Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!cbosgd!osu-cis!tut!mdf From: mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark D. Freeman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Updating DOS on a harddisk Message-ID: <2681@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: Wed, 2-Dec-87 20:42:06 EST Article-I.D.: tut.2681 Posted: Wed Dec 2 20:42:06 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 6-Dec-87 08:42:02 EST References: <3418@ece-csc.UUCP> <63200007@convex> Reply-To: mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) Organization: StrongPoint Systems, Inc.; Columbus, OH. (guest of Ohio State U.) Lines: 30 In <63200007@convex> cuddy@convex.UUCP writes: > WAIT!!!!! Don't take this advice.... when you change DOS versions, you MUST > reformat the ENTIRE DISK. (a low level format is not needed, but a DOS level > format is!) if you do not, you will screw yourself beyond all belief... > you see, DOS 3.x uses 2k clusters (the smallest block of data that can be written) and DOS 2.x uses 8k clusters.. When you boot up with 3.x, if it even recognizes a hard disk with 2.x it will clobber it if you access the drive. > ALSO: when you back up your hard disk, DO NOT back up the DOS 2.1 programs > (DISKCOPY.COM, FORMAT.COM, CHKDSK.COM, .... etc. ) because although most of > them check to see which DOS version you are currently using, some don't and > try to read/write >2k clusters and WHAMMO! they clobber your drive... This is good advice and almost correct. When upgrading from DOS 2.X to 3.X you must do the following: 1) Backup (BACKUP.COM) the hard disk under 2.X 2) FDISK the hard disk under 2.X, releasing the DOS partition. 3) Reboot under 3.X 4) FDISK the hard disk under 3.X, assigning it all to a DOS partition. 5) FORMAT the hard disk (/s) under 3.X 6) RESTORE (/p) the hard disk from floppy under 3.X, answering NO to all questions it may ask 7) DEL all DOS 2.X command files 8) COPY the 3.X command files to the hard disk -- Mark D. Freeman (614) 262-3703 StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu 2440 Medary Avenue ...!cbosgd!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mdf Columbus, OH 43202-3014 Guest account at The Ohio State University