Back in the days when floppy disks were still being commonly used, flashing your motherboard’s BIOS could only be done by booting the computer into DOS. When DOS is booted up on the computer, you’d probably have to switch to the floppy disk that contains the BIOS update file. Unlike today where updating a modern BIOS is far easier and convenient and you can update the BIOS directly from Windows using the software provided by the manufacturer, or simply put the BIOS file onto a USB flash drive and the inbuilt flashing tool inside the BIOS will recognize it.
If for some reason the software provided by the motherboard manufacturer is broken and you’re not able to update the BIOS from Windows, or your BIOS doesn’t actually support flashing from any other medium apart from a floppy drive and DOS, you can still do it from DOS by booting up the computer with a USB flash drive instead of a floppy which is far easier. The most popular and easiest ways are to simply install MS-DOS or FreeDOS onto the USB drive, copy over the required BIOS file and flashing utility from the manufacturer’s website, boot to USB and flash the BIOS from there.
Thankfully, there are tools around that can help you accomplish this with the minimum of effort, and not lead you through a huge multiple step process full of manual commands. Here are 5 such tools that will put either FreeDOS or MS-DOS onto a bootable USB flash drive allowing you to update the BIOS firmware from DOS but without a floppy drive.1. Rufus
It doesn’t cost anything to download and use FreeDOS. You can also share FreeDOS for others to enjoy! And you can view and edit our source code, because all FreeDOS programs are distributed under the GNU General Public License or a similar open source software license. Freedos live cd free download. Antivirus Live CD Antivirus Live CD is an official 4MLinux fork including the ClamAV scanner. 915 programs for 'freedos live cd' Sort By: Relevance. Relevance Most Popular. All partitions are mounted during the boot process so that they can be scanned by ClamAV. The Antivirus Live CD ISO images are fully. Problems with VirtualBox? If you get a scrolling list of “Invalid Opcode” errors when you boot the FreeDOS 1.2 installation CDROM, this is a bug in VirtualBox. Jul 17, 2017 How to Create Bootable FreeDOS USB Drive in Windows. Posted on July 17. It technically doesn’t make a live version. Hope u can understand. So is there a permanent fix for this. The place where you download the Usb version also contains the Cd. PXE/BINL - AN03: Non-Windows Network Boot/Install. How to start an automated network boot/install of a Non-Windows asset taking no more than 15 minutes and a ~3 MB download. FreeDOS OEM 1.0 DVD ISO [ Home. (you will be instructed which batch files to run when you boot the cd). Download Now. Fdoem.iso FreeDOS 1.0 OEM DVD ISO (1556MB, ) Download Now. Jfdoem10.zip FreeDOS 1.0 OEM DVD ISO source files (3845MB, ) Download Now. Jfdoemcd.zip FreeDOS 1.0 OEM CD ISO builder (559KB,.
Rufus is a small utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc. It’s also a useful tool to help install different versions of Windows via USB and can also check USB devices for errors. It is a small, single and self contained portable executable file and the user interface resembles the Format tool in Windows.
Rufus has the added bonus of giving you the choice of installing either FreeDOS or MS-DOS onto USB for BIOS flashing. Simply plug the USB flash drive into your computer, run Rufus, select the device that you want to install DOS onto, make sure the file system is FAT32, check there’s a tick next to “Create a bootable disk using:” and select either FreeDOS or MS-DOS from the drop down menu. Finally click the Start button. Rufus used to come with a separate version for FreeDOS support, but it’s now integrated as standard
Download Rufus
2. WinUSB Maker
WinUSB Maker is by Josh Cell Softwares who produce some very useful Windows tools such as Advanced Tokens Manager and WinOwnerShip, and this tool can install the setup files for Windows XP up to Windows 8 setup onto USB, install the GRUB loader onto USB, create a full backup and restore of USB devices, and also do what we’re looking for, install MS-DOS onto a USB stick.
Like the other tools, WinUSB Maker is a standalone tool (although it does require the .NET Framework version 4 to run), simply launch it after inserting the USB drive and select it from the drop down in the Welcome screen. Then click on MSDOS to USB down the left and click the “Make USB Bootable” button, and accept the data will be lost warning. After a few seconds, you’ll have a DOS USB ready for the BIOS files.
Download WinUSB Maker
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On UEFI motherboards, to boot into FreeDOS, you need to activate the Compatibility Support Module (CSM), which enabled BIOS features in UEFI. Also, in Secure Boot options, select “Other OS”.
If you installed Windows while in UEFI mode, don’t forget to revert the aforementioned UEFI settings back, before you reboot into Windows, to prevent unpredictable problems.
ReplyDoesn’t look like any of these can format the USB drive to pretend to be the A: drive. That’s a requirement on some systems like certain thin clients. If you boot from USB with a device that assumes the C: drive, they won’t allow anything to touch their internal storage. That’s usually an IDE (2.5″ connector) or SATA Disk On Module. A DOM is like a SSD but generally made with chips not meant to be written to umpty-thousand times.
ReplyIt works all over my computer. Thanks Ray.
ReplyLeave a Reply
Developer | Jim Hall & The FreeDOS team |
---|---|
Written in | Assembly Language, C[1] |
OS family | DOS |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Open source software[2] |
Initial release | 12 January 1998; 21 years ago |
Latest release | 1.2 / 25 December 2016; 2 years ago[3] |
Latest preview | 1.3 RC1 / February 2019; 4 months ago[3] |
Available in | English, German, Dutch |
Platforms | x86 |
Kernel type | Monolithic kernel[4] |
Default user interface | DOS command line interface |
License | GPL[5] with various different licenses for utilities |
Official website | www.freedos.org |
FreeDOS (formerly Free-DOS and PD-DOS) is a free operating system for IBM PC compatible computers. It intends to provide a complete DOS-compatible environment for running legacy software and supporting embedded systems.[6]
FreeDOS can be booted from a floppy disk or USB flash drive.[7][8] It is designed to run well under virtualization or x86 emulation.[9]
Unlike MS-DOS, FreeDOS is composed of free and open-source software, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.[5][need quotation to verify] Therefore, its base distribution does not require license fees or royalties and creation of custom distributions is permitted. However, other packages which form part of the FreeDOS project include non-GPL software considered worth preserving, such as 4DOS, which is distributed under a modified MIT License.[10]
- 2Distribution
- 3Compatibility
History[edit]
The FreeDOS project began 29 June 1994, after Microsoft announced it would no longer sell or support MS-DOS. Jim Hall who at the time was a student[11] posted a manifesto proposing the development of PD-DOS, a publicdomain version of DOS.[12] Within a few weeks, other programmers including Pat Villani and Tim Norman joined the project. Between them, a kernel (by Villani), the COMMAND.COM command line interpreter (by Villani and Norman), and core utilities (by Hall) were created by pooling code they had written or found available.[13][14] For some while, the project was maintained by Morgan 'Hannibal' Toal. There have been many official pre-release distributions of FreeDOS before the final FreeDOS 1.0 distribution.[3] GNU/DOS, an unofficial distribution of FreeDOS, was discontinued after version 1.0 was released.[15][16]
Distribution[edit]
FreeDOS 1.1, released on 2 January 2012,[17] is available for download as a CD-ROM image: a limited install disc that only contains the kernel and basic applications, and a full disc that contains many more applications (games, networking, development, etc.), not available as of November 2011 but with a newer, fuller 1.2.[18] The legacy version 1.0 (2006) consisted of two CDs, one of which was an 8MB install CD targeted at regular users and the other which was a larger 49MB live CD that also held the source code of the project.[18]
Commercial uses[edit]
FreeDOS is used by several companies:
- Dell preloaded FreeDOS with their n-series desktops to reduce their cost. The firm has been criticized for making these machines no cheaper, and harder to buy, than identical systems with Windows.[19]
- HP provided FreeDOS as an option in its dc5750 desktops, Mini 5101 netbooks and Probook laptops.[20][21][22] FreeDOS is also used as bootable media for updating the BIOS firmware in HP systems.[23]
- FreeDOS is included by Steve Gibson's hard drive maintenance and recovery program, SpinRite.[24]
- Intel's Solid-State Drive Firmware Update Tool loads the FreeDOS kernel.[25]
Non-commercial uses[edit]
Bootable Freedos Iso
FreeDOS is also used in multiple independent projects:
- FED-UP is the Floppy Enhanced DivX Universal Player.[26]
- FUZOMA is a FreeDOS-based distribution that can boot from a floppy disk and converts older computers into educational tools for children.[27]
- XFDOS is a FreeDOS-based distribution with a GUI, porting Nano-X and FLTK[28][29][30][31]
Compatibility[edit]
Version | Status | Codename | Date |
---|---|---|---|
0.01 | ALPHA | None | 16 September 1994 |
0.02 | ALPHA | None | December 1994 |
0.03 | ALPHA | None | January 1995 |
0.04 | ALPHA | None | June 1995 |
0.05 | ALPHA | None | 10 August 1996 |
0.06 | ALPHA | None | November 1997 |
0.1 | BETA | Orlando | 25 March 1998 |
0.2 | BETA | Marvin | 28 October 1998 |
0.3 | BETA | Ventura | 21 April 1999 |
0.4 | BETA | Lemur | 9 April 2000 |
0.5 | BETA | Lara | 10 August 2000 |
0.6 | BETA | Midnite | 18 March 2001 |
0.7 | BETA | Spears | 7 September 2001 |
0.8 | BETA | Nikita | 7 April 2002 |
0.9 | BETA | None | 28 September 2004 |
1.0 | FINAL | None | 3 September 2006 |
1.1 | FINAL | None | 2 January 2012 |
1.2 | FINAL | None | 25 December 2016 |
Hardware[edit]
FreeDOS itself requires a PC/XT machine with at least 640 KB of memory.[34] Programs not bundled with FreeDOS often require additional system resources.
MS-DOS and Win32 console[edit]
FreeDOS is mostly compatible with MS-DOS. It supports COM executables, standard DOS executables and Borland's 16-bit DPMI executables. It is also possible to run 32-bit DPMI executables using DOS extenders. The operating system has several improvements relative to MS-DOS, mostly involving support of newer standards and technologies that did not exist when Microsoft ended support for MS-DOS, such as internationalization, or the Advanced Power Management TSRs.[35] Furthermore, with use of HX DOS Extender, many Win32 console applications function properly in FreeDOS, as do some rare GUI programs, like QEMM and Bochs.[36]
DOS-based Windows[edit]
FreeDOS is able to run Microsoft Windows 1.0 and 2.0 releases. Windows 3.x releases, which had support for i386 processors, can not fully be run in 386 Enhanced Mode[37] except partially in experimental FreeDOS kernel 2037.[citation needed]
Problems running Windows result from Microsoft's efforts to prevent their products running on non-Microsoft DOS implementations.[38]
Windows 95, 98 and ME use a stripped down version of MS-DOS. FreeDOS cannot be used as a replacement because of undocumented interfaces between MS-DOS 7.0-8.0 and Windows '4.xx' not emulated by FreeDOS; however, it can be installed and used beside these systems using a boot manager program, such as BOOTMGR or METAKERN included with FreeDOS.[citation needed]
Windows NT and ReactOS[edit]
Windows NT-based operating systems, including Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7 for desktops, and Windows Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2 for servers, do not make use of MS-DOS as a core component of the system. These systems can make use of the FAT file systems, which are used by MS-DOS and earlier versions of Windows; however, they typically use the NTFS (New Technology File System) by default for security and other reasons. FreeDOS can co-exist on these systems on a separate partition or on the same partition on FAT systems. The FreeDOS kernel can be booted by adding it to the Windows 2000 or XP's NT Boot Loader configuration file, boot.ini,[39] or freeldr.ini equivalent for ReactOS.[40]
File systems[edit]
FAT32 is fully supported and is the preferred format for the boot drive.[41] Depending on the BIOS used, up to four LBA (Logical block addressing) hard disks up to 128 GB, or 2 TB, in size are supported.[42] There has been little testing with large disks, and some BIOSes support LBA but produce errors on disks larger than 32 GB; a driver such as OnTrack or EZ-Drive resolves this problem.[citation needed] FreeDOS can also be used with a driver named LFNDOS to enable support for Windows 95-style long file names,[43] but most old programs before Win95 do not support LFNs even with driver loaded unless they have been recompiled. There is no planned support for NTFS, ext2 or exFAT, but there are several external third-party drivers available for that purpose. To access ext2fs, LTOOLS (counterpart to Mtools) can sometimes be used to copy data to and from ext2fs drives.[citation needed]
Mascot[edit]
Freedos Boot Iso
Blinky the Fish is the mascot of FreeDOS. He was designed by Bas Snabilie.[44]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'FreeDOS Spec'. FreeDOS Wiki. Freedos. 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^SourceForge 2018, p. 1: 'FreeDOS is […] distributed under the GNU General Public License or a similar open source software license.'
- ^ abcd'FreeDOS History'. Freedos.org. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^Villani, Pat (1996). FreeDOS Kernel. Emeryville, CA, USA: Miller Freeman. ISBN0-87930-436-7.
- ^ abSourceForge 2018.
- ^'Main Page'. FreeDOS Wiki. The FreeDOS Project. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^Franske, Ben (2007-08-21). 'Booting DOS from a USB flash drive'. Archived from the original on 2010-02-18. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^'How to Create a Bootable FreeDOS Floppy Disk'. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^Gallagher, Sean (2014-07-14). 'Though 'barely an operating system,' DOS still matters (to some people)'. ArsTechnica. Condé Nast. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
But FreeDOS has become much more friendly to virtualization and hardware emulation—it's even the heart of the DOSEMU emulator
- ^'4DOS'. FreeDOS. The FreeDOS Project. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
- ^Hall, Jim interviewed on the TV show FLOSS weekly on the TWiT.tv network
- ^Hall, Jim (1994-06-29). 'PD-DOS project *announcement*'. Newsgroup: comp.os.msdos.apps. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^Hall, Jim (2002-03-25). 'The past, present, and future of the FreeDOS Project'. LinuxGizmos.com. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^Hall, Jim (2006-09-23). 'About'. FreeDOS. The FreeDOS Project. Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
- ^Adams, David. 'Introducing GNU/DOS 2005'. OSNews. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^Marinof, Mihai. 'GNU/DOS Project Discontinued'. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^Hall, Jim (2012-01-02). 'Announcement on official FreeDOS homepage'. SourceForge. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
- ^ ab'FreeDOS 1.0'. FreeDOS.org. The FreeDOS Project. Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
- ^Vance, Ashlee. 'How Dell repels attempts to buy its 'open source' PC'. The Register. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
- ^'HP Compaq dc5750 Business PC'. Hewlett-Packard. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^'First Look at HP's Low-Cost ProBook Laptop Lineup'. EWeek. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^McCracken, Harry (2009-06-23). 'HP's Mini 5101: Netbook Deluxe, With All the Trimmings'. Technologizer. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^'FreeDOS Bootable Media'. Hewlett-Packard. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
- ^Goldstein, Leon A. (2004-07-19). 'SpinRite 6.0 for Linux Users'. Linux Journal. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^'Intel SATA Solid-State Drive Firmware Update Tool'. Intel. Archived from the original on 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^'Floppy Enhanced DivX Universal Player'. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- ^'FUZOMA Educational Software'. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- ^kraileth. 'An extraordinary TK example! | eerielinux'. Eerielinux.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^kraileth (2014-12-30). 'An interview with the Nanolinux developer | eerielinux'. Eerielinux.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^'Artificial Intelligence Methods'. Web.archive.org. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^'Georg's Personal Homepage'. Georgpotthast.de. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^'FreeDOS software package comparison'. Ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^Hall, Jim (2007-10-02). 'Removing old distributions from ibiblio' (Mailing list). freedos-devel. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ^Lowe, Scott (2003-07-22). 'Configure IT Quick: Use FreeDOS as a replacement for MS-DOS'. TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^Broersma, Matthew (2006-09-04). 'DOS lives! Open source reinvents past'. Techworld. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02.
- ^Grech, Andreas. 'HX DOS Extender'. Archived from the original on 2014-10-03.
- ^Santamaria-Merino, Aitor (2014-09-03). 'Windows on FreeDOS?'. FreeDOS. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^Lea, Graham (2000-01-13). 'Caldera vs Microsoft - the settlement'. BBC News. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^Herbert, Marc (2004-10-01). 'Install FreeDOS without any CD, floppy, USB-key, nor any other removable media'. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^'FreeLoader - ReactOS Wiki'. reactos.org. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^Hilpert, Dominik (2015-05-07). 'Creating a Bootable DOS USB Stick'. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^Mueller, Scott (2013-03-22). Upgrading and Repairing PCs (21st ed.). Que Publishing.
- ^Gallagher, Sean (2014-07-03). 'Old school: I work in DOS for an entire day'. ArsTechnica. Condé Nast. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^http://www.freedos.org/press-kit/logos.html
Sources[edit]
- SourceForge (2018-09-14), The FreeDOS Project, Slashdot Media
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to FreeDOS. |
- Official website
- FreeDOS on SourceForge.net
- Install FreeDOS without any removable media.