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."

KBCategory: kbfile kbdisplay kbfasttip KBSubcategory: msdos Additional reference words: 6.20 bbsstepup stepup softlib THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Last reviewed: July 29, 1996 ©1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.