Start up in DOS

Helpline Q&A Directory

Is it possible to have my computer open in DOS instead of Windows when booted up? This will save us the bother of having to restart in DOS via the Windows Shut Down menu.

Yes it is. The task is achieved by editing the file msdos.sys, which is a hidden read-only file in your C drive root directory.

First, you must make msdos.sys visible and editable by running the command 'attrib -s -h -r c:\msdos.sys' from a command prompt. Then edit msdos.sys using the MS-DOS editor in Notepad (but not a word processor) and change the line 'BootGUI=1' to read 'BootGUI=0'. After you have saved your change, restore the file's original attributes by running the command 'attrib +s +r +h c:\msdos.sys'.

On restarting the computer it will boot to a command prompt. In order to start Windows you will then need to type the command 'win'.