Windows Me IO.SYS (WINBOOT.SYS) format

[Petr]

Hello,

does anybody know what is the internal format of the IO.SYS file in Windows Me?

As it is well known, all IO.SYS (WINBOOT.SYS, WINBOOT.EBD) files published by Microsoft in the Q311561 knowledge base article are English version, although they claim to be localized - they are not.

For Windows 98 (SE) it is very easy, there are just three standard blocks of localizable texts, so it is no problem to transfer them from the original localized IO.SYS to Q311561 IO.SYS.

But Windows Me IO.SYS uses some different format, it seems to be packed but I have no idea how to unpack it or how to put localized part of the IO.SYS to the IO.SYS from Q311561.

Any ideas?

Petr

[LLXX]

Couldn't you just use the DOS 7.1 IO.SYS (98se)?

[os2fan2]

Windows ME requires MS-DOS 8.00, not MS-DOS 7,10. Therefore the 7.10 file is of no use.

The file format is DOS COM files. It basically consists of the old ibmbio.com + ibmdos.com + a bitmap (order unknown).

W

[LLXX]

...or you could change the version number it returns, that should get it to work...

I don't think they implemented any new functions in DOS 8.00, other than removing pure DOS mode.

[Petr]

I can use either original winboot.sys or English winboot.sys from Q311561, I do't think it is godd idea to use winboot.sys from Windows 98 SE - besides of different DOS implemented, it is much bigger, contains different logo etc. And what more, Windows Me contains also different version called winboot.ebd for use on the boot disk.

For correct localization of Windows Me service pack it is necessary to localize also winboot.sys and winboot.ebd - but I don't know how, the contents is not readable, it looks packed.

Petr

Edited June 26, 2006 by Petr

[MDGx]

There was a Russian forum a while back, where somebody posted a stripped 98SE Russian IO.SYS, without the Bitmap [logo].

But that was along time ago, and I don't have the URL.

I do have the file though.

IONOLOGO.ZIP

HTH

[Petr]

There was a Russian forum a while back, where somebody posted a stripped 98SE Russian IO.SYS, without the Bitmap [logo].

But that was along time ago, and I don't have the URL.

I do have the file though.

IONOLOGO.ZIP

HTH

Thank you, this io.sys witout logo was posted here also by Tihiy some time ago.

Yes, there may be several workarounds, but I'd still prefer to be able to move localized strings into original io.sys for ME from Q311561.

Does anybody know that is the difference in functionality of winboot.sys and winboot.ebd in Windows Me? The size is different.

Petr

[MDGx]

I believe [?] that...

- winboot.sys [110080 bytes = renamed to c:\io.sys] is installed by WinME normal setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME".

- winboot.ebd [116736 bytes = renamed to a:\io.sys] is installed by WinME emergengy boot floppy setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME in emergency mode".

- winboot.lf [108544 bytes = renamed to d:\io.sys] is installed by WinME boot CD during normal setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME".

These 3 files are from US English WinME setup CD-ROM inside CABs.

There is also a 4th file [? bytes = fake floppy boot drive e:\io.sys which seems to load in RAM (RAM drive)], which is created by WinME CD setup during normal install.

It doesn't seem to exist [or at least I couldn't find it] inside the WinME CD-ROM CABs.

This IO.SYS should say "Starting new computer".

In this case the [default] computer has:

- 1 HD drive: C

- 1 floppy drive: A

- 1 CD-ROM drive: D

HTH

[_Smoker]

I believe [?] that...

- winboot.sys [110080 bytes = renamed to c:\io.sys] is installed by WinME normal setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME".

- winboot.ebd [116736 bytes = renamed to a:\io.sys] is installed by WinME emergengy boot floppy setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME in emergency mode".

- winboot.lf [108544 bytes = renamed to d:\io.sys] is installed by WinME boot CD during normal setup.

Should say "Starting Windows ME".

These 3 files are from US English WinME setup CD-ROM inside CABs.

There is also a 4th file [? bytes = fake floppy boot drive e:\io.sys which seems to load in RAM (RAM drive)], which is created by WinME CD setup during normal install.

It doesn't seem to exist [or at least I couldn't find it] inside the WinME CD-ROM CABs.

This IO.SYS should say "Starting new computer".

In this case the [default] computer has:

- 1 HD drive: C

- 1 floppy drive: A

- 1 CD-ROM drive: D

HTH

4th file is no fake!

For purpose of booting from C: drive, an unmodified IO.SYS from simulated A: boot diskette image placed on Windows ME OEM CD from which that CD boots can be used, and English COMMAND.COM can be modified by replacing in this file at hex offset 00006510 byte 75 by byte EB.

Io.sys file size is 116736 bytes.

Startup message:

Now preparing to start your new computer. . .

In additional:

Microsoft Windows Millenium Startup Menu from this floppy image Windows ME OEM CD has no differences with the Startup Menu Windows 98 SE

& DBLBUFF.SYS and IFSHLP.SYS load automatically from IO.SYS.

Microsoft updated ms-dos kernel files both version 7.10 & 8.0 MS-DOS Does Not Properly Process Hard Disk Hardware Errors

In Windows Millennium Edition Q311561 Update package 2 files

Date Time Size File name

-----------------------------------------

29-Nov-2001 09:30 116,736 winboot.ebd

-----------------------------------------

29-Nov-2001 12:29 110,080 winboot.sys

Last "cosmetic" update: With Windows Vista the files on the startup disk are dated 18th April 2005 but are otherwise unchanged, Io.sys file size is 116736 bytes

Edited May 16, 2010 by _Smoker

[_Smoker]

Uncompressed with The Decompressor for IO.SYS Version 8 by Rudolph R. Loew, IO.SYS file size is 280064 bytes can be reduced to 149456 bytes with any hex-editor, only cut from BM6 identifier to end of file

[dencorso]

Uncompressed with The Decompressor for IO.SYS Version 8 by Rudolph R. Loew, IO.SYS file size is 280064 bytes can be reduced to 149456 bytes with any hex-editor, only cut from BM6 identifier to end of file

Not quite. By doing this you'll be stripping the bitmap, but also another module that follows it, which starts at file offset 0x44006. The bitmap starts at 'BM' but ends at 0x44005, since the file size (the dword that follows "BM") is 0x1F836...

[_Smoker]

Uncompressed with The Decompressor for IO.SYS Version 8 by Rudolph R. Loew, IO.SYS file size is 280064 bytes can be reduced to 149456 bytes with any hex-editor, only cut from BM6 identifier to end of file

Not quite. By doing this you'll be stripping the bitmap, but also another module that follows it, which starts at file offset 0x44006. The bitmap starts at 'BM' but ends at 0x44005, since the file size (the dword that follows "BM") is 0x1F836...

Thanks, I've corrected my IO.SYS.

How to remove DOS configuration manager from uncompressed MS-DOS 8.0 IO.SYS?

Edited May 17, 2010 by _Smoker

[Tihiy]

I think it's useless to remove parts of WinME io.sys since you can't compress it back and it won't be smaller than compressed. Logo is uncompressed (thus can be replaced) and configuration manager is disabled nicely by SystemReg=0.

Applying Q311561/LBA patches is more practical.

[_Smoker]

I tried to restore functionality of IO.SYS extracted from Windows XP SP3 diskcopy.dll by replacing "the initial 2K block uncompressed" from an unmodified IO.SYS in boot image placed on Windows Me OEM CD. It's work and can be uncompressed.

[dencorso]

The IO.SYS extracted from Windows XP SP3 diskcopy.dll can be uncompressed without any transplant from other files, and works OK both in the original compressed form and in the uncompressed form, AFAIK. Why did you find it necessary to transplant the initial 2k block? Please elaborate on it.

Later edit: Now I understand... You mean to restore Win ME Real-DOS ability, as per this patch, right? My guess is it would be easier to collect Win ME COMMAND.COM and REGENV32.EXE and the IO.SYS extracted from Windows XP SP3 diskcopy.dll, and apply to these files their patch directly, and then use RLoew's IO8DCOMP.EXE on IO.SYS.