Someone just gave me a really old computer

It's a 486 with who knows what version of DOS on it.

Everytime i turn it on, it says

incorrect dos version

bad or missing command interpreter

I've tried several boot disks with different dos versions, but all the same result. The a:\ drive light comes on but I don't know if it's reading it on boot up.

I have no clue how to get into the BIOS to change boot up order (or even if it's possible on older machines).

I tried putting a redhat 6.2 cd into the cdrom, but unsuprisingly that didn't work.

any advice?

Originally posted by aragon
incorrect dos version

bad or missing command interpreter

RUN!!.. It's gonna blow!!

J/K... Ahh yes... This means that whatever version of DOS you had installed got FUBAR'd (F***ed up beyond repair, usually). Essentially the error translates to the fact that your missing command.com which is the command interpreter.

Either somebody screwed up trying to fix it one day and deleted it (I have before) or the HD crashed or is corrupted in some awful manner.

My best guess to fix it is to goto a second hand computer store and find a compatable used (but, working and formatted) HD for it. With a verifiable working HD installation of any *nix should go alot smoother then trying to diagnois a 10 year old hardware problem.

BIOS, on of the following migh help: F1, F2, ESC - if that doesn't help go to the BIOS manufacturers homepage.

If you insert the boot disk into drive a:, do you get a different message or the same? Are there two disk drives or one?
Are you sure the disk contains a bootable version of dos (created with format /S)? Obviously command.com is missing

Originally posted by Walter
BIOS, on of the following migh help: F1, F2, ESC - if that doesn't help go to the BIOS manufacturers homepage.

If you insert the boot disk into drive a:, do you get a different message or the same? Are there two disk drives or one?
Are you sure the disk contains a bootable version of dos (created with format /S)? Obviously command.com is missing

tried those keys... didnt work.

dont know the bios manuf. bootup screen doesnt tell me jack except "001749" or something..

i got the boot disks from http://dos.li5.org/

same message with or w/o boot disk in. I dont think it's reading the disk.

1 disk drive (3.5' floppy), 1 cdrom

Originally posted by Studio64


RUN!!.. It's gonna blow!!

J/K... Ahh yes... This means that whatever version of DOS you had installed got FUBAR'd (F***ed up beyond repair, usually). Essentially the error translates to the fact that your missing command.com which is the command interpreter.

Either somebody screwed up trying to fix it one day and deleted it (I have before) or the HD crashed or is corrupted in some awful manner.

My best guess to fix it is to goto a second hand computer store and find a compatable used (but, working and formatted) HD for it. With a verifiable working HD installation of any *nix should go alot smoother then trying to diagnois a 10 year old hardware problem.

:bawling: i dont want to spend money on a 486 computer! lol.. oh well

Hmm try to reformatt it? no idea .. lol :D

looks like its not booting from the floppy, and the DOS on the HD is corrupt.. if you cant change the boot order so it boots from the floppy first, maybe you can try formatting the HD in another computer, or maybe see if the computer boots off the floppy if you dont have the HD plugged in?

I'll play with it sometime...

one of the other computers he gave me works. It has Windows 3.1!!! WOW! only used 28 megs of hd space too and the computer has..... 6 megs of RAM!!!! :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2: my how windows has grown. *goes back to my trip down memory lane*

That's great. DOS is old junk. Win3.1 is very fast, but has limited functions though.

Wow - Nostagia :)

The disk you used might not be a boot disk ie it has no DOS system files.

Win 3.1 has a utility to make a DOS boot disk and the Win98 + DOS boot disks should work on old 386 and 486 computers.

The question is why use a 486 :)

Format the disk and reinstall operating system again.

lmao, just shows how crap everyone here is with DOS, theyre all used to the graphical interface of windows.

It looks like you may have a corrupt command.com file or something has over-written it with a new/old version.

You may have to reinstall DOS from the floppy disks, ensure you have backed up all data to a directory on the disk and insert the DOS boot disk, boot from the floppy, and reinstall the program.

Note, you do not need to "reformat" as DOS does not create a mess anywhere on the disk like windows and almost all programs run under DOS are self-contained in their own directory.

Originally posted by aragon


tried those keys... didnt work.


What about the "del" key? I've had computers where you need to use that key to get into the bios.

Is the computer a no-name brand, or is it a brand name computer?

The command.com is from an non matching DOS version then the **bio.sys (hidden)

Try instal la fresh DOS like IBM/MS DOS 6.2 or so

it's an IBM machine.

I think the harddrive is bad so all of your suggestions won't work :stickout

Get into the bios and try to boot from the floppy. For all you you know the computer itself maynot be good.
If it boot with a boodisk. try format c: /s
This would make the harddrive bootable it it is any good... :)
Have a great day :)

regards
amar

You can go to www.bootdisk.com and download an old IBM or MS Dos system disk. If you find out what version of dos it is via the "ver" command you can just download the system disk and try copying command.com to c:\dos\ (if i remember correct) no matter what you do I dont think your going to get a copy of *nix on it.. I have an old 486SX/25 running win 95 with server alive running to check server uptime there is not much you can really do with a system that old.