Missing Dos file

[robfam]

I have been working of a friendsn laptop which would only boot up to CMOS. I got it past there, now a message comes up saying that the following file is missing or corrupted which is
COMMAND.COM How do I get this command back in? It suggested I type in C: WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM and I did this and it did not work! Please help!

[clauded]

reinstall windows over itself it is the best way i know to fix this up
clauded

[Ya_know]

If you have a proper Win9x boot disk, using the sys c: command has been known to fix this problem. It copies the appropriate boot files, including command.com to the drive specified. Be sure to use a disk that is for the same OS; w98 boot disks probably wont work well with w95 OS.

[robfam]

Thank you! It is Wind 98 and I do have a boot disk..now what do I do? The cpu stops at C: so do I just type in sys.C: from there or do I have to change to A: and then type in sys: C:? I would really appreciate it if you could tell me exactly what to type in. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!

[melee5]

The fact that you can boot to a C:\> prompt indicates that you in fact do have a valid command.com file and that it has loaded. What is more likely to be your problem is a fudged path statement. To find out what your machine thinks is the proper path statement, just type in 'set' without the quotes and press enter. Post here everything that gets listed when the set command is issued. Path statement should be C:\Windows;C:\Windows\Command - if it is not that exactly then that's probably the problem.

You can fix it by putting the below line into autoexec.bat file, make it the first line.

path C:\Windows;C:\Windows\Command

Msdos.sys can also become corrupted and cause the symptoms you describe, in particular the line

WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
likes to become
WinBootDir=0

which also fouls path up and causes himem.sys, win.com, and command.com to be reported as 'missing'. In the case of himem.sys, that message actually means that it didn't load so no Windows session is possible for this boot.

Let us know which or what it was.

[SFLcowboy]

since you can boot to c:\> i would recommend you ren autoexec.bat and config.sys
if this dose not work boot to the floppy and then at the a:\> type sys c:

Sincerly,
SFLcowboy

[robfam]

hi, this is to cowboy, thank you for your reply. I need to know what you mean by ren and what would I type in at the C: as it does boot to C: Thank you again.