You Choose: DOS or System Manager

Here is a little tip that I have played around with. Setup a CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT file using MEMO as follows.

Put the following command in the CONFIG.SYS file:

shell=c:\command.com /p

In the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, include the following text:

echo off

path C:\;C:\_DAT

prompt $p$G

cls

echo Press any key for built-in software

echo Press Ctrl-C to enter DOS

pause

$sysmgr

With this procedure when I reboot (by holding down CTRL and ALT and pressing DEL), I have the option to enter DOS (by pressing CTRL-C) or the built-in applications (by pressing any key). Here are some advantages to this approach:

1. 1. Entering DOS this way saves me over 80K of main memory, which is needed in many DOS applications.
2. 2. It is often easier to get to DOS this way then have to close down all my system manager applications and enter DOS through the FILER. (I must be careful to have saved all open files before rebooting).
3. 3. If I later enter DOS from FILER, the DOS PROMPT and the PATH will already be set up.
4. 4. The only real penalty is an extra 1792 bytes is taken up by COMMAND.COM loading before $SYSMGR.

Marty L Mankins

CompuServe ID: [75300,1770]