sorry, last command should have been `D:\> dir C:\*.* /w` On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 2:19 PM Louis Santillan <[email protected]> wrote: > > Also DOSes use a simple boot loader framework. > > BIOS loads Boot Sector from a disk > Boot Sector (in MBR format) loads additional OS boot code from file > system on a disk > OS Boot Code initializes machine, loads kernel/OS, and then loads > command interpreter that then loads boot config (config.sys, > autoexec.bat). > > FDISK creates an MBR formatted boot sector on a disk (can also flag a > particular partition as bootable). FDISK should do the same things > that GParted is doing. > FORMAT creates a filesystem pointed to by the MBR boot sector > SYS updates the MBR to contain bootable code and will also copy the > kernel/OS and command interpreter to the disk. > > So, in short, you just need to do (assuming you're booting off a > CD/DVD or something) > `D:\> fdisk` > (make one or more partitions with one of them being bootable, then, reboot) > `D:\> format C:` > `D:\> sys C:` > (then make any folders your want, copy any binaries, copy your > config.sys and autoexec.bat files) > > If any of these were missed, potentially, you could see a system that > is booting the way you're describing. From your booted DVD drive, > what does the following > `D:\> dir C:\*.* /a` > return? > > On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 1:52 PM Jen via Freedos-user > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 06:05:49 p.m. EST, Dan Schmidt wrote > > > … “I would create a *2GB* boot partition and format it FAT16, and install > > > FreeDOS to it. My recollection is that FAT32 support was a work in > > > progress in FreeDOS when real development ended.” > > > … > > > “I think your fundamental problem is that FreeDOS cannot successfully > > > boot from a 7.8GB partition formatted as FAT32. It may be able to > > > access other larger partitions formatted FAT32 and seen by DOS as D:, > > > E: or the like, once FreeDOS *is* booted, but it cannot boot *from* > > > one.” … > > > > I tried this ↑ first – used GParted again to either rule it out or not as > > the issue, resized my C: partition (flagged as bootable) to 2GB, formatted > > it as FAT16 [This time it put 1.99 MiB unallocated ahead of it], and > > re‑installed FreeDOS from the DVD: same results. No biggie though; I > > don’t need more than 2GB anyway, so I’ll just leave it this size. > > · > > > > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 06:05:49 p.m. EST, Dan Schmidt wrote: > > > “Try the utilities fdisk and format, I've not had any luck using Gparted > > > to make anything FreeDos can reliably read.”, > > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 07:46:09 p.m. EST, Matej Horvat wrote: > > >… “I installed it manually with FDISK/FORMAT/SYS.” > > > > Next I tried using fdisk instead as suggested (↑,↑↑). I deleted the first > > partition, changed the display/entry units to cylinders, created a new > > partition located from cylinder 5 through cylinder 7669, formatted > > Partition 1 as FAT16 (option 6), set it as bootable, and made sure to write > > the table to disk before exiting. When I ran the FreeDOS install again > > after that, it wanted to to format again (first time it’s asked to do that > > – I’ve run the install several times now) so I guess I might’ve chosen the > > wrong FAT16 option? [GParted was detecting the filesystem type as unknown > > when I checked it before logging‑out of Arch Linux & shutting‑down] I > > typed “Yes” and it went ahead and supposedly formatted the partition as > > FAT32. When I checked it later however, it was showing‑up as FAT16 in both > > fdisk & GParted (which wasn’t showing it as anything before – weird), but > > bootable… restarted and STILL I get the black screen with cursor blinking. > > · > > > > On Friday, March 6, 2020, 01:31:53 p.m. EST, Louis Santillan wrote: > > > “As Matej mentioned, don't forget to ‘sys c:’ before rebooting after the > > > install.” > > > > I did not do that ↑. I ran the live disk again after and typed “sys c:” > > from the prompt (this is when I discovered the filesystem was FAT16 when > > the installation process via DVD had said it was reformatting as FAT32, as > > mentioned above^^). Should it matter? Do I need to try the installation > > again? Partition is showing as bootable. > > · > > > > On Friday, March 6, 2020, 01:36:34 p.m. EST, Jerome Shidel wrote: > > > “It is possible that the MBR contains incompatible boot code. > > > There are ways to force update it. > > > On FreeDOS 1.2 there was a ZAPMBR.BAT that would do that. I think it is > > > also included on 1.3-RC2. > > > I don’t recommend using it on a multi-boot system.” > > > > ↑ What if it’s one that’s *going* to be one, but FreeDOS is the first thing > > I’m installing? Could running that cause any harm? > > The hard drive I’m using is brand‑spanking‑new. FreeDOS is the first OS I > > (am trying to) put on this one. When I ran GParted the first time, it gave > > the an MS‑DOS/MBR layout, which came‑up as the default choice. > > · > > > > Obviously I’m doing something wrong here. :P > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Freedos-user mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
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