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  • From: sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [BL] MS-DOS 7.10 disappeared my C: files
  • Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 21:51:37 +0000 (UTC)

My DFI computer with the 'not an image file' problem (which is now 100% of the time) is working again in linux. I did mke2fs on both ext2 partitions and then transferred the same files over via ethernet from the other computer (ASUS). It has a new power supply switch too.

I then checked the other computer (ASUS with innards from a Gateway) that had suddenly developed the same boot problem (would only boot linux from Win98 or 7.10 DOS) and today it booted various BLs from DR_DOS, 6.22 and FreeDOS, twice each.

So rather than bother with 7.10 I suggested switching innards again - move the Win98 drives to the DFI, so that it would boot linux. My partner wanted to try 7.10 so he copied the system files to the DFI (which had DR-DOS on it and I think was formatted with PQ-Magic) and discovered that, unlike when he did this to his Win98 computer and everything worked eventually, C: after rebooting with 7.10 on HD contained only command.com.

So he put back DR-DOS and c: contains only command.com. Attrib (from
floppy disk since it was on C:) cannot find anything else.

Linux finds all my files. MS appears to have hidden them somehow. fdisk /mbr did not help.

I would greatly appreciate any ideas on how to get these files working again in DOS, if possible. Is there any old boot sector or something that could be restored? But we switched OS'es several times so the original may have disappeared.

Would it work to tar -cvf them and copy the tar file to an ext2 partition (having first renamed the system files) and format (with Win98 DOS this time, or possibly 7.10) and sys with some DOS (7.10?) and copy back the .tar file and untar it?


The reason to format with Win98/7.10 is that the computer would boot from
DR-DOS if zimage was on a floppy disk formatted with Win98 DOS.

I have the same files on the other computer but Win98 is also there and I don't want a copy of it, so I would need to selectively tar (listing directories to omit). Is there anything special I need to do to tar/copy DOS instead of linux files and directories?

Win one, lose one. At least linux is working again and I have loadlin in d: and e: (so that I could use it with a Win98 floppy boot disk which could not find C: files but at least let DR-DOS see them later).

I suggest avoiding 7.10 for the time being. Maybe it works better on top of MS-DOS 6.22, but don't switch to it from DR-DOS if you have files you want to keep using in C:.



keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org




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