[TRLog] Re: [ct-user] Booting to DOS with Windows ME?

[Mike Brown K9MI]

I think the best way to run CT or TR is on a dedicated Dos machine.
I suppose rebooting to "Dos Only" in 95 or 98 may be a good option
too, but I havn't tried that. I consider this machine my internet/multimedia
machine with all the frills, and have a P 133 running Dos 6.22 for
logging, and a P 120 in the closet for a backup. Seems like a lot of
trouble when people try to make CT or TR work on ME, XP, 2000,
etc. The low end Pentiums are cheap, and make great logging pc's.
If room is a problem, one could always pull the Windows box out
of line and put in a Dos machine using the same monitor and keyboard
durring a contest. Just my 2 cents...

73 - Mike K9MI



----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Braun
To: John Scott
Cc: trlog@contesting.com ; cq-contest@contesting.com ;
ct-user@contesting.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 8:10 AM
Subject: [TRLog] Re: [ct-user] Booting to DOS with Windows ME?


I knew about this. What I wanted was to restore the boot-to-DOS option in
the shutdown menu. I tried the fix that was posted at 1st, which involved
patching 3 of the startup files. BEWARE! Here is what happened to me:

1. After the patch, ME would boot ONLY to DOS in what it termed an
"emergency boot" configuration.
2. When I tried restoring my original boot files, which I'd saved in a
separate directory, ME would no longer boot at all. Instead I got the
"invalid boot disk" message.
3. Rebooting from a floppy and doing the "sys" command fixed ME, but trashed
the dual boot option in XP.
4. Trying to reinstall XP trashed ME.
5. End result: I wiped both drives and started over. That is why it has
taken me this long to respond to these messages.

What I've learned from this:
-Windows sucks in all its versions
-Don't mess with the boot files
-There is a quick fix if you have a dual boot system that somehow gets its
startup menu screwed up. I found out about it much too late while on the
phone with a M$ support technician.
-And oh, BTW, CT and TR will not even start up under XP without doing some
tweaking that I'm not sure I want to try after all of this.

Thanks for the suggestions though. I think I'm going to stick with either
booting from a floppy or the F8 option from now on.

73

Alan NS0B
----- Original Message -----
From: John Scott
To: Alan Braun
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [ct-user] Booting to DOS with Windows ME?


One used to be able to press the F5 or F8 key when you see the "Starting
Windows..." prompt in Win95 or Win98 to get the choice of a DOS prompt.  Did
you try that?
 --John Scott,  K8YC

Alan Braun wrote:
I saw a message on one of these groups a month or two ago pointing to a file
somewhere, that explains how to patch the startup files for Windows ME to
restore the "restart in DOS mode" option that earlier windows versions
supported. (the option that comes up during the shutdown sequence in Win 98,
95 etc). I thought I had saved it but unfortunately did not. Can someone
point me to it again? I'm rebuilding my system as a dual boot Win ME/Win XP
and have found, not to my surprise, that I can't run TR-log or CT under XP
without some significant tweaking. I'd appreciate any help the assembled
multitude can provide. Once I get it running I'll gladly offer my new-found
expertise to anyone with questions. Alan Braun NS0B


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