Can I get to DOS?

[XxGehennaxX]

Ok, new question. Sorry about the new topic, wasn't sure if I should make one or not. Anyway, is there anyway that I can get to DOS before windows boots up?

[Dias de verano]

Depends what kind of Windows. Windows 95, 98, and ME are built upon MS-DOS, but NT, 2000, XP and Vista are not.

What are you trying to do?

[edit] Is this about the Dell laptop that you have been asking about in other threads?

You don't have the BIOS password. Essentially, you have a brick.

[billrich]

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm
The following is from the above link:


"To get into the Windows  Safe mode, as the computer is booting press and hold your "F8 Key" which should bring up the "Windows Advanced Options Menu" as shown below. Use your arrow keys to move to "Safe Mode" and press your Enter key.

Note: With some computers if you press and hold a key as the computer is booting you will get a stuck key message. If this occurs, instead of pressing and holding the "F8 key", tap the "F8 key" continuously until you get the startup menu."

The menu offers  Safe Mode with Command prompt  as an option.

If you don't need the safe mode:

start, Run [ cmd ]

[macdad-]

billrich,

Command prompt is not DOS, its simply a command-line interface for Windows.

And Gehennax,

If you want to get into DOS(only applies if you have Win9X, ME or older Win OS), on your Root directory(C:\) open the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and edit the contents to fit your needs.

If you wanted to enter a command before start-up, you can change it to this:

Code: [Select]

@echo off
prompt Enter a command:
Hope this helps
,Nick(macdad-)

[Helpmeh]

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm
The following is from the above link:


"To get into the Windows  Safe mode, as the computer is booting press and hold your "F8 Key" which should bring up the "Windows Advanced Options Menu" as shown below. Use your arrow keys to move to "Safe Mode" and press your Enter key.

Note: With some computers if you press and hold a key as the computer is booting you will get a stuck key message. If this occurs, instead of pressing and holding the "F8 key", tap the "F8 key" continuously until you get the startup menu."

The menu offers  Safe Mode with Command prompt  as an option.

If you don't need the safe mode:

start, Run [ cmd ]

I would like to point out that CMD is different from DOS.

[Dias de verano]

If you want to get into DOS(only applies if you have Win9X, ME or older Win OS)

He's been asking in another thread how to bypass the BIOS password on a Windows 2000 laptop. This is, I suspect, a branch of that.

[Helpmeh]

He's been asking in another thread how to bypass the BIOS password on a Windows 2000 laptop. This is, I suspect, a branch of that.

There are programs that claim that they can bypass a bios password (but will probably land you with a nasty infection), but as dias said, if you have a forgotten bios password (or you were locked out for a reason), you basically have an advanced brick.

[Dias de verano]

We get so many "Please help me to unlock a laptop" requests, and, genuine or not, [how can we tell?] the answer is "No".

[Helpmeh]

It was me that said that.

We get so many "Please help me to unlock a laptop" requests, and, genuine or not, [how can we tell?] the answer is "No".

Sorry...looking at names while scrolling page  will edit.

[BC_Programmer]

There are programs that claim that they can bypass a bios password (but will probably land you with a nasty infection)

there is no "probably" since you cannot boot the computer at all when you don't know the BIOS password, therefore you cannot run any program at all.

[Helpmeh]

there is no "probably" since you cannot boot the computer at all when you don't know the BIOS password, therefore you cannot run any program at all.

I honestly don't know how they "work"...but I've seen them before. I haven't messed around with bios before.

[BC_Programmer]

they don't. that's how they work.

[billrich]

Helpmeh wrote

"I would like to point out that CMD is different from DOS."

[/color]

Dos or Emulated Dos?  What difference does it make to the User?

When the user types dir at the prompt, they get a list of files in that directory.
*
C:\>dir

Whether the command is issued in the "real Dos" in Win 3.1  or
the command is issued with the XP emulated Dos,  the results appear the same to the user.

To make a big time distinction between "Real Dos" and Emulated XP Dos is silly nonsense.

[Helpmeh]

Dos or Emulated Dos?  What difference does it make to the User?

When the user types dir at the prompt, they get a list of files in that directory.

C:\>dir

Whether the command is issued in the "real Dos" in Win 3.1  or
the command is issued with the XP emulated Dos.  The results appear the same to the user.

To make a big time distinction between "Real Dos" and Emulated XP Dos is silly nonsense.

CMD is not emulated dos...DosBox is emulated Dos. MS-DOS is real Dos...CMD is not DOS.

[BC_Programmer]

the distinction is important because the commands are different and cmd has extended syntax, commands, and switches.