> On Nov 23, 2025, at 5:59 PM, Jim Hall via Freedos-devel > <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Sun, Nov 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM Jim Hall <[email protected]> wrote: > [..] >> I agree that the installer should only show a red warning if it's >> about to do something destructive, like repartitioning the disk (if >> there's already partitions there) or reformatting the disk (if there's >> already data there). >> >> On that second example: I set up a small (20MB) test disk and put two >> partitions on it (C: is "DATA1" and D: is "DATA2"). I also created a >> few dummy files, so there was something there. Both are formatted, but >> neither is bootable -- what you might have if you reused a data disk. >> >> If I select "install" from the boot menu, then the installer does these >> steps: >> > [..] >> If I exit to DOS, I can see my C: drive has been wiped out (my dummy >> files are gone, but the volume label is untouched). My D: drive is >> fine. >> >> I think the installer should show a red warning at step after step 3 >> ("Gathering some information..") > > > Now that this small disk has a version of FreeDOS on C: (although > incomplete) I tried booting the installer again. > > 1. "What is your preferred language?" > > 2. "Welcome to the FreeDOS T2511 installation program." > > I selected "Yes - Continue with the installation" > > 3. "Gathering some information.." > > 4. "Please select your keyboard layout." > > 5. > :: A previous operating system was detected on drive C:. > :: > :: Do you want to backup the old files before installing? > :: > :: Yes - Please backup first > :: No - Install without backing up > > I selected "No" > > 6. "What FreeDOS packages do you want to install?" > > 7. "We are now ready to install FreeDOS T2511" > > I selected "Yes - Please install FreeDOS T2511" > > 8. "Removing conflicting files.." then "Removing old files.." > > 9. "Installing software package.." > > I think instead of asking "do you want to backup your files" at step > 5, the installer should show a red warning that you're about to delete > some data, so the user can confirm this is what they want to do. Then > after that, the installer should ask "Do you want to backup the old > files before installing?"
In Normal mode, the installer does not delete “data”. It uninstall the packages it is going to be installing. Otherwise, when those packages are installed by the package manager used by the installer, files from the previous package will still exist. This will cause the package manager FDINST to abort installing that package with an error. Therefore, the installer will stop with an error screen. Data files for those packages and other non-OS files are not deleted. This is another reason why it is a bad idea to just “unzip” package files. It is not the same as installing them using a package manager. The installer also replaces the FDAUTO and FDCONFIG.SYS. > > > I aborted the installation during step 9, then booted back into Live > mode to see what I had. Weirdly, the "1" and "C" dummy files are back: > (I guess they weren't deleted before, they just didn't show up in my > previous DIR command -- see my previous email.) > >> E:\>dir C: >> Volume in drive C is DATA1 >> Volume Serial Number is 1341-1E06 >> Directory of C:\ >> >> FDITEMP $$$ <DIR> 11/23/2025 10:52p >> FREEDOS <DIR> 11/23/2025 10:54p >> PKGFILES FDI <DIR> 11/23/2025 10:50p >> 1 4 11/23/2025 10:33p >> C 4 11/23/2025 10:34p >> 2 file(s) 8 bytes >> 3 dir(s) 8,531,968 bytes free The disappearance and return of those files is not related to the installer. It is a bug in the OS that can occur when a drive runs out of free space. > > The D: partition was untouched. (I didn't think it would be.) > You were installing to drive C:. Why would D: have been modified? > > _______________________________________________ Here is one thing for you to try: Run the installer in advance mode on your drives that contain a pre-existing installation. You will see some alternative choices and additional questions. Very different from running the installer in normal mode. _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
