Exiting to original DOS prompt?

Donald G. Davis wrote:
Since I upgraded from Win3.1 to Win98 years ago . . . I usually
shut down from the command prompt with the following DOSKEY macro: :

doskey quit=rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 1

or you could use:

RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindows

Try the W95 form - since ATX boards didn't exist in that era, it might not
invoke the power down.
RUNDLL USER.EXE,ExitWindows
--
Jeff RichardsMS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...
Since I upgraded from Win3.1 to Win98 years ago, I have been
starting Windows by going first to the command prompt, with personalized
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, starting Windows with a batch file that
unloads some drivers and TSRs that are not Windows-compatible. I usually
shut down from the command prompt with the following DOSKEY macro: :

doskey quit=rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 1

In the past, this would permit the shutdown code in my Windows-
starting batch file to execute, reinstalling the DOS TSRs and returning to
the original DOS prompt. However, I recently got newer computers and
cloned the system to them. When these are shut down that way, instead of
returning to the DOS prompt, the power switches off. The BIOS seems to
have no provision for turning off this power-off shutdown.

I find that I can get an approximation of the desired shutdown by
placing the code from the shutdown part of my Windows-running batch file
into DOSSTART.BAT and quitting Windows by clicking Start Shutdown
Restart in MS-DOS mode. However, this doesn't seem to have a command-line
equivalent using the above RUNDLL32 function. Does anyone know a way to
restart in MS-DOS mode via a command (or stop Windows from switching off
power on shutdown)?
--
--Donald Davis

[To respond by e-mail, remove "blackhole." from the address.]

I'm not familiar with the procedures you're using, but I would assume
that the newer systems are behaving the way they are because that's what
an ACPI system does when told to "Shut Down" (which is what that command
you're using does.)

See http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;234216

I don't know that there's any way to change that except to disable ACPI
in the BIOS or in Windows Device Manager. Is there some reason you
prefer booting to a DOS prompt and from there into Windows, instead of
directly into Windows? Conversely, is there a reason you prefer dropping
into DOS mode instead of shutting down, or using "Restart in MS_DOS
Mode"? What you are doing isn't generally "supported" in Win98, neither
starting Windows from DOS or using the shell32.dll method for turning
off Windows but remaining in DOS.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...
Since I upgraded from Win3.1 to Win98 years ago, I have been
starting Windows by going first to the command prompt, with
personalized
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, starting Windows with a batch file that
unloads some drivers and TSRs that are not Windows-compatible. I
usually
shut down from the command prompt with the following DOSKEY macro: :

doskey quit=rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 1

In the past, this would permit the shutdown code in my Windows-
starting batch file to execute, reinstalling the DOS TSRs and
returning to
the original DOS prompt. However, I recently got newer computers and
cloned the system to them. When these are shut down that way, instead
of
returning to the DOS prompt, the power switches off. The BIOS seems
to
have no provision for turning off this power-off shutdown.

I find that I can get an approximation of the desired shutdown
by
placing the code from the shutdown part of my Windows-running batch
file
into DOSSTART.BAT and quitting Windows by clicking Start Shutdown
Restart in MS-DOS mode. However, this doesn't seem to have a
command-line
equivalent using the above RUNDLL32 function. Does anyone know a way
to
restart in MS-DOS mode via a command (or stop Windows from switching
off
power on shutdown)?
--
--Donald Davis

[To respond by e-mail, remove "blackhole." from the address.]

Try it twice (NT needs that).
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...
"Jeff Richards" writes:

Try the W95 form - since ATX boards didn't exist in that era, it might not
invoke the power down.
RUNDLL USER.EXE,ExitWindows

I'd already attempted that--it returns to the prompt without
result.

Description of Restarting Computer in MS-DOS Mode
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;138996

"When you restart your computer by choosing the "Restart the computer in
MS-DOS mode" option in the Shut Down Windows dialog box, Windows closes
all running programs, removes itself from memory, and then starts a
real- mode command prompt. If the Use Current MS-DOS Configuration
option is selected in the "Exit to DOS.pif" file that is used to restart
the computer in MS-DOS mode, the Dosstart.bat file in the Windows folder
is processed. If the Specify A New MS-DOS Configuration option is
selected, the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files listed in the "Exit to
DOS.pif" file are used instead of the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files
in the root folder.

"To restart Windows normally after restarting the computer in MS-DOS
mode, type exit at the command prompt and then press ENTER."

Seems to me you could use a customized "Exit to DOS.pif" file instead of
a macro to restart the system in DOS Mode. Just remember to use EXIT
command to restart Windows the way it was after a DOS session. If you
instead decide to shut down from DOS Mode, there's problems involved in
shutting down a system directly while in that environment (or rather,
problems starting up again.) You would want to study what's done in
order to remove the WOS files and restore the originals. Probably create
a BAT file to do those chores.

You *are* only talking about Windows 98 and earlier, right?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Subject: Exiting to original DOS prompt?
References:

From: Donald G. Davis
X-No-Archive: Yes

"Gary S. Terhune" writes:

I'm not familiar with the procedures you're using, but I would assume
that the newer systems are behaving the way they are because that's
what
an ACPI system does when told to "Shut Down" (which is what that
command
you're using does.)

See http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;234216

I don't know that there's any way to change that except to disable
ACPI
in the BIOS or in Windows Device Manager.

ACPI is already disabled in the BIOS setup, but this only covers
behavior when the power button is pressed. The other BIOS power
management options only cover timing of IDE drive and monitor
shutdowns,
not total power turnoff. I can't find any reference to ACPI in Device
Manager. The closest thing seemed to be "Intel 82371EB Power
Management
Controller," which I tried disabling, but the power still switches off
after Windows shuts down.

Is there some reason you prefer booting to a DOS prompt and from
there
into Windows, instead of directly into Windows?

Yes indeed; three major reasons. First, I load a couple of dozen
drivers and TSRs that I want to be effective in configuring the same
environment for multiple simultaneous DOS sessions under Windows.
Second, if something happens that prevents Windows from starting, I
still
have a useful operating system from which to investigate problems--and
the
fact that DOS still runs (or doesn't) gives some information on the
nature
of possible system problems. Third, I still do a lot in DOS programs,
and
it takes much less startup time to get to the DOS prompt and stop
there
than to boot all the way to Windows if I don't have anything that
requires
Windows at the time.

Conversely, is there a reason you prefer dropping
into DOS mode instead of shutting down, or using "Restart in MS_DOS
Mode"? What you are doing isn't generally "supported" in Win98,
neither
starting Windows from DOS or using the shell32.dll method for turning
off Windows but remaining in DOS.

I have never had any problem starting Win98 from DOS--that works
just as it did for Win3.1. In addition to the above, I have several
reasons for maintaining that method, which boil down to versatility.
I
may realize I've forgotten to do something in Windows after I've shut
it
down, and if I'm back at the DOS prompt, Windows will restart faster
than
if I need to reboot completely. Or I may be able to do the forgotten
task
directly in DOS, without having to reboot and restart Windows. There
are
also certain maintenance tasks, such as cloning partitions with Ghost,
that I prefer to do from DOS to avoid possible issues with Windows
files
being in active use. And at least one command I occasionally use,
UNDELETE, can only be run in real-mode DOS, and it's better to run
that
before a reboot may have overwritten deleted files.

Restarting in MS-DOS mode is thus far the only workaround I've
found, and I'll make that my default exit mode if I don't find any
more
direct way to stop Windows from turning off the power after a normal
exit.
But I prefer to be able to exit Windows simply by entering my QUIT
macro
invoking RUNDLL32 at the command prompt. That is why I asked if there
was
a command-line equivalent of the GUI mouse-click "Restart in MS-DOS
Mode"
Start menu option.
--
--Donald Davis

[To respond by e-mail, remove "blackhole." from the address.]

"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...

There are
also certain maintenance tasks, such as cloning partitions with Ghost,
that I prefer to do from DOS to avoid possible issues with Windows files
being in active use.

Ghost is a DOS app although it has a few things you can do in Windows, one
of them being using Ghost Explorer to add a file to an image or extract a
file from an image. Yet AFAIK, DOS is the only place you can create and/or
clone an image. When you start Ghost in windows, select
backup/restore/clone, step thru the interactive user settings and then
select Ghost to run the operation. Ghost first warns you that it's about to
run, it will shut down any running apps if you did not do so and info may be
lost on those apps, This gives the user the chance to save/shutdown the apps
themselves, it then shuts down and boots to DOS to run the operation. Once
the operation is finished it reboots to Windows unless -fx is used in it's
command line which boots it back to DOS after operation completion.

--

Brian A.

Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

"Donald G. Davis" wrote in message
...
"Gary S. Terhune" writes:

Seems to me you could use a customized "Exit to DOS.pif" file instead
of
a macro to restart the system in DOS Mode. Just remember to use EXIT
command to restart Windows the way it was after a DOS session. If you
instead decide to shut down from DOS Mode, there's problems involved
in
shutting down a system directly while in that environment (or rather,
problems starting up again.) You would want to study what's done in
order to remove the WOS files and restore the originals. Probably
create
a BAT file to do those chores.

You *are* only talking about Windows 98 and earlier, right?

Yes, Win9x (98SE specifically). I had already tried turning off
the machine from the prompt reached by "Restart in MS-DOS mode," and
had
not seen any noticeable problems. I had apparently not configured it
in
the way that would create .WOS files--there are none on my system.

However, I was told in alt.msdos.batch of a far simpler solution
that prevents the normal Windows shutdown from turning off the power:
a
tiny TSR, NOOFF.COM (found at http://home.arcor.de/g.s/dostools.htm)
which
can be loaded in AUTOEXEC.BAT and uses a BIOS power-management call to
disable the undesired power-off. That seems the perfect solution for
me.

Yeah, that does sound like the best answer. The .WOS files disappear
when you return to Windows, and from my reading of the article, they
aren't created at all unless you "specify new" config files to be used.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm