33 replies to this topic

[wendy]

The 'chinese' command.com is the one that Wengier Wu included in the DOS 7,1 CD that floats on the internet. This is essentially a version of the DOS from Windows 4.10.1999, command.com being something like 94292 bytes. You can find one from Powerload http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/ using the 2222. kernel.

Alternately, ye could hex-edit a different OS version, such as ms dos 6.22. Serch in a hex-editor for '3D061674x', and replace the 74 with EB. This deactivates the DOS check, and allows it to run it in different DOS versions, eg 5.00 from Win2k. Note here that hex 06 16 is dec 6, 22. Not all DOS versions are true to the box name, instead, use the version given by msd as a basis.

H:\test>COMMAND.COM





Microsoft(R) MS-DOS(R) Version 6.22

			 (C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1994.



H:\TEST>dir /w



 Volume in drive H is Win2k

 Volume Serial Number is 748F-6C39

 Directory of H:\TEST



[.]			 [..]			COMMAND.COM

		3 file(s)		 54,645 bytes

					 651,995,648 bytes free



H:\TEST>ver /r



MS-DOS Version 5.00

Revision A

DOS is in HMA



H:\TEST>

This shows command.com running in a DOS 5.00 session, as provided by Windows 2k. You see that the command string has returned 6.22 on load, but the underlying DOS in ver /r is 5.0.

[scrumpyjack]

Thanks alot Wendy. I will try all that. A good small DOS that works well is LZ DOS but i would need to unpack the IO.SYS , patch and repack it again. Can anyone unpack a IO.SYS... .

[0ffer]

Now, Win ME IO.SYS presents the problem that it is compressed, so that to develop a patch for either of the two known versions of it is much more difficult and probably not worth it.

Can anyone unpack a IO.SYS... :cheers: .

Thanks to Rudolph R. Loew,...freeware decompressor for the various versions (at least the official) of Win ME IO.SYS, called IO8DCOMP.EXE! It is findable at the Prerelease and Beta Section of his Software Catalog.

1) Search for B4 02 CD 16 A8 07 74 and patch the red 74 to EB

[dencorso]

OK. As you noticed, offer, for the uncompressed Win ME IO.SYS, the 1st patch remains the same, but the 2nd one is slightly different:

1) Search for B4 02 CD 16 A8 07 74 and patch the red 74 to EB
2) Search for 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 :
you'll find it to be 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 XX , where XX is any value.
Patch this to become 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

Enjoy!

[wendy]

From http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm

Disable the  F8  startup menu in Uncompressed  IO.SYS 

1) Search for B4 02 CD 16 A8 07 74 and patch the red 74 to EB 

2) Search for 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 : 

you'll find it to be 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 XX , where XX is any value. 

Patch this to become 3E 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

[dencorso]

From http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm

[...]

Patch this to become 3E 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

Of course, the multiboot.ru patch is an uncredited copy of my original patch, and has one serious error: 36 should not become 3E, so:

Patch this to become 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

would be the right way to do it.

[Wonko the Sane]

Of course, the multiboot.ru patch is an uncredited copy of my original patch, and has one serious error: 36 should not become 3E, so:

Patch this to become 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

would be the right way to do it.

Not anymore :
http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm

Disable the F8 startup menu in Uncompressed IO.SYS by Dencorso
1) Search for B4 02 CD 16 A8 07 74 and patch the red 74 to EB
2) Search for 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 :
you'll find it to be 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 75 XX , where XX is any value.
Patch this to become 36 01 B4 01 CD 16 90 90

Wonko

[dencorso]

[Somewhat Offtopic]
@Wendy & Wonko: Did you happen to notice this?

I have identified a bug in IO.SYS that causes problems when Non-DOS Logical Partitions are used and more than one Primary Partition is used on a Drive.
This is a separate issue from the one Patched by Phelum.
I have written a Patch for it.

Ref. for quote and post with patcher file...

[/Somewhat Offtopic]

[wendy]

The current list of patches found in my ms-dos 7.10.2400 is something like this.

• IO.SYS: permit running of Windows 3.1
• IO.SYS Phelum patch for hard disks
• COMMAND.COM etc, remove version check
• COMMAND.COM increase environment size
• COMMAND.COM hidden file show
• DOSHELP.EXE rebuilt from FASTHELP.EXE
• FORMAT reactivate /Q
• QBASIC.EXE Phatcode drive a: check
• QBASIC.EXE qbed (edit), and *.* for *.TXT
• HELP.HLP includes EDIT.HLP

The phelum patch is well known, and eventually, when i process IO.800 through Loewe's decomp, and take out the bitmap, this will also be integrated into DOS 8.

One should note that the help file in the DOS 8.00 at multiboot.ru is my version. One sees eg 'help' F1 | Help on PC-DOS help | Reduction and Version Notes, ye see my name there. Eventually, this becomes linked to 'help about' from the command prompt.