File Manager Brings over Wrong Hidden Files

 Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
Article ID: Q84218
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 6.0

SUMMARY

When you use Windows' File Manager to format a floppy system disk on a computer that originally had IBM DOS installed and was upgraded to MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0, the correct MS-DOS COMMAND.COM is copied over, and the incorrect IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM files may be copied to the system disk instead of the MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0 files MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS.

WORKAROUND

There are two workarounds to this problem:

  • Remove the two hidden IBM files from the root directory of the hard drive.
  • Format the system disks outside of Windows. The MS-DOS SYS.COM does not get confused by the hidden files.

MORE INFORMATION

When an IBM DOS system is upgraded to MS-DOS 5.0, the IBM hidden files are left on the hard drive because it is difficult to know if these files belong to IBM DOS or IBM OS/2. The IBM OS/2 files take up too much space to be copied to the MS-DOS 5.0 uninstall disk.

KBCategory: kbtool kbprb kb3rdparty
KBSubcategory: win31
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.11

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Last reviewed: November 23, 1994
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