Codepage Support Setup Information (60080)


The information in this article applies to:
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.1
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.2
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.21
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3a
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 4.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 4.01
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0a
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
    • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22
This article was previously published under Q60080

SUMMARY

Microsoft MS-DOS version 3.30 introduced the use of codepages. Codepages can only be used with devices that have codepage support files (such as EGA or LCD displays, or some printers). To install a different codepage on your system, you need to add certain commands to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

MORE INFORMATION

The following commands should be added to your CONFIG.SYS file to add codepage support 
   DEVICE=[drive:][path]DISPLAY.SYS con=(<devname>,yyy,2)
   COUNTRY=xxx[,[yyy],[drive:][path]country.sys
where: xxx is the country code
yyy is the default codepage used by the machine hardware (in North America, this is usually 437).

The following lines should be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to add codepage support 
   nlsfunc
   mode <device> codepage prepare=((www)[drive:][path]<devname>.cpi)
   chcp www
   mode <device> codepage select=www
   keyb zz,www,[drive:][path]<devname>.cpi
where:

www is the codepage for the country
zz is a two-letter keyboard code
<device> is the device to support codepage switching
<devname> is the name of the codepage information file

Listed below is a sample codepage setup that demonstrates what changes need to be made to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files so that you can use the Norwegian Codepage on a system with an EGA display: 
   rem CONFIG.SYS
   files=30
   buffers=30
   device=e:\dos\display.sys con=(ega,437,2)
   country=001,437,e:\dos\country.sys
   rem AUTOEXEC.BAT
   nlsfunc
   mode con codepage prepare=((850)e:\dos\ega.cpi)
   chcp 850
   mode con codepage select=850
   keyb us,850,e:\dos\keyboard.sys
Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 5/12/2003
Keywords: KB60080
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