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Can't boot DOS flash drive on Vostro 3681
I need to be able to boot DOS, flash drive does not show up if I hit F12. I've been all through the BIOS, turned off Secure Boot Enable. Tried Secure Boot Mode in Audit mode, still don't have option to boot flash drive. Also tried enabling Admin & System passwords in case new options would show up, no such changes.
Can I boot DOS on this machine? Thanks.
speedstep
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September 1st, 2021 01:00
@CaptNorm42
@XPS_Man
Legacy CSM and boothing is not available past 6th gen skylake.
Most models after that are 64 bit only, UEFI only, Class 3 UEFI bios.
Dosbox works on most machines including those with linux or osx etc but a user needing dos probably needs serial ports and ps2 ports and parallel ports which do not work well if at all using the dosbox software because NTVDM is not available on 64 bit os.
There is work on trying to resolve this but I havent tested it.
https://sourceforge.net/p/nxvdm/wiki/Home/
Microsoft no longer supports 16-bit MS-DOS applications and they removed NTVDM by making all new machines WIN10 only 64 bit only. virtual 8086 mode is not available under amd64 extended mode. This project aimed at building a virtual dos machine for 64-bit Windows.
The basic idea of this project is to simulate the 16-bit cpu instructions and provide DOS interrupt services to MS-DOS applications. In NTVDM64, 16-bit applications runs as before in 32-bit Windows.
This is not to build another "virtual machine" like DOSbox or similar products. We want to create a compatible environment for 16-bit applications, for example, applications can access disk files on host machine with regular DOS interrupts instead of using network sharing.
Older model Optiplex GX620 tower is fine and works fine for legacy booting msdos and all other os up to and including Windows 10.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/201406157164
Most people who need dos booting also need legacy ports like PS2 and Serial and parallel.
This is an option for the GX620 tower but its not expensive and easily added.
Dell y9003 n3563 gx620 745 ps/2 & serial port
https://www.ebay.com/itm/261622105362
redxps630
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February 13th, 2021 13:00
During the Power-on Self Test (POST), when the Dell logo appears, you can:
The one-time boot menu displays the devices that you can boot from including the diagnostic option. The boot menu options are:
NOTE: XXX denotes the SATA drive number.
NOTE: Choosing Diagnostics, will display the diagnostics screen.
The boot sequence screen also displays the option to access the System Setup screen.
CaptNorm42
7 Posts
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February 13th, 2021 14:00
I'm pretty familiar with F12. DOS drive does not show up there. This flash drive does boot on other PC's, including my Dell 3583. I just needed to uncheck Secure Boot Enable. I have a few other flash drives (Acronis, MEMTEST, SSD diagnostic program, which all boot on the 3681. Just not MS nor FreeDOS.
redxps630
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February 13th, 2021 14:00
It sounds like only one of your bootable usb flash drive does not boot 3681, while all the others do. So 3681 does not recognize the boot sector of this particular flash drive.
not sure if this helps. Does the Dell bootable usb give you DOS? It has these files:
COMMAND.COM
DELLBIO.BIN
DELLRMK.BIN
AUTOEXEC.BAT
CONFIG.SYS
Edit: originally I replied with the following:
?how to add usb boot option in UEFI bios. Use this guide as reference. It was for how to add dvd boot option but you can follow the same steps to add usb.
CaptNorm42
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February 14th, 2021 10:00
Pretty much right, Only these DOS flash drives don't boot. I still use DOS so have plenty of these drives, some MS DOS, some FreeDOS. I have a bunch of PC's, they all boot with these DOS drives. They definitely have COMMAND.COM...
The flash drives that boot have propriety OS on them. Example, Acronis True Image boots, they have their own basic OS. MEMTEST boots, there are no DOS looking files on the flash drives. It looks like a propriety OS
On other Dell PC's, in the BIOS, I just needed to turn off Secure Boot. That, of course, has been done on this PC, still no boot of DOS.
If anyone wants to try this, Steve Gibson's Gibson Research Corp has a great DOS utility that very accurately reports the read speed of hard drives. You should google GRC READSPEED and let me know if you can get it to work on Dell PC's, especially 3681.
CaptNorm42
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February 23rd, 2021 15:00
I'm still trying to get DOS to boot on this machine. For the fun of it, I put bootable MS DOS on a spare SATA drive. DOS boots fine on that PC. Tried this SATA drive in Vostro 3681, DOS won't boot.
That tells me it's not necessarily a flash drive issue, it is an issue with DOS. BIOS shows this DOS drive, but F12-one-time-boot doesn't see it.
If anyone has any ideas on getting DOS to boot, I'm all ears.
MarkL54
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May 17th, 2021 14:00
Same issue - trying to boot from a restore USB - F12 boot options are only NIC - no USB...
speedstep
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May 18th, 2021 19:00
DOS Legacy booting isn't EVER an option with newer UEFI Class 3 systems. These models are 64 bit only windows 10 only. They will not boot any 32 bit os let alone 8 bit INT 13 MSDOS. Intel previously announced they were phasing out support for legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) boot mode. Skylake was the last version that would run 32 bit XP. Windows 7 and 8.0 are EOL now and won't be updated for future processors, starting with Intel's Skylake platform 6th Gen.
Systems past 2011 are WIN7 or newer only. Systems past 2015 skylake are also WIN7 only.
You must use earlier model that has floppy diskette drive and IDE controller, Dos Floppy, like an Optiplex GX620.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224461594222
Only buy Tower models so that you can repair and replace power supplies with standard units like EVGA 700BR.
I have clients that need Floppy, Serial, Parallel, etc to run controllers that are from the 80's that only work with DOS.
The 620 is the perfect Model for transition because it can Run MSDOS all the way up to and including Windows 10 and it has PCI-E video slot so it can be used to recover IDE Drives and Sata Drives and Floppy Disk Data etc.
speedstep
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May 18th, 2021 20:00
So for those who keep trying to PM me about MS DOS.
The 1981 IBM PC BIOS uses software interrupts to accomplish various operations.
INT Function
05h Print Screen operation.
10h Video display services.
11h Equipment determination.
12h Memory size determination.
13h Diskette and hard disk services. (booting)
14h Serial I/O services.
15h Miscellaneous services.
16h Keyboard services.
17h Printer services.
18h GWBASIC.
19h Reboot.
1Ah Real time clock services.
Dos was written on an INTEL Blue Box Intellec
CPM was the DOS before 1981 MSDOS.
APPLE II DOS was from 1977
My first INTEL processor was on an INTEL Intellec box
the 4004 CPU 1971.
Then came the 8008 and then the 8085 with CPM later Z80 processor on Kaypro Computer.
Back then the max ram was 32 Kilobytes.
1981 introduced the IBM PC and DOS 1.0
Later 2.0 and so on. By the time DOS 3.XX came about there was IBM DOS and MSDOS.
IBM Basic and GWBasic.
My first computer languages were INTEL Assembly language on the Intellec Blue Box.
alvaradomiguelangel
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July 22nd, 2021 07:00
i installed a m.2 drive and i had the same problem it has no boot advance option.
what I did boot again and enter tools to reinstall the system from the web
From there it did the whole process and mark an error but when I started again, it showed me starting with the solid state unit. all perfect.
XPS_Man
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August 31st, 2021 19:00
Unfortunately this machine doesn't have Legacy Boot support and you can not boot DOS on UEFI BIOS
So no go for you.
You need DOS : Try DOSBOX
Rui de Souza
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February 15th, 2022 18:00
New DELL computers no longer support the LEGACY version!
One option is to use the RUFUS software to create a USB flash drive that is BOOT by the UEFI system.
Create Disk UEFI With software Rufus https://rufus.ie
example: