Installing OS on DOS PC
Earlier, many computer manufacturers like Compaq, Dell as well as assemblers would sell computers with the OS (usually Windows XP) pre installed . However, due to increased competition, many manufacturers are not supplying any licensed software with the low end models of the computers they sell.
The customers are expected to select and the install the operating system they want. Some customers may want to install a free Linux based OS and may not be willing to pay extra. Also the current OS offered by Microsoft, Windows Vista runs very slowly on computers who do not have sufficient memory. So many customers who purchase Windows Vista have to contact the customer support and request that the software be downgraded to Windows XP Pro.
Today many manufactured computers available in the market come with free DoS installed. No CD is provided, only single page instructions that the free Dos software can be obtained from freedos.org.
To install a new Operating System (OS), the following steps have to be taken after booting the PC from the CD drive:
- first delete the existing partition using D
- Use C to create a partition
- Specify the size of 1st partition
- Then specify next partition size
8 MB will always be reserved for system partition MB