Windows 95 Setup creates a hidden, read-only system file named MSDOS.SYS in the root of the computer's boot drive. This file contains important paths used to locate other Windows files, including the Registry. MSDOS.SYS also supports an [Options] section, which you can add to tailor the startup process.
The following example shows a typical file with default values:
[Options]
BootGUI=1
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=CMost values in the [Options] section are Boolean — that is, the value can be 1 (enabled) or 0 (disabled). The following table describes entries in MSDOS.SYS, using the typical default values.
MSDOS.SYS Values
Entry | Description |
[Paths] section: | |
HostWinBootDrv=c | Defines the location of the boot drive root directory. |
WinBootDir= | Defines the location of the necessary startup files. The default is the directory specified during Setup; for example, C:\WINDOWS. |
WinDir= | Defines the location of the Windows 95 directory as specified during Setup. |
[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, 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. (These startup keys are described in Chapter 35, "General Troubleshooting.") |
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 Novell® NetWare® 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. |
If you installed Windows 95 in its own directory, the earlier version of MS-DOS is preserved on your hard disk. If you set BootMulti=1 in the [Options] section in the Windows 95 version of MSDOS.SYS, you can start the earlier version of MS-DOS by pressing F4 when the Starting Windows message appears during system startup.