[Ham-Computers] RE: Virtual PC 2007

[Hsu, Aaron (NBC Universal)]

This is not quite correct.  You can open a "Command Prompt" by running "CMD" or "COMMAND" from the "Run" line (and both are slightly different), but this is *not* DOS.  What you're starting is the command processor of Windows NT/2K/XP which doesn't have much (if any) of the underlying functionality of MS-DOS.  It does have *many* features that are not included with MS-DOS, but they're all related to the upkeep of Windows (NT/2K/XP).  Should you try to run a program that uses old MS-DOS interrupt calls, it would probably fail.  Apps that detect if Windows is running may even give you an error message stating that it won't run "under" Windows.

The last "official" flavor of MS-DOS released was officially MS-DOS 6.22 (and maybe 6.23), but the underlying DOS component of Windows 95/98 can also be used as a full DOS OS (including FAT32 support with Win95b and Win98(SE)).  Win98SE's flavor of DOS is what I use for all my MS-DOS purposes.

Thus the valid question of whether or not it's viable to use a USB flash key as a bootable MS-DOS drive.  Yes, it is viable and a good one at that so long as your system supports booting from a USB flash device.  More systems support booting from a USB Hard Drive, so that's another alternative, but don't try to run Windows from a USB drive - Windows resets the USB bus when it initializes and the boot drive will be disconnected.

73,

  - Aaron, NN6O


-----Original Message-----
From: ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Don
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 7:07 AM
To: 'Computers (or other) used for amateur radio, communications, or experimenting'
Subject: RE: [Ham-Computers] Virtual PC 2007

You get to the DOS prompt in XP by going to the Start > Run and enter cmd

That opens a Dos terminal window. 

-----Original Message-----
From: ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
jandlmiller at bellsouth.net
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 5:43 PM
To: ham-computers at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Ham-Computers] Virtual PC 2007

Off and on for a year or so I have been wondering whether or not the use of
a USB thumb drive could be used to create a bootable (and portable) fully
functional DOS inside of Windows XP-Home.  Many of us remember that W98SE
may have been the last OS that allowed a full restart in the DOS mode.  In
Win98SE you could do Start/Programs and get to a DOS prompt that permitted
some, but not all, the DOS functionality.

Is Virtual PC 2007 just one step better than that?

Any ideas on how, most easily to proceed?

John W0IKT