Date:   10/28/2006 9:58:09 PM ( 18 y ago)
Hits:   2,084
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=762841

When I was working with DOS, I sometimes had a problem with DISKLINE (when the directory listing of a previously read floppy would continue to show instead of showing the dir. that is currently in the drive). The message on the screen said:

A:>Cannot read
Press A (abort), i (ignore), C (continue)

I don't remember the exact message, but it was similar. I just pressed IGNORE (who cares if the computer wanted a better command, I wanted it to ignore the problem). So I pressed ignore and sometimes the previous directory was purged from the cache immediately, sometimes I had to press the ignore key more than once, but the computer finally gave up resisting me after 6 presses.

If you're uding Windows 98, you can get into DOS by restarting in MS-DOS mode, the same in XP (I think you have to press F8, or is it F5?). If you'd rather not reboot, go into ACCESSORIES (from START) and click on C: COMMAND PROMPT (this is DOS). (In DOS, TYPE is the command to read a file, so I'll say press instead of TYPE to avoid confusion). The screen will first look like this:

C:\Document and Settings>
(you can do this right now while you're reading this)

Now press
A: or letter of floppy, then press the enter key (in DOS, after every command, you must press ENTER).
Now press DIR and press ENTER. Whatever files there are, you can use the TYPE command to read them (they won't have all the word processor formatting) because they are in ASCII code. If the name of the file you want to read is HENRY.WPS
the screen must show
A:\>TYPE henry.wps then press ENTER.
NOTE:if it is a long file that scrolls by, make the screen show like this:
A:\>TYPE henry.wps | more ENTER
(the vertical line is actually the uppercase symbol on the \ key).


If they can be read, you should be able to copy them to another file on your hard drive so that you could print them out later. The problem is that you are in DOS and your printer only works with a Windows driver. Anyway, the command to copy them to your hard drive requires that you first find/decide the folder on drive C: where you want to copy them to or you can make a separate one of whatever name.

If you want to copy them to a file that you can make that you will remember, choose a name (X-FILES, etc.), go back to C: drive (press C: ENTER
the screen will show

C:\Document and Settings>
this is the drive and directory you are in

press cd\ enter
now you are in the root directory of C:
press MD X-FILES ENTER
(this makes a directory on drive C: called X-FILES)
next, you want to open that directory in order to copy into it. Make sure you are in that directory, the screen should say:
C:\X-FILES
Now go back to the A: drive by pressing A: ENTER
the screen will show this:
A:\>
Now press COPY A:*.* C: (this is the command to copy to the present location/folder/directory on drive C:

the screen should look like this:
A:\>COPY A:*.* C:
Now press ENTER and they will copy to X-FILES of drive C:

It should work fine unless your Windows drivers haven't been corrupted.

If they have been corrupted, try this same operation by rebooting in DOS (Windows 98 allows restarting in DOS, XP might allow restarting in DOS by pressing F8 upon reboot.




Always leave a directory before removing a floppy or shuting down a machine.
example:
if the screen shows
C:\X-FILES>
press CD\ ENTER so that the screen shows
C:\> (this is the C: prompt for the root directory)
(the same with the A: drive).

These two sites may be helpful.


http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread9181.html

http://www.uncreativelabs.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7&sid=706b319c3d5660bd64...

 

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