| Greetings. I am having this problem again & again too,with both,MS-DOS & FreeDOS & I am fixing it with Partition Guru for DOS & using its "Rebuild MBR" function,it always worked for me. The problem may be even easier:check the Active flag for the boot partition(it is in varions partition managers abbreviated as "A" or for example in Partition Guru for DOS the active partition is marked by red color),but usually the cause of the problem is,there was Windows or other OS previously on the disk,which slightly modified the MBR,or there was a boot manager,all causes mods in MBR causing invalid bootstrap pointing,Rebuild MBR always helped me,but do not do this,if U have a boot manager there,it would be destroyed.This I avoid by installing FreeDOS or MS-DOS always as 1st,when I am assembling a multiboot,i always start with DOS & I always install it into 1st partition(this may also be the cause of DOS not being bootable-when it is installed too far from the start of the disk,any reliable multiboot including DOS must have it in the 1st partition),then I check its bootability & if necessary,rebuild the MBR. Then,when DOS is bootable,i continue installing Windows from oldest to newest version,the boot loader of the newest version then allows for booting all versions including DOS usually identified as "Unknown Operating System in C:",this must be done in this-right order,never vice versa. I am also usually installing FreeDOS not by FreeDOS installer,but by Partition Guru for DOS,which I have on bootable flash drives,i boot from the flash drive,run Partition Guru for DOS & when I am formatting the 1st partition,which is meant for DOS,i check the checkbox in Partition Guru's format dialogue "Create DOS system"(only works in DOS version of Partition Guru,it is present also in Windows version,but buggy & the result is not bootable,thus always use Partition Guru for DOS),of curse,using this I have some older version of FreeDOS in the 1st partition,but to upgrade it to a newer version,just write over system files with their newer version(Command.com & Kernel.sys ),then U can copy the other DOS files including for example whole Windows 3.1 directory,Games directory,drivers,Autoexec.bat ,Config.sys,Norton/Volkov Commander/DOS Navigator...etc.,etc.,then U may just manually unpack the programs,U need from the installer & copy over. So I am using Partition Guru Free for DOS for both purposes: •Installing FreeDOS,& •Rebuilding MBR,if DOS(MS-DOS or FreeDOS) is refusing to boot. •& of course,I am also using Partition Guru Free for DOS for preparing Windows partitions(usually 2nd to 4th partition). Your next question will sure be "What to do,if the target machine does not support boot from a flash drive?",so these r the options: •Install FreeDOS on another machine,where U can connect the target drive & boot from a flash drive or memory card,where U have FreeDOS installed(to create this flash drive,U can also use Rufus) & bootable,boot,load Partition Guru for DOS,locate target drive,format its 1st partition with "Create DOS System" checked,try in target machine,if it does not boot,return to install machine & use "Rebuild MBR" function in Partition Guru for DOS,when it starts to be bootable,copy over the other data,U need,add other partitions,etc.,DOS is not very machine-sensitive,thus U may install it on 1 machine & use it in other machine(s),maybe U will have to redirect or replace some drivers,that is all. •Or U may install DOS from CD/floppy to the target machine & if it is not bootable,move the system drive to another machine,which is USB-boot capable,Rebuild MBR by Partition Guru for DOS,move the drive back to target PC. For both options U also can use machines with already installed FreeDOS,if U can connect the target drive beside the OS drive with FreeDOS-in this case U do not need USB-boot capability nor a flash drive with Live-FreeDOS. I have a Partition Guru for DOS copy on every FreeDOS partition. In following days I will rebuild MBR of a target drive in a PC,which cannot boot from USB,where I am attempting for DOS+Windows XP multiboot,but that is a MS-DOS 6.22 installation,thus it may be off topic to post here the results,but maybe I will be unable to create the wished multiboot with MS-DOS 6.22,then I will try it with MS-DOS 7.1 & with FreeDOS,so if it will end up with FreeDOS,I may post here the results,what particular MBR rebuild method was used. If U wish to get result report also for MS-DOS,express it,the report is wanted,otherwise I will assume,it is off-topic & not post the results report here,if I will finish it with MS-DOS,but the MBR rebuild methods r same,but maybe less-needed for FreeDOS,as it is less rigorous about the MBR,the hardest to make run is MS-DOS 6.22,even harder to set up on newer PCs than MS-DOS 3.30,which often works with MBR,MS-DOS 6.22 is refusing & as FreeDOS is derived from MS-DOS 3.30,it also has higher tollerances to MBR mods,mostly U will need to rebuild MBR for MS-DOS 6.22,but for FreeDOS I often need to rebuild a proprietary MBR on a CF/SD card to a normal MBR,when I am replicating my live versions of FreeDOS,as in some laptops I have permanently FreeDOS or MS-DOS on SD card,when they can boot from SD card & I need all 4 partitions on HDD for other OSs,then the DOS install is on SD card & when I need to boot DOS,i boot from that SD card,thus I often create new live version & I often have to rebuild MBR via Partition Guru for DOS. I also plan to try Partition Wizard in Windows for the task,i can share the results. Live long & prosper. Sent from my BlackBerry Passport,RIM OS 10 smartphone named <b>Uhura</b> after deceased Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols. <b><font color="darkgreen">With regards Sabina Zelená[=Green]. LIVE LONG & PROSPER,live & let live=DO NOT EAT,NOR WEAR ANIMALS,nor do not pay Their Murderers & oppressors,please. Shabbat Shalom/Peace/Shanti/Mier/Nyugalom.</b>
So i installed freedos on a pre-formated compact flash card. As it turns out, the computer won't boot from the drive. Now, i have re-formated the drive and put all the files back. Can use some command on the boot disk to just write the MBR, or do i need to run setup.bat and will that work? I don't want to run all of the installer again, that took 3 hours last time. Many thanks. -- Jakob Stengård | ||
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