Leftover IBM System Files Cause Hangs and Keyboard Problems (94638)



The information in this article applies to:
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0a
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22

This article was previously published under Q94638

SYMPTOMS

During installation of MS-DOS Upgrade Setup does not delete IBM PC-DOS, Digital DR DOS, or Novell DOS system files; instead, it leaves them in the root of the startup drive (usually drive C). Their existence can cause a variety of unexpected behavior including the following:
    The system stops responding (hangs)
    Keyboard problems
    File Manager problems

RESOLUTION

To avoid these and other problems, delete the IBM, DR DOS, or Novell DOS system files. To do this, you need to first remove the files' hidden, system, and read-only file attributes by typing the following at the root directory MS-DOS command prompt:

attrib -r -s -h ibm*.com

After you remove these attributes, you can delete the files with the MS-DOS DELETE command by typing the following at the root directory MS-DOS command prompt:

del ibm*.com

If you are using MS-DOS 6.0 or later, you can delete the IBM, DR DOS, or Novell DOS system files using the DELTREE program without having to use the ATTRIB program. For example, type deltree /y c:\ibm*.com at the MS-DOS command prompt and then press ENTER.

WARNING: Do not remove the IBM, DR DOS, or Novell DOS system files if you think you might remove your current version of MS-DOS. After you delete the IBM, DR DOS, or Novell DOS system files, you cannot remove your current version of MS-DOS using the Uninstall disk.

Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 5/10/2003
Keywords: KB94638