Booting Into Window ME After Booting With Startup Disc

[Jim Smith]

As I recall, in Windows 95 you could boot to the floppy (a:\) using a boot disc, change the directory to c:\ and to Windows, and then enter Windows 95 by using the command WIN. Can this be done in Windows ME. If so, exactly how. If not, why not?

Same questions about Windows 98.

[Baser-X]

You can boot to Windows 98 from DOS by simply typing "exit" at the prompt. I've never used ME extensively b/c it is the worst OS ever produced, but I suppose in theory, it should be the same deal for ME as 98. Give it a go and let us know

[Jim Smith]

Thanks. Don't have a Windows ME machine handy but under Windows 98 and under my scenario, when a:\>exit is entered the only result is the reappearance of the command line prompt, a:\>

[GretaP]

Hi Jim,
I don't recall if, in WIN95, you could enter WIN95 in the manner that you described.......in fact, I don't think I ever tried it, and I don't currently have that operating system installed.

Not certain about ME (I'll check that out in a bit, as you've got my curiosity going about this), but in WIN98 it is possible to get to the Desktop in the manner that you described....with limitations. First, you'd have to add the ifshlp.sys file to the startup floppy disk (this file can be found in the C:\Windows folder) and then reference it in the [COMMON] section of the config.sys file on the startup floppy disk, by adding this entry:
devicehigh=ifshlp.sys
Save the changes and exit the config.sys file.

The limitations are that you will not be able to load the virtual device drivers that Windows so greatly depends upon. If you booted from the edited startup floppy disk, it would load the Standard VGA drivers for your display (after detecting new hardware and probably giving an error about the display adapter being unsupported). Other hardware that depends on virtual device drivers would also be inoperable (except for the CDROM if you chose to start WITH CDROM SUPPORT).

[Jim Smith]

Hi GretaP,

Your scheme worked, I did eventually get to the Desktop after changing the directory to c:\ and then entering windows\win

It went as you predicted.

I'll try ME on Thursday and hope to resetup my 486 with w/95 and see what happens with windows\win but I first must come up with boot disc that includes a hard drive overlay program and whatever.

Jim

[GretaP]

I just tried it with WINME (using WINME startup disk and the ifshlp.sys file that was in WINME), and after it went thru its detecting/installing new hardware thingie, it forced a restart, so I never was able to reach the Desktop.

Let me know your results with WIN95. If you know the manufacturer of the hard disk in that rig, see if their drive setup software (should be available for d/load from their website) includes a drive overlay program.

[Jim Smith]

Got a similar result with Windows 95 as I had had with Windows 98. Had to include both DEVICEHIGH=IFSHLP.SYS and DEVICEHIGH=HIMEM.SYS in CONFIG.SYS

I am puzzled as to why my memory is so bad on this topic.

[Chanter]

You can boot into windows from clean DOS 8 in Win ME only if ISHELP is on the Windows ME Startup boot floppy disc. Type win at the prompt and it'll work. But since Win ME does not parse the config.sys file, all parameters are in the system registry, and some attempts at booting into windows from clean DOS show mixed results. The BEST way is to do a ctrl + alt + del, remove the floppy, and boot normally.

[AnnMarie]

Hi Chanter - nice to see you here. Welcome to CTH

[Jim Smith]

Greta, Tried ME and got the same result as you did. I couldn't avoid a restart. I included IFSHLP.sys on the boot disc and in config.sys

[GretaP]

It was definitely an interesting experiment, Jim