Software Information

FreeDOS


Before September 1995, Microsoft Windows was an MS-DOS program. DOS was an easy to use command line operating system that provided you with complete ability to control and troubleshoot your computer. Microsoft's goal was to eliminate DOS, possibly to prevent you from having complete control of your own computer.

The last stand-alone version of MS-DOS was version 6. Unfortunately, that version is not Y2K compliant. Windows 95 and later came with MS-DOS version 7. Unfortunately, that version is too integrated with the operating system. It will not work without access to your hard disk.

FreeDOS is a PC compatible Y2K compliant DOS that you can download from www.freedos.org. FreeDOS fits on a single floppy disk and can be used to boot your computer. Download and unzip the file odin7bin.zip (756KB). Unziping will create the files diskcopy.exe and fdodin07.144. Put a blank formatted floppy disk in the drive. In the Start | Run dialog box, or at a command prompt type "diskcopy fdodin07.144 a:" to create a bootable FreeDOS floppy disk.

Why would you want to boot your computer with DOS? Maybe you want to use Windows XP without product activation.

First make sure that the BIOS boot sequence on your computer is configured with the floppy drive as the first boot device (or at least before the C: drive). To get to the BIOS configuration screen, press the "Delete" or "F2" key (depending upon your BIOS) while your computer is starting.

Insert the FreeDOS floppy disk in the floppy drive and start the computer. At the A:>_ prompt type DATE. FreeDOS will return your computer's current date, along with a prompt to enter a new date. Enter the date that you installed Windows XP (or at least a date before the 30 day expiration date). Remove the FreeDOS floppy disk and restart your computer.

Note: This will only work if Windows XP has never been started after the 30 day expiration date. The first time Windows XP is started after the 30 day expiration date will be the last time it starts.

Every time you start your computer, start it first with FreeDOS and reset the computer's date to the date that you installed Windows XP. Windows XP will think time has come to a standstill.

Note: Of course, Your file creation and last modified dates will not be correct, so this is not really a way for a serious user to bypass Windows XP product activation. However for certain purposes, like learning the Windows XP operating system, this can be a way to use Windows XP without product activation.

Microsoft should have made the expiration period much longer than 30 days. Maybe they want you to activate Windows XP before it crashes.

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

About The Author

Copyright(C)2004 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to subscribe@bucarotechelp.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Earthtimes (press release)

Elliott Terminates Tender Offer to Acquire Epicor Software Corporation
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
... LP and Elliott International, LP (collectively, "Elliott" or "we"), a major shareholder of Epicor Software Corporation (the "Company" or "Epicor"), ...
Epicor drops after hedge fund ends hostile bid Forbes
Hedge Fund Elliott Associates Withdraws Offer for Epicor Software Orange County Business Journal
UPDATE 1-Hedge Fund ends offer for Epicor Reuters
RTT News - Barron's Blogs
all 45 news articles


New York Times

The best thing about the 2.2 iPhone software update
CNET News, CA - Nov 21, 2008
When it some to iPhone software updates, I'm all about the basics. Apple could enable the iPhone to cook my dinner every night, but if it added multimedia ...
First Look: Apple's iPhone 2.2 Software Hits The Street (And ... CRN
Lots to like about new iPhone 2.2 software update Ars Technica
Apple releases iPhone Software v2.2 Apple Insider
G4 TV - infoSync World
all 144 news articles


ZDNet

Microsoft to offer free security software to attract beginners
eTaiwan News, Taiwan - Nov 21, 2008
19 to stop selling personal computer security software and to use free personal anti-virus software instead. The new software called Morro can support seven ...
Microsoft: New software not Symantec, McAfee rival Reuters
Microsoft Plans to Introduce Free PC Security Software Wall Street Journal
Microsoft to offer free security software NetworkWorld.com
Washington Post - Bizjournals.com
all 304 news articles


Vertical Releases Feature-Rich Software Update for Wave
MarketWatch - 20 hours ago
... today announced the release of the Wave 1.5 software upgrade to it's award winning Wave IP 2500(TM) Business Communications Solution, the industry's ...


Hann’s On Software bouht by Mediware
Bizjournals.com, NC - Nov 21, 2008
Mediware Information Systems Inc. has bought the assets of Hann’s On Software, a pharmacy-management software provider based in Santa Rosa, for $3.5 million ...
Mediware Acquisition Adds 320 Pharmacy Facilities MarketWatch
Mediware Information buys assets of Hann's On Software - Quick Facts RTT News
Mediware Acquisition Adds 320 Pharmacy Facilities International Business Times
all 19 news articles


AVG Sees Uphill Battle for Microsoft in Its Launch of Free Anti ...
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
AVG, which for eight years has offered free anti-virus software to users worldwide, noted the multiple challenges Microsoft faces in supporting a free ...
AVG sees 'uphill battle' for Microsoft Morro TechRadar UK
Microsoft Announces Upcoming Events for the Financial Community NewsBlaze
Microsoft Announces Upcoming Events for the Financial Community MarketWatch
all 30 news articles


Microsoft’s Mike Neil Keynotes at SYS-CON's 4th International ...
SYS-CON Media, NJ - 19 hours ago
... Black Duck Software, Blackbaud, Blade Network Technologies, Blue Coat, Blue Lane, BlueArc, BlueNote Networks, BluePheonix Solutions, BMC Software, ...
Teaching Everyone to Speak Big Blue New York Times
IBM To Acquire Virtualization Specialist Transitive InformationWeek
IBM To Buy Virtualization-Software Company Transitive NewsFactor Network
eWeek - SearchDataCenter.com
all 95 news articles


Frankly speaking, speech software better but still not great
Seattle Times, United States - 12 hours ago
Getting a computer to turn your speech into words on the screen requires buying expensive, resource-intensive software and mastering a sometimes confusing ...


Authoria Appoints New President and CEO
MarketWatch - Nov 21, 2008
Prior to joining Authoria, Mr. McDevitt was most recently Chief Operating Officer of CDC Software, a $360 million division of CDC Corporation and a global ...


Microsoft purges phony security software from 1 million PCs
Computerworld, MA - 22 hours ago
Windows users have been plagued with a flood of worthless security software in recent months as criminals have discovered that they're money-makers. ...

Software - Google News

home | site map
© 2006