DOS-XP Dual Boot Question...

I just sold a CF-29 to a guy who needs to be able to dual boot to DOS and XP Pro. He has a program that he runs that needs DOS and cannot run within XP or within the command promt... He will be setting all this up as he wants the laptop fast and I don't have DOS handy on floppy and I don't have time to fool with it. I know this can be done as he set this up the same setup on his CF-28. Anyway these are the questions I need answered before 12 noon tomorrow... (Shipping time)

How it stands: He will receive a laptop completely setup with all the trimmings and a set of recovery disks.

1. Must he start from scratch and do this. (He knows how) If this is the only way can he burn an ISO first, reformat, partition and add back the image to the D drive (C: would be for DOS, N'est pas?)

2. If he DOESN'T have to start from scratch (And it turns out he CAN burn an ISO copy of the present C: drive.) When he installs the ISO of the present drive onto the D: drive... What will XP think of when it sees the new drive letter? Everything within XP is used to calling itself "C:", then suddenly it would be "D:"....

If all else fails he can do what he needs to do with what I send him. The only reason I ask about burning the ISO is that there are certain Registry tweaks I do on most laptops that would be lost if he reformats. I do them for appearance mostly but also a few sometimes for speed. Plus I have already updated all the stuff that was installed and I know it would take him hours to get it back to where it is now... Running perfectly.

So... Anyone know for sure? He doesn't want a boot disk he wants a dual boot and have the choice when the laptop first starts up... Then it would go into XP if no answer is given.

Thanks!

 

Rick,
I believe there is an answer to this in an old thread about loading a OS on a CF-M34 without the correct drive. I don't have time to look for it right now. Couldn't you or he just make a blank partition D: and copy/save a DOS version there?
CAP

 

I don’t know if this helps but I have set up dual boot by partitioning the hard drive into two partitions
Then I install w98se first
Then I install xp
The bootmanager within xp creates the boot screen options to select which o/s on startup
Find out if the dos on w98 will work for him
I have personally set up cf-28s this way ,for customers that can’t use the command interface in xp


Alex

 

Alex
<-------
That's what I was looking for. I'll have to seriously consider my next Post.
CAP

 

Okay... He knows how to set it up from scratch... He has the DOS and he will have the recovery disks to set it up... That is a given.

1. Can he set it up with XP already installed?

2. If not... Can he burn an ISO image of the drive as it will be supplied to him and then burn it onto the 2nd partition (D: Drive)? If THAT can be done... What about the ISO image showing that it was on the C: drive and now it would be on the D: drive?

I know how the process is done (And he does) if you start with a fresh machine and disks... If you are starting from scratch. I am trying to avoid him having to do all that. OR.... If he does... At least be able to save the image on the disk as it is now... For use later.

 

I run XOSL. Partitioned first with Partition Magic. All off of the Ultimate Boot CD. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

I'm dual-booting WinXP and DOS 6.22 to run DOS-only programs as well.

 

Rick
This is my procedure for duel booting
I run Ontrack Disk Manager® from a floppy
I have a licensed version ,but depending on what hard drive brand you are using the same software is available from the hard drive manufacturers download section
The software allows partitioning the hard drive and formatting
You need fat32 on the first partition for dos
Install dos on the first partition
You need an oem xppro disk next, the restore disks will not work as they will want to restore and format as a factory load
You need to select the D: drive, or the unformatted area to install xp
When xp is installed it will give you the option of choosing which o/s to go to on booting
That order can be changed in xp in the advanced system settings under startup and recovery
I have only done this using w98 and xp on cf-28’s

Now I know that that does not answer any of your questions, but that is the only way to do it that makes sense to me
How you wish to do this, is far to complicated for me

I am not sure if you can use a software recovery program that would allow the whole drive including all the partitions to be backed up on a dvd or cd’s but that would be best if possible ,but that would require that you fresh load starting with the dos installation from the start
That is the only way that I know that your custom settings could be saved




Alex

 

Rick,
Apparently you can just download DOS:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
Imagine an OS which will fit on one floppy!
This should solve your problem no? With DOS available you can do like Alex does.
CAP

 

So in doing this he will also have to load all of the CF-29 drivers for the particular model too? (Since he can't use the Recovery Disks?) This may complicate a lot of things for him... There's a ton of stuf to load to get it back to factory specs...

If that is the case... I may suggest that he develop some sort of boot disk where he can boot to a DOS CD or something...

 

Yes its not the best situation, one more option might be to suggest a second caddy/hard drive with the dos load
I do this on my cf-19 and cf-30
If it’s a cf-29 the caddy swap is quick and easy


Alex

 

I will just copy the link to this thread and email it to him...

Thanks guys!

 

I am running a DOS criminal complaint program. All I needed to do was to install the program from a dos prompt. I was then able to create an icon with the correct prompt. Under all of the bells and whistles, the foundation of windows is dos. I do have a full set of dos disks on floppies and 5 1/4 if you need them.

 

I have a set of the 5.25 also... I'll end up converting them somehow to a CD at some point probably... Just as a backup. The last time I needed DOS for something was to help out a friend about 5-6 years ago.

Anyway... Scratch all the questions up to this point... The newest ideas are....

1. Boot from a USB Key that contains both DOS and the program that he wants to run... Can this be done? I haven't played around with DOS since USBs have even been around!

2. The hard drive swap is far 2nd choice. After speaking to him I think he would like to keep the hard drive exactly as it is now. While being more than able to handle a reformat... I think just doesn't want to fool with it. (I know I wouldn't want to if I didn't have to!)

So... I guess the best choice would be to be able to bot from a USB key with DOS installed on that key. Can that be done?

Ice... I'll bring your idea up to him but I think the program he wants to run must run and be installed in DOS... I'm not sure the CMD prompt will do that will it?

 

The Windows XP VDM is NOT the same as real DOS. (Windows XP is actually Windows NT 5.1, and Windows NT isn't DOS based like regular Windows versions such as Windows 98.)

Might be able to use DOSBox or something similar, though.

 

Seriously guys! I run XOSL. Boot up in Windows, windows is C: and is happy. Even OEM restore discs are happy. Select boot up in DOS, doesn't know anything past the enormous 500MB partition I gave it.

 

I found a bootable DOS USB Key here.... Err... Instructions anyway...

http://www.bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm

 

"Ice... I'll bring your idea up to him but I think the program he wants to run must run and be installed in DOS... I'm not sure the CMD prompt will do that will it?"
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I do know that it works for the DOS program I am using. It may be specific to that program. The program is a criminal complaint software that I have used since the early nineties. I will look for my notes on the install. One caveat. I have no idea what happens in Vista.