
                               QUIT2DOS
        Return to the C:\ prompt when exiting from Windows 95 

               A free utility from Bardon Data Systems
                        http://www.bardon.com

CONTENTS

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. HOW TO USE QUIT2DOS
  3. WHAT QUIT2DOS DOES, EXACTLY
  4. BOOTING TO "SAFE MODE"
  5. BOOTING TO DOS
  6. HOW TO SET THINGS BACK THE WAY THEY WERE
  7. ABOUT BARDON DATA SYSTEMS
  8. LEGAL STUFF
  9. REVISION HISTORY
	

1. INTRODUCTION

Windows 95 is excellent, no doubt about it.  It includes many undeniable 
improvements over Windows 3.  However, its many improvements do not 
include the elimination of DOS.  This is not a weakness in Win95, but 
rather a useful design consideration.  By retaining DOS, Windows 95 
attains a level of backwards compatibility that is nothing short of 
incredible.  Microsoft's system designers should be very proud of this 
almost magical feature.

They don't seem to be.  They have set up Win95 to hide as many traces of 
DOS7 as possible.  It's as if they don't want you to know it's there.  

But it is.  When you start Windows 95, you are actually first booting 
DOS7.  A big "booting" difference between DOS7+Win95 versus DOS6+Win3 is 
this: by default when you boot DOS7, after it loads any config.sys and/or 
autoexec.bat, DOS7 automatically runs the command "win" ...  yes, the same 
command you used to type yourself to run Windows 3.x from DOS6.  

Later, when you exit from Windows 95, there's another bit of magic which 
(in the default setup) prevents the C:\ prompt from being displayed.  
Remember, you have exited from Win95, just like you used to exit from 
Win3.  In both cases, you're back in DOS.  So where's the DOS7 prompt?  

It's under the screen that says "It's now safe to turn off your computer", 
that's where.  It's the same old DOS prompt as before.  You can get to it, 
but it takes a bit of doing.  

QUIT2DOS is designed to do it all for you.  When you run QUIT2DOS from 
Windows 95, it sets a switch to allow you to boot manually.  Then it adds 
a "win" command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to run Windows 95 automatically 
at startup.  Now I can hear you wondering, "why make it boot manually, and 
then re-make it automatic again?"  You're right, it makes little difference 
at startup.  The difference comes when you shut down Win95, because by doing 
it this way you regain the option of running the C:\ prompt after exiting 
from Win95.  

After running QUIT2DOS (and rebooting your system, once, to set everything 
up), then when you exit from Win95 you can type MODE CO80 at the "safe to 
turn off your computer" screen, and voila!  There's the C:\ prompt.  Note 
that you lose nothing by using this option; it's still "safe to turn off 
your computer" at that screen.  MODE CO80 simply sets your screen back into 
80-column color mode, clearing the "safe" bitmap from your screen in the 
process.  



2. HOW TO USE QUIT2DOS

Run QUIT2DOS.EXE from Windows 95.  It'll do everything automatically.

All three QUIT2DOS files (QUIT2DOS.EXE, QUIT2DOS.BMP and QUIT2DOS.TXT) 
need to be in the same directory.  After running QUIT2DOS, reboot your 
system.  Beginning with that reboot, whenever you exit from Win95 you
can get back to the DOS prompt if you want.

[Note: some laptops are configured to actually power down the computer 
when exiting from Windows 95.  QUIT2DOS does not interfere with this 
behavior, so it will be of little use for owners of computers configured 
in this way.  To use QUIT2DOS with such a computer, you must first 
reconfigure the machine so it doesn't turn off the power when you exit 
from Win95.]

QUIT2DOS also makes it easier to boot to the DOS prompt when you start 
your computer.  To do this, answer N to the "Start Windows 95 GUI" prompt 
that appears at bootup (see below).  



3. WHAT QUIT2DOS DOES, EXACTLY

Specifically, here's what QUIT2DOS does.

First, it sets the BootGUI flag in your MSDOS.SYS file to 0, so DOS7 won't 
automatically run Windows.  

Next, it replaces the "safe to turn off your computer" bitmap that Win95 
displays at exit.  This file is in your Windows directory, and is called 
LOGOS.SYS although it is actually a BMP file, not a SYS file.  The 
"replacement" bitmap includes instructions on how to get back to the DOS 
prompt by typing MODE CO80 as described above.  Once you're at the DOS 
prompt you can type "win" at any time to restart Windows 95.  

Finally, it adds the command WIN, with a CHOICE test around it, at the end 
of your autoexec.bat file.  It'll create an autoexec.bat for you if you 
don't have one.  Here are the lines that QUIT2DOS will add at the end of 
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: 

  REM next four lines added by QUIT2DOS 
  choice /C:YN /TY,5 Start Windows 95 GUI 
  if errorlevel 2 goto Q2Dskipwin95
  win
  :Q2Dskipwin95

CHOICE is a DOS7 built-in command (like IF, ECHO, PAUSE, REM, etc) that 
displays a text prompt, then sets the DOS errorlevel to indicate your 
response.  The /C switch lists valid responses (in this case, Y or N).  
The /T switch sets the default response (in this case, Y) and the amount 
of time that CHOICE will wait before using it (in this case, 5 seconds).  
So, with this in place, you'll see this prompt when you boot: 

  Start Windows 95 GUI [Y,N]?

If you hit N within five seconds you'll get the DOS7 command prompt.  If you 
hit Y (or do nothing for five seconds) you'll start Windows 95.



4. BOOTING TO "SAFE MODE"

Occasionally you may need to start your computer in "safe mode." To do 
this in standard-issue Win95, you hold down the F8 key while booting, and 
when the menu appears, you choose Safe Mode.  Normally, the system then 
starts Windows 95 in "safe mode." But QUIT2DOS sets up your system so it 
doesn't automatically start Windows 95.  QUIT2DOS compensates for doing 
this by adding a call to "win" at the end of your AUTOEXEC.BAT, but in 
"safe mode" the system doesn't run your AUTOEXEC.BAT at startup.  
Consequently, when you select Safe Mode from the menu, you wind up at the 
command prompt.  Not to worry.  Just type WIN at the prompt and hit Enter.  
You'll start Windows 95 in "safe mode." 



5. BOOTING TO DOS

Occasionally you may want to start your system at the DOS7 prompt instead 
of going right into Windows 95.  QUIT2DOS makes it much easier to do this.

In standard-issue Win95, if you wanted to boot to DOS7 at startup, you'd 
hold down the F8 key while booting, and when the menu appears you'd choose 
Command Prompt Only.  But after installing QUIT2DOS, there's a better way.  
Just boot your system as usual, and look for the prompt: 

  Start Windows 95 GUI [Y,N]?

If you hit N within five seconds you'll get the DOS7 command prompt.  Much 
easier than going through the F8 menu.  

[Note: if you want to ALWAYS start at the DOS7 prompt, simply remove the 
WIN call which QUIT2DOS added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  You'll boot to 
DOS7.  When you want to run Windows 95, type WIN and hit Enter.] 



6. HOW TO SET THINGS BACK THE WAY THEY WERE

To undo the QUIT2DOS changes, you need to replace the "safe to turn off" 
bitmap, change a flag in MSDOS.SYS, and remove five lines (including the 
"win" call) in your AUTOEXEC.BAT.  

1) The original "safe to turn off" bitmap was saved in your Windows directory 
as LOGOS0.SYS.  Delete the replacement LOGOS.SYS and rename LOGOS0.SYS back 
to LOGOS.SYS.

2) Use Notepad or any text editor to edit MSDOS.SYS (it's in your boot-drive 
root directory) and set its BootGUI flag to 1.  MSDOS.SYS may be set as read-
only; if so, right-click on the file in Explorer to change its Properties,
and un-check the "Read-only" box.  Then you can edit the file.

3) Edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (also in your boot-drive root directory) 
and remove the five lines added by QUIT2DOS:

  REM next four lines added by QUIT2DOS 
  choice /C:YN /TY,5 Start Windows 95 GUI 
  if errorlevel 2 goto Q2Dskipwin95
  win
  :Q2Dskipwin95

They're at the bottom of the file.  As you can see, there's a REM with the 
lines so you can tell which ones they are.  
  


7. ABOUT BARDON DATA SYSTEMS

Bardon Data Systems makes software for all versions of Windows.  Products 
include power-user tools, an entertainment/humor series, a "parental control" 
security access oversight application, fax enhancement software, and more.  
Drop by the Bardon home page (http://www.bardon.com) and take a look.  Bet 
you find something you like.  There are free gifts there too (such as 
QUIT2DOS), our "thank you" for stopping by.  



8. LEGAL STUFF

QUIT2DOS is Copyright 1996 Barry Smiler, Bardon Data Systems.  No fee is 
required for its use. It can be freely distributed through any channel,   
including online services, BBSs, Internet sites, CD-ROMs, vendor offerings, 
book/disk sets, or in any other way, as long as all QUIT2DOS files are 
included unchanged as supplied in this package.

QUIT2DOS is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either 
expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of 
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.  In no event shall 
Barry Smiler or Bardon Data Systems be liable for any damages whatsoever 
including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business 
profits or special damages, even if the author has been advised of the 
possibility of such damages.  



9. REVISION HISTORY

QUIT2DOS 1.1 released July 20 1996

   QUIT2DOS now surrounds the WIN call with a CHOICE command, making it
   easier to boot to the command prompt if necessary.

QUIT2DOS 1.0 released April 25 1996


Bardon Data Systems
1023 Key Route Blvd.
Albany CA 94706 USA
(510) 526-8470
72340.375@compuserve.com
info@bardon.com
http://www.bardon.com
