# Booting with options



## mole (Aug 24, 1999)

Very often in these forums, I see somebody with a problem starting Windows who needs to make repairs from a CD. Trouble is if they can boot from a diskette, they may not have the 16 bit CD drivers.

In the event Windows gets trashed, but my HD is still functioning, I use a menu built into Config.sys that gives me a choice between starting Windows 9x or going to DOS. The default is to go to Windows, but you never know...

Here's the Config.sys:

[menu]
; ConfigSys DellGX
; sets %CONFIG% variable
menuitem=Normal,Starts Windows 95.
menuitem=Dos,Starts and runs in DOS mode.
menucolor=15,1
; Defaults to Windows in 5 seconds.
menudefault=Normal,5

[Global]

[Normal]
include=Global

[Dos]
include=Global
; ConfigSys=DelLGX in Dos Mode. 
; A cut and paste from pre-95 days.
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS 
DOS=HIGH,UMB
BUFFERS=40
FILES=40
FCBS=4,0
SHELL=C:\windows\COMMAND.COM 
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD000 /Q

Here's the Autoexec.bat:

@echo off
C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NAVDX.EXE /Startup
prompt $p$g
SET PC=DELL
goto %config%

:normal
c:\windows\system\bansvc
PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;c:\zdrive;Z:\;C:\;C:\BAT;
:: Starting Windows from Win.com
c:\windows\win.com
goto end

:dos
PATH C:\windows\command;C:\BAT;
SET TEMP=C:\tmp
:: CD Rom 16 bit support.
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:15 /V
cls
echo.
echo.
echo You are running in DOS mode.
echo.
echo.
pause
goto end

:end

Your actual CD Rom drivers will probably be different, these should serve only as examples, experiment on your own. You can add more menuitems if you want, in fact I trimmed these files down for simplicity... I really have more Menuitems. Note that the %config% variable gets set from the Menuitem in Config.sys. You can use this variable as I did in the Autoexec.bat or other programs to run processes according to which "config" the PC is in.

The "Normal" or Windows 9x sections of both Config and Autoexec are kept fairly clean and the "Dos" sections retain alot of legacy stuff that was used prior to Windows 95. This is according to individual preferences and needs.

I like this method also because it helps dispell the notion that a PC is useless if Windows can't start. There are always alternatives.

mole


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