Sp2.0rc2 Command Prompt

[jackpan]

I have just installed the new Win98SE Service Pack on both my desktop and laptop computers. They are both essentially identical. The new Command Prompt installed differently on the smaller laptop. As you know the command prompt can be acquired two ways. One is from the desktop by going to Start / Programs. The other is by rebooting your computer to a command prompt. The second method is by far the best. For example, you can not run scanreg from the desktop prompt. After installing the new Service Pack on my desktop computer, by going to Start / Programs / DOS Prompt my screen looks like I rebooted to a DOS Prompt. From here I can do anything. When done I type in "exit" and I return to my desktop. Fantastic! The laptop does not do this. What I want is for the laptop to acquire the same DOS Prompt as the desktop computer does. Obviously I have more programs installed on my desktop computer. This leads to a question. Are there certain programs that must be installed first before the DOS Prompt can work properly? I even did a reinstall of Windows in hopes this would fix it. It didn't. I ran out of ideas. Any help you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks.

[MDGx]

I have just installed the new Win98SE Service Pack on both my desktop and laptop computers.  They are both essentially identical.  The new Command Prompt installed differently on the smaller laptop.  As you know the command prompt can be acquired two ways.  One is from the desktop by going to Start / Programs.  The other is by rebooting your computer to a command prompt.  The second method is by far the best.  For example, you can not run scanreg from the desktop prompt.  After installing the new Service Pack on my desktop computer,  by going to Start / Programs / DOS Prompt my screen looks like I rebooted to a DOS Prompt.  From here I can do anything.  When done I type in "exit" and I return to my desktop.  Fantastic!  The laptop does not do this.  What I want is for the laptop to acquire the same DOS Prompt as the desktop computer does.  Obviously I have more programs installed on my desktop computer.  This leads to a question.  Are there certain programs that must be installed first before the DOS Prompt can work properly?  I even did a reinstall of Windows in hopes this would fix it.  It didn't.  I ran out of ideas.  Any help you can provide will be appreciated.  Thanks.

I've never used a portable/laptop, but as far as I know most laptop LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens + video controllers do not support native/true/pure/real [a.k.a exclusive] MS-DOS mode, only a "simulated" DOS Virtual Machine (VM), in translation a DOS box/window within the Windows GUI (Graphical User Interface) that displays a "fake" windowed DOS command prompt box, never full screen, never "true" MS-DOS mode.

The difference is that on "full-fledged" PCs connected to CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors [i've never used LCD screens] which support all DOS, MAC, VGA, EGA, XGA, SVGA etc modes combined with video controllers supporting a very wide range of video formats and resolutions, you'll always have "native" MS-DOS available.

The only time u see what is the closest to a DOS screen is the boot POST (Power On Self Test) screen, and if u dual (triple, multi) boot 2 or more OSes, then u see the only other "DOS" screen on your LCD.

On CRT connected PCs any Windows DOS box [if default PIF (Program Information File) settings not modified] can always be expanded to full screen or reduced back to a window [toggle Alt+Enter key "combo"].

But even on PCs "native" MS-DOS [as opposite to Windows DOS "box"] can be achieved only if u boot on purpose to MS-DOS "mode", without any Windows modules/kernel/core/drivers loaded in memory [no VMM32].

Please see these pages + files @ my site for more details on how this works and how to do it on your PC [not laptop/portable]:

See MEMORY.TXT, REGIONS.TXT, EMM386.TXT, DOS9XMEM.TXT + WIN9XMEM.TXT [offline reading] = all part of W95-11D.EXE [freeware for personal use]:

http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm

DOS7 MEMory specs:

http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm

DOS7 CONFIG.SYS settings:

http://www.mdgx.com/bench.htm#CON

DOS7 AUTOEXEC.BAT settings:

http://www.mdgx.com/bench.htm#AUT

95/98/ME SETUP + MEMORY MANAGERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip20.htm#9SMM

COMPLETE MSDOS.SYS REFERENCE:

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

2 DOS OR NOT 2 DOS:

http://www.mdgx.com/last3.htm#DOS2DOS

MS-DOS PROMPT:

http://www.mdgx.com/lastweek.htm#MSDOSPROMPT

DOS NOW!:

http://www.mdgx.com/newtip1.htm#DOS

If there is any way this can be done on laptops, please ask a "portable" expert.

Hope this helps.

[jackpan]

That explains it. Since the problem only involves the prompt command, I can live with it. The rest of the package works perfectly. Thanks.