# DOS won't work from hard drive or boot disk



## FarRed (Oct 24, 2006)

I'm new to DOS, and am working on a computer running 6.22 that suddenly stopped working. During boot up, it stops at running smartdrv.exe (part of the autoexec), saying it is a bad command. I can only get the built-in (internal) commands to work, like dir, type, etc. No external commands run, like CHKDSK and SCANDISK. I can't even get to the help (/?). They just return "bad command or file name" etc.

I can run DOS from a boot disk.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

What does your path variable look like.


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## FarRed (Oct 24, 2006)

After loading, I'm left with the prompt c:\drvread\. The path variable is c:\dos

The config.sys reads:
device=c:\dos\setver.exe
device=c:\dos\himem.sys
dos=high
files=30

autoexec.bat reads:
c:\dos\smartdrv.exe /x
@echo off
prompt $p$g
path c:\dos
set temp=c:\dos
cd c:\drvread
drvread.exe

It looks like himem is working since I get no error, but when autoexec runs smartdrv.exe I get "bad command or file name".

All the external command files appear to be intact in the DOS folder. I copied CHKDSK from a boot disk, a known working disk, to the dos folder of the C: drive, but CHKDSK still wouldn't work.

Thanks.

Update: The problem is intermittent now. Do enough soft reboots and it works. Not the best situation, but it's something. It makes me wonder if this is software or hardware.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

I thought back in the days of DOS you had to use SET to set the path.
When you type path at the dos prompt do you get c:\dos ?


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## kerremelk (May 15, 2006)

hi
make it

```
autoexec.bat reads:
c:\dos\smartdrv.exe /x
@echo off
prompt $p$g
set path = c:\dos;c:\drvread
set temp=c:\dos
c:\drvread\drvread.exe
```


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## kerremelk (May 15, 2006)

sorry for the edit, this has been a while.


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## FarRed (Oct 24, 2006)

For path I get C:\dos.

I'll try messing with the autoexec. Thanks.


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## kerremelk (May 15, 2006)

Hi
you can add the root of C:\ to path (and any other existing directory) as long as you do not exceed 127 character path length limit.

set path = C:\;c:\dos;c:\drvread;

Vernon Frazee's page is still one of the better ones out there.
http://www.vfrazee.com/ms-dos/6.22/help/index.htm


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## FarRed (Oct 24, 2006)

Turns out the RAM (256MB) was bad--one stuck bit (I ran Micrsoft's memtest). I'm guessing it was thermally intermittent since it worked if I shut down the computer for a while. The intermittent part was misleading since DOS would work off the A drive sometimes. I had a spare 128MB stick, and apparently that was enough. Thanks or the help. 

The perk out of this is that I learned how to run Wolf3D in DOS, I just explain to my boss that it's a troubleshooting tool.


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