• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Compaq msdos 3.31

G

genocho

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
63
I´m looking for this version of msdos.

Is the only 3.3x version that can reach the 32mb partition barrier limitation of this os.

Any idea where can get it, for try it???

Regards.
 
It's floating around out there, but if you're running a 286 or higher there are much better DOSes to run, like Caldera 7.03 or PC DOS 2000.

If you have an 8086 and want drives larger than 32M, then yes, Compaq 3.31 is the lowest memory-footprint DOS to run.
 
The machine is a 8088, and yes, is for obtain the max convetional memory 604kb with msdos 3.30 and can use >32mb hardrives.

Any idea where to get it compaq msdos 3.31 ?

Regards.
 
genocho said:
The machine is a 8088, and yes, is for obtain the max convetional memory 604kb with msdos 3.30 and can use >32mb hardrives.

Any idea where to get it compaq msdos 3.31 ?

Regards.
Click to expand...

Didn't some Leading Edge 8088 PC's have that capability too? I'm thinking my old Model D had 640k and a 40MB HDD. It's also possible my memory is sketchy.
 
Back on topic, I found a copy of compaq DOS 3.31. I have not tried writing the disks, but I did send a PM to the original poster.
 
kb2syd said:
Back on topic, I found a copy of compaq DOS 3.31. I have not tried writing the disks, but I did send a PM to the original poster.
Click to expand...
----
Yeah, sorry for the OT but he started it ;-)

Let me know if you take care of it so I can take it off my 'looking for' list; TIA.

m
 
I emailed the images to him. The accompanying text was dutch, but I think the DOS was in US English. The lables were.
 
I have MS-DOS 3.31. Yes it does break the 32 meg. hard drive barrier (I believe it goes up to 512 MB). It definitely uses less RAM on an 8088 than a later version of DOS (4x, 5x, any version of DR-DOS, etc.) and still lets you have a (relatively) big HD.

When you're running an 8088 you want to conserve as much RAM as possible!

As I recall, it uses 1K more RAM than MS-DOS 3.30.

PM me for more details.
 
I have the original compaq portable disks imaged. DOS boot, DOS operating I & II, and the "FASTART" disk. I could upload them to my website if anyone else wants them. They're in whatever format the "dd if=/dev/floppy of=image.img" command in linux would give me. Not sure what that would equate to in windows.

edit: http://phider.us.to/compaq.zip
 
..Empty? I must have done something wrong. I'm not used to using the zip utility, I usually use tar... Maybe I need the -R switch or something. *tries again*

edit: Fixed it.
 
More about Compaq DOS 3.31

More about Compaq DOS 3.31

Here is a bit more info about Compaq DOS 3.31 that most people don't know. This is another reason why it is the best version of DOS for old 808x computers.

By the time DOS 4.0 came around, many of the old DOS 1 and 2 software interrupts were removed. This broke compatibility for many early programs (see Ralf Brown's Interrupt List for more details).

Now if we had "rev G" available for DOS 3.31, that would be perfect.

Thanks for the ZIP!

mycall
 
per said:
Should one of the disk images be 144Kb in size? What format is that?
Click to expand...
Just guessing, but..

Minmal boot with:
COMMAND.COM
AUTOEXE.CBAT
CONFIG .SYS
FASTART.EXE
EXTDISK.SYS
FASTART

Most disk image programs have built in compression for redundant information.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top