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DOS 4.01 Not Bootable

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evildragon

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I wanted to install DOS 4.01 on my model 25, into the 2GB disk on module I have installed on the XT-IDE.

When I sys C: to DOS 4.01, it won't boot. But if I sys C: to 6.22, it boots fine.

Does DOS 4.01 not boot on the XT-IDE?
 
evildragon said:
I wanted to install DOS 4.01 on my model 25, into the 2GB disk on module I have installed on the XT-IDE.

When I sys C: to DOS 4.01, it won't boot. But if I sys C: to 6.22, it boots fine.

Does DOS 4.01 not boot on the XT-IDE?
Click to expand...
SYS versions prior to 5 do not copy COMMAND.COM and you have to copy it manually; could that be your problem?
As usual, telling us what exact error message you get would help.

http://www.easydos.com/sys.html
 
MikeS said:
As usual, telling us what exact error message you get would help.
Click to expand...

Does having a blank screen with the floppy LED stuck on, right after it reads the boot sector on the ide drive, count?

I have copied the files that needed to be copied. I tried it on a 128MB CF card, and it DOES boot. Just not on this 2GB drive for some reason.
 
Evil,

Looks like your pulling your hair out on this one. Try invoking FDISK/MBR and see what happens.

Late edit: Does the 4.01 disk boot okay on another setup? Hopefully it's not borked.
 
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To work with the large (>32MB) partitions in DOS 4, you need to ensure that SHARE is loaded.

Also DOS 4 can only have one PRI (primary aka bootable) partition. Some software can create a second primary partition by default which won't work with DOS 4. Later DOSes would ignore extra primary partitions. When running a more modern FDISK, make sure there are not any extra partitions.

Oh, if you are using IBM PC-DOS 4, the drive must have an OEM label that starts with "IBM" in the boot record or the drive won't be recognized. So if you formatted with other software, IBM software will not do anything with the disk.
 
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I was just about to reply the same thing. 4.0 had bugs in SHARE, FASTOPEN, and other stuff on release that, if you don't have an updated version from your OEM, you really shouldn't be running it.

I've settled on PC DOS 2000 (IBM PC DOS 7.0 with Y2K fixes) for all of my vintage gear with the exception of name-brand clones that have hardware supported only by their OEM DOSes (AT&T/Olivetti, Tandy, etc.).
 
I was trying to keep the DOS period accurate for the IBM, minus the HD, since lets face it, the original drive isn't reliable anymore, and DOS 3 definitely won't work with 2GB drives.
 
Is there any functional difference? Cause I thought PC-DOS 4.01 fixed the bugs MS-DOS had.

But this SSD drive WAS formatted in DOS 6.22, so this very well could be true.
 
evildragon said:
DOS 4 version of FDISK can't find a fixed disk.
Click to expand...

krebizfan said:
To work with the large (>32MB) partitions in DOS 4, you need to ensure that SHARE is loaded.

Oh, if you are using IBM PC-DOS 4, the drive must have an OEM label that starts with "IBM" in the boot record or the drive won't be recognized. So if you formatted with other software, IBM software will not do anything with the disk.
Click to expand...

Was just that last quote that made me suggest trying MS DOS 4.01 :)
 
Chuck(G) said:
If it's not posted, I do have the CSD set for PC DOS 4.0.

But I've gotta wonder why someone would be such a glutton for torture...
Click to expand...

When I used to use DOS 4.01, I never had a problem with it. Guess I'm the only one.

I got the official installation disks, and that didn't work either, full install (though not reformatting the drive).
 
Here is Microsoft's method for using DEBUG to make a non-IBM formatted hard disk work with PC-DOS 4 and 5: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60082

If you have a preferred disk editing tool, you could use that instead. Much friendlier than trying to correctly enter hexadecimal in the correct place.
 
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