DOS or Other OS Troubleshooting

    Some of the problems you see with MS-DOS, or other versions of DOS are:

  1. "Bad Command or File Name". This occurs constantly, and people sometimes realize it is caused by several reasons:

    1. poor typing (misspelled) - retype the command correctly!
    2. file does not exist - the file may not have been loaded. You may need to load it.
    3. trying to execute a non-executeable file (an extension other than ".bat", ".exe", or ".com".
    4. "path" statement does not point to the directory where the file resides.

    To run an "executeable" file (one with a ".bat", a ".com", or a ".exe" extension, you must be in the directory where the file is, OR have a path statement that points to the directory. Learn what the "path" means.

  2. "Invalid drive specification".

    This is usually caused by entering the drive letter to a drive that doesn't exist as far as DOS is concerned. You may have a CD-ROM or other device on the machine, but if you have not loaded its driver in the "config.sys", the system will not know it exists.

  3. Different BIOS manufacturers give different messages when boot errors occur. These errors may mean the same thing- the "boot sector" on the bootable disk is bad. This can occur in both floppy and hard drives:

    1. Non-System disk or disk error
      Replace and press any key when ready

      This message may be caused by some disk other than the "MS-DOS Setup Disk #1" being in the drive at boot time.

    2. Disk Boot Failure
    3. DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER.
    4. Error loading operating system
    5. Missing operating system
    6. Disk Boot fialure
    7. NO ROM BASIC - SYSTEM HALTED
    8. 602 - Diskette Boot Record Error

    All the above errors occur at boot time. The causes are normally a problem with the boot sector - either on the floppy or hard drive.

  4. "C000 ROM Error" or "XXXX ROM Error" - this error is usually associated with a video adapter ROM BIOS check.

Write the rest ASAP!!!
Trouble-Shooting PC's