Microsoft KB Archive/105076

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

FastTips: MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up Questions and Answers
Last reviewed: July 29, 1996

Article ID: Q105076

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.2, 6.22

1. Q. When I ran MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, it said it couldn't update a specific file. How can I update this file?

A. If MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up indicates it cannot update one of your MS-DOS files, you (or a third-party application) may have deleted or     replaced the file, or you may have an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) version of MS-DOS. Although most OEMs do not modify MS-DOS, a     few OEMs do in order to meet the needs of individual hardware designs.

For more information on restoring an MS-DOS 6.0 file and then updating it with MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, see the section titled "Setup     cannot update a file" in the README.NOW file located on your original MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disks.

To determine if you have a version of MS-DOS that was modified by your OEM, contact your OEM or order FastTips Technical Library item Q104252, titled "Running MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up over an OEM Version     of MS-DOS 6.0."

2. Q. I'm using Stacker, and when I try to install the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade, I receive an error message and cannot continue. How can I correct this problem?

A. If you recently acquired Stacker 3.1, you may need to run a STAC Electronics patch before upgrading to MS-DOS 6.2.

If your Stacker 3.1 files show a date and time stamp of 06-03-93 3:10a, you can install MS-DOS 6.2. If the file dates and times are later than these, you need to run the 62STAC.EXE patch before installing MS-DOS 6.2. You can obtain this file from the Utilities section of the STAC forum on CompuServe or by calling STAC Electronics Technical Support.

MS-DOS 6.2 was tested with the original Stacker 3.1. Because version 3.1 was changed without notice, you must use the patch before running MS-DOS 6.2 Setup.

The patch temporarily updates the Stacker driver in memory; you must run MS-DOS 6.2 Setup immediately after running 62STACK.EXE. If you have already installed MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade or     Step-Up, uninstall using your Uninstall disk, run the patch, and then reinstall MS-DOS 6.2.

3. Q. When I run MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, my video display is unreadable: either the instruction lines are truncated or the screen text is     unreadable. How can I correct this problem?

A. If you are currently running a version of MS-DOS earlier than 6.2 and your monitor is not displaying the setup screens properly, use the following steps:

1. If you have not already done so, quit Setup by pressing the F3 key twice.

2. Insert MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up Disk 1 in drive A or drive B. At        the MS-DOS command prompt, type "a:\setup /i" or "b:\setup         /i" (without the quotation marks) and then press ENTER.

The /I switch disables automatic hardware detection. Since display problems can be caused by incorrect hardware settings, make sure you enter the correct display type when Setup prompts you for it.

4. Q. MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up repeatedly prompts me to insert the same disk or indicates that my Uninstall disk is not the correct disk. How should I troubleshoot this problem?

A. Your computer may contain memory-resident or disk-caching programs that prevent Setup from correctly reading the floppy disk. Remove or remark out any memory-resident programs that are started from the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file, restart the computer, and then run Setup again. If the problem persists, you may be able to successfully install MS-DOS by using the following steps:

1. Create a temporary directory on your hard disk.

2. Use the COPY command to copy all files from the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade disks to the temporary directory.

3. Run the Setup program for the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade from the temporary directory.

5. Q. I think that one of my MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disks is defective. What should I do?

A. To determine if an original MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disk is     defective, use the following steps:

1. Copy the contents of the suspected defective disk to NUL. For example, type "copy /b a:\*.* nul" (without the quotation        marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt and then press ENTER.

This command forces MS-DOS to read all the files on the disk and copy them to the NUL device.

2. If you receive an error message, such as "Data error reading" or "General failure reading," during the copy process, the disk is probably defective. To order a replacement disk, call Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400.

If you do not receive an error during the copy process, the disk is probably not defective.

6. Q. How does the MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up differ from the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade?

A. The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up can be run only on MS-DOS 6.0 systems. The MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade can be used on systems running MS-DOS 2.11 or later, IBM DOS, Novell DR DOS, or OS/2.

The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up uses a set of small binary files to patch or update your existing MS-DOS 6 files; it does not contain the MS-DOS 6.2 files. You end up with the exact same set of files whether you run MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up or MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade.

The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up uses online documentation to describe new features and to supplement your existing "MS-DOS 6 User's Guide."