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Thread ID: 46478	2004-06-25 00:41:00	Format options.	Milkbottle (3454)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
247482	2004-06-25 00:41:00	Hi there, Can anyone advise in plain language what the dos command "/s" means when used with format. I understand it saves the "systems files", but when reformatting what is the benefit of using this command instead of just plain format C: What system files are saved eg drivers, config, etc?	Milkbottle (3454)
247483	2004-06-25 00:54:00	I am sure that it makes the drive bootable again. J :D	Jester (13)
247484	2004-06-25 01:00:00	From home.att.net DOS comes equipped with a number of very powerful utilities for analyzing and repairing harware problems. If your Graphic User Interface operating system will not open or boot, you may use these utilities to find and fix the problem. For formatting floppy disks: At the C:\WINDOWS> or C:> prompt type FORMAT A:/S This command will format the disk in the A:\ drive with a copy of the operating system. The switch /S specifies that the operating system should be added. FORMAT A: would just format this disk as a blank disk that files could be saved on. Now, type in DIR A: at the DOS prompt or click on the floppy drive icon in "My Computer" The following files should now be on the disk: msdos.sys scandisk.ini sys.com scandisk.exe format.com command.com chkdsk.exe attrib.exe drivespace.bin debug.exe config.sys himem.sys edit.com ebd.sys fdisk.exe regedit.exe scanundo.dat io.sys They may not all be there or there may be more, depending on the DOS version. The most important files are io.sys, himem.sys, msdos.sys, command.com, sys.com, edit.exe, regedit.exe, and scandisk. With these programs you can work on a dead computer, as long as it has a working floppy drive. With the disk still in the drive, power down your PC and reboot it. The PC will now boot to the flopy disk with the A:\> as your prompt. It would probably be similar for formatting a hard drive - giving you access to the tools.	Fire-and-Ice (3910)
247485	2004-06-25 04:51:00	Ahem. All those files on a floppy? Not with a format /s. :D That's a recovery floppy. With a normal floppy you want to put some of your own files on it. That lot makes it useless for anything but a Winodws recovery disk. Format /s should put: a "boot sector", which makes it bootable; two hidden files (MSDOS.SYS and IO.SYS) and one visible one: COMMAND.COM, which is the DOS "system", which provides the standard builtin commands. That is a minimal DOS system. You can't do much with it, but ... there's room for you. You can put a test protgramme on it, for example. Etc. ;-)	Graham L (2)
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