loafman@convexe.UUCP (12/19/87)
/* Written 12:19 pm Dec 17, 1987 by boneill@hawk.ulowell.edu.UUCP in convexe:comp.sys.ibm.pc */ /* ---------- "Changing DOS on a hard disk" ---------- */ I have just purchased MS-DOS 3.3 from my supplier, and tried to update the DOS on my Hard Disk. I tried just SYS C:, but my hard disk wouldn't boot. So I backed up all the files using the 3.3 backup program, and reformatted the disk. I transferred the IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS files and copied COMMAND.COM. I then restored all files. Now there are two problems: 1) MNy hard disk still won't boot. My PC switches back to Drive A: and it just spins. No message, no error. Even if I put the DOS disk in, it just keeps going, and I have to power down. 2) Most of the executable files on my hard disk will not work. Sometimes they cause my system to reboot, sometimes they just hang. Even files I copied from the DOS disk will not execute, including EDLIN. In short, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, rush a reply as to a solution as soon as possible. Thanx. ============================================================================ Brian O'Neill University of Lowell boneill@hawk.cs.ulowell.edu "There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute." Captain Jean-Luc Picard - ST:TNG "Justice" /* End of text from convexe:comp.sys.ibm.pc */ OK, here goes... 1) When you ran 'sys c:' and the critter failed to boot, the probable reason is that command.com had not been copied to the hard disk, thus, the old command.com was still out there and incompatible. 'format/s' will copy the command.com automatically, 'sys' will not. 2) When you tried to replace the 'system' files msdos.com and io.sys files, the directory got out of order. MSDOS requires that those two files be the first two in the directory itself. 3) You did not state what version you were updating from. If it was a version prior to 3.x all bets are off, FAT sizes changed, etc, etc. Bottom line is, RTFM, follow the directions. DOS 3.x comes with a fairly nice set of user-independent (read simple) instructions that will work in almost all cases. If you had backed up the data you wanted to keep, followed the directions in the manual, then you would have been finished and using the new system in less time than it took you to post the message and get a response back from the net. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kenneth W. Loafman @ CONVEX Computer Corp, Dallas, Texas UUCP: ihnp4!convex!loafman Phone: (214) 952-0829