From: John Tserkezis 
Reply-To: Fidonet AVtech Echo 

Bob Lawrence wrote:
> WARNING **********  ON TOPIC QUESTION  ********** WARNING

  Close, but it would be advisable to place the ON TOPIC statement within the 
subject as well.  Some (such as myself) can see these instantly, and just 
ignore the message.
  However, in this case, I'm forced to read it and reply.  You bastard.

> Hi all,
>        I hate to ask an on-topic, but I need your help.
> 
>  I run three Operating Systems on this computer: DOS6.22-Win311,
> DOS7-Win98, and Linux. Linux never causes any problems, but
> occasionally, Win98 writes a long file name into my DOS6 FAT file
> system where I run Win311.
> 
>  I usually fix it in Win98, but yesterday I ran SCANDISK under DOS6
> and it gave a message "You are using a beta version of DOS6, upgrade
> to an official release."

  Not sure where the "you are using a beta" message is coming from, I'm 
guessing the application, (scandisk), but it might be using something in the 
OS, but you've already checked in those.  It's not windows is it?

>  Now, as it happens, I do *not* run a beta release of DOS6. It's
> actually DOS6.22 (the one with the disc-compression thaty Gates
> stole), and I *bought* the bloody thing!

  Yeah but.  There are lots of versions like that around.  You don't know it's 
a beta till you try to "upgrade", and the new "correct"
release recognises it 
as one. It's all bullshit to get you to spend more money (or not run betas).

>  I am confused. Defrag works okay... it's just scandisk.

  Scandisk checks for more anomolies than defrag.  In fact, defrag *relys* on 
scandisk to run first, and you risk corruption if you don't run them in that 
order...  Let's just say the errorchecking within defrag is "minimal".

>  The *difference* must be in the computer bios! When I boot from
> floppy, anything on the hard drive is not involved, it must be in the
> BIOS. Whatever is misidentifying an illegal DOS version is only in the
> new computer. Bloody Microsoft has built somethign norty into my
> computer! And stuffed it! Typical M$... they never get it right.

  Nah, Little or nothing of the bios routines are used anymore.  Just about 
everything has been re-written and replaced by your OS.

>  I just hunted up my original DOS6 (it's on 5" floppies), and it
> seems there was a real history with this bloody thing. There were were
> *two* free upgrades (DOS6.2 and DOS6.22) because Gates was caught out
> stealing someone else's compression algorithm, and I vaguely remember 
> deciding to use 6.22 in order to be safe. 

  Dunno about 'free', but there were THREE.  6.2, 6.21 & 6.22.  6.2 was 
released, whoever complained about their using copywrited disk compression 
routines, 6.21 was then released (as an interim) WITHOUT any compressor, then 
came 6.22, which has their own compressor (or, at least no-one has proved it 
belongs to anyone else anyway).  This is also noticable with the name change of 
the compression app. (can't remember the exact names)
  Though I don't know for sure, I'm sure they made minor changes in other areas 
as well.

-- 
       -o)
       /\\    Message void if penguin violated
      _\_V    Don't mess with the penguin

Linux Registered User # 302622                         http://counter.li.org>
Fido: 3:712/610  BBS/FAX: +61-2-9716-8310  Internet: jt{at}techniciansyndrome.org

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