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USB in MS-DOS

TravisHuckins

Experienced Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2017
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322
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I'm trying to figure out out to use USB flash drives in MS-DOS to transfer files I've found 2 drivers usbaspi.sys and di1000DD.sys but I don't know how to get it to assign a drive letter so I can access it.
 
What version of DOS are you using with this venture?

You must realize that most flash drives are FAT32 outta' the packaging.

If you're using DOS 6.22 or lower it's not gonna work (with a FAT32 drive). I've got one 1GB flash drive that's FAT16 and I can use that on on a 6.22 system but that's the only one. Of course you could reformat a 2GB drive with FAT16 and it should work (I haven't tried that yet). And, you should be able to format an 8GB drive with four 2GB partitions.
 
What Stone said about FAT32. If this isn't a FAT16 formatted drive, the USB driver won't assign a letter because DOS 6.x can't understand it.

As far as the letter, watch when the driver installs. It will tell you what letter it's assigned.
 
Placing a PAUSE command in the autoexec.bat file will stop processing long enough to note all the displayed messages.
 
....Of course you could reformat a 2GB drive with FAT16 and it should work (I haven't tried that yet)...

Yup it works fine on my 2GB drives.

...And, you should be able to format an 8GB drive with four 2GB partitions.

I've done that on a 4GB drive with two 2GB partitions, DOS 6.22 only see's the first partition, Unless you flip the 'RMB' to make the drive appear as a fixed drive, Then it see's both partitions.
But that's another whole lot of fun and games.
 
I'm not even entirely sure if I installed the USB 'card' the right way because the motherboard only has 8pins rather than the 9 to let you know which way the cable is supposed to be connected. The motherboard is a FIC VA-502.
 
I'm not even entirely sure if I installed the USB 'card' the right way because the motherboard only has 8pins rather than the 9 to let you know which way the cable is supposed to be connected. The motherboard is a FIC VA-502.

Boot from a live-something cd that has native support for flash drives. Once you make sure your ports are working, concentrate again in DOS.
 
I'm not even entirely sure if I installed the USB 'card' the right way because the motherboard only has 8pins rather than the 9 to let you know which way the cable is supposed to be connected. The motherboard is a FIC VA-502.
FWIW I didn't have any success with the integrated USB port on my 233 MHz motherboard so I added an actual PCI expansion card with to get the USB support. YMMV
 
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