Jorpho wrote on 2020-03-29, 05:17:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-28, 23:09:

Here’s an update to the imgur album with the changes
https://imgur.com/a/SFZJ60r

You realize you have a CONFIG.BAT in that album, right? I hope you haven't been trying to make changes to that. You also still have several instances of /E:OPTICAL in there.

For the purpose of figuring out what the problem is, you can just type out the commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT manually if you want.

Yes, I noticed all those too- I deleted them. I only have one config.sys now, it’s in the c:\dos folder.

The autoexec I got from Phil’s computer lab dot com, honestly I have very little knowledge of dos, obviously this experience is changing that 🤣

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:15:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 08:28:

I'm not sure if the problem has to do with the cd drive at all. Sounds like a more serious hardware issue to me.

Could you please try booting from the Win95 or 98 boot floppy disk? It has CD-ROM support. Check if that is working.

That for sure is working

Sorry to say, but better give up. Seems to be too hard to explain to you.
Most likely you always edit a file named config.bat. So your config.sys does not change at all.

But seriously, I would recommend that you use a straight forward configuration without sections.

So NO [common] [menu] menuitem and no goto, bla bla. Just a straight forward config.sys and autoexec.bat, where the commands are listed.
That will make it more simple for you.

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:18:

Yes, I noticed all those too- I deleted them. I only have one config.sys now, it’s in the c:\dos folder.

config.sys can't be in C:\dos. If it is there, it does nothing. The config.sys is in the top level folder, the path is C:\config.sys. The same is true for autoexec.bat

In case you really modify the files in the wrong place: Windows up to 9x had a tool called "sysedit.exe", which automatically opens config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, system.ini, etc. for editing. This way, you don't have to know where they are located.

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:15:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 08:28:

Could you please try booting from the Win95 or 98 boot floppy disk? It has CD-ROM support. Check if that is working.

That for sure is working

Assuming or tested? Because it uses OAKCDROM.SYS as well and if it works from floppy, it must work from hard disk as well.

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 15:54:

In case you really modify the files in the wrong place: Windows up to 9x had a tool called "sysedit.exe", which automatically opens config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, system.ini, etc. for editing. This way, you don't have to know where they are located.

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:15:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 08:28:

Could you please try booting from the Win95 or 98 boot floppy disk? It has CD-ROM support. Check if that is working.

That for sure is working

Assuming or tested? Because it uses OAKCDROM.SYS as well and if it works from floppy, it must work from hard disk as well.

I don't have a working floppy disk, the drive works presumably, but the two disks I have are trash. I am able to get the Win98 cdrom going from an OEM copy- that is how I installed 98...

The cd rom issue seems to be intermittent now, sometimes it works sometimes it screams at me, and now sometimes it hangs on the ctmouse driver- I'm almost ready to call it quits 🤣

CoffeeOne wrote on 2020-03-29, 15:48:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:18:

Yes, I noticed all those too- I deleted them. I only have one config.sys now, it’s in the c:\dos folder.

config.sys can't be in C:\dos. If it is there, it does nothing. The config.sys is in the top level folder, the path is C:\config.sys. The same is true for autoexec.bat

lemme do that too

CoffeeOne wrote on 2020-03-29, 15:39:

Sorry to say, but better give up. Seems to be too hard to explain to you. Most likely you always edit a file named config.bat. S […]
Show full quote

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:15:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 08:28:

I'm not sure if the problem has to do with the cd drive at all. Sounds like a more serious hardware issue to me.

Could you please try booting from the Win95 or 98 boot floppy disk? It has CD-ROM support. Check if that is working.

That for sure is working

Sorry to say, but better give up. Seems to be too hard to explain to you.
Most likely you always edit a file named config.bat. So your config.sys does not change at all.

But seriously, I would recommend that you use a straight forward configuration without sections.

So NO [common] [menu] menuitem and no goto, bla bla. Just a straight forward config.sys and autoexec.bat, where the commands are listed.
That will make it more simple for you.

I mean, you're not wrong, I am completely ignorant to DOS, and I guess being a member of this group implies that I can follow simple instructions. Sorry to say- I clearly am not able to- so I should just give up! Such astute advice!

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 17:18:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 15:54:

In case you really modify the files in the wrong place: Windows up to 9x had a tool called "sysedit.exe", which automatically opens config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, system.ini, etc. for editing. This way, you don't have to know where they are located.

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 14:15:

That for sure is working

Assuming or tested? Because it uses OAKCDROM.SYS as well and if it works from floppy, it must work from hard disk as well.

I don't have a working floppy disk, the drive works presumably, but the two disks I have are trash. I am able to get the Win98 cdrom going from an OEM copy- that is how I installed 98...

The cd rom issue seems to be intermittent now, sometimes it works sometimes it screams at me, and now sometimes it hangs on the ctmouse driver- I'm almost ready to call it quits 🤣

as per user: CoffeeOne I should just give up. Seems like sound advice since the buzzer is screaming at me anyway once again- after adding the config.sys into the root of c:\

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 17:31:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 17:18:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 15:54:

In case you really modify the files in the wrong place: Windows up to 9x had a tool called "sysedit.exe", which automatically opens config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, system.ini, etc. for editing. This way, you don't have to know where they are located.

Assuming or tested? Because it uses OAKCDROM.SYS as well and if it works from floppy, it must work from hard disk as well.

I don't have a working floppy disk, the drive works presumably, but the two disks I have are trash. I am able to get the Win98 cdrom going from an OEM copy- that is how I installed 98...

The cd rom issue seems to be intermittent now, sometimes it works sometimes it screams at me, and now sometimes it hangs on the ctmouse driver- I'm almost ready to call it quits 🤣

as per user: CoffeeOne I should just give up. Seems like sound advice since the buzzer is screaming at me anyway once again- after adding the config.sys into the root of c:\

OK, Let's try a bit more 😀
Can you post here in txt format
your c:\config.sys
and your c:\autoexec.bat
?

Jorpho wrote on 2020-03-29, 05:17:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-28, 23:09:

Here’s an update to the imgur album with the changes
https://imgur.com/a/SFZJ60r

You realize you have a CONFIG.BAT in that album, right? I hope you haven't been trying to make changes to that. You also still have several instances of /E:OPTICAL in there.

For the purpose of figuring out what the problem is, you can just type out the commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT manually if you want.

I realized that yes, and deleted the other garb. I just have one config.sys now

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 17:37:

Jorpho wrote on 2020-03-29, 05:17:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-28, 23:09:

Here’s an update to the imgur album with the changes
https://imgur.com/a/SFZJ60r

You realize you have a CONFIG.BAT in that album, right? I hope you haven't been trying to make changes to that. You also still have several instances of /E:OPTICAL in there.

For the purpose of figuring out what the problem is, you can just type out the commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT manually if you want.

I realized that yes, and deleted the other garb. I just have one config.sys now

Can you post both files here, please?
As text not as picture, if possible? Maybe that's difficult because probably you can't transfer the files easily.
OK, then as picture might be good, too 😁

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 17:37:

Jorpho wrote on 2020-03-29, 05:17:

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-28, 23:09:

Here’s an update to the imgur album with the changes
https://imgur.com/a/SFZJ60r

You realize you have a CONFIG.BAT in that album, right? I hope you haven't been trying to make changes to that. You also still have several instances of /E:OPTICAL in there.

For the purpose of figuring out what the problem is, you can just type out the commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT manually if you want.

I realized that yes, and deleted the other garb. I just have one config.sys now

Can you try that?

C:\config.sys

1DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
2DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
3DOS=HIGH,UMB
4DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:OPTICAL
5FILES=40
6BUFFERS=40
7LASTDRIVE=H

C:\autoexec.bat

1@ECHO OFF
2PROMPT $p$g
3PATH C:\DOS
4SET TEMP=C:\DOS
5LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:OPTICAL /L:F
6LH C:\DOS\CTMOUSE.EXE

?
Let's add the missing staff later on, when the CD ROM works.

I think I have narrowed the issue down, not only was that autoexec and config not working for me, but I was also using phils restart in msdos mode shortcut, and therein lies several of the same issues in those lines too. I was looking at the advanced configuration and it calls to the same config.sys that was giving me grief before.

so, If I F8 and choose command prompt then run the autoexec file, I do not get the error. But then the computer will hang if I try to run Rise Of the Triad off the disc...

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 22:37:

so, If I F8 and choose command prompt then run the autoexec file, I do not get the error. But then the computer will hang if I try to run Rise Of the Triad off the disc...

literally anything causes the computer to hang now... quake, duke3d, doom

something is seriously messed up

Can you copy and paste the contents of your autoexec.bat and config.sys files so we can see them here?

To quote myself:

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-28, 19:13:

Please give some more info about the hardware used. It's rather unlikely that trying to access the CD-ROM drive causes the system to hang.

derSammler wrote on 2020-03-29, 08:28:

I'm not sure if the problem has to do with the cd drive at all. Sounds like a more serious hardware issue to me.

Damionsux wrote on 2020-03-29, 22:37:

so, If I F8 and choose command prompt then run the autoexec file, I do not get the error. But then the computer will hang if I try to run Rise Of the Triad off the disc...

AAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

F8?
So you are using Windows 95?
I thought you are using pure MS-DOS.
When you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98 you should not use the DOS version of HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE at all. Please only use the Windows version (most likely located in C:\WINDOWS).

He's using Win98SE, as he told already in his second post. 😉

Omg, you are right, I mixed up something.

Now I have to a apologize.

@Damionsux
So as already mentioned, what you did, does not work in principle.
You copied over files from philscomputerlab, which are meant for pure DOS.
Windows 98 has other versions of himem.sys and emm386.exe for example, DO NOT USE the MS-Dos version of it to run the DOS part of Windows 98 SE. By the way it is called DOS 7.1 as far as I know.

You can make a boot menu in windows 98se, too. But it works slightly different, so you can't follow the guide (and most important use wrong versions of essential files) of philscomputerlab

EDIT: As a quick fix of your now broken Windows 98 SE installation, you can make c:\config.sys c:\autoexec.bat completely empty (yes, really)
Windows 98 will load everything what is essential by itsself