# Solved: DOS 6.22 floppy backup copy



## Lasitus III (Apr 25, 2007)

I just bought MS-DOS 6.22 with Windows for Workgroups 3.11 as a package on floppy disks. They are great and a lot of fun. My only problem is that I always make a backup copy of any OS that I get, such as XP, 98, 95 etc. for archival purposes (it's really a backup in case the original CD ever breaks or gets scratched to the point that it won't install anymore). But when I tried to backup my new MS-DOS 6.22 from the original floppies on to blank floppies, it does seam to copy the files, but it won't install or run on the system like the original floppies do. The only thing I can think of is that their is some sort of hidden file(s) on the startup floppy disk, and it won't let you install from a copied floppy disk. The method I tried was to copy my original MS-DOS 6.22 startup disk from the floppy drive on to my hard drive (since I only have one floppy drive on my desktop) then from my hard drive to a blank floppy for a backup copy. When I tried to run the backup copy of MS-DOS 6.22 from the copied floppy it would not work and it said that I had to remove the floppy from the drive for the system to boot. But when I tried the original floppy startup disk, it worked fine and was ready to install the MS-DOS 6.22 software. The problem is this is such old software, and on floppies, that it's important to me to be able to make a backup copy for storage (archiving) just in case the original becomes corrupt or ruined. I'm new to old OSes like DOS and Windows 3.11 (and that are on floppies) so I don't know them like I do the new Operating Systems (which are on CD's). Can you let me know why it wont make a backup copy that works for installing, and then can you tell me how I can make one for backup.

Thank you.


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## Dan Penny (Mar 25, 2005)

If you're running MSDOS 6.22, boot the machine as usual. When you get to the C:\> prompt, type in diskcopy. It will prompt you to insert the Source floppy disk. Insert your original/bootable MSDOS 6.22 disk (number 1 - Setup), and hit Enter. It will start the copy process. It will then tell you to insert the TARGET disk (floppy). Pull your original out and insert your blank formatted floppy and hit enter.

Just follow any prompts from there.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I've copied all sorts of MS-DOS disks, and I never had any issue of copy protection. DISKCOPY was how it was done back in those days.


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## Lasitus III (Apr 25, 2007)

Thanks to both replies (Dan Penny and John Will). This does help a lot. I must say, playing around with old OSes is a lot of fun. They sure did look different back then. It does seem to be giving me a better idea about OSes when you go back in time to when they were more simple. And again thanks

Lasitus III


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I remember the time with CP/M that I had the source for every line of code that was running in my machine.


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## Dan Penny (Mar 25, 2005)

While in MSDOS 6.xx, type in help at the C:\> prompt. This will put you into the HELP utility, which lists all available commands, their syntax, and examples.


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## ZeRealBigBoss (Mar 17, 2007)

Your first floppy must be made bootable and plain copying doesn't do that. Start your machine up with the boot floppy, then say "sys b:". This should copy the system files to a new floppy, after which you can do "copy *.* a: b:". In DOS you can make the same floppy drive alternately be called a: and b: if your BIOS allows that; I think that is with append, but I am not sure right now; might also be assign. Type help append to find out.


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## Dan Penny (Mar 25, 2005)

That seems to be a runaround approch, since (in MSDOS 6.xx (maybe even MSDOS 5.xx, I don't remember)) : XP) DISKCOPY does the same job just fine.


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## ZeRealBigBoss (Mar 17, 2007)

Ah, right. But apparently he did not know that the first floppy has to be bootable, what I deduced from his first comment, and also: what is the fun of running DOS622 within an XP window. Then you don't need DOS at all. Furthermore, the DOS emulation under XP restricts your direct access to all ports, so if you wneed to do that you will have to run DOS622 or DOS7 (=Win98 DOS). For the automation (m2m) I do my Assembler and C on a machine running DOS7 and all automation runs on DOS machines; Windows is not real-time and a factor of abt 10k too slow.


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## Dan Penny (Mar 25, 2005)

"... what is the fun of running DOS622 within an XP window..."

??? From what I read of the posting, there is not an XP environment, just MSDOS 6.xx and Windows 3.xx on the machine in question.


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## ZeRealBigBoss (Mar 17, 2007)

remember)) : XP)[

This time my ??? But then maybe I am too allergic for everything that is >W98SE and over-react. http://images.techguy.org/smilies/biggrin.gif


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