MS-DOS 8.0

[Lluixhi]

So I was just reading up about MS-DOS (out of curiosity and nostalgia)

And I read that Windows Me actually has a newer version of DOS it is built on (should have been obvious, but y'know)

So my question is, has anyone managed to find a way to get the old DOS commandline out of ME and stick it into the DOS 6.22 installer? In other words, has anyone found a way to install MS-DOS 8.0 without ME on top of it?

[AlphaBeta]

You can use a Windows ME bootdisk to boot into DOS 8.

[Windows 386]

So I was just reading up about MS-DOS (out of curiosity and nostalgia)

And I read that Windows Me actually has a newer version of DOS it is built on (should have been obvious, but y'know)

So my question is, has anyone managed to find a way to get the old DOS commandline out of ME and stick it into the DOS 6.22 installer? In other words, has anyone found a way to install MS-DOS 8.0 without ME on top of it?

The russian website http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm has an instruction how to modify the IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM from Windows ME DOS/MS-DOS 8 to use it on the hard disk.
IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM are from the Windows ME Retail CD, which is bootable.
The XMS driver (HIMEM.SYS) is integrated into IO.SYS.
IO.SYS was compressed by MS to make it smaller.
SYS.COM is from Windows 98SE.
FORMAT.COM is OFORMAT.COM from the Windows XP Professional installation disc. "X:\SUPPORT\TOOLS\DEPLOY.CAB"

You cannot use Windows 3.x in the Enhanced Mode, because its XMS driver is causing some problems. In addition you cannot load EMM386.EXE or other EMS memory manger. DriveSpace is not supported and DBLSPACE.SYS/DRIVESPACE.SYS will not load.

I have read the instruction and made a modification of IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM. I have modified the MS-DOS system files with HxD Hex Editor.

The MS-DOS 8 Startup Menu:


MS-DOS 8 without starting device drivers:


How install MS-DOS 8:
-Extract the MS-DOS 8.IMA diskette image.
-Start VirtualBox and boot from it.
-Use FDISK.EXE and after reboot FORMAT.COM C: /Q /S
Optionally use: SYS.COM A: C:

Offtopic Comment

Can someone help me to modify IO.SYS from MS-DOS 8 to start Windows 3.x into the Enhanced Mode without problems?

[Lluixhi]

Cool, thanks!

One question though, how do you get the files from the "DOS8" folder into the virtualbox? xD

[SpiralVortex]

MS-DOS 8 is included in Windows 8 too, even the 64-bit version, for use when formatting floppies as MS-DOS startup disks. (Windows 8 supports 5.25" floppies too, but you can't format those as MS-DOS disks as the Windows XP/Vista/7/8 disk image is from a 3.5" disk)

The disk image is in diskcopy.dll, in both the system32 and syswow64 directories.

[AlphaBeta]

Cool, thanks!

One question though, how do you get the files from the "DOS8" folder into the virtualbox? xD

I think you need to copy the files. The files in DOS8 folder aren't neccessary, the system will still run if the files aren't present.

[Windows 386]

Cool, thanks!

One question though, how do you get the files from the "DOS8" folder into the virtualbox? xD

You are right. I should create a Boot CD. I deleted the old link, because it is obsolete.
But I have uploaded a new MSDOS 8.7z archive on Google Drive:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzEfpKS ... pWWlU/edit

It does contain a Boot-CD: Microsoft MS-DOS 8.0 Boot CD.iso
In addition there are two bootdisks:
MS-DOS 8.IMA (When you have problems with the device drivers. Failsafe)
MS-DOS 8 with device drivers.IMA (With mouse driver, cd-rom driver, DOSKEY and SMARTDRV)

[0ffer]

My MS-DOS 8.0 Patch for Windows XP, Vista or Seven can create MS-DOS 8.0 bootdisk with core files

Code: Select all

IO.SYS
COMMAND.COM
MSDOS.SYS
FORMAT.COM
SYS.COM
FDISK.EXE

All files are independent of the version of DOS and compatible with MS-DOS 7.10

DOS for NTFS BootDisk 1.44 dos4ntfs.img in my download page

[Windows 386]

My MS-DOS 8.0 Patch for Windows XP, Vista or Seven can create MS-DOS 8.0 bootdisk with core files

Code: Select all

IO.SYS
COMMAND.COM
MSDOS.SYS
FORMAT.COM
SYS.COM
FDISK.EXE

All files are independent of the version of DOS and compatible with MS-DOS 7.10

DOS for NTFS BootDisk 1.44 dos4ntfs.img in my download page

Hello 0ffer. Thank you for your instruction on multiboot.ru.
Do you have an idea how to run Windows 3.x in the Enhanced Mode under MS-DOS 8?
I know there was a Win3xStart path for uncompressed IO.SYS. I used it and Windows 3.x does not show the message about the compatibility on MS-DOS 8. But the XMS driver from IO.SYS makes some problems.

[os2fan2]

I've done a heavily modified version of this too, although not scripted.

Mostly consists of deversion and some utility replaces.

w

[0ffer]

Do you have an idea how to run Windows 3.x in the Enhanced Mode under MS-DOS 8?

I tried in31 in extended mode on Dosboks does not work, also not loaded emm386.exe
No idea...

[AlphaBeta]

Do you have an idea how to run Windows 3.x in the Enhanced Mode under MS-DOS 8?

I tried in31 in extended mode on Dosboks does not work, also not loaded emm386.exe
No idea...

MS-DOS != DOSBox...

[0ffer]

MS-DOS != DOSBox

Boot from floppy image with Win31Enh on MSDOS8