you describe. Also, from analyzing your MEM output, I suspect that at least some of the memory is wasted because you are using this mode (which essentially loads a DOS environment, on top of the already existing DOS environment created during initial boot). For example - why is IFSHLP loaded low? Why are there two instances of COMMAND? That alone eats 9KB of conventional memory. Also, it may be (although far from certain) that EMM386 would find more free memory blocks if you booted it clean rather than from 'restart to MSDOS'.

My Win98 SE system is set up not boot into pure DOS without loading Windows (BootGUI=0 in MSDOS.SYS); then if I want to run Windows, I do so manually (WIN.COM), and if I want to get back to DOS, I just restart the PC. All the configuration I want is set in CONFIG.SYS / AUTOEXEC.BAT.

If you find that you still need (not just want) more conventional memory (or need/want to use Smartdrive/Doskey, which you took out of your startup files), I would suggest you try the pure DOS approach, just to see if it makes a difference.

Hi to all.

I can not find a way to proceed with the installation of SB drivers for DOS. Every time the installer program say me that I try to do the installation through Win95, even I use the setver command.

Followed the very useful guide above last night, had my AWE64 working perfectly in MS-DOS mode on my P2 system, but after returning to Windows and back to DOS all my settings reverted and my autoexec and config were made into .bak files, long story short but when trying to fix that I borked my install with a reboot loop and decided to start from scratch.

This time round when trying to use SETVER command on the DOS installation files have been running into trouble; first it says DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE in the CONFIG.SYS from the Exit to Dos.pif is missing, when it isn't. Using Phil's standalone restart_in_msdos.pif the SETVER command now works, however when running the Install.exe from sbbasic I for some reason DON'T get the script error code (which I got yesterday), and the install won't progress past the next screen.

Sorry about the wall of text, but any ideas what might be going wrong here? I'm not understanding why the SETVER command isn't working with the Exit to Dos.pif when it clearly (I think) should be. Getting frustrated here, probably going to have to start from scratch again.

I installed Windows 10 on a PC but it has some incompatibilities with the graphic card. Now I want to install Windows 7, so I burned the ISO on an USB stick, and then I tried to boot the system with it. Instead of launching Windows 7 installer, the computer is booting directly to Windows 10.

I read some stuff over the internet that for Windows 7 installer to be bootable, I need to set the BIOS to legacy mode. However, on ASUS EFI BIOS version 2.00.1201, I can't find this option anywhere. I selected the Boot tab and all I have is this:

BIOS-mode boot entries always describe a specific disk rather than a specific OS (since they only boot the MBR 'bootcode' and don't know the OS name, unlike UEFI-mode boot entries which do). Of course, it's not impossible that an UEFI boot entry would be named after a disk, but that's rather unlikely...

There's another incompatibility:IF your System calls for bootx64.efi you will only be capable of install Windows 10 and above.Older OSs use bootia32.efi instead.Newer Systems don't call for bootia32.efi anymore..efi files are located in your install media, in the \efi\boot folder.

I have three partitions on the primary drive in my computer. The drive is formatted to GPT and the three partitions are one ESP (EFI System Partition) and two Primary (Windows 10/Windows 7 each one). There are three options for "Boot Mode" in the motherboard settings, "Legacy", "UEFI" and "UEFI with CSM".

If it's set to "Legacy", the computer tells me "No operating system found". That's correct. If it's set to "UEFI with CSM", both Windows boots normally. If it's set to "UEFI", then only Windows 10 can boot. From the safe boot log I can see Windows 7 gets stuck at classpnp.sys.

I plugged in another drive in MBR, containint two partitions. One primary active with FAT32 and another primary with NTFS, with another Windows 7 installed. It seems I however just can't make it boot if the MB settings is set to either "UEFI" or "UEFI with CSM", but it boots perfectly when set to "Legacy". If I edit the BCD in the EFI partition on the primary disk to add an entry for this experimental Windows 7 installation, it boots under "UEFI with CSM", but still gets stuck at classpnp.sys in "UEFI".

I have another computer with a MSI B85 motherboard that has a switch named "CSM". If it's enabled then there are two options available in "Boot Mode", "UEFI" and "Legacy". If it's disabled then Boot Mode is locked to UEFI. In that case "UEFI" mode with CSM enabled allows Windows 7 to boot, but it won't boot with CSM disabled.

"UEFI with CSM" usually means mixed mode in which both native (UEFI) and CSM-based (BIOS) boot is available. The boot menu will show a mix of native UEFI boot entries and CSM "bootable disk" entries in this case.

However, one important side effect of disabling CSM is that it'll allow certain UEFI-only features to be activated (such as "fast boot"), at the same time preventing some BIOS-only features (such as PCI option ROM support).

As you've noticed, the Compatibility Support Module can be required by the operating system for UEFI boot, not just legacy boot. This is the case for Windows 7. There are in fact name-brand computers that even lack a CSM and cannot boot Windows 7 at all.

I've also noticed having it enabled/disabled can have other effects, like changing which monitor (in a multi-monitor system) or screen resolution is used during boot. It is also, in my experience, required to turn it off to do UEFI network boot. Otherwise, only the legacy network boot firmware is accessible, which cannot boot an operating system in UEFI mode.

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