Question

[Blade]

Guys, I am running a Windows XP professional operating system on an AMD Athlon 1800 +, how do I restart my computer in DOS mode?

[genesis]

There is no dos mode in windows xp that you can boot to. You can run command prompt as an individual program from the start menu but that's about it.

If you're looking for some maintainance work, you will need to put in the cd, boot, choose system console somewhere in the options, that'll give you sort of dos prompt that you can classify as booting into dos. Basic functionality like format n stuff can be done from there. You will need your admin password to do anything though.

[Blade]

What CD is this that I should put in? The Windows XP CD?

I need to boot using DOS because I want to reformat my hard drive, and command prompt won't work because Windows is running...

Thanks gen

[genesis]

yeah the xp cd.
Steps are

Boot from the Windows XP CD.
Choose repair option.
Then choose Console option.
You'll get the dos based screen with all the features of dos.

(Wordings may vary but options should be similar)

[Blade]

Okay, I see. Thanks again deLogic

[bl0ss0m]

Uhhh all you gotta do is format a 3.5 floppy and make it a boot disc, restart the comp and have the floppy in there and it will goto command prompt.

[Blade]

I put the windows XP CD in, restarted my computer, pressed delete to go into CMOS, went into BIOS, changed the first boot device to the CD drive and the second boot device to the hard drive, but it still doesen't work...

And blossom, I think I have made a boot disk, I'll try that. When I use it, do I have to change the primary boot device to the floppy drive?

[genesis]

Originally posted by bl0ss0m@Dec 19 2003, 10:16 PM
Uhhh all you gotta do is format a 3.5 floppy and make it a boot disc, restart the comp and have the floppy in there and it will goto command prompt.
But he won't be able to see the C drive if it's NTFS. He'd have to FDisk the drive which is not the brightest idea.

[Krelian]

generally the floppy drive is the first thing your computer is set to boot from, but if you've changed that then you might need to fix it back.

the xp cd should start into setup, i think, and you should get the option to use the repair console from there. don't quote me on this, but you may have to choose "repair existing installation" or something along those lines first.

[Blade]

Yes, it has been changed. So, should the first boot device be the floppy drive, the second one be the hard drive, and the third one be the CD drive?

[genesis]

If you're booting from CD, CD should be the first option.

[Krelian]

i have mine set to boot from the floppy first, then the cd, and then the hard drive. that way if there's a floppy or cd to boot from, it'll do that first.

btw, why are you trying to boot into dos?

[Kingox]

Originally posted by deLogic@Dec 19 2003, 11:38 PM
There is no dos mode in windows xp that you can boot to.
ummm :unsure: there is for me :unsure: .

when i start up the computer it comeup with a choice of thing to chose from, window XP proffecional. then it has a timer saying how long you have left to chosse it. well i press the down arrow for the second selection to then it boots into dos. :lol:
But i think its the way my freind dad set it up, just the same way as you can have multiple OS's on your computer.

forexample. my freind has both XP and ME installed on his computer so he can do different things, all he does is choose what one he wants when he reboots is computer.

[genesis]

You can only have that option if you install XP the wrong way. If you install MS Dos and upgrade to XP, it will have two options but if you boot to MS Dos and your drive is NTFS your system will freeze.

[Kingox]

i didn't install it, my freinds dad did, and hes a teacher at tafe and does all that type of stuff, so i trust him. i don't know anything about that type of stuff

[genesis]

Originally posted by Kingox@Dec 19 2003, 11:59 PM
i didn't install it, my freinds dad did, and hes a teacher at tafe and does all that type of stuff, so i trust him. i don't know anything about that type of stuff
I didn't mean it that way. Majority of people do it this way because it's easier and doesn't make much of a difference. It's just the way people do that's different than what I do.

[Kingox]

i didn't say you ment it like that, i just ment that i didn't install it the wrong way. i don't get offeneded over little stuff like that. any way, shall we go back on topic?

[Blade]

I selected the first boot device as CD, and it still doesen't work...

Oh and jman, I want to boot to DOS because I need to reformat my hard drive. My computer is having real problems - it was previously overheating, so I had to get a bigger fan and heatsink, and then my computer was still locking up, and my dad thinks its the motherboard or video card. I want to reformat my hard drive just to confirm this.

And, I made a floppy that boots it into dos, and it worked, but I can't reformat using the disk.

[genesis]

Originally posted by Blade@Dec 20 2003, 03:07 AM
And, I made a floppy that boots it into dos, and it worked, but I can't reformat using the disk.
In this case you'll have to FDISK your drives.

on a:\ type fdisk and hit enter.

Follow the prompts.

[Kingox]

should use ghost to format it :) i don't know what it does or how to use it, but i know i have it and it only takes a few minuts to formate you computer using it.

[Blade]

Ah, I don't have to worry about it any more. Dad's taking it to some computer expert to be fixed, so hopefully it will be all good ;)

[Kingox]

thats always the easy way :tup:

[Ginger]

I hope it all works out! :tup: :D

[Blade]

Originally posted by Ginger@Dec 21 2003, 07:29 PM
I hope it all works out! :tup: :D
It had better... or I won't be online for a long long time :(

[Kingox]

nooooo :(

can i have your money? - some n00b ;)