Yes, you can copy command.com to the RAM drive and then set the COMSPEC variable to point to the new location. Put that in the AUTOEXEC.BAT after the command that copies COMMAND.COM to the RAM drive:

1COPY A:\COMMAND.COM C:\COMMAND.COM /B
2SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM

What DOS version it started from?
I'll try later today. I have tandy DOS (ibm?) 3.20

kirikl wrote on 2020-09-11, 19:25:

What DOS version it started from?
I'll try later today. I have tandy DOS (ibm?) 3.20

When I had a Tandy 1000 SL or similar, I think I was using 6.0 or 6.22 with my boot diskettes but the COMSPEC variable goes way back, it should be supported in older MS-DOS (and other) versions. I used the above method to boot from a diskette and copy both command.com and Telix to the RAM drive, so then I could dial into my favorite BBSes and download things to the floppy so I could use the full capacity of the diskette for downloads.

AlaricD wrote on 2020-09-11, 19:46:

kirikl wrote on 2020-09-11, 19:25:

What DOS version it started from?
I'll try later today. I have tandy DOS (ibm?) 3.20

When I had a Tandy 1000 SL or similar, I think I was using 6.0 or 6.22 with my boot diskettes but the COMSPEC variable goes way back, it should be supported in older MS-DOS (and other) versions. I used the above method to boot from a diskette and copy both command.com and Telix to the RAM drive, so then I could dial into my favorite BBSes and download things to the floppy so I could use the full capacity of the diskette for downloads.

Didn't work. Problem is that specific ram disk driver works and patched with 3.20. So if I ran Ms-DOS 6.22, which I did everything is non specific. FDD is 360k... and RAM disk driver is using regular memory, not that bonus one 640 (+128KB)

Well, I misunderstood your question or you misunderstood my answer. Use the command.com that the RAM disk works with. I was just mentioning that this technique should work with DOS versions other than the one I was using.

Basically, if you can boot from a floppy and it makes a RAM disk for you, you just want your AUTOEXEC.BAT to copy the same command.com that works with the RAM drive to it, and then set the COMSPEC variable to point to that location.

Yes. But comspec doesn't work this way for some reason 🙁 still asking A: everytime
I'll try to work around with later DOS

You might also need to set the PATH= variable to NOT use A:, in case you type a command and it's trying to find files on a diskette that's not inserted.

What is the exact error message you are getting when you try this?

AlaricD wrote on 2020-09-11, 22:13:

You might also need to set the PATH= variable to NOT use A:, in case you type a command and it's trying to find files on a diskette that's not inserted.

What is the exact error message you are getting when you try this?

no errors. Just asking A: still for command.com instead of C:

Its working! With set path! Yes. Also I'm a cheater, I copied DC (Disk controller, NC analog to C:). Speed is amazing! Boot is longer, but not dramatically, probably 5 seconds more!
Thank you!

kirikl wrote on 2020-09-11, 22:41:

Its working! With set path! Yes.
Speed is amazing! Boot is longer, but not dramatically, probably 5 seconds more!
Thank you!

Nice! Sorry I forgot about the PATH earlier.

That five extra seconds will be worth it when everything else goes so much more smoothly. Glad to have helped!