Microsoft KB Archive/90744

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

PD0255: MS-DOS 4.0x Patch Disk
Last reviewed: May 1, 1997

Article ID: Q90744

4.00 4.00a 4.01 4.01a MS-DOS kbmm kbfile kbappnote

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01a

An Application Note that corrects problems with the MSDOS.SYS file in MS- DOS versions 4.0, 4.0a, 4.01, and 4.01a is available.

The Application Note, titled &quot;MS-DOS 4.0x Patch Disk&quot; (PD0255) contains PATCH32M.EXE and the following updated files:


 * FASTOPEN.EXE
 * FORMAT.COM
 * GRAPHICS.COM

The revised FASTOPEN.EXE and FORMAT.COM files correct problems with the Fastopen program and the FORMAT command included with MS-DOS versions 4.0 and 4.01. The updated GRAPHICS.COM file corrects a problem with the GRAPHICS command in MS-DOS versions 4.0, 4.0a, 4.01, and 4.01a. You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:


 * Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
 * The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
 * Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
 * Microsoft Product Support Services

For complete information, see the &quot;To Obtain This Application Note&quot; section at the end of this article.

THE TEXT OF PD0255
Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File) PD0255: MS-DOS(R) 4.0X PATCH DISK Revision Date: 8/92 Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft MS-DOS versions 4.0, 4.01, and 4.01a.


 * INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY   |
 * ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an           |
 * Application Note) IS PROVIDED &quot;AS IS&quot; WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY     |
 * KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO   |
 * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A    |
 * PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the    |
 * accuracy and the use of this Application Note. This Application   |
 * Note may be copied and distributed subject to the following       |
 * conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and   |
 * all pages must be included; 2) If software is included, all files |
 * on the disk(s) must be copied without modification [the MS-DOS(R) |
 * utility DISKCOPY is appropriate for this purpose]; 3) All         |
 * components of this Application Note must be distributed together; |
 * and 4) This Application Note may not be distributed for profit.   |
 * Copyright 1988-1992 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   |
 * Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows        |
 * is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                          |
 * is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                          |

Introduction
The PD0255 disk provided with this Application Note contains PATCH32M.EXE, a program that corrects problems with the MSDOS.SYS file in Microsoft MS-DOS versions 4.0, 4.01, and 4.01a. Also included on the disk are updated FASTOPEN.EXE, FORMAT.COM, and GRAPHICS.COM files. The updated FASTOPEN.EXE and FORMAT.COM files correct problems with the Fastopen program and the FORMAT command included with MS-DOS versions 4.0 and 4.01. The updated GRAPHICS.COM file corrects a problem with the GRAPHICS command in MS-DOS versions 4.0, 4.01, and 4.01a.

Installing PATCH32M.EXE
There are known problems with the MS-DOS 4.0, 4.01, and 4.01a MSDOS.SYS file that can cause problems when you append information to a file that is 32 megabytes (MB) in size, or when you create a subdirectory causing the directory table to fall on a 32 MB sector boundary of a logical drive. Also, the MSDOS.SYS file in MS-DOS 4.0 and 4.01 can cause data corruption if you are enabling secondary caching buffers with the BUFFERS command in your CONFIG.SYS file and you have a logical drive that is larger than 32 MB.

PATCH32M.EXE replaces the MSDOS.SYS file with a version of the file that corrects these problems.

NOTE: PATCH32M.EXE is designed to work with the Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0x packaged product. If you have a modified, original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) release of MS-DOS 4.0x, you may need to contact your OEM for a patch specifically designed for its release of MS- DOS. Follow these steps to install the patch:

 Insert the enclosed PD0255 disk in the appropriate floppy disk drive.  Switch to the drive containing the enclosed disk by typing the following and pressing ENTER : where is your designated floppy disk drive (for example, &quot;b:&quot; [without the quotation marks]).   At the command prompt, type the following command and press ENTER patch32m : where is the drive that contains your MS-DOS system files (your boot drive). Typically drive C is your boot drive. For example: patch32m c: The message &quot;Patch successful!&quot; will be displayed after the command completes, indicating that your system file has been successfully updated. 

Installing FASTOPEN.EXE, FORMAT.COM, and GRAPHICS.COM
Included on the PD0255 disk are the MS-DOS 4.01a FASTOPEN.EXE and FORMAT.COM files and a corrected version of GRAPHICS.COM.

- The new FASTOPEN.EXE file corrects a conflict between the MS-DOS 4.0 and 4.01 Fastopen program's extent-caching feature and certain third-party application programs.

- The new FORMAT.COM file corrects a problem with the MS-DOS 4.0 and 4.01 FORMAT command that occurs when FORMAT encounters a    track that is marked as bad in the 32 MB +  region of a     logical drive.  is the size in bytes occupied by the file allocation table (FAT), the root directory table, and the MS-DOS system files.

- The new GRAPHICS.COM file corrects a conflict between the MS-DOS 4.0, 4.01, and 4.01a GRAPHICS command and the Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions (MSCDEX). With the earlier releases of    GRAPHICS.COM you might receive a &quot;MSCDEX not installed&quot; error message if GRAPHICS is loaded and an application program attempts to use the MSCDEX application programming interface (API). Follow these steps to update your FASTOPEN.EXE, FORMAT.COM, and GRAPHICS.COM files:

 Insert the enclosed PD0255 disk in the appropriate floppy disk drive.  At the command prompt, type the following commands and press ENTER after each line copy :\fastopen.exe copy :\format.com copy :\graphics.com where is the letter of your designated floppy disk drive and is the location of your MS-DOS directory. For example: copy a:\fastopen.exe c:\dos NOTE: Refer to your &quot;Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide&quot; for more information on the COPY command. The message &quot;1 file(s) copied&quot; will be displayed after each command completes, indicating that the file was successfully updated. 

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE
You can find PD0255.EXE, a self-extracting file, on the following services:

<ul>  Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile PD0255.EXE, and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file. </li>  Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get PD0255.EXE </li>  Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL Download PD0255.EXE </li></ul>

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q119591 TITLE    : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services If you are unable to access the source(s) listed above, you can have this Application Note mailed or faxed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time at (425) 646-5104. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area.