MS-DOS 3.3
Posted by 31tempe@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 22 comments
Hi all
Just obtained a lovely Amstrad PPC640 (with case!!) but unfortunately no startup disc.
It needs an MS-DOS 3.3, 3.5" DD bootable system disc.
Where do I get such a thing??
Thanks
JasonMckin@reddit
Just asking for fun: what was the old DOS command to format a disk to boot? Was it just format a: /b or something?
I’m not sure why, I don’t remember ever making a 3.5 boot for my b: drive. Only 5.25s for a:.
Best of luck! Hope you can fire up some good GW-BASIC programming.
Vinylmaster3000@reddit
format a: /s, then copy over autoexec.bat and config.sys so that you can use that as a startup.
No idea what /b does
LSD_Ninja@reddit
/s was the switch for it to copy the system files iirc.
There was also a sys.com command that would do it after the fact, but that might have been a later addition (most of my DOS experience is with 5 and 6.2x)
bhiga@reddit
SYS existed since at least IBM DOS 2.1 and MS-DOS 3.3 but you couldn't always SYS a non-empty disk since the system files needed to be in a specific location.
Technical_Rich_3080@reddit
As far as I recall, MS-DOS and PC-DOS (IBM) were always a 1:1 equivalent. Only difference was branding. Until either version 6 (or so).
SpeedDaemon1969@reddit
And the SYS command was part of 86-DOS, so it was around before MS-DOS 1.0.
JasonMckin@reddit
Dang…never knew they enabled it post-format! Cool!
bhiga@reddit
SYS existed since at least IBM DOS 2.1 and MS-DOS 3.3 but you couldn't always SYS a non-empty disk since the system files needed to be in a specific location.
SpeedDaemon1969@reddit
FDISK /MBR makes a HDD bootable. FDISK can also be used to set the active partition. You'd still need to copy files to the drive to boot beyond the boot sector, though. That can be done with the SYS command, or by using the DOS installer.
Silent_Speaker_7519@reddit
Format a: Sys a:
JasonMckin@reddit
There’s a switch as others mentioned
Silent_Speaker_7519@reddit
Not on all versions of ibm/ms dos
JasonMckin@reddit
Format A: is regular formatting without copying boot files
jupe69@reddit
i believe it was format a: /s
ZarK-eh@reddit
i used a gotek (or clone, I donno) floppy drive emulator in my Micro8088 build. To install Compaq/Microsoft DOS 3.31. Skipped the physical approach altogether, though for fun and giggles maybe make some discs or eBay some
Low-Charge-8554@reddit
Check this? https://archive.org/details/amstrad_ppc_disks
https://banjosmods.wordpress.com/2019/01/
siliconlore@reddit
If you buy or get some blank or used disks and a USB floppy drive, you can download disk images and write them from a modern system. Archive.org should have what you need.
WingedGundark@reddit
Majority of new-ish USB floppy drives don't support DD (720kB) format. You need around mid to late 2000s model, later ones increasingly dropped the support.
siliconlore@reddit
Agreed - a Dell Pentium III from about 2000 is what I use to make floppies. The Coppermine systems before the great capacitor plague are very reliable.
mcds99@reddit
Take a look at this.
https://archive.org/search?query=DOS+3.3&tab=all
ifknot@reddit
https://winworldpc.com/download/8df4f2c1-b99a-11ea-8b14-fa163e9022f0
headshottrev@reddit
i have a boxed copy on ebay with 3.5 and 5.25
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267669780196