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Boot to GUI windows and not dos


shanoger

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Hello every one, I have a CNC machine which is operated by a regular PC software. This software is a DOS program. Now what happens is when I load windows, the boot process takes place then the win98 window shows up and the program loads right away. The problem is that I need to get to the normal windows to be able to load some drawing files into that program, that's the only way. I have access to dos I need to get access to normal GUI windows. Please help me out with this. Thank you in advance.

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Thank you for your reply, yes the program loads directly and full screen. Originally when I used to escape the program the PC would restart into normal windows. But one day the PC would not even boot so I removed the bios battery for a while and then it started again but now it would never boot into normal windows after I exited. I have access to dos thou.

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See the when the PC boots I see all that white text and black screen (boot stuff), then the win98 picture/logo shows up (the screen right before the PC enters GUI of windows) but before the PC actually enters GUI win the program shows up.

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(1) Have you tried pressing "Alt+Tab" to switch out of the program using task manager? Hold down the Alt Key and press TAB, while continuing to hold the Alt key, keep hitting TAB. See what happens.

(2) Have you tried hitting the F8 key before Windows loads... to get into safe mode?

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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Thank you for your reply, yes the program loads directly and full screen. Originally when I used to escape the program the PC would restart into normal windows. But one day the PC would not even boot so I removed the bios battery for a while and then it started again but now it would never boot into normal windows after I exited. I have access to dos thou.

I will try again.

 

From what you describe (there are several possibilities) on a WIn 9x system:

  1. The system is configured to boot to DOS (and NOT to WIndows)
  2. The system is configured to boot to DOS (and NOT to WIndows) AND it has in Autoexec.bat (or more rarely in CONFIG:SYS) a line directly invoking a DOS program
  3. The system is configured to boot to Windows (and NOT to DOS)
  4. The system is configured to boot to Windows (and NOT to DOS) AND it has in the startup folder, in the Registry (or more rarely in win.ini) an entry invoking a DOS program runnning in full screen

No matter if it boots to DOS or Windows, you will see anyway the BOOT SCREEN (Windows Logo) like this:

 

98B.jpg

 

(the boot logo is embedded in the system file IO.SYS and is shown anyways depending on a setting in file MSDOS.SYS) see:

http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm

(that would be Logo=1)

 

Then if you are in case #4 above you should see, even briefly the desktop appear and by pressing ALT+ENTER you could swithch form the full screen DOS program to it.

 

It is possible (though it cannot happen because of a battery removal) that you have now in that file a setting of BootGUI=0 (which will load the command line DOS) and then a setting (say in AUTOEXEC.BAT) that loads automatically the program.

 

Normally if you are in this latter case (#2 in the previous list) you can exit the DOS program (and get to the DOS prompt) and type WIN [ENTER] to load the Windows GUI.

 

jaclaz

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I have not tried both options you mentioned but will try tomorrow. Just incase is there any thing else I can try if this does not work? The thing is that this machine is far away and I have limited access and time. I would want to try every thing possible within the short time frame. Thank you

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IF he has access to DOS, the quickest way to find out what version of DOS, and therefore whether or not Windows is installed, is to type "Ver."

Type "ver" and hit enter. Tell us what it says.

*Edit*

Once you get access to your CNC Machine again, please type in "Ver" and then hit enter. Tell us what version of DOS/Windows it really is. Okay?

If it really does have a Windows start up screen, don't forget to try: hold down "Alt" key then press "TAB" key a few times to see what happens.

Good luck.

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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Thank you jaclaz, I tried exit command from dos but the PC would restart and again load into that software. Before I removed the bios battery, upon exiting the software, the PC would boot into windows, when in windows and I would go to the folder and double click on the software icon the PC would reboot and load that software directly. The desktop would never show briefly.

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but before the PC actually enters GUI win the program shows up.

Could be that the DOS program is placed in the "Startup" menu, and set for Full Screen mode. The Alt-Enter method should work to reduce the window size.

Also try hitting "Ctrl+C" or "Ctrl+Break" or else type in "Exit" and see what happens.

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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Maybe there is a communication problem.

 

On a fully working system:

  1. IF you are in Windows and runnning a full screen DOS program, pressing ALT+ENTER will flip between the full screen and a windowed DOS.
  2. IF you are in DOS, pressing ALT+ENTER will do nothing.

What actually happens if you press ALT+ENTER?

 

It is also possible (though rare) that the system has been configured to boot to DOS (in MSDOS.SYS BootGUI=0) and in autoexec.bat there are lines *like*:

C:\whatever\mydosproggie.exeC:\Windows\WIN.COM

This would execute your DOS program and when it exits, load the Windows GUI.

 

If you check your autoexec.bat and you find something like this, it would explain what you describe happened before, and would also explain what happens now IF we assume the hypothesis that *somehow* that WIndows 9x install is "botched" and when the WIN:COM is invoked the machine reboots because of this.

 

How EXACTLY are you accessing DOS now?

Can you use EDIT.COM ( or TYPE) to inspect the file AUTOEXEC.BAT?

 

jaclaz

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Maybe there is a communication problem.

That's why I suggested typing in "Ver." But nobody listens to me :-)

It will tell you which version of DOS is really installed, and therefore what Windows is actually present. otherwise, this is all just a wild goose chase.

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Maybe there is a communication problem.

That's why I suggested typing in "Ver." But nobody listens to me :-)

It will tell you which version of DOS is really installed, and therefore what Windows is actually present. otherwise, this is all just a wild goose chase.

 

Does VER typed in a FULL SCREEN DOS window inside a WIndows 9x provide anything different from the output of the same command typed when booted in plain DOS on the same machine? :unsure:

 

jaclaz

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how about this contradiction:

when in windows and I would go to the folder and double click on the software icon the PC would reboot and load that software directly. The desktop would never show briefly.

How can you go to the folder, in windows, double click on something.... yet you never see the "Desktop." ???

What program, besides the windows desktop, did he use to click on the software icon?

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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I cannot access windows at all. From my software I can go to dos only. Before this dilemma I was able to goto windows desktop after exiting the software now not the case. I will try all these things tomorrow thank you guys !!!

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