DOS 6.0 filetype underscore problem.

[Leo44]

Hi,

Here is the problem.

On a dedicated DOS desktop that I use regularly. I recently wanted to compare two floppies. But couldn't activate the 'DISKCOMP.COM' .
Doing a DIR on my DOS files showed that DISKCOMP' is listed as 'DISKCOMP CO_'

Also I noticed that many of the files are so marked with only two letters and an underscore as the filetype.

The files on my original (genuine) DOS 6.2 discs are the same.

Why is this ? And how do I make the underscored files work ?

Thanks in anticipation.

Leo44

(I have looked through many FAQs and can't find an answer)

[Lisa_maree]

Hi

These are compressed files. As dos installs increased in size microsoft made the switch to compressing the files to save on the number of disks needed for each install.
It is most likely when Dos was installed the compressed files were copied from the floppy disks instead of using setup.

You can still use setup which will copy un compressed versions of the files to the MSDOS directory.

Please note if you have any special configuration in Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files make copies of these files before doing the setup as they could be over written.

[Leo44]

Lisa_Maree,

Thanks for that.

There is nothing special in either config.sys or autoexec.bat.

I take it the best move will be to save anything I want onto floppy, format the HD and re-install DOS using the install program ?

Leo44

[Lisa_maree]

Just run setup from the DOS folder and it will do the same as re installing. It only takes a few minutes either way.

[BC_Programmer]

I don't think the setup program can be used in that manner. If I run it from within the DOS folder I am merely instructed that I should run it from floppy.

Code: [Select]

To install MS-DOS, insert Setup Disk 1 in
drive A and press CTRL+ALT+DEL. This will
restart your computer and begin the Setup
program.

Or press ENTER to return to your command prompt

Running setup from the diskette should do the trick. Would certainly be the easiest way of doing it.

It is also possible to install it manually. The instructions are either in the manual or the readme, though don't really go much further into it beyond telling you to use EXPAND.EXE on all the files, which would mean doing them one at a time.

One might be able to create a batch file for converting a file using EXPAND.EXE, then use that to batch-expand all the files needed. This can be done with two batch files. The first one would be called by the second one here, given the compressed extension and the expanded extension. it creates a temporary folder, copies the files with the specified extension to it, renames them to remove that extension, runs expand on those files and expands them to the second extension, then copies them back into the parent folder:

EXPLOOP.BAT:

Code: [Select]

@echo off
mkdir TMP%1
copy *.%1 TMP%1
cd TMP%1
RENAME *.%1  *.
for %%P in (*.) do C:\DOS\EXPAND.EXE %%P %%P.%2
copy *.%2 ..
REM del *.*
cd ..
REM rmdir TMP%1

The deletion commands are commented out here. DELTREE cannot be presumed available since it might still be compressed and running a bunch of del commands in a batch never ends well in my experience, so if going this route probably better to erase the temporary folders manually afterwards.

EXP.BAT

Code: [Select]

CALL EXPLOOP CO_ COM
CALL EXPLOOP EX_ EXE
CALL EXPLOOP DL_ DLL
CALL EXPLOOP HL_ HLP
CALL EXPLOOP SY_ SYS
CALL EXPLOOP CP_ CPI

Which covers most of the compressed files. Course typing these out into EDIT would take longer than just running setup from the floppy.

[Leo44]

I believe I know how this problem began.

Way back in time I put some old hard drive into this machine.  Formatted it from the A: drive using Format C:/s to get the system files onto it.

I then copied the three DOS 6.2 discs directly into c:

When I tried to do a proper install of the discs, the setup told me there was already a version of DOS on the hard drive.

I continued with the install, and thus created a DOS directory in C:

The new (installed) version appears there.  That version has all the compresses files expanded.

So all I actually need to do is change directory to C:>DOS

And, at some time, remove the surplus DOS in C:.  Probably will just format c: as I mentioned above; clean start.


p.s.
 For some reason I am getting a '>' sign instead of the backslash.