Hi Bernd,
Picking up on this topic, I ran into a serious problem today when trying
to use the FreeDOS SYS command to fix the problem discussed below. The
summary of the original problem is this:
Using DOS 6.22 [FDISK FAT16 FORMAT] creates a C: drive that you can then
use to install Windows NT/2000/XP with the real-mode setup program WINNT.EXE
In the above case, Windows will replace the DOS 6.22 boot sector and
will not try to offer any "previous" o/s on the boot loader menu
(BOOT.INI) when Windows has finished installing.
However, when using FreeDOS's [FDISK FAT32 FORMAT (not with /s)] to
create the C: drive, Windows suddenly decides there's a "previous o/s"
and backs up it's boot sector and then creates a "boot loader" menu with
30 second time-out (BOOT.INI). This is the last thing you need when
creating automated hands-free builds! I think the reason is because
FreeDOS's boot-sector from FORMAT is not the same as that of MS-DOS, so
Windows does not recognize it as an "upgradable" Microsoft o/s.
Today I tried the following, note use of FreeDOS SYS
(hard drive already has an MBR, DellDiags are on first primary but are
not an issue, they're always there)
1. FDISK /DELETE:2 (get rid of WinXP NTFS on second primary)
2. FDISK /PRI:2000
3. FDISK /ACTIVATE:2 (make new second primary active)
<reboot>
3. FORMAT C: /a (4k cluster size)
4. SYS a: c: BOOTONLY (put FreeDOS bootsector onto c: drv)
5. Start Windows real-mode setup program
Here is where it goes BADLY wrong! When the system reboots, it tries to
boot the C drive, and gives the following error on a black screen:
Disk Error
Press any key to restart
I've never seen that error before, but after some probing, I think this
text is embedded in the NT/2000/XP boot sector. So it seems Windows had
replaced the boot sector (as expected), BUT it was unable to find it's
own boot loader and kernel files.
I think use of FreeDOS SYS somehow caused this problem, but I can't
think how or why.
I later ran FreeDOS format to erase the broken C: drive and clean up
it's boot sector. I then ran Windows real-mode setup again, and this
time it worked fine (except for the original issue of the "previous o/s").
I did not try to use FreeDOS SYS this second time.
Additional note:
As an experiment (before this last step) I decided to use FreeDOS SYS to
replace the "broken" NT boot sector to see if it would fix it. FreeDOS
SYS has an option to grab a 512b boot sector from a file and write it to
a drive (very nice), so I got an official Win2k boot sector into a file
called bootsect.bin and told SYS to install it to the C: drive, and even
told it to use NTLDR instead of FreeDOS KERNEL.SYS
The SYS command did it's thing, and reported the new boot sector had
been installed, but when I tried to boot the C: drive, it did NOT look
like the NT boot sector! It was saying "FreeDOS can't find KERNEL.SYS".
Hmmm, something not right there.
Gerry Hickman schreef:
FreeDOS Beta9sr1:
1. FDISK /CLEARALL
2. FDISK /MBR
3. FDISK /PRI:2000
4. <reboot>
5. FORMAT C:
6. Start real-mode windows setup program
7. Windows is installed, but now it presents a boot loader menu every
time it starts with a 30 second timeout. Windows has even "kindly"
saved the booting information from my "previous" o/s to a file called
BOOTSECT.DOS, and guess what's inside it...?
C: is NTFS, FAT16 or FAT32?
Unknown bootsectors are indeed saved to file called BOOTSECT.DOS
FDISK only creates MBR.
Format creates a filesystem.
MS FORMAT creates filesystem, then puts a bootsector identical to that
created by the FreeDOS SYS program on that filesystem.
FD FORMAT creates a bootsector which only reports something like "This
is not a bootable partition".
FreeDOS SYS creates a working bootsector.
Can you test some mixed operating system utilities?
please first obtain the FreeDOS SYS program (rename to FDSYS.COM) from:
http://fdos.org/AutoIndex/index?dir=kernel/&file=SYS.dev.COM
Scenario 1: DOS 6.22 procedure, but do FDSYS C: C: /BOOTONLY
Scenario 2: DOS 6.22 procedure, but do FDISK /MBR (FreeDOS FDISK)
Scenario 3: combine 1&2
Scenario 4: FREEDOS, then use MS SYS or MS FORMAT for formatting
Scenario 5: FREEDOS, then use FDISK /MBR (MS FORMAT)
Scenario 6: combine 4&5
I am most interested in scenario #1:
FREEDOS SYS can create a bootsector for MSDOS, and I wonder what Windows
thinks of it, and if it will create a dualboot then
If I choose this option "Previous Operating System on C:", I see the
following text:
"This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and try
again..."
lack of a bootsector installed by SYS. Above text done by FD FORMAT
Now I'm wondering ... is that text string above FreeDOS related? If so
then it seems I'm correct about what's happened.
yes
Thing is, I never installed FreeDOS, I never used the SYS command, all
I did was use FDISK, so it should not think there's a "previous o/s"
on my C drive.
formatted: Windows thinks there's a previous OS
unformatted: Windows cannot install due to no space for temporary files
not exactly a win-win situation :(
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Previous Operating System on C:"
The last line should not exist, and would not be there under MS-DOS.
A possible scriptable possible solution (hehe) might be to rewrite
boot.ini, or change timeout=30 to timeout=1 or something.
At least this confirms Win2000 installs on FreeDOS :)
I assume you loaded SMARTDRV?
thanks for your testing efforts
Bernd
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Gerry Hickman (London UK)
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