Computer Appears to Stop Responding Restarting in MS-DOS Mode

• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

If you have a computer with an XGA display adapter, when you attempt to restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, the computer appears to stop responding (hang) at a black screen.

CAUSE

The XGA driver does not properly switch the XGA adapter out of XGA mode.

RESOLUTION

At the black screen where the computer appears to hang, type the command "mode co80" (without the quotation marks) and press ENTER. This resets the display mode, so that the command prompt is visible. Note that you will not be able to see the "mode co80" command as you type it.

To prevent having to type "mode co80" each time you restart in MS-DOS mode, follow these steps:

1. Using the Find command, locate the "Exit to Dos.pif" file.

2. Using the right mouse button, click the "Exit to Dos.pif" file, and then click Properties.

3. In the Exit To Dos Properties box, click the Program tab.

4. Edit the Cmd line so that it reads:

         C:\Windows\Command.com /k mode co80
   

   where C:\Windows is your Windows 95 folder.

5. Click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows 95. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.