Getting Windows 95 and 98 to boot to MS-DOS

Question

Getting Windows 95 and 98 to boot to MS-DOS.

Solution

Remember that when dealing with any system files, be cautious of what is changed. If the files are changed inappropriately the system may not boot.

Click Start, Shutdown, and Shutdown the computer in MS-DOS mode.
Type cd\ to get to the C:\> prompt.
Type attrib msdos.sys -r -a -s -h
Type edit msdos.sys
Locate the line BOOTGUI=1 and change the line to BOOTGUI=0

Save the file and reboot your computer.

Tip: These steps will not work for any version of Windows after Windows 98. If you want to boot to an command line prompt or DOS prompt in later versions of Windows such as Windows XP, consider using a bootable diskette.

Additional information

  • See the msdos.sys page for further information about the msdos.sys file.
  • See the edit command page for more information on using this command.