Here's our Tip for.. June 29, 1997
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Build your own boot process
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Would you like to have a Boot Menu presented each time you start Windows 95? You can, and you can specify choices like booting between different operating systems, assigning a default, and even a timer that counts down and boots automatically. These options aren't set up by default, so you have to configure your boot process the way you want it. To do this you'll have to edit a file named MSDOS.SYS, located in the root of C: (or, if you use DriveSpace or DblSpace disk compression, this file will be located in the uncompressed area of the host drive.). Unlike its predecessor in earlier versions of DOS, it is now an editable text file you can use to configure your startup parameters.

You can use any text editor to work with MSDOS.SYS. MS-DOS's Edit and Windows' Notepad are two readily available choices. (Edit, found in the \Windows\Command folder, now handles long file names!)

As you start editing MSDOS.SYS, keep in mind that you will have to remove the Read-only, System and Hidden attributes to edit, then resave this file. Go to a DOS prompt and type:

ATTRIB C:\MSDOS.SYS -R -S -H

Don't forget to re-establish these attributes once you're done by typing:

ATTRIB C:MSDOS.SYS +R +S +H

The [Options] section is where you can add or change parameters to build a boot process of your choice.

[Options] section:

BootDelay=n Sets the initial startup delay to n seconds. The default is 2. BootKeys=0 disables the delay. The only purpose of the delay is to give the user sufficient time to press F8 after the Starting Windows message appears.

BootFailSafe= Enables Safe Mode for system startup. The default is 0. (This setting is enabled typically by equipment manufacturers for installation.)

BootGUI= Enables automatic graphical startup into Windows 95. The default is 1.

BootKeys= Enables the startup option keys (that is, F4, F5, F6, and F8). The default is 1. Setting this value to 0 overrides the value of BootDelay=n and prevents any startup keys from functioning. This setting allows system administrators to configure more secure systems.

The startup keys serve the following purposes: F4 = Boot directly to your old DOS F5 = FailSafe Boot, a boot using a minimum configuration, for troubleshooting. F6 = FailSafe Boot with Network Support F8 = a Boot Menu is displayed

BootMenu= Enables automatic display of the Windows 95 Startup menu, so that the user must press F8 to see the menu. The default is 0. Setting this value to 1 eliminates the need to press F8 to see the menu.

BootMenuDefault=# Sets the default menu item on the Windows Startup menu; the default is 3 for a computer with no networking components, and 4 for a networked computer.

BootMenuDelay=# Sets the number of seconds to display the Windows Startup menu before running the default menu item. The default is 30.

BootMulti= Enables dual-boot capabilities. The default is 0. Setting this value to 1 enables the ability to start MS-DOS by pressing F4 or by pressing F8 to use the Windows Startup menu.

BootWarn= Enables the Safe Mode startup warning. The default is 1.

BootWin= Enables Windows 95 as the default operating system. Setting this value to 0 disables Windows 95 as the default; this is useful only with MS-DOS version 5 or 6.x on the computer. The default is 1.

DblSpace= Enables automatic loading of DBLSPACE.BIN. The default is 1.

DoubleBuffer= Enables loading of a double-buffering driver for a SCSI controller. The default is 0. Setting this value to 1 enables double-buffering, if required by the SCSI controller.

DrvSpace= Enables automatic loading of DRVSPACE.BIN. The default is 1.

LoadTop= Enables loading of COMMAND.COM or DRVSPACE.BIN at the top of 640K memory. The default is 1. Set this value to 0 with NovellŽ NetWareŽ or any software that makes assumptions about what is used in specific memory areas.

Logo= Enables display of the animated logo. The default is 1. Setting this value to 0 also avoids hooking a variety of interrupts that can create incompatibilities with certain memory managers from other vendors.

Network= Enables Safe Mode With Networking as a menu option. The default is 1 for computers with networking installed. This value should be 0 if network software components are not installed.

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