Hi Bernd,
FreeDOS Beta9sr1:
1. FDISK /CLEARALL
2. FDISK /MBR
3. FDISK /PRI:2000
4. <reboot>
5. FORMAT C:
6. Start real-mode windows setup program
C: is NTFS, FAT16 or FAT32?
If you look at Step 3 above, you will perhaps agree that C: is FAT32?
Unknown bootsectors are indeed saved to file called BOOTSECT.DOS
OK.
FDISK only creates MBR.
Format creates a filesystem.
MS FORMAT creates filesystem, then puts a bootsector identical to that
created by the FreeDOS SYS program on that filesystem.
OK.
FD FORMAT creates a bootsector which only reports something like "This
is not a bootable partition".
FreeDOS SYS creates a working bootsector.
OK, so if I ran FreeDOS SYS program after the above, would this make
Windows think it's a valid MS-DOS install?
Can you test some mixed operating system utilities?
please first obtain the FreeDOS SYS program (rename to FDSYS.COM) from:
http://fdos.org/AutoIndex/index?dir=kernel/&file=SYS.dev.COM
Scenario 1: DOS 6.22 procedure, but do FDSYS C: C: /BOOTONLY
Scenario 2: DOS 6.22 procedure, but do FDISK /MBR (FreeDOS FDISK)
Scenario 3: combine 1&2
Scenario 4: FREEDOS, then use MS SYS or MS FORMAT for formatting
Scenario 5: FREEDOS, then use FDISK /MBR (MS FORMAT)
Scenario 6: combine 4&5
Hmm, the problem is it takes 10 minutes to get to the dual boot screen
each time! I'll print this out and try to work out if it's practical.
I am most interested in scenario #1:
FREEDOS SYS can create a bootsector for MSDOS, and I wonder what Windows
thinks of it, and if it will create a dualboot then
Ah OK, I think that's what I was saying above. That sounds like the
first thing to try.
If I choose this option "Previous Operating System on C:", I see the
following text:
"This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and try
again..."
lack of a bootsector installed by SYS. Above text done by FD FORMAT
OK, this is very helpful.
formatted: Windows thinks there's a previous OS
unformatted: Windows cannot install due to no space for temporary files
not exactly a win-win situation :(
It sounds like the root of the problem is that FreeDOS FORMAT does not
do the same as MS-DOS format, and visa-versa?
A possible scriptable possible solution (hehe) might be to rewrite
boot.ini, or change timeout=30 to timeout=1 or something.
Yes, it's an extra build step I could do without. It also slows the
build down a lot because it waits 30 seconds on every boot WHILE it's
building itself - I can't script it until it's built...
At least this confirms Win2000 installs on FreeDOS :)
Yes, it's like a dream on FreeDOS, except for this one thing...the only
improvement I can think of, is to be able to install straight to NTFS
using a FreeDOS NTFS driver and FreeDOS NTFS format program (when it's
ready), this would enable creating an NTFS partition with 4k cluster
size instead of 512b, but I don't know if Windows setup would allow such
things during text-mode setup anyway.
I assume you loaded SMARTDRV?
No, I used LBACACHE, is that the right toy for the job? It went like a
rocket.
--
Gerry Hickman (London UK)
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