MS-DOS 7.1
#1
Posted 23 August 2008 - 09:11 AM
To this end, one takes the five versions of Win9x on hand, and compare the files. Since DOS is a module in Win9x, there is no reason that it is to be consistently updated for each version. In practice, some from Win95 remain in 95c, and most of 98fe appear in 98se. There is further two updates to DOS, as
1. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263044 fdisk with disks > 64 GB
2. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311561 winboot.sys = io.sys (corruption under DOS)
Although the second fix attempts to apply the winboot.sys to 98fe vs 98se differently, the files are indeed identical. So we can number these DOS versions as 7.10.0 (Win95c), 7.10.1 (Win98fe), 7.10.2 (Win98se), 7.10.3 (q311561). There is an interesting file by Tihily, one finds on MSFN by googling for IONOLOGO. This compares to 7.10.3, minus a large slab of code at the end, and minus the bitmap. It is about half the size of the original.
The vast bulk of stuff comes from Windows 98se. Scandisk is imported from Windows ME. We then get a few other utilities from the OLDMSDOS archives. These are MS-DOS 6.22 specific, but if ye take the original MS-DOS 6.22 files, and compare these with 6.21, you find that they are identical, except that the string 0x0616 is replaced by 0x0615. We then replace this by x070A, and these work nicely under this DOS.
DOSSHELL v 7 is the same as DOSSHELL 6, except 6 is changed to 7 in the help-about screen etc. So we can use this without modification. One notes that the program winfile.exe is short-name only, too. Memmaker and MsBackup round off this bit.
For extra additional files, we add compress (for DOS 6 stuff), expand (from Windows 3.11, which handles both SZDD and KWAJ formats), exetype (Winnt 3.51 utility: it's DOS), and where (MS, unknown source, DOS). A defanged Regedit is thrown in. We could put GWBASIC in for a lark, too.
Since also enough of PC-DOS 7.10 exists, we could dual-boot the two. The two together could use the same files! A modified version of BASICA.COM 3.40 for modern hardware exists, this can be added to this DOS release.
Note here, that while these closely follow IBM/Microsoft sources, neither of these develop DOS, and more recent files by others would be reccomended in a modern environment.
#2
Posted 23 August 2008 - 10:34 AM
But I am still interested in things you done because I can use them as inspiration for myself.
There is also FreeDOS, I wonder why you didn't mention it but PC-DOS?
#3
Posted 23 August 2008 - 11:34 AM
PC-DOS 7.10 is mentioned because it is supported in the MS-DOS multiboot, prehaps.
#4
Posted 23 August 2008 - 12:23 PM
It would be really nice if one would do that ...One can make a set of instructions, and assorted modified files (or how to get them).
What's a "defanged Regedit"?"
#5
Posted 23 August 2008 - 12:24 PM
grub4dos can be used to mulit boot any of them.PC-DOS 7.10 is mentioned because it is supported in the MS-DOS multiboot, prehaps.
#6
Posted 23 August 2008 - 08:46 PM
One can make a set of instructions, and assorted modified files (or how to get them).
Yes, this sounds like an excellent idea.
No need to post the copyrighted files but would however be great to see which versions of individual apps have been updated or where we can get from the official sites.
I didn't even knew there was an fdisk from MS capable of handling partitions over 64Gb
----
Lately, freedos have done a lot for DOS and some of the tools you find on their releases are simply amazing and might still work flawlessly on MSDOS.
Good topic Wendy.
#7
Posted 24 August 2008 - 08:28 AM
Even back in the eighties and nineties, there was still an aftermarket for utilities that replaced DOS functionality. Every part of DOS has been replaced by third party utilities, except for the kernel. Even command.com.
One could, as Wengier and Roy do, replace DOS utilities with others from other operating systems, or make the necessary patches to restore functionality that Microsoft have removed. The present work still allows this to happen, but the release consists entirely of files modified to remove some of the bad mistakes already made. There is of course, nothing wrong with the China-DOS Union version of DOS 7. In fact, it is a masterpiece of configuration.
On the other hand, the present project is to make a DOS 7.1 that maximises the DOSness of it. One appreciates that the DOS 7.0 / 7.1 / 8.0 is a transition from old hardware to new hardware, and Microsoft's aim of making DOS a better place for Windows at the expense of DOS. One selects earlier or later versions of this, to go with how much DOS and how much modern hardware support one wants.
Remember, that when DOS 7.0 came out, a 1 G drive was a luxury, and that the 137G or even 64G was almost unheard of. By the time ME came out, one was looking at disks of the order of 60 G, and that the 64G limit required a fixpack from MSFT.
Still, making a DOS is an interesting challenge that makes the documentation of this part all the more important.
DOS 8 is also in the pipeline. It is even more confusing. While the 7.1 kernel is a multi-use thing, the WinME disk has no fewer than four kernels, winboot.win, winboot.ebd, winboot.lf, and winboot.cd. Each of these appear eventually as winboot.sys. To these, two (win, ebd) have been reissued in a fixpack, and Windows XP, and prehaps a few others, have issued their own form of .ebd in their boot-disks.
#8
Posted 24 August 2008 - 10:32 AM
http://www.msfn.org/...ME-t118119.html
I'll throw it in, as I did not get adequate feedback.
Also, now that 4DOS has gone Freeware/Open Source, it is something to take into consideration:
http://4dos.zzl.org/
Also, I would be curious to know Wendy's opinion on LZ-DOS:
http://dos.nm.ru/
jaclaz
#9
Posted 25 August 2008 - 10:03 AM
Though I suspect that Wendy knows about this:
http://www.msfn.org/...ME-t118119.html
I did not know of this. Thanks! I disagree with the compressed nature of IO.SYS in WinME, consider this:
winboot.win 110.080 8.00 default for hard disks - loads windows winboot.lf 108.544 8.00 found in Windows ME 'base,cab' file winboot.ebd 116.736 8.00 found in Windows ME Emergency disk winboot.bcd 116.736 8.00 found in bootable disk on cd - the fourth vers. winboot.xp 116.736 8.00 found in WinXP created disks winboot.2k5 116.736 8.00 found in Win2k3 sp1 and vista. winboot.tih 122.876 7.10 found in Tihiy's Revolution pack (7.10.3) winboot.983 222.670 7.10 fat32 (in an update, listed as 7.10.3) winboot.95 223.148 7.00 no fat32 support ibm*.com 86,790 7.10 vers 7.10 build 1.32 io.sys 75.885 7.10 lzdos rom-dos.sys 77.649 7.10 romdos 4.20.1588. rom-dos.sys 71.265 6.22 romdos 4.20.1588 ms*.com 78.912 6.22 MSDOS io.sys + msdos.sys
Tihiy's io.sys is essentially the one in the fix (7.10.3), so the major change going from 7.10's singular io.sys to the multitude of 8.0's io.sys has more to do with a commercial decision by Microsoft to make DOS hard to detangle from Windows. I suspect further the changes between xp and 2k3 is to stop some kinds of hexits in files to prevent it loading windows completely.
IBM DOS has broken support for fat32 (but enough still to allow it to set up a computer), and no support for things like LFN. Symmantic has persisted with it for ghost restores, though (the first public appearence of this is in Ghost). Still, ghost is not "fiddling the fat", so to speak, and it is Ghost, not DOS that walks the hard disk [ghost can read NTFS partitions].
The difference between winboot.983 (the source of Tihiy's io.sys) and winboot.95 (from the original release) is not informative. One recalls that the transition from Win95 to WinME represents a mixed DOS/Windows environment in 1994 to a complete Win32 environment in 2000. Microsoft's commercial decision to spawn a multitude of winboot.sys files for ME is more to do with this (making it difficult to run DOS and Windows in dual boot), rather than "bettering DOS".
LZ-DOS
LZ-DOS is one of the review DOS versions. That it contains a few files, puts it in the same group as MS-DOS 5.02, PC-DOS 6.31 &c. Still. It is sometimes presented as a patched form of Microsoft's DOS. I don't think this is the case. Even though the kernel is compressed, i think it's more to do with a different version.
Look, for example, at ROM-DOS 4.20.1588 above, which supports both LFN and FAT32 under plain DOS. We see that it is quite possible that LZ-DOS could easily be this size with necessary DOS support (which does not include loading a logo). Still, i have only read the binaries, and loaded it into a VM.
Its command.com, for example, does not support drive Locking (LOCK, UNLOCK).
4DOS
I know about 4dos. I used it since the shareware 3.02 (registered to 4.02). I used to keep the system readme in a 4dos help file, and even to using a modified 4help to open cdrom readme.txt files. Still, i don't see a place for 4dos (or other third-party enhancements) in this project.
#10
Posted 26 August 2008 - 07:14 AM
You need access to either Win98 or Win98se install tape, and something that can read .CAB files. The files are sorted by extention. This is the set of files to fetch.
drvspace.bin ebd.cab choice.com command.com diskcopy.com doskey.com edit.com format.com keyb.com mode.com more.com sys.com ega.cpi ega2.cpi ega3.cpi iso.cpi attrib.exe chkdsk.exe cvt.exe debug.exe deltree.exe drvspace.exe emm386.exe extract.exe fc.exe fdisk.exe find.exe findramd.exe hwinfo.exe label.exe mem.exe move.exe mscdex.exe nlsfunc.exe regedit.exe scandisk.exe scanreg.exe setver.exe smartdrv.exe sort.exe subst.exe xcopy.exe xcopy32.exe edit.hlp xcopy32.mod ansi.sys aspi2dos.sys aspi2hlp.sys aspi4dos.sys aspi8dos.sys aspi8u2.sys aspicd.sys btcdrom.sys btdosm.sys cmd640x.sys cmd640x2.sys country.sys csmapper.sys dblbuff.sys display.sys flashpt.sys himem.sys ifshlp.sys keyboard.sys keybrd2.sys keybrd3.sys keybrd4.sys oakcdrom.sys ramdrive.sys winboot.sys
The only files different between Win98 and Win98SE are: xcopy32.mod, command.com, winboot.sys, and scandisk.exe. Since we plan to replace all of these files, except xcopy32.mod, there is no great harm here.
If you are using Windows 98fe, download a win98se bootdisk (eg from bootdisk.com, or powerload.com. You can fetch scandisk from http://www.mdgx.com/ , he has a version of scandisk from winme.
winboot.sys was updated in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311561 . This contains two files, winboot.98s, and winboot.98g, You can use either. Alternately, you can use the file from Tihiy's Windows Revolution pack. This has no logo. His package uses also, wll.com to load the graphics, if needed.
fdisk.exe was updated in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263044 . It contains two files also, Pick either. we're using the second version.
Ok. winboot.sys is io.sys, renamed.
Unpack EBD.EXE to get EXT.EXE, REBOOT.COM and FINDCD.EXE
Step 2.
You can add here some external files from "oldmsdos" packages.
version free: DOSSHELL, INTERLNK, MEMMAKER. MSBACKUP, QBASIC11
DOSSHELL from the MS-DOS 7 beta is only a version-number hack away
INTERLNK does not check version
QBASIC - you can grab the basic scripts (gorilla, nibbles, remline) from the supp disk
These are freely downloaded from the web, and some are available on the web.
MSD.EXE comes in several versions, as follows.
2.11 MSDOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11
2.12 not released - a version that covers chicago betas
2.13 Win95
2.14 Win98
3.00 avoid this: two of its buttons are dead.
3.01 use this. It's freely available as MSD3.ZIP
GWBASIC - yeah, use 3.23 (dos 4 vers).
Step 3
APPEND, BACKUP, COMP, EDLIN, EXE2BIN, GRAPHICS, LOADFIX, PRINT. REPLACE, RESTORE, TREE.
These exist in MSDOS 6.22, 6.21 and 6.20, the only difference being the version check. Do a diff on these, and modify eg 06.16 to 07.0A.
Step 4.
EXPAND.EXE comes from Windows 3.11. It handles both SZDD and KWAJ files
EXETYPE.EXE, EXETYPE.INI, and DELPART.EXE come from a winnt 31 resource kit. These are DOS programs, so you can see what DOS proggies abound.
WHERE.EXE i found in Wengier's package, along with his brilliant DOS 7.1 LOGO.SYS
COMPRESS.EXE is the hardest to find. Most common is version 2 (SZDD), but you really need version 1 (KWAJ). I found mine floating in the MSDOS 6.00 source tapes. v1 gives the tighter compression seen in DOS 6 and Windows 3.11
You have the source files for the diskettes.
#11
Posted 27 August 2008 - 10:57 AM
SHARE.EXE We get this from Windows 95 fe. You replace all instances of 0700x with 070Ax in a hex editor, and it works fine.
IO.SYS Tihiy's version of this already has the W3start hack in it. We just add the Phelum mods.
http://home.exetel.c.../phelum/w98.htm
HELP.HLP The source for this has had 'share' restored. This version will be released after the DOS is manufactured.
We need some config files. Here is samples
;FORMAT [Paths] WinDir=. WinBootDir=c:\msdos HostWinBootDrv=c [Options] Autoscan=0 BootDelay=2 BootMulti=1 BootMenu=1 Logo=1 BootGUI=0 DoubleBuffer=0 Logo=1 SystemReg=0 ; ;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs. ;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes). ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
Here is config.sys
[MENU] menuitem=bootdos; DOS Boot menuitem=bootw98; Windows 98 menudefault=bootw98,10 [Common] DEVICE=c:\MSDOS\CDROM.SYS /D:IDECD001 LASTDRIVE=Z [bootdos] [bootw98]
Here is autoexec.bat
@echo off GOTO %CONFIG%1 :bootw981 path c:\fenster;c:\fenster\command;c:\fenster\reskit c:\FENSTER\VMADD\SYSINI.EXE cd \fenster win goto :end :bootdos1 path c:\win31; c:\msdos\mouse.com c:\msdos\mscdex.exe /d:IDECD001 /L:S c:\msdos\idle c:\msdos\fshare goto :end :1 echo invalid config. :end
The next thing is to prepare an install file for this version of DOS.
#12
Posted 29 August 2008 - 07:24 AM
1. fasthelp.exe, 2. doshelp.hlp. We plan to patch fasthelp to read 'doshelp'.
This is the same MS-DOS 5 help command featured in Windows NT, 2K, XP, Vista, &c.
#13
Posted 28 December 2008 - 09:00 AM
We use the version found at http://hddguru.com/ . Download and create the magic disk, it has a version of format.com that has been deversioned, and also /Q reactivated. You can replace the OEM string in the boot sector from MSWIN4.1 to MSDOS7.1 You must have a number there otherwise the thing won't work properly.
FIXMBR.COM
You make this out of a QBASIC file, such as HELP.COM (on the cdrom). Open this in the hex-editor, and replace QBASIC.EXE with FDISK.EXE(space), and at the end of the file replace /QHELP with /MBR(space)(space). Save as fixmbr.com
Here, we're trying to make an authentic MS-DOS 7.1 akin to the 6.x releases. It is not reccomended to use any version of MS-DOS fdisk on modern disks: instead, use freefdisk. This should still work with freefdisk.
COMMAND.COM
We use a versionless one here. Look for 3D 07 0A, and replace the following 74 with EB, or 75 XX with 90 90. This defangs the version-check. Neither of these actually report the underlying DOS. [a patched 6.22 one does!]. It's handy to do this, because some proggies launch \command.com, regardless of the setting of COMSPEC.
SHUTDOWN
This replaces the REBOOT.COM on the diskette. Look for SHUT12.ZIP on the net. You can shut-down or shut-down+reboot.
REGEDIT
I still include this, probably from Win98se. Windows ME makes a number of assumptions about DOS, is best avoided.
#14
Posted 28 December 2008 - 09:13 AM
FDISK. use freefdisk here.
MSCDEX the Win9x version is 2.25, the same as DOS 6.22. It does not support for example, the ISO-4 extentions.
BASIC, BASICA, QBASIC. Ok if you must: otherwise, use REXX.
MOUSE: there are alternate freeware ones being developed. Still works, though.
SYS.COM Use the one from Win98se.
TREE. Dos itself does not support long file names, but there are alternate versions of tree that do support LFN. The version i have hails from MS-DOS 6.22, but pdtree comes with a DOS version that supports LFN.
In the main, MS-DOS has not been all that bad, but is more 'dated' than 'obsolete'.
#15
Posted 28 December 2008 - 10:09 AM
You can replace the OEM string in the boot sector from MSWIN4.1 to MSDOS7.1 You must have a number there otherwise the thing won't work properly.
FYI:
http://homepages.tes...name-field.html
It is a design disaster....
It is an implementation disaster ....
In fact, there is only one value for the OEM name field that all versions of all operating systems will agree to mean that the creator of the BPB is to be trusted: "IBM 2.0".
jaclaz
#16
Posted 29 December 2008 - 08:06 PM
Also I can't see a philosophical reason to hype MS-DOS, it's abandoned by MS. So there is also no "cool" or "fancy" reason for me. I use MS-DOS as reference, for testing and in case something works with MS-DOS, but not with FreeDOS.
Anyway, some informations here are still interesting.
#17
Posted 07 January 2009 - 08:03 AM
The Wengier "China-DOS" selects things from three or four different DOS versions (PC-DOS, ROM-DOS, MS-DOS, Free-DOS), and mixes in things to suit. It is interesting, and it is innovative, but it's not "MS-DOS" (except for the kernel).
Freedos, for the most part is the kernel, with a lot of free-standing bits and peices added to make it work. I don't necessarily accept using 4dos as the only kernel, and it is useful to have Command.com hanging around there.
What "my favorite DOS" would include is a lot of PC-DOS stuff as well as MS-DOS. I have been a fan of PC-DOS since v 5.0, (having to suffer ms-dos on my home box!).
#18
Posted 09 January 2009 - 08:32 AM
#19
Posted 11 January 2009 - 03:05 PM
Them dropped the DOS-based kernel line long time ago in favour of their NT-based kernel. If them would have put minimal effort in further developement MS-DOS could be now in a niche a very useful tool. But that's not the point, ms did try to kill it.The title of the project is "MS-DOS 7.1", is supposed to represent what Microsoft would have released at this point.
I think a DOS with a set of cool/useful is more handy.
#20
Posted 16 January 2009 - 09:11 AM
It is relatively easy to make one of the 'best' around: one just looks to freedos for guidance here. I mean, lots of their stuff are designed to work on modern hardware etc.
But it is also interesting to see just how far one can take MS-DOS with the final versions that actually work as a general purpose DOS. They still keep releasing DOS stuff, so a ridgy-didge MS-DOS is the done thing here.
#21
Posted 21 February 2009 - 10:08 PM
#22
Posted 21 February 2009 - 11:15 PM
Well, I'm just confused. You state "compress.exe" is on MSDOS 6.00. I have this set of disks, but this file does NOT exist - only "expand.exe" exists. Please explain exactly where this may be located (I have dos5.0 thru dos6.22).
Do you have "source tapes"?
COMPRESS.EXE is the hardest to find. Most common is version 2 (SZDD), but you really need version 1 (KWAJ). I found mine floating in the MSDOS 6.00 source tapes. v1 gives the tighter compression seen in DOS 6 and Windows 3.11
NOT easily found/available:
http://groups.google...9f0e41?lnk=raot
However, FYI:
http://oldfiles.org....rload/msdos.htm
http://gnuwin32.sour.../mscompress.htm
jaclaz
#23
Posted 21 February 2009 - 11:46 PM
#24
Posted 22 February 2009 - 12:09 AM
http://www.msfn.org/...showtopic=81068
Did you check the ones here:
http://www.filewatch...?q=compress.exe
files from 1992 or 1993 may be the "real thing".
jaclaz
#25
Posted 22 February 2009 - 08:11 AM
Compress v 1 dates from ymb 1986 or so, gives fairly tight compression. The origional 1.0x versions rename compressed files to $ (eg edlin.exe to edlin.ex$), while the 1.1x versions use underscore (eg edlin.ex_).
Compress v 2 dates from 1990, released with the SDK, and not changed. This file gives a more loose compression,
Compress v 3 dates from after the ZIP format was released to open source. Microsoft based cab on ZIP
I:\>encomp1 -b -e -f conset.exe Microsoft (R) Compression Utility - Version 1.11 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp 1989 - 1992. All rights reserved. conset.exe Wrote 75137 bytes to output file 'conset.ex_' 151552 bytes compresses to 75137 bytes, Savings: 50 percent I:\>encomp2 -r conset.exe Microsoft (R) File Compression Utility Version 2.00 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1990-1992. All rights reserved. Compressing conset.exe to conset.ex_. conset.exe: 151552 bytes compressed to 81735 bytes, 47% savings. I:\>makecab conset.exe conset.ex_ Microsoft (R) Cabinet Maker - Version 5.00.2134.1 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-1999. 100.00% [flushing current folder] I:\>dir conset.ex? /z /o:s Volume in drive I is Winxp Serial number is 2eb7:cde4 Directory of I:\conset.ex? conset.exr 58935 22/02/09 18:00 conset.exe RAR compression conset.exz 68133 22/02/09 17:55 conset.exe PKZIP (eg DR-DOS) conset.ex3 68301 22/02/09 17:52 Compress.exe 3 MSCF (DOS 7) conset.ex1 75137 6/06/02 19:57 Compress.exe 1 KWAJ (DOS 6) conset.ex2 81735 6/06/02 19:57 Compress.exe 2 SZDD (DOS 5) conset.exe 151552 6/06/02 19:57 Uncompressed file 503,793 bytes in 6 files and 0 dirs 512,000 bytes allocated
expand.exe will unpack files by compress.exe, but some things need to be watched.
DOS 5, Windows 3.x0 and Windows NT 3.10 were prepared with compress v 2, which was also released in the SDK. expand and lzexpand.dll from these versions can only handle SZDD files.
DOS 6 (PC/MS) and a number of very early DOS/OS2 apps (eg WLO 1.x) were prepared with compress v 1, compress from these DOS versions can only handle KWAJ files.
Windows 3.11, Wfw 3.11 was prepared with compress v 1 also, but because earlier files would be encountered, expand and lzexpand.exe would handle both SZDD and KWAJ files.
Windows NT 3.50 and later, Windows NT, and Windows 9x were prepared with diamond, the extract utility is used to unpack these. compress from the resource kits prepare MSCF files, expand from these files can unpack SZDD and MSCF files.
Windows Vista and later are prepared with a new format WIM, which has not come into general circulation to this time.
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