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Thread ID: 37871	2003-09-20 21:00:00	For Dos-heads. An autoexec.bat conundrum, but not life threatening...	Terry Porritt (14)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
176662	2003-09-20 21:00:00	I've gradually become aware that my autoexec.bat file (Win98SE OS) 'has a mind of its own' !!! When I installed a Triplex Ma-La-Zi sound card (never heard of it???? neither had I), a line was installed at the head of the autoexec.bat; SET BLASTER=A240 D0 T4 Nothing unusual about that, but I moved that line to below the command ; @ ECHO=OFF so that it would not appear on the screen as autoexec was being processed. I became aware that the SET command was appearing on the boot screen, and discovered the command was back at the top ot the autoexec file. Moving it back below the @ ECHO=OFF command is only temporary, at the next boot up it is moved back to the top again. The only way to keep it where I want it, is to make autoexec.bat a read only file. Now logic tells me that the sound card software is everytime somehow checking the autoexec.bat file at some stage in the start sequence after IO.sys and msdos.sys have been processed, and if it doesnt find the SET BLASTER at the top it puts it there and deletes or moves the existing SET command. This seems very strange, I cant find any sound card file that would do this, but..... Anyone come across this sort of thing before?	Terry Porritt (14)
176663	2003-09-20 21:41:00	I've noticed that with some settings I try to disable, that they come back. Even change them slightly and the software re-inserts itself in the right place. Not sure there is anything you can do to stop it without removing the driver. You could try making the autoexec.bat read only, I suppose. robo.	robo (205)
176664	2003-09-20 22:00:00	Robo's reply pretty much sums up what you can do at this point. Why not set it only when you want to run some 'legacy' stuff? Cheers T	Tom McB (832)
176665	2003-09-20 23:23:00	Terry, it's been a long time since I've used autoexec.bat with Win 9x, but I have a feeling it uses a variety of files, one for each different kind of boot-up. Perhaps you've edited one of them, but not the one that is run on the Win 98 boot? Just a thought. Mike.	Mike (15)
176666	2003-09-20 23:49:00	It's all very odd, but it doesnt do any harm. If I delete the SET BLASTER command it re-appears next boot up. Im sure it hasnt happened with other soundcard software, and why go to the trouble of writing software to do that? I'm sure Graham will have a suitable comment to make :)	Terry Porritt (14)
176667	2003-09-21 01:05:00	Is there an "autoexec.dos" file lerking on the hdd?	mark.p (383)
176668	2003-09-21 02:00:00	Yes Mark, there had been. It was made by the soundcard installation and only contained a dos driver installation program and a dos sound configuration program, but I had moved this sometime ago into a backup root files folder. So this isnt having any influence. As I said there is no real problem, just find it a bit of a puzzle.	Terry Porritt (14)
176669	2003-09-21 03:00:00	"mention the Devil's name and you wil hear the beating of his wings". "... why go to the trouble of writing software to do that?" Someone went to the trouble of writing Windows™. :D Maybe they got tired of getting user complaints of the nature; " I took out the SET BLASTER line because my card isn't a SoundBlaster, and it stopped working". It's odd that it actually moves the line. That shows commendable skill and determination. I've seen (installation code) that puts its lines at the start of the file, and comments out anything else referring to similar hardware (even its own hardware :D if it's being installed again for some reason.) If you've played with various pre-ASPI CD Roms, you'll have seen this syndrome.	Graham L (2)
176670	2003-09-21 04:31:00	I've run into programs that insert/modify the BLASTER line. But none have moved it. If it only happens when you boot into windows it will be the windows driver doing it. If it happens booting straingh into DOS look for something else sound related in config.sys/autoexec.bat, or even dosstart.bat. My guess is its happening because of lazy coding on their part. I assume it is easier for them to delete the old line and put a new one at the start. Rather than trying to insert it at the old place. It may even be getting replaced it at every boot. You could check this by leaving it at the top but changing the formatting slightly, eg extra spaces.	bmason (508)
176671	2003-09-21 05:46:00	You're absolutely correct Brett. If extra spaces are inserted into the SET command, then after the next boot they have gone, confirming that the SET command is deleted and re-written each time. I actually have a multi-configuration in config.sys/autoexec.bat to give a menu with the option to either start Dos or to start Windows. The SET command gets read first with either option.	Terry Porritt (14)
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