Microsoft KB Archive/76242

= MS-DOS 6.x Setup: Error Renaming Old Utilities =

Article ID: 76242

Article Last Modified on 11/16/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q76242



SYMPTOMS
When you run MS-DOS SETUP or SETUP /E, Setup may display the following error message:

Unrecoverable Error

Error renaming old utilities.

Press ENTER to exit Setup.



CAUSE
This error occurs when:


 * The path has been set with the SET PATH= command, the drive letter of the DOS directory is in lowercase (for example, SET PATH=c:\), and you are running SETUP with the /E parameter. -or-


 * There are no directories in the path that contain MS-DOS files and there is a file in the root called &quot;DOS.&quot;



The Path Has Been Set with SET PATH=
This is a known problem with MS-DOS 6.x Setup. SETUP /E checks the current path to locate the MS-DOS directory. If the MS-DOS directory is in lowercase letters, Setup displays the unrecoverable error message listed above.

To correct this problem, use the following steps:

 Press ENTER to quit Setup. Type path at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER. This displays the current path (for example, PATH=c:\dos;c:\windows;c:\utility). Use the PATH command to reenter the path in uppercase letters. For example, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:

PATH C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\UTILITY

 Run SETUP /E again.

A File Called &quot;DOS&quot; Is in the Root Directory
To allow Setup to continue, delete the &quot;DOS&quot; file. Setup creates a C:\DOS directory and proceeds normally.

If there is no C:\DOS directory, the Setup program traverses the existing path to find a directory with MS-DOS files in it. When it locates a directory with any MS-DOS files, it assumes that this is the directory containing the old MS-DOS files and continues with the setup.

If no directory in the path contains MS-DOS files and a file called &quot;DOS&quot; exists on the root, the system configuration screen shows that a C:\DOS directory exists. When you continue with the setup, the above message is displayed.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in MS-DOS versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, and 6.22. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 6.00 6.20 BUSETUP BUSETUP.EXE SETUP.EXE install optional programs utilities parameter 5.00 5.00a errmsg err msg during

Keywords: KB76242

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