File Manager Brings over Wrong Hidden Files (84218)



The information in this article applies to:
    Microsoft Windows 3.1
    Microsoft Windows 3.11
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0

This article was previously published under Q84218

SUMMARY

When you use Windows' File Manager to format a floppy system disk on a computer that originally had IBM DOS installed and was upgraded to MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0, the correct MS-DOS COMMAND.COM is copied over, and the incorrect IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM files may be copied to the system disk instead of the MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0 files MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS.

WORKAROUND

There are two workarounds to this problem:
    Remove the two hidden IBM files from the root directory of the hard drive.
    Format the system disks outside of Windows. The MS-DOS SYS.COM does not get confused by the hidden files.

MORE INFORMATION

When an IBM DOS system is upgraded to MS-DOS 5.0, the IBM hidden files are left on the hard drive because it is difficult to know if these files belong to IBM DOS or IBM OS/2. The IBM OS/2 files take up too much space to be copied to the MS-DOS 5.0 uninstall disk.

Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 11/26/2003
Keywords: KB84218