• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Was the Tandy 1000HX MS-DOS disk really not bootable?

So, doing format /s on a real machine does make a boot disk? Interesting. That's a bug to report to PCem.
 
IMG_0286.jpg

Thats what I created with an HX, then just copied the files from the HX zip file over to it. I don't have the booting picture, but it booted fine.

Trixster, I'll just put the image inside the HX Zip if thats ok? I'll have to get my floppy emulator connected back up to image disk it so I can get it to you, dont want Windows getting ahold of the disk.
 
It worked... I just did it in the emulator.

I had no idea doing format remotely would work like that.

Thank you!

[edit]

Tibs said:
Make sure you change the disk after prompted on formatting

Code: 
C:
A:format b: /s
Click to expand...

Right there. I'm a little dense.

[edit 2] COPYDOS.BAT still doesn't work, even from C:. The script would have to be written differently for it to work, or first a boot copy needs to be manually made before the .BAT can automatise the process.

These is also now the real possibility that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I suppose there will still be a shadow of doubt until the original discs are properly dumped.
 
Last edited:
Try it after you make a working disk, it should work.

For all we know, they never had a bootable disk.
 
If anyone is interested, I have the original 1000 HX with original disks. Can I check something for you?
 
Yes, please dump disk images of all of the disks that came with the HX (preferably with ImageDisk) and then upload them via FTP to ftp.oldskool.org in the /incoming directory. I can update the tvdog Tandy 1000 archive with them.

The burning question is: Were the DOS disks bootable, or were they just disks full of files and the HX booted only off of the built-in ROM?
 
Trixter said:
The burning question is: Were the DOS disks bootable, or were they just disks full of files and the HX booted only off of the built-in ROM?
Click to expand...

My guess is that they must be bootable, because you don't want to mix-and-match old and new parts of DOS.
I've never had much luck with that with 'regular' DOS files (later DOSes had version checks inside their commands, and would report "Incorrect DOS version" if you tried to run on the wrong DOS).
So I don't think that Tandy is any different in that respect. Even at the lowest level (io.sys, msdos.sys, command.com), you'll want to use the correct version to avoid issues.
 
Trixter said:
Yes, please dump disk images of all of the disks that came with the HX (preferably with ImageDisk) and then upload them via FTP to ftp.oldskool.org in the /incoming directory. I can update the tvdog Tandy 1000 archive with them.

The burning question is: Were the DOS disks bootable, or were they just disks full of files and the HX booted only off of the built-in ROM?
Click to expand...

This may be a clue:

The Floppy Disk Drive uses double-sided, double-densitydiskettes to read, write, or store data. These are softsector diskettes. The Disk Drive assembly is installed inthe standard unit. All system programs, with the exception of the system startup sequence, are stored on disk.

ftp://ftp.mindcandydvd.com/pub/drivers/Tandy/Tandy_1000EX_Technical_Reference_Manual.pdf
 
Agent Orange said:
The Floppy Disk Drive uses double-sided, double-densitydiskettes to read, write, or store data. These are softsector diskettes. The Disk Drive assembly is installed inthe standard unit. All system programs, with the exception of the system startup sequence, are stored on disk.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see the confusion.
Yes, the original MS-DOS disks for a Tandy won't have to be bootable: they would match the ROM version in the machine.
But I thought we were talking about some DOS upgrade for a Tandy.
Either the disk has to be bootable in that case, or the disk would have to come with a replacement ROM, I suppose.
 
Please make sure that the disks are read-only before putting them in a computer with a modern version of Windows (xp and beyond).
 
I haven't messed with any of these oldies in ages, but I'll give it a go...remind me what position the little slider goes in for read-only!
 
My "working copy" of DOS system disk, which wa still stuck in the drive, contains no io.sys, command.com, or msdos.sys
 
Setup an old Win98 era machine last night, so I can image old disks, and other stuff under real DOS. Will image what I have. It's very hard to carry on a conversation here, as I am a noob, and it takes a couple days for my posts to clear moderation. How long does it normally take, before system stops kicking every post to mods?
 
Your tenth post should free you from preemptive moderation.

io.sys, msdos.sys and command.com should be hidden, but you probably already checked that.

Then that means there was no boot disk with that computer. Regardless, having images of the original disks would be great.

What does the label say? Maybe you can take pictures or scan you disks, if you have the means?
 
I have been gone a while. Much personal hell. I have not had a chance to mess with this, but I still intend to help out.
I think I was wrong about the system files on the disk. That was a working copy, but I do have the originals...somewhere... looking for the right disk storage box!

Mods, I'm gonna make some posts with the aim of getting past moderation limit. Hope that's ok. Really, I aint no spammmer. Lemme in!
 
I have forgotten so much since the DOS days. I can hardly function on the old machines any more. I recently dug out my IBM XT clone, and now I have my old Pentium 333 machine running so I can mess with old disks under DOS.
I will run a DIR/ah (correct?) and post listing of files on the original DOS system disk, when I can look up all the DOS cmds I need to do it!
 
Directory Listing all files on Tandy MS-DOS/GW -BASIC original disk. Ver 2.11.26
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\

IO.SYS MSDOS.SYS COMMAND.COM ANSI.SYS BASIC.EXE
BASICA.COM CHKDSK.COM CPANEL.COM DEBUG.COM DISKCOMP.COM
DISKCOPY.COM DISKTYPE.COM EDLIN.COM EXE2BIN.EXE FC.EXE
FIND.EXE FORMAT.COM GRAPHICS.COM KEYCNVRT.SYS LF.COM
LIB.EXE LINK.EXE LPDRVR.SYS LPINST.EXE LPSETUP.COM
MODE.EXE MORE.COM MOUSE.COM MOUSE.SYS ONEDISK.EXE
PATCH.COM PRINT.COM RECOVER.COM SETUPHX.COM SHIPTRAK.COM
SORT.EXE SPOOLER.COM SPOOLER.SYS SYS.COM TREE.COM
VDISK.SYS XCOPY.COM COPYDOS.BAT TEST.DOC
44 file(s) 363,346 bytes
0 dir(s) 347,136 bytes free
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top