How to make a multi boot menu for DOS and Windows 98SE?

[SistemaRayoXP]

I'd like to make a boot menu where I can choose what to start, Windows 98 or DOS. I know its possible, I've seen it lot of times (Once Windows made it itself) but how (As for usability I don't care Windows 98 DOS Mode, I just want to boot in MSDOS/FREEDOS/PCDOS/WHATEVERELSE, not reboot Windows 98 DOS mode). Any example of boot menu would be very useful. Thanks for reading.

[3155ffGd]

The easiest way to do this by far is just to edit msdos.sys to change BootMenu=0 to 1. You will then get the boot menu every time you start the computer, without having to press F8, which has an option "Previous version of MS-DOS" if you installed Windows 98SE over an existing installation of MS-DOS.

[rloew]

I add COMMAND to my AUTOEXEC.BAT File.
This way the Computer Boots to DOS every time.Typing EXIT starts Windows normally.
This also gives me the opportunity to do things in between, or to go to Safe Mode by typing WIN /D:M

[os2fan2]

My trick here is simply to rename win.com, and use drives.com as win.com. Drives.com simply types the available drives.

To start windows, type in the renamed name of win.com, like 'lose.com'.

If the intent is to see a cdrom, the sys file goes into config.sys as normal, but put mscdex.exe in a load-later batch file, where you can load.

Alternately, you can do the whole lot with choice and a press-key, to default to windows, but a variety of dos options.

My msdos7 project currently loads dos 7.10.2400 (ie 7.10.2222), and windows 95 as the shell. DOS can see the fat32, but windows can't. You have to do a few tricks to make the stuff work, because by default, the DOS prompt of 95 won't load DOS 7.10. The current 7.10 patch can also load different splash-screens for DOS, Win95, and Win98.

A raw version of DOS can be started with the startup menu, or by placing a print-and-exit utility called 'win.com' somewhere.

Putting 'command.com' in autoexec.bat is rather like loading a second shell.

Putting 'command.com' in winstart.bat is running DOS in a windows Dos32 window, but no actuall Win32 shell loaded. In works in win31 as well.

Putting 'DOS=SINGLE' in config.sys, or starting DOS from the Win95 gui, in single-mode, loads a version of win.com, which exits back to windows.

Selecting a different DOS, like PCDOS or MSDOS, swaps the files in the root directory. This is the same as using a switch in BOOT.INI.

You can install Win9x on any drive, but several versions of Win9x must be installed in different directory names, because the directory is replicated onto C:\, So booting Win95 and Win98 on the same computer with a boot manager, you may put win95 in d:\win95, and win98 into e:\win98, as the boot files are in hidden directories c:\win95 and c:\98 resp.

[TheOtherGuy]

The last resource kit for windows 98se contained 2 files for multi booting the operating system.
Winboot.exe, gave you the option to multi boot multi language versions of windows.
Bootedit.exe, gave you the means to alter the boot options which included multi booting, though from memory it was an msdos.sys editor.

[rloew]

Putting 'command.com' in autoexec.bat is rather like loading a second shell.

Yes, while you are in DOS. EXIT closes the second shell before continuing to Windows.

[os2fan2]

My preferred option is to let it find the 82-byte 'drives.com' from PCMAG. IO.SYS only looks for win.com or win.exe in the path, and runs it if it finds it. Since the default path is %windir%;%winbootdir%;%winbootdir%\command; , my usual style is to put DOS95 on C:\msdos7\command, and you can store the drivers in c:\msdos7. %windir% must be the directory that contains the registry. It does not have to be the system directory.

Windows comes with a utility to fiddle with the MSDOS.SYS directory. It's called SETMDIR.EXE

c:\msdos7\command\setmdir.exe /r:e:\user\win98 (if this directory contains machine registry, ie system.dat.)

[inuya5ha]

I know this is an old topic, but Windows 98 was already old at the time of posting. Therefore, I'm suggesting the by-the-book option to show the DOS startup menu on every boot.

Start > Run > msconfig > Advanced button



Select Enable Startup Menu and accept these settings. From now on, on every restart you'll see the original MS-DOS startup menu.