SECRETS

MDGx MAX Speed WinDOwS �Tricks � Secrets � Bugs � Fixes
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MS-DOS 5.00 - 8.00 Undocumented + Hidden Secrets
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These DOS Secrets:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm
Some of these HIDDEN/UNDOCUMENTED MS-DOS commands might save your "computing

life" one day, as they have saved mine.
___________________________________________________________________
| ALWAYS BACKUP ALL YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM DRIVES TO A SAFE LOCATION |
| BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ANY SYSTEM CHANGES ! |
| http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#BKP |
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BEFORE USING ANY TOOLS THAT MODIFY DISK STRUCTURE !
Please send me feedback online:

http://www.mdgx.com/form.htm
MUST HAVE from SOFTWARE.TXT (included) [99.99% FREE(ware)]:

- MS-DOS 5.00 - 8.00 Essentials:
http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm
- Speed-Up + Benchmark Tools:
http://www.mdgx.com/speed.htm
SECRETS.TXT Contents: [alphabetical order]
COMMAND.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#COMMAND
1. COMMAND /D
2. COMMAND /F
3. COMMAND /T
4. COMMAND /Z
EMM386.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#EMM
DEVICE=drive:\path\EMM386.EXE NOTR
FAT16 -> FAT32 -> exFAT:

FAT32
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FAT32
exFAT
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#XFAT
FAT Links
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FTLN
DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FDPT
Free(ware) WinDOwS Backup + Restore Tools
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#BKP
FDISK.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FDISK
1. FDISK /FPRMT
2. FDISK x /PRI:n (/PRIO:n) /EXT:n /LOG:n (/LOGO:n)
3. FDISK /MBR
4. FDISK /Q
5. FDISK /STATUS
6. FDISK /X
7. FDISK /ACTOK
8. FDISK /CMBR x
9. FDISK /PRMT
FORMAT.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#FORMAT
1. FORMAT drive: /AUTOTEST
2. FORMAT drive: /BACKUP
3. FORMAT drive: /SELECT
4. FORMAT drive: /U
5. FORMAT drive: /SELECT /U
6. FORMAT drive: /Z:n
HIMEM.SYS HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#HIMEM
DEVICE=drive:\path\HIMEM.SYS /Q
MEM.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#MEM
MEM /A
VER HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#VER
VER /R
WIN.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#WIN
1. WIN /MQ
2. WIN /W
3. WIN /WX
4. WIN /Z
5. WIN :
MS-DOS Commands on the Internet:

- List of MS-DOS commands @ Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MS-DOS_commands
- Undocumented DOS Commands:
http://www.textfiles.com/hacking/MICROSOFT/dosundoc.txt
- The Undocumented DOS Commands:
http://digilander.libero.it/unno2/navighiamo/DOS.txt
- Undocumented COMMAND.COM Features:
http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a7425519/programme/command.htm
- NOTES ON MS-DOS 6.22 + BATCH programming on Win9x:
http://2dos.homepage.dk/batutil/help/INDEX.HTM
- DOS Commands Reference:
http://www.tekweb.dk/manuals/command/COMMANDS/
- MS-Dos7 Commands:
http://www.lagmonster.org/docs/DOS7/
- DOS 7 COMMANDS:
http://web.archive.org/web/20120310053804/http://www.colba.net/~hlebo49/dos7comm.ht
m
- MS-DOS 6.22 Internal + External Commands:
http://users.telenor.dk/~dsl645578/b4ustart/int_ext.htm
- MSDOS Help + Commands:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm
- MS-DOS secret or unknown commands:
http://www.computerhope.com/secret.htm
- Essential DOS Commands + Concepts:
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/tips/doshelp.html
- DOS Command Index:
http://www.easydos.com/dosindex.html
- MS-DOS v6.22 Help Command Reference:
http://www.vfrazee.com/ms-dos/6.22/help/
- Internal DOS Commands:
http://dos.rsvs.net/DOSPAGE/DOS_IC.HTM
- External DOS Commands:
http://dos.rsvs.net/DOSPAGE/DOS_EX.HTM
- The MS-DOS 7 Internal Commands:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/DOS/DOS7INT.htm
- The MS-DOS 7 External Commands:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/DOS/DOS7EXT.htm
- DOS Commands:
http://web.archive.org/web/20110725151310/http://www.uv.tietgen.dk/staff/mlha/PC/So
ft/DOS/com/
- Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Internal and External Commands:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/71986
- MS-DOS Reference:
http://web.archive.org/web/20101012145757/http://www.nukesoft.co.uk/msdos/
- MS TechNet MSDOS Archive:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc743186.aspx
- See DOSTIPS.TXT (included) for more DOS tips + links.
- See "Reference: Memory Management Terms + System Files @ Wikipedia" in
MEMORY.TXT (included):
http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm#WKL
______________________________________________________________________________
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COMMAND.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS
COMMAND.COM is the MS-DOS mode command line interpreter, located by default in

%winbootdir% + %winbootdir%\COMMAND (default is C:\WINDOWS +
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND) [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00], C:\DOS
or C:\MSDOS [MS-DOS 5.00 - 6.22]. Another copy of COMMAND.COM may exist in C:\
root.
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the COMMAND.COM command line switches (the
documented ones anyway):
- Windows 95/98/ME users: use Notepad to read the "SHELL" topic from
CONFIG.TXT, a text file located in your Windows folder.
- All Windows/DOS users: run:
COMMAND /?
at any DOS prompt to display the COMMAND.COM help screen.
- MS-DOS 6.xx users: run this command from a DOS prompt:
HELP COMMAND
and read the topic.
- More info:
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/command.php
- See also "COMMAND.COM" in TIPS95.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE):
http://www.mdgx.com/95.htm
or in MYTIPS31.TXT (part of W31-11D.ZIP):
All COMMAND.COM parameters listed below can be used on the CONFIG.SYS file
SHELL= line (primary permanent shell):
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /D /F /T /Z
on a Windows PIF file (MS-DOS Prompt application) command line, in batch
files, or/and at the plain DOS prompt (secondary shell, which can be made
permanent if adding the /P switch).
In MS-DOS 5.00 - 6.22 you can use this undocumented workaround to force
COMMAND.COM to load "high", which requires an upper memory manager in
CONFIG.SYS, like EMM386.EXE or UMBPCI.SYS. Example:
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /C LOADHIGH=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
This works ONLY IF:
- a copy of your COMMAND.COM file resides in C:\ root (for compatibility with
older DOS programs/games that expect to find the command interpreter in the
root directory of your boot drive/partition);
- ALL your "SET <variable>=" lines are placed/moved into your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file from CONFIG.SYS (MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22 ONLY);
- this command exists as your first AUTOEXEC.BAT line:
SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
- UMBs are enabled by this CONFIG.SYS line so COMMAND.COM (or ANY other
device/driver/TSR) can load in UMA:
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DISADVANTAGE: In some cases a second copy of COMMAND.COM remains resident in
(upper) memory. :(
More details:
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/dosmem.php
In MS-DOS 7.00 - 8.00 [a.k.a. Windows 95/98/ME] this function is built into
IO.SYS, and COMMAND.COM loads in UMA (Upper Memory Area) automatically ONLY IF
UMBs (Upper Memory Blocks) are provided by an upper memory manager like
EMM386.EXE or UMBPCI.SYS, and IF the line "DOS=HIGH,UMB" exists in CONFIG.SYS.
1. COMMAND /D [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
COMMAND /D (DENY) performs different actions depending on the MS-DOS version:

- in MS-DOS 5.00: used on the CONFIG.SYS file SHELL= line prevents the
execution of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file (if present) at bootup.
- in MS-DOS 6.xx and 7.xx/8.00 [a.k.a. Windows 9x/ME]: disables the automatic
disk "Fail" response if enabled by the /F (FAIL) parameter (see "COMMAND /F"
below).
2. COMMAND /F [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
COMMAND /F (FAIL) removes the "Abort, Retry, Fail" message and forces a "Fail"
response to all "Abort, Retry, Fail" prompts issued by the DOS critical error
handler. If the disk is not ready it automatically goes to "Fail".
3. COMMAND /T [Windows 95 + MS-DOS 7.00 and above ONLY]
COMMAND /T forces the COMMAND.COM resident module to load permanently in low

memory (below the 640K barrier), even if the Upper Memory Area (UMA) is
enabled by an upper memory manager (i.e. EMM386.EXE or UMBPCI.SYS) from
CONFIG.SYS.
Using /T in combination with the /P (PERMANENT) parameter, ONLY from the DOS
prompt or in batch files (NOT from the CONFIG.SYS SHELL= line), also executes
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file (if present), besides forcing the COMMAND.COM resident
module to load permanently in low memory.
WARNING: Using /T on the CONFIG.SYS SHELL= line may lock up Windows 9x/ME GUI
upon shut down!
4. COMMAND /Z [Windows 95 + MS-DOS 7.00 and above ONLY]
COMMAND /Z (ZERO) displays the "ERRORLEVEL" return code messages after

executing external DOS commands (internal DOS commands do not display error
codes in this manner).
You'll see a message like this when using the /Z parameter [errorlevel 0 is
the default (normal) return code]:
"Microsoft(R) Windows 98
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1999.
Return code (ERRORLEVEL): 0
WARNING: Reloaded COMMAND.COM transient"
______________________________________________________________________________
EMM386.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS
EMM386.EXE is the Microsoft upper/extended/expanded memory manager, located by

default in C:\WINDOWS [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00], C:\DOS
or C:\MSDOS [MS-DOS 5.00/6.xx].
EMM386.EXE can be loaded ONLY in CONFIG.SYS using the DEVICE command. Example:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM I=B000-B7FF D=256 AUTO NOTR
The EMM386.EXE DEVICE line MUST appear in CONFIG.SYS AFTER the HIMEM.SYS line,
and BEFORE ANY other device drivers loaded with DEVICE, DEVICEHIGH, INSTALL or
INSTALLHIGH.
Running:
EMM386
from a DOS prompt, displays the EMM386 status.
EMM386.EXE provides access to the Upper Memory Area (UMA), uses the computer's
extended memory to simulate expanded memory and allows programs and device
drivers to load into Upper Memory Blocks (UMBs).
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the EMM386.EXE command line switches (the
- Windows 95/98/ME users: use Notepad to read the "EMM386.EXE" topic in
MSDOSDRV.TXT, a text file located in your Windows folder.
- MS-DOS 6.xx users: run this command from any DOS prompt:
HELP EMM386.EXE
and read the topic.
- See also the EMM386.EXE related topics in MEMORY.TXT + EMM386.TXT (both
included).
DEVICE=drive:\path\EMM386.EXE NOTR [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
The EMM386.EXE default detection code searches for the presence of a Token
Ring Network adapter, which may cause some computers to hang. In such cases
use the NOTR parameter to disable this search.
This is valid ONLY for EMM386.EXE versions 4.45 - 4.49 [MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22] up
to 4.95 [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00]. Example:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOTR
FYI: Get newest HIMEM.SYS 3.95 + EMM386.EXE 4.95 16-bit DOS mode memory
managers:
http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm#MEM
See MEMORY.TXT, EMM386.TXT + REGIONS.TXT (all included) for comprehensive
memory management guidelines.
______________________________________________________________________________
FAT16 -> FAT32 -> exFAT
FAT32
FAT16 [R.I.P.! :-)] is the most used File Allocation Table (FAT) 16-bit
standard on "Wintel" PCs, recognized by all MS-DOS releases beginning with
4.00 (released back in 1991), and by all Windows versions.
MS-DOS releases older than 4.00 used to operate with the obsolete FAT12
standard, discontinued, but still in use by the ol' floppy disk(ette)
standard. :(
FAT12 is [was :)] able to handle disk partitions only up to 16 MB using 4 KB
clusters.
FYI:
Officially Microsoft implemented FAT16 only begining with MS-DOS 4.00 (through
extended partitions larger than 32 MB), but unofficially FAT16 was already
implemented in MS-DOS 3.3. FDISK.EXE supports extended partitions (the only
way to take advantage of FAT16 at the time) begining with MS-DOS 3.3 (up to a
total of 128 MB), but FORMAT.COM supports partitions larger than 32 MB only
begining with MS-DOS 4.00. MS-DOS 3.3 FORMAT.COM supported partitions only up
to 16 MB (FAT12), even if FAT16 was already available. :(
Further reading: "Upgrading and Repairing PCs" book by Scott Mueller, second
edition, page 653.
[Thank you Mr. Nobby!]
FAT16 limitations:
* maximum partition size = 2 GigaBytes (GB) = 2,048 MegaBytes (MB):
* maximum number of root directory file entries allowed = 512 (same as FAT12);
* (too) large cluster size, which wastes a lot of disk space, by allocating at
least 1 cluster to each file on disk, even if a file is at least 1 byte in
length.
Note that 0 byte files (same as directories/folders) do NOT take ANY disk
space, but each directory entry (32 Bytes on FAT32) occupies a separate FAT
entry. Moreover, Long File Names (LFNs) files and folders occupy an additional
LFN FAT entry.
Another example: a 33 KB file has 2 clusters assigned on a disk partition with
32 KB clusters, thus wasting 31 KB, because the same cluster canNOT be shared
among separate files or folders:
Partition size FAT16 Cluster size

------------------------------------------
0 - 127 MB 2 KB = 2048 B
128 - 255 MB 4 KB = 4096 B
256 - 511 MB 8 KB = 8192 B
512 - 1023 MB 16 KB = 16384 B
1024 - 2047 MB 32 KB = 32768 B
In 1996 Microsoft introduced a new File Allocation Table standard called

FAT32 (32-bit), which extends these limits:
* FAT32 (first version) released beginning with Windows 95B OSR 2.0, supports
partitions up to 2 TeraBytes (TB) = 2,048 GB = 2,097,152 MB (theoretical + new
practical limit);
* FAT32X (second version) released beginning with Windows 95C OSR 2.5 (1997),
features eXtended support for hard drives larger than 8 GB (with more than
1023 cylinders, 255 heads and 63 sectors), using the BIOS interrupt 13
(INT13h) LBA (Logical Block Addressing) extension (on Pentium class and newer
chipsets that support this BIOS feature), for a total of 28 bits of addressing
a maximum of 137 GB of hard disk capacity (old practical limit).
Newer PC mainboards add eXtended support for drives larger than 137 GB, using
the new BIOS interrupt 13 (INT13h) LBA (Logical Block Addressing) extension
(on Pentium III/IV class and newer chipsets that support this BIOS feature),
for a total of 48 bits of addressing a maximum of 2 TB of hard disk capacity
(new practical limit);
* supports unlimited number of root directory file entries;
* largest file size 4 GigaBytes (GB);
* smaller, more efficient cluster size, without noticeable performance
degradation:
Partition size FAT32/FAT32X Cluster size

-------------------------------------------------
0 - 259 MB 512 B [*]
260 - 511 MB 1 KB = 1024 B [*]
512 - 8191 MB 4 KB = 4096 B
8192 - 16383 MB 8 KB = 8192 B
16384 - 32767 MB 16 KB = 16384 B
32768 MB - 2 TB 32 KB = 32768 B
[*] = ONLY if using custom FORMAT drive: /Z:n values -> see
"FORMAT drive: /Z:n" below!
Therefore FAT32 wastes a lot less disk space, preserving speedy disk access at
the same time.
More info:
- Wikipedia: FAT32:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table#FAT32
- MSKB: MS-DOS Partitioning Summary -> Windows 95 OEM SR2 and Windows 98:
NOTE: You MUST be using Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.0 - 2.5, 98/98 SE(U) [a.k.a.
MS-DOS 7.10], ME [a.k.a. MS-DOS 8.00], 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 or 7 [no
native MS-DOS] to take advantage of FAT32.
Intel 48-bit LBA test tool [33 KB, free]:

ftp://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/iaa/48LbaChk.exe
This tool detects if the motherboard BIOS supports 48-bit LBA addressing mode,
and therefore hard disks larger than 137 GB.
PROs + CONs:
* Larger cluster size means faster disk access, but more disk overhead (wasted
clusters), and less space for stored files, opposite to:
* Smaller cluster size means slower disk access, but less disk overhead
(wasted clusters), and more space for stored files.
FYI: The performance hit for using FAT32(X) depends on the speed of your CPU,
bus bandwidth, disk controller capabilities and hard disk subsystem transfer
rates + access times.
Test your computer motherboard extended BIOS capabilities using EXTBIOS.EXE
for DOS [7 KB, freeware]:
http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/extbios.htm
FAT16/FAT32 versus NTFS versus exFAT comparison:
http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm
Default FAT16, FAT32, NTFS + exFAT cluster sizes when using MS FORMAT tool:
More info:
http://www.smallvoid.com/article/cluster-hard-disk-partition.html
Even more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems
FAT+ extension (FAT32+) (open source) is a new Enhanced DR-DOS and FreeDOS
standard, and removes some of the FAT32/FAT32X limitations:
http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a0503736/php/drdoswiki/?n=Main.FATplus
KNOWN BUGS + FIXES:

1. Microsoft acknowledged in this MSKB article:
that Windows 95 retail, 95a OSR1 + 95B/95C OSR 2.x do NOT support disk drives
larger than 32 GB. :(
2. Windows 98 retail, 98 SP1 + 98 SE(U) provide built-in support for media
drives > 32 GB, but ONLY IF you install the fixed ESDI_506.PDR that allows
ScanDskw.exe to properly recognize (E)IDE/(Ultra)ATA hard disk clusters
beyond cluster number 967,393 [English patch]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win98SE/Update/5638-6151/W98/EN-
US/243450USA8.EXE
More info @ MSKB:
3. The only Microsoft Operating Systems that natively support drives larger
than 32 GB (to date) are Windows NT 4.0, 2000, ME, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 + 7.
4. Make sure your motherboard BIOS supports hard disks larger than 137 GB
(48-bit LBA function). Always "flash" your BIOS using the current BIOS update
from your mainboard vendor's web/ftp site.
More info @ MSKB:
Windows 98/98 SE/ME (E)IDE/ATAPI Driver for Hard Disks > 137 GB:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=78592
also here:
http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#9SU
exFAT
Microsoft introduced exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) file system for
Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 similar to FAT32/FAT32X, but without
the flaws and limitations that plagued FAT32/FAT32X, designed for USB flash
drives, SSD flash drives, hybrid (HDD + SSD) drives and memory cards +
cartridges:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_memory_cards
and compatible with hard disk drives (HDDs):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa914353.aspx
Wikipedia: exFAT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT
Advantages:
- largest disk size 512 TB (TeraBytes) (practical limit) or 64 ZB (ZettaBytes)
(theoretical limit);
- largest file size 512 TB (TeraBytes) (practical limit) or 64 ZB (ZettaBytes)
(theoretical limit);
- largest cluster size 32 MB;
- up to 2,796,202 files per directory;
- extensible directory structure and file name hashes;
- improved free space allocation and delete performance due to free space
bitmaps;
- access control lists (ACL) support;
- Transaction-Safe FAT File System (TFAT) support (WinCE);
- OEM definable custom file system parameters for specific (portable) devices.
Disadvantages:
- backward incompatible with DOS/MS-DOS/FreeDOS/DR-DOS [DOS based OS users can
install one of these real mode, unsupported drivers -> see below:]
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#XFD
Windows 95, 98, ME, NT and 2000 [Windows 2000 SP4+UR1 users can install this
unofficial unsupported driver, which may or may not work:]
http://www.mdgx.com/w2ktoy.htm#XFAT
- no file system journaling support.
How to enable exFAT:
Native/real/true/pure DOS based OS [DOS, MS-DOS, FreeDOS + DR-DOS] users:
install one of these real mode drivers/executables (free, unsupported):
* USBexFAT USB ASPI Disk Driver:
http://www.bttr-software.de/forum/mix_entry.php?id=9208
USBEXFAT.COM 1.0a + USBASPI.EXE 2.28 [336 KB]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/USBEXFAT.ZIP
* exFAT Reader/Viewer (read only!):
http://www.bttr-software.de/forum/mix_entry.php?id=7861
EXFAT.EXE [50 KB, open source]:
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/freedos/exfat5.zip
EXFAT.EXE requires HX DOS extender (free):
http://www.japheth.de/HX.html
Windows XP users: MUST install (in this exact order):
1. Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3):
http://www.mdgx.com/xp.htm#SP3
2. Windows XP SP2/XP SP3 exFAT Drivers Update:
http://www.mdgx.com/xp.htm#XFAT
Windows 2003 users: MUST install (in this exact order):
1. Windows 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2):
http://www.mdgx.com/ws3toy.htm#SP2
2. Windows 2003 SP1/2003 SP2 exFAT Drivers Update:
http://www.mdgx.com/ws3toy.htm#XFAT
Windows 2000 SP4+UR1, XP Pre-SP2 + 2003 Pre-SP1 users: MUST install this
unofficial Update (unsupported, may or may not work!):
http://www.mdgx.com/w2ktoy.htm#XFAT
Windows 2000 requires (free):
- Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4):
http://www.mdgx.com/w2ktoy.htm#SP4
- Windows 2000 Post-SP4 Update Rollup 1 (UR1):
http://www.mdgx.com/w2ktoy.htm#UR1
- Unofficial Windows 2000 Kernel32 Extension [1 MB]:
http://blog.livedoor.jp/blackwingcat/archives/1299806.html
More info:
- Unofficial Windows 2000 XP API Wrapper Pack [644 KB]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/W2KXPAPI.ZIP
More info:
http://www.oldcigaret.info/win2k/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7
Windows Vista Pre-SP2 users: MUST install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2):
http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/dd262148.aspx
Windows 2008, 2008 R2, 7, 8, 2012 + newer have exFAT drivers built-in.
Linux/BSD users can install this open source (free GPL) driver:
http://code.google.com/p/exfat/
Installing and mounting exFAT in Linux (with write option):
http://ruby019.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/installing-and-mounting-exfat-in-linux-
with-write-option/
How to enable exFAT in Ubuntu:
http://www.apcmag.com/how-to-enable-exfat-in-ubuntu.htm
MacOS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 + newer provide exFAT support:
http://www.macrumors.com/2010/11/11/mac-os-x-10-6-5-notes-exfat-support-airprint-
flash-player-vulnerability-fixes/
With the appropriate exFAT drivers installed Windows NTx OSes (2000, XP, 2003,
Vista, 2008, 7, 8 + 2012) can (re)partition and (re)format hard, SDD + USB
drives/partitions/volumes by using the built-in Disk Management (a.k.a.
Logical Disk Manager) front end GUI (which in turn uses DiskPart.exe +
FORMAT.COM command line tools): Start button (orb) -> (All) Programs ->
Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management.
Or run this command from the Run... box or from a DOS console:
DISKMGMT.MSC
This Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in is located in
%windir%\SYSTEM32 (Win2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 32-bit) or in
%windir%\SYSWOW64 (WinXP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 64-bit).
Or (re)format a drive/partition in Windows Explorer: highlight desired (must
be writable) drive/partition letter/name in the right hand pane -> right-click
on it -> select Format... -> select desired Capacity, File System [NTFS, FAT32
or exFAT (only with exFAT drivers installed)], Allocation unit size (Bytes),
Volume label (drive/partition name) and Format options (Quick Format +/-
Enable Compression) -> click the Start button or press Enter.
More details:
http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#DPF
or see "DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS" further below:
FAT Links
FAT + BIOS limits techno details + specs:

- Wikipedia: File Allocation Table (FAT):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table
- Wikipedia: NTFS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS
- MSKB: Description of FAT32 File System:
- MSKB: Description of FAT32 File System in Windows XP:
- MSKB: Limitations of FAT32 File System:
- MSKB: Limitations of FAT32 File System in Windows XP:
- MS WHDC: FAT32 on Preinstalled Systems:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/fat32preinstall.mspx
- MC MCSE: Windows XP Professional File Systems Overview:
http://www.mcmcse.com/microsoft/guides/filesystems.shtml
- MS TechNet: Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 File Systems:
- MSDN: File System Functionality Comparison:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ee681827.aspx
- FAT32 Resource Page:
http://www.project9.com/fat32/
- Windows XP/2000 FAT32 Formatting Limit:
http://www.allensmith.net/Storage/HDDlimit/FAT32.htm
- 48bitLBA.com:
http://www.48bitlba.com/
- Disk Parameters for drives over 8.4 GB:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/DiskTerms2.htm
- BIOS and OS Limits on Large Hard Disks:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/Limits.htm
- MSDN: Windows and GPT FAQ:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/gg463525.aspx
- MSKB: 4K Sector Hard Drives in Windows:
- Wikipedia: GUID Partition Table (GPT):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table
- The Partition Primer:
http://www.ranish.com/part/primer.htm
- PowerLoad: FAT32, FDISK + FORMAT Guide:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080801114800/http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/fat32/fa
t32.htm
- FAT32 Information:
http://www.computerhope.com/fat32.htm
- Partitions + File Systems:
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jeacocke/
- BIOS IDE Harddisk Limitations:
http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/bioslim.htm
- Radified Partition Guide:
http://partition.radified.com/
- File Systems:
http://www.nondot.org/sabre/os/articles/FileSystems/
- File Systems:
http://osdev.berlios.de/osd-fs.html
______________________________________________________________________________
DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS

___________________________________________________________________
| ALWAYS BACKUP ALL YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM DRIVES TO A SAFE LOCATION |
| BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ANY SYSTEM CHANGES ! |
| http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#BKP |
��
BEFORE USING ANY TOOLS THAT MODIFY DISK STRUCTURE !
* FDISK.EXE is a 16-bit DOS based command line driven tool, the "de facto"
Microsoft partitioning utility, located in %winbootdir%\COMMAND (default is
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND) [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00] or in
the MS-DOS 6.00/6.20/6.21/6.22 directory (default is C:\DOS or C:\MSDOS).
Its purpose is to display boot, disk and partition information, modify
existing partitions, create new ones and/or delete the ones you want on all
installed fixed hard disk(s), but ONLY WITH COMPLETE DATA LOSS! :(
Starting with Windows 95B OSR 2.0 FDISK has the capability of creating FAT32
partitions of minimum 512 MB on existent drive(s), and of converting your
current FAT16 partitions to FAT32, but NOT the other way around WITHOUT
COMPLETE DATA LOSS!
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the FDISK.EXE command line switches (the
documented ones anyway), run one of these commands from any DOS prompt:
FDISK /?
or:
HELP FDISK
to display the FDISK.EXE help screen.
Install fixed FDISK.EXE for Windows 98/98 SP1/98 SE(U) to properly detect hard
disks larger than 64 GB [English patch]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/FDSKFRMT.EXE
More info:
LIMITATIONS:
- MS-DOS 5/6 + Windows 95/98/ME FDISK does NOT recognize hard disks larger
than 137 GB (48-bit LBA function).
- Windows 98/98 SE/ME [MS-DOS 7.10/8.00] FDISK canNOT create partitions larger
than 512 GB:
More FDISK details:
- MSKB: How to Use Fdisk and Format Tools to (Re)Partition a Hard Disk:
- Undocumented FDISK:
http://www.bharucha.com/tp701/fdiskSecrets.html
- FDISK Information:
http://www.fdisk.com/fdisk/
- Detailed Notes on Microsoft FDISK.EXE:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/fdisk.htm
- FDISK Undocumented Switches:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/switches.htm
- FDISK: The Built In Partitioning Tool:
http://web.archive.org/web/20071004205629/http://members.bellatlantic.net/~mrscary/
fdisk.htm
- FDISK Command:
http://www.computerhope.com/fdiskhlp.htm
- FDISK:
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/fdisk.php
- Radified FDISK Guide:
http://fdisk.radified.com/
- Using FDISK:
http://www.lagmonster.org/docs/DOS7/u-fdisk.html
- Hard Disk Partitioning:
http://members.tripod.com/~diligent/harddisk.htm
- Hard Drive Data Recovery:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1139
- FAT32 HARD DISK Backup and Repair:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bridip/recovery.htm
* Another Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98 + ME FAT32 conversion DOS mode 16-bit
tool comes also from Microsoft:
CVT.EXE [62 KB, free, unsupported]:
ftp://ftp.externet.hu/pub/mirror/sac/utildisk/cvt16-32.zip
More info:
http://www.unusualresearch.com/cvtfat32/cvtfat32.htm
Newest and most compatible CVT.EXE is found on Windows ME setup CD-ROM.
CVT.EXE preserves disk data integrity. Requires to specify the drive letter to
convert. Running CVT without command line parameters displays the help screen.
Windows 98/ME users can find CVT.EXE in %winbootdir%\COMMAND (usually
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND).
Run CVT.EXE from a floppy/CD/DVD boot disk or from a hard disk/partition other
than the one you want to convert, because if the conversion ends with errors,
data on respective disk will be lost.
The Win98/98 SE version of CVT.EXE may NOT work from native MS-DOS! In this
case use the Windows GUI version (Cvt1.exe = see below).
The little known /CVT32 parameter works ONLY with the Win98/98 SP1/98 SE(U)
version of CVT.EXE and allows FAT32 conversion in native MS-DOS mode. Example:
CVT.EXE D: /CVT32
This MS TechNet article details all available CVT.EXE parameters:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/win98/reskit/part2/wrkc10.mspx
More info:
http://web.archive.org/web/20061016154318/http://www.maxpages.com/nanotechnology/Ti
ps_7/
How to use the WinME version of CVT.EXE:
http://www.md4pc.com/questions/36.htm
[Thank you ERPMan!]
CVT.EXE canNOT convert FAT32 partitions/disks back to FAT16!
CVT requires a minimum of 500 KB of free DOS memory. To avoid error messages
like:
"Not enough memory (system) resources"
while running CVT, disable the loading of some of your DOS mode devices/TSRs,
by adding REM in front of the respective lines in your CONFIG.SYS and/or
AUTOEXEC.BAT, or use an upper memory manager [like MS EMM386.EXE or UMBPCI.SYS
= see MEMORY.TXT (included) for details] to load them all "high", in upper
memory (UMA). Edit your startup files using EDIT.COM in DOS or Notepad/Sysedit
in Windows. Reboot when done.
* Windows 98, 98 SE(U) + ME include a graphical FAT32 conversion tool

(Cvt1.exe, located in %windir% = default is C:\WINDOWS), capable of converting
your existing FAT16 disks/partitions to FAT32 (528 MB minimum size), but NOT
the other way around!
Cvt1.exe actually provides a front end GUI to running the CVT.EXE DOS mode
command line tool (see above), also included with Win98/98 SE(U)/ME (in
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND), but adds extensive help to guide you through the entire
process.
To access the FAT32 conversion tool: Start button -> Programs -> Accessories
-> System Tools -> FAT32 Converter.
* Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8 + 2012 include a

FAT16/FAT32(X)/exFAT/NTFS command line tool [DiskPart.exe, located in
%windir%\SYSTEM32 = default is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
(Win2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 32-bit) or in %windir%\SYSWOW64 =
default is C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64 (WinXP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 64-bit)],
capable of (re)partitioning [only exFAT + NTFS up to full capacity], resizing,
converting (only FAT32 -> NTFS, NOT the other way around), deleting and
(re)formatting [using the FORMAT.COM command line tool, also located in
%windir%\SYSTEM32 (Win32 NTx OSes) or in %windir%\SYSWOW64 (Win64 NTx OSes)]
existing hard/USB/external drives/partitions/volumes.
Microsoft limited (is phasing out) FAT16 + FAT32(X) support in Windows NTx
OSes: 2000 and newer.
Newer FORMAT.COM versions can format hard/USB/external
drives/partitions/volumes with the new exFAT file system:
Example using Windows XP SP3:
http://www.mdgx.com/xp.htm#SP3
+ exFAT Drivers Update:
http://www.mdgx.com/xp.htm#XFAT
to (re)format the 1st internal hard drive/partition (usually C:) with exFAT
file system (/FS:exFAT parameter) and 1M (1024) unit size (customized /A:
parameter):
FORMAT C: /FS:exFAT /A:1M /V:MYHD001 /Q /X
Run this command line from a DOS box console to view all FORMAT.COM
parameters:
FORMAT /?
Windows XP Format:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-
us/format.mspx
About.com: Format Command Details and Examples:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/commandlinereference/p/format-command.htm
Rob van der Woude's Scripting Pages: The FORMAT Command:
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/format.php
SS64: FORMAT.com:
http://www.ss64.com/nt/format.html
IMPORTANT: Windows 2000, XP, 2003 + Vista need specific Updates/Fixes and/or
Service Packs (SPs) installed in order to enable exFAT: see "exFAT" in
SECRETS.TXT (this file) for details:
Windows 2008, 2008 R2, 7, 8, 2012 + newer have exFAT drivers built-in.
MSKB: A Description of the Diskpart Command Line Utility:
MS Windows XP: Windows XP DiskPart:
us/diskpart.mspx
MS TechNet: DiskPart Command Line Options:
MS TechNet: DiskPart:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/bb490893.aspx
SS64: DiskPart (Windows Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012):
http://www.ss64.com/nt/diskpart.html
Wikipedia: DiskPart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diskpart
To access the front end GUI disk partitioning tool called Disk Management or
Logical Disk Manager (the DiskPart counterpart) in Windows NTx OSes (2000, XP,
2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8 + 2012): Start button (orb) -> (All) Programs ->
Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management.
Or run this command from the Run... box or from a DOS console:
DISKMGMT.MSC
This Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in is located in
%windir%\SYSTEM32 (Win2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 32-bit) or in
%windir%\SYSWOW64 (WinXP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 64-bit).
Or (re)format a drive/partition in Windows Explorer: highlight desired (must
be writable) drive/partition letter/name in the right hand pane -> right-click
on it -> select Format... -> select desired Capacity, File System [NTFS, FAT32
or exFAT (only with exFAT drivers installed)], Allocation unit size (Bytes),
Volume label (drive/partition name) and Format options (Quick Format +/-
Enable Compression) -> click the Start button or press Enter.
MS TechNet: Disk Management:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/bb457110.aspx
MS Windows XP: Disk Management overview:
us/sag_diskconcepts_02a.mspx
MS Windows XP: How to... configure + use Disk Management:
us/sag_diskhowto.mspx
About.com: How to Access Disk Management in Windows 7:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/disk-management-windows-7.htm
MC MCSE: Disk Management in Windows XP Professional:
http://www.mcmcse.com/microsoft/guides/diskmanagement.shtml
MC MCSE: Using the Disk Management tool in Windows XP Professional:
http://www.mcmcse.com/microsoft/guides/diskmanagementtool.shtml
Softpedia: Disk Management under Windows XP:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Disk-management-under-Windows-XP-31331.shtml
The Elder Geek: Disk Management:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/disk_management.htm
MSKB: How to Use Disk Management to Configure Basic Disks in Windows XP:
MSKB: How to Use Disk Management to Configure Dynamic Disks in Windows XP:
MS TechNet: Troubleshooting Disk Management:
Wikipedia: Logical Disk Manager:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Disk_Manager
* To create FAT32 partitions smaller than 528 MB or to convert FAT16

partitions to FAT32 and BACK:
- WITH data loss: see the UNDOCUMENTED FDISK parameters below.
- WITHOUT data loss (depending on particular utility features): get a 3rd
party [free(ware)] partitioning + formatting utility like:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-partition-manager.htm
* Ranish Partition Manager v2.44 Beta 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows

3.x/9x/ME creates, deletes, resizes and formats FAT16/FAT32 hard disk
partitions, includes Advanced Boot Manager:
http://www.ranish.com/part/
Direct download [136 KB, postcardware]:
http://www.ranish.com/part/part244.zip
* Partition Resizer v1.3.4 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME

(re)partitions/resizes FAT16/FAT32 hard disk partitions up to 2 TB (TeraBytes)
without data loss, supports advanced command line options:
http://www.zeleps.com/
Direct download [98 KB, freeware]:
http://www.zeleps.com/Files/PRESZ134.ZIP
* Cute Partition Manager (CPM) v0.9.8 16-bit DOS based OS independent tool for
DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME (re)partitions/deletes FAT16/FAT32 hard disk
partitions up to 2 TB (TeraBytes) without data loss, supports advanced command
line options:
http://www.cutepm.com/
http://www.cutepm.com/download/cpm.exe
* FIPS v2.0 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME FAT32 dynamic

nondestructive hard disk (re)partitioner [158 KB, free GPL]:
http://www.tux.org/pub/dos/partition-programs/fips/fips-20/fips20.zip
* GPT Fdisk v0.85 DOS/console/terminal command line tool for Windows

Vista/2008/7, FreeBSD, Linux + MacOS X creates, modifies + repairs (using
FixParts) GPT (GUID Partition Table)/hybrid GPT + MBR (Master Boot Record)
hard disks, converts BSD/MBR (legacy up to 2 TB hard disks) to GPT without
data loss, highly customizable (free GPL):
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gptfdisk/
- GPT Fdisk [272 KB]:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/gptfdisk/gptfdisk/0.8.5/gdisk-
binaries/gdisk-windows-0.8.5.zip
- GPT FixParts [220 KB]:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/gptfdisk/gptfdisk/0.8.5/fixparts-
binaries/fixparts-windows-0.8.5.zip
GPT Fdisk Tutorial:
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/
Wikipedia: GPT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table
* Free FDISK.EXE v1.3.1 16-bit [also part of FreeDOS: http://www.freedos.org/]

improved Microsoft FDISK.EXE replacement for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME
partitions/resizes hard disks up to 180 GB, supports Microsoft FDISK
undocumented parameters (see below), FAT32 and non-DOS partitions, extended
command line for batch disk cloning, highly customizable:
http://www.freedos.org/cgi-bin/lsm.cgi?mode=lsm&lsm=base/fdisk.lsm
Direct download [189 KB, free GPL]:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/dos/fdisk/fdisk131.zip
Courtesy of Brian, author of Free FDISK.
* XFDisk v0.9.3 Beta 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003,

Unix/Linux/FreeBSD + OS/2 partitions/resizes hard disks up to 1 TB, includes
Boot Manager:
http://www.mecronome.de/xfdisk/
Direct download [41 KB, free GPL, English]:
http://www.mecronome.de/xfdisk/files/xfd093en.zip
* GDISK.EXE 16-bit + GDISK32.EXE 32-bit improved Microsoft FDISK.EXE

replacement for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 +
Unix/Linux/FreeBSD creates/deletes, (un)hides and (un)formats hard disk
partitions, supports FAT16, FAT32, NTFS + ext2:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH106604
- GDISK.EXE 16-bit for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 [455 KB]:
http://downloads.pclanvad.net/(PCLANVAD%20Auto%20Backup%20Solutions)/Main/gdisk.exe
- GDISK32.EXE 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 [616 KB]:
http://downloads.pclanvad.net/(PCLANVAD%20Auto%20Backup
%20Solutions)/Main/gdisk32.exe
GDISK.EXE + GDISK32.EXE Switches:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH107139
* Super Fdisk v2.0 16-bit improved Microsoft native DOS FDISK.EXE replacement
for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 + Unix/Linux/FreeBSD
creates/deletes + (un)hides FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, NTFS, ext2 + ext3 hard disk
partitions, formats FAT16 + FAT32 partitions, backs up/restores MBR, partition
table, boot sector, creates bootable floppy/CD, easy to use Graphical User
Interface (GUI), highly customizable (freeware):
http://www.ptdd.com/manual2.htm
- Super Fdisk Installer [3.74 MB]:
http://www.ptdd.com/sdisk.zip
- Super Fdisk Bootable ISO CD Image [1.85 MB, right-click to save!]:
http://www.ptdd.com/download/SFbootablecd.iso
* Parted Magic v2012_02_27 16-bit, 32-bit + 64-bit bootable Linux OS (Live

CD/USB ISO image) OS independent for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows/WfWG
3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7, Mac OS + Unix/Linux/FreeBSD collection
of internal/external hard disk partitioning + formatting (GParted, gdisk,
fdisk), scanning/repair, backup/restore (Clonezilla), file management,
multi-boot, testing/benchmarking, CD/DVD burning etc tools, supports FAT16,
FAT32, NTFS, HPFS, ext2, ext3 + ext4 (E)IDE/(P)ATA/SATA/SAS/SCSI hard disk
partitions, highly customizable:
http://www.partedmagic.com/
Direct download [187 MB, ISO image, free GPL]:
http://www.partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=downloads
Parted Magic list of included programs:
http://www.partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=programs
* GParted (Gnome Partition Editor) v0.14.0-1 16-bit improved Microsoft native
DOS FDISK.EXE replacement OS independent (Live CD/USB ISO image) for
DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7, Mac OS +
Unix/Linux/FreeBSD creates, resizes, deletes + formats FAT16, FAT32, NTFS,
HPFS, ext2, ext3 + ext4 (E)IDE/(P)ATA/SATA/SAS/SCSI hard disk partitions,
highly customizable:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
Direct download [128 MB, ISO image, free GPL]:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php
GParted Documentation:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/documentation.php
* TestDisk + PhotoRec v6.14 WIP 32-bit + 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows

3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7, Unix/Linux/FreeBSD, BeOS + NetWare
checks + undeletes deleted/lost hard disk partitions + boot sectors (free
GPL):
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
- TestDisk for DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME [903 KB]:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk-6.14-WIP.dos.zip
- TestDisk for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 [3.33 MB]:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk-6.14-WIP.win.zip
* SwissKnife v3.22 32-bit for Windows 95B OSR 2.x/95C OSR

2.5/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 creates, deletes + formats fixed + removable hard
disk partitions up to 2 TB without data loss, supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS,
supports (E)IDE, SCSI, USB, Parallel, PCMCIA, IEEE 1394 (FireWire) + SATA disk
controllers, highly customizable:
http://www.compuapps.com/download/swissknife/swissknife.htm
Direct download [4.34 MB, freeware]:
http://www.compuapps.com/download/swissknife/swissknife.exe
* PartitionGuru Free v3.4.5 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

creates, deletes + formats fixed + removable hard disk partitions up to 2 TB,
supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS, highly customizable:
http://www.partitionguru.com/freeedition.php
Direct download [5.65 MB, crippled freeware]:
http://www.partitionguru.com/download/PGFreeSetup.exe
* Partition Magic v8.05 32-bit + 16-bit [discontinued!] hard disk partitioning

+ data management tool for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003, OS/2
+ Unix/Linux/FreeBSD creates, deletes, copies, moves, resizes, copies, merges,
formats, converts, restores "on-the-fly" ANY hard disk partitions up to 196 GB
without data loss, supports: FAT16 [Win3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 + DOS], FAT32
[Win98/OSR2/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7], NTFS
[WinNT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7], HPFS [OS/2] + ext2/ext3 [Linux], includes
PQ Boot Manager, highly customizable [22.6 MB, retail demo!]:
http://www.soft82.com/download/windows/norton-partitionmagic/
Need-to-know:
http://www.computergripes.com/PartitionMagic.html
* Partition Logic v0.69 16-bit DOS based OS independent hard disk partitioning
+ data management tool bootable CD-ROM ISO/floppy IMG based on Visopsys OS
creates, deletes, copies, moves, resizes, copies, merges, formats, converts
ANY hard disk partitions without data loss, supports: FAT16
[Win3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003 + DOS], FAT32
[Win98/OSR2/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7], NTFS
[WinNT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7] + ext2 [Linux], highly customizable (free
GPL):
http://www.partitionlogic.org.uk/
- Partition Logic CD-ROM ISO [4.52 MB]:
http://www.visopsys.org/files/partlogic/partlogic-0.69-iso.zip
- Partition Logic floppy IMG [640 KB]:
http://www.visopsys.org/files/partlogic/partlogic-0.69-img.zip
Partition Logic Manual:
http://www.partitionlogic.org.uk/manual/
* HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool v4.40 for Windows

XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 low level hard disk partitioning tool,
supports IDE, SATA, SCSI, SAS, USB + FireWire hard disk drives and Flash
cards:
http://www.hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
Direct download [759 KB, crippled freeware for personal use]:
http://www.hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/HDDLLFsetup.4.40.exe
* Symantec (PowerQuest) Partition Table + Boot Record Info + Editing tools 16

+ 32 bit [discontinued!] (free):
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/tool/FreeTools.html#PARTINFO
- PartInfo (PARTINFO.EXE) 16-bit for MS-DOS 5/6 [117 KB]:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/partinfo.zip
- PartInfo (PARTIN9X.EXE) 32-bit for Windows 9x/ME [346 KB]:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PartIn9x.zip
- PartInfo (PARTINNT.EXE) 32-bit for Windows NT/2000/XP [350 KB]:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PartInNT.zip
- PartEdit (PTEDIT.EXE) 16-bit for MS-DOS 5/6 [398 KB]:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/ptedit.zip
- PartEdit (PTEDIT32.EXE) 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP [174 KB]:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/PTEDIT32.zip
Similar tools:
http://www.partitionsupport.com/utilities.htm
* Partition Wizard Home Edition v7.8 32-bit for Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

hard disk partitioning + data management tool creates, deletes, (un)hides,
converts + formats hard disk partitions larger than 2 TB without data loss,
supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html
http://download.cnet.com/3001-2094_4-10962200.html
* AOMEI Partition Assistant (PA) Home Edition v5.1 32-bit for Windows
XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 hard disk partitioning + data management tool creates,
deletes, resizes, (un)hides, converts + formats hard disk partitions larger
than 2 TB without data loss, supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.extend-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html
* EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition v9.1.0 32-bit for Windows

2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 hard disk partitioning + data management tool
creates, deletes, moves, resizes, (un)hides + formats up to 2 TB (MBR) + 4 TB
(GPT) hard disk partitions without data loss, supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm
http://www.easeus-software.com/download/epm.zip
also here:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/EASEUS-Partition-Manager.shtml
* EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition v5.0.1 32-bit for Windows
2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 undeletes any type of deleted files from most fixed
+ removable disks:
http://www.easeus-deletedrecovery.com/
http://www.easeus-deletedrecovery.com/download/EDR.zip
* EASEUS Disk Copy v2.3 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 creates

exact mirror image (sector-by-sector backup copy) of hard disk/partition
contents, Operating System + File System independent:
http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/
Direct download [31.1 MB, CD-ROM ISO, freeware]:
http://www.easeus-software.com/download/dc.zip
* BootPart v2.60 32-bit for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 adds extra/hidden OS/2 +

Linux partitions to the Boot Menu by creating boot sector files in C:\ root
which MUST be FAT16:
http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm
Direct download [26 KB, freeware, English]:
http://www.winimage.com/bootpa26.zip
* Partition Saving v3.80 16-bit partition copy/save/restore tool for DOS +

Linux, saves entire partitions as files provided enough free space, supports
FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, ext2 + ext3, highly customizable:
http://damien.guibouret.free.fr/en/index_frame.html
Direct download [1.34 MB, freeware, English]:
http://damien.guibouret.free.fr/savepart.zip
* Partition Rescue v1.0 32-bit partition save/restore tool for Windows

NT4/2000/XP/2003:
http://paradiseprogramming.tripod.com/prescue.html
Direct download [90 KB, freeware, right-click to save!]:
http://paradiseprogramming.tripod.com/PRescue.zip
* Microsoft DelPart 16-bit [part of Windows NT 3.1 Resource Kit (RK)] for
Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 + DOS deletes (hidden) NTFS drives/partitions/volumes:
http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm
Direct download [4 MB, free]:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/reskit/nt31/i386/reskit.exe
* FATWalker v0.3.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 detects +

displays file system low-level structure (hex), files, deleted files + all
file attributes, supports FAT16, FAT32 + exFAT:
http://www.dmitrybrant.com/fatwalker/
http://www.dmitrybrant.com/files/fatwalker.zip
* NTFSWalker v0.1.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 detects +

displays file system low-level structure (hex), files, deleted files + all
file attributes, supports NTFS:
http://www.dmitrybrant.com/ntfswalker/
http://www.dmitrybrant.com/files/ntfswalker.zip
* MBRWizard v2.0b 16-bit, 32-bit + 64-bit command line management tool for
Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 + MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 creates, saves, restores,
fixes + deletes MBR/EMBR and hides/unhides, changes type, sets bootable/active
+ deletes partitions (freeware for personal use):
http://www.mbrwizard.com/
- MBRWiz 64-bit for Windows XP/2003 64-bit (x64) [97 KB]:
http://www.mbrwizard.com/MBRWiz64.zip
- MBRWiz 32-bit for Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 32-bit (x86) [73 KB]:
http://www.mbrwizard.com/MBRWiz2.0.zip
- MBRWiz 16-bit for Windows 95/98/ME + MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 [53 KB]:
http://www.mbrwizard.com/MBRWizD2.0.zip
MBRWizard Reference Guide:
http://www.mbrwizard.com/reference.shtml
* MBRWork v1.08 16-bit MBR/EMBR save/restore tool for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 +

Windows 3.1x/9x/ME:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-free-software.htm
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads/MBRWORK.ZIP
* MbrFix v1.3.0.0 32-bit + 64-bit MS-DOS/Windows MBR/EMBR

create/backup/restore/repair tool for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8,
works with FAT16, FAT32, NTFS:
http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm
http://www.sysint.no/products/Download/tabid/536/ItemID/2/language/en-
US/Default.aspx
More info:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/#MBR
* SRC Tools R5 16-bit boot/MBR/FAT16/FAT32 save/restore tools for MS-DOS

5/6/7/8 + Windows 9x/ME [9 KB, freeware]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/SRCTOOLS.ZIP
* See also "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 BOOT

TWEAKERS" for more similar tools:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#BOO
* Undelete Plus v2.94 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

recovers deleted files, supports hard, floppy + USB drives/partitions/volumes,
FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS, highly customizable:
http://www.undelete-plus.com/
Direct download [3.02 MB, last freeware version!]:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080504054021/http://www.undelete-
plus.com/files/undelete_plus_setup.exe
Undelete Plus Online HTML Help:
http://www.undelete-plus.com/help/
* Deleted File Analysis v2.5 32-bit for Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003 lists all
deleted files not completely overwritten on all local hard
drives/partitions/volumes [799 KB, freeware]:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/Deleted-File-Analysis-
Utility.shtml
* FreeUndelete v2.0 32-bit for Windows NT4 SP2/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

deleted files data recovery tool, supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.officerecovery.com/#freeundelete
http://www.officerecovery.com/download/freeundelete.exe
* Recuva v1.37.488 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 deleted files

data recovery tool, supports FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.piriform.com/recuva/
http://download.piriform.com/rcsetup137.exe
* Fat32Format v1.05 32-bit FAT32 format DOS box/console command line tool for
Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012, supports PATA
[(E)IDE/ATA/(U)DMA], SATA, eSATA, USB + Firewire hard disks up to 2 TB (if
formatted with normal/default cluster size), and up to 3 TB (if formatted with
larger cluster size), highly customizable:
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/fat32format.htm
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/download/fat32format.zip
Fat32Format stand alone Windows GUI interface v1.01 32-bit + 64-bit (free
GPL):
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/guiformat.htm
- FAT32 GUI Format 32-bit for Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012
32-bit (x86) [77 KB]:
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/guiformat.exe
- FAT32 GUI Format 64-bit for Windows XP
Professional/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 64-bit (x64) [100 KB]:
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/guiformat-x64.Exe
* DR FORMAT (FORMAT.EXE) v1.0 16-bit improved Microsoft FORMAT.COM replacement

for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 + Windows 3.1x/9x/ME creates/deletes, (un)hides and
(un)formats hard disk partitions, supports FAT12, FAT16 + FAT32, highly
customizable:
http://www.drdosprojects.de/index.cgi/download.htm
Direct download [64 KB, free, open source]:
http://www.drdosprojects.de/cgi-bin/download.cgi/drfmt10b.zip
* FORMAT.EXE v0.91v 16-bit [also part of FreeDOS: http://www.freedos.org/]

improved Microsoft FORMAT.COM replacement for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 + Windows
3.1x/9x/ME [142 KB, free GPL]:
http://ericauer.cosmodata.virtuaserver.com.br/soft/by-others/format-0.91v.zip
* FORMAT.COM v0.91 16-bit improved Microsoft FORMAT.COM replacement for

MS-DOS 5/6 + Windows 3.1x/9x/ME [86 KB, free GPL]:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/dos/format/xmat/xmat091.zip
* HDAT2 v4.8.1 16-bit for native DOS comprehensive test, diagnostics + repair
tool for PATA [ATA(PI), (E)IDE, (U)DMA], SATA, SCSI, SAS, RAID + USB drives:
can run from bootable floppy/CD/DVD/USB, drive + file level testing etc,
http://www.hdat2.com/
http://www.hdat2.com/download.html
* DRVEXCH.COM v0.4.2 16-bit TSR for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 + Windows/WfWG 3.1x/9x/ME

reassigns/swaps drive/partition letters according to physical hard disk
numbers [14 KB, free GPL]:
http://www.bttr-software.de/products/drvexch/
* Drive Rescue v1.9d 32-bit [discontinued!] for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003

hard drive data recovery tool and disk editor, supports FAT16, FAT32, NTFS,
http://www.norman.riel.com/downloads.htm
http://www.norman.riel.com/downloads/rescue.zip
Recovery Tips DOC [100 KB, free]:
http://www.norman.riel.com/downloads/tips.zip
* PC Inspector File Recovery v4.0 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003

data recovery tool supports FAT12/16/32 + NTFS, finds FAT (not NTFS)
partitions automatically even if boot sector or FAT erased/damaged, recovers
files with original time/date stamp, supports saving recovered files on
network drives, recovers files even if header entry not available, includes
Special Recovery Function for many file types, highly customizable:
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm
http://download.pcinspector.de/pci_filerecovery.exe
* Restoration v3.2.13 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 restores

deleted files even if removed from Recycle Bin, supports FAT16, FAT32, NTFS,
highly customizable [164 KB, freeware]:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Back-Up-and-Recovery/Restoration.shtml
* HDCopy v2.104 16-bit DOS tool for Windows 9x/ME copies entire fixed
drive/partition to any other available FAT16/FAT32 formatted fixed
drive/partition only if target drive equal to or larger than source drive:
http://home.tiscali.de/zdata/hdcopy_e.htm
http://home.tiscali.de/zdata/files/HDCopy.exe
* HDHacker v1.4 32-bit for Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 displays,

saves + restores MBR (physical drive), Boot Sector (logical drive/partition) +
desired disk sector(s) (fixed + removable drives):
http://www.dimio.altervista.org/eng/
http://www.dimio.altervista.org/stats/download.php?id=6
* Ontrack Data Advisor v5.0 16-bit DOS hard disk low level FAT16/FAT32 (not
NTFS) diagnostic and recovery tool for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 + Windows
3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003:
http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/hard-drive-software/dataadvisor.aspx
http://download.ontrack.com/freedownloads/DC500.exe
* Disk Investigator v1.2 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 displays

all hidden hard disk info by bypassing the OS: true contents, raw sectors,
directories, files, clusters + system sectors, undeletes previously deleted
files, highly customizable:
http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html
http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/files/dskinv.exe
* Stats 2000 v1.8 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 displays detailed

hard disk statistics in 3D graphical format, highly customizable:
http://www.contactplus.com/products/freestuff/stats.htm
http://edtrujillo.web.aplus.net/software/stat2000.exe
* EyeDrives v3.4 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 displays free,

used + total disk space on all installed floppy, hard, CD/DVD, optical,
removable, backup, network etc drives/partitions/volumes, memory and resource
usage:
http://www.softtalon.com/ST_eyedrives.html
http://ftp.uni-koeln.de/pc/win32/dskutl/eyedrv34.zip
* Drive Scanner v2.6 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 displays files

+ directories usage on all installed floppy, hard, CD/DVD, optical,
removable, backup, network etc drives/partitions/volumes in a pie chart:
http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/
http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/scn2.zip
Free(ware) WinDOwS Backup + Restore Tools

http://www.mdgx.com/secrets.htm#BKP
* Backup + Cloning Software for Windows 9x/NTx distributed by HDD/SSD

manufacturers [free(ware), may require manufacturer's HDD/SDD!]:
- Acronis True Image Western Digital Edition [150 MB]:
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119
- Norton Ghost for select Samsung SSDs/HDDs [121 MB]:
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/MZ-7PC064D/AM#content2
* HDClone Free Edition v5.0.3 16-bit + 32-bit for Windows

3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012, MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 + Linux/Unix
duplicates/clones entire drive contents to another (which must be of equal or
larger capacity) at physical level, adjusts to smaller capacity drives if
enough free space on target drive, includes SmartCopy, HotCopy, LiveImage,
AutoExpand + AutoReduce, supports virtual drives, works independent of
existing OS(es), includes DOS console command line tool for unattended BATch
files, fits on floppy/CD/DVD/USB:
http://www.miray.de/download/sat.hdclone.html
Direct download [19 MB, crippled freeware]:
http://www.miray.de/public/download/hdclone.fe.en.exe
Requires (E)IDE (PATA)/SATA/SCSI/SAS/FireWire/USB Hard Disk Controller +
bootable floppy/CD/DVD/USB drive!
* Create Synchronicity v5.2.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

backup + synchronization tool, supports multiple folder/subfolder selection,
file inclusion/exclusion, synchronization, scheduling, multiple profiles,
portable, dynamic destinations, comparison, multiple file systems, network
(UNC) + relative paths, command line, file size comparison, integrity check,
on-the-fly GZip/BZip2 compression, multilanguage, highly customizable:
http://synchronicity.sourceforge.net/
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/synchronicity/Create
%20Synchronicity/Create%20Synchronicity%205.2.1/Create_Synchronicity-
5.2.1_Setup.exe
Requires Microsoft .Net Framework Redistributable (NFR) 2.0 (free):
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#NFR
Create Synchronicity Online Help:
http://synchronicity.sourceforge.net/help.html
Create Synchronicity FAQ:
http://synchronicity.sourceforge.net/faq.html
* Clonezilla Live v1.2 32-bit (x86) + 64-bit (x64) operating system

independent bootable CD/DVD/USB GNU/Linux distro clones + then restores entire
hard disk drives (HDDs) in minutes by saving/restoring only used blocks,
supports most File Systems and Linux/BSD, Microsoft + Apple OSes, highly
customizable:
http://www.clonezilla.org/clonezilla-live.php
Direct download [107 MB, free GPL]:
http://www.clonezilla.org/downloads.php
Clonezilla FAQ:
http://www.drbl.org/faq/
* XXCLONE Freeware v2.06.5 32-bit for Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012

creates self-bootable clone of Windows OS disk, can restore self-bootability,
supports (E)IDE/SCSI/SATA/SAS internal hard disk drives, FAT16, FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.xxclone.com/
Direct download [4.5 MB, crippled freeware for personal use only]:
http://www.xxclone.com/xxclone.zip
XXCLONE Online Manual:
http://www.xxclone.com/xcln_man.htm
XXCLONE FAQ:
http://www.xxclone.com/ixclnfaq.htm
XXCLONE HTML Help (CHM) [1 MB]:
http://www.xxclone.com/idwnload.htm
* EaseUS Todo Backup Free v4.0 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

backup + restore tool: Disk and Partition Image, Restore System to Dissimilar
Hardware, File and Folder Backup, Incremental/Differential Backup, Backup
Management/Schedule, Mount + Unmount, Image Splitting + Compression, highly
customizable:
http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm
Direct download [97 MB, crippled freeware]:
http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/download.htm
* Paragon Backup & Recovery (Advanced) Free Edition 2012 32-bit + 64-bit for
Windows 2000 SP4/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 backup + restore tool: cyclic, disk +
differential backup, disk + shrink restore, bootable CD/DVD/USB recovery disk,
Recovery Media Builder, Check Recovery Discs, partitioning tools, highly
customizable:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/
Direct download [99 MB, crippled freeware for non-commercial use only]:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/download.html
* SyncBack Freeware v3.2.26 32-bit for Windows 98

SE/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 backup + synchronization tool: backs up +
restores disks, folders and/or files to same or different/removable media,
supports CD-R(W), DVD-R(W), CompactFlash, Zip archive, FTP server + Network,
http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/
http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/software/SyncBack_Setup.zip
SyncBack Help PDF [695 KB]:
http://www.2brightsparks.com/assets/pdf/SyncBackPDF.zip
* Backup4All v1.3.0 32-bit [discontinued!] for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003

disk + file backup + restore tools: Backup Wizard, Backup Scheduler, multiple
file filter sets, incremental backups, multiple scheduled backups,
customizable ZIP compression levels, customizable restores also supported by
standard unzipping tools, supports all local and mapped network drive letters,
UNC paths and removable media, CD-R(W)/DVD-R(W) etc, highly customizable:
http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page4.html#Backup4all
http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/simtelnet/win95/fileback/b4all130.zip
* Cobian Backup 32-bit for Windows 9x/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

multi-threaded backup tool: backup scheduler, backup file sets, integrated ZIP
compression, multilanguage support, password protection, supports all local
and mapped network drive letters, UNC paths, removable media and FTP, runs as
app or service (Win2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 only), highly customizable
(freeware):
http://www.cobiansoft.com/cobianbackup.htm
- Cobian Backup v10.1 for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 [14.8 MB]:
http://www.cobiansoft.com/programz/cbSetup.exe
- Cobian Backup v7.6 for Windows 9x/ME [5.79 MB]:
http://www.cobiansoft.com/programz/Cb7Setup.exe
* ImageMaker v1.1 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003 backs up/restores

hard drives/partitions/volumes by creating disk images independent of file
system/OS, target drive must be equal to or larger than source drive, includes
Disk Management Control Panel applet, highly customizable [485 KB, freeware]:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3914.html
* Replicator v3.6.8 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

automatically/periodically backs up local/remote/network files, directories
and/or drives/partitions/volumes, highly customizable:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
http://www.karenware.com/progs/ptreplicator-setup.exe
* DriveImage XML (DiX) Private Edition v2.22 logical drives + partitions image
+ backup tool for Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7: Backup, Browse, Restore + Copy
functions, uses Microsoft Volume Shadow Services (VSS), supports FAT12, FAT16,
FAT32 + NTFS:
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm
http://www.runtime.org/dixmlsetup.exe
* Enhanced Windows Backup (EWB) v1.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003 improved
Windows Backup (NTBACKUP.EXE) tool: core backup, Volume Shadow Copy, Active
Directory backup, Live Registry backup, multiple concurrent backups,
scheduling + background backups, highly customizable:
http://www.softswift.com/prod-windows-backup-software-ntbackup.htm
Direct download [1.15 MB, MUST register! freeware]:
Registration form (enter serial number to receive activation code in e-mail!):
http://www.softswift.com/manualreg.aspx
Requires (free):
- Microsoft Installer (MSI) 3.0/newer:
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#MSI
- Microsoft .Net Framework Redistributable (NFR) 1.1/newer:
http://www.mdgx.com/add.htm#NFR
Windows XP Backup Made Easy:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090627010811/http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/
setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx
MS Windows XP: Ntbackup:
us/ntbackup_command.mspx
* HDD Raw Copy Tool v1.10 for Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/8.1/2012 low

level, sector-by-sector hard disk duplication and image creation tool,
supports IDE, SATA, SCSI, SAS, USB + FireWire HDDs, SSDs and Flash
cards/sticks:
http://www.hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/
http://www.hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/HDDRawCopy1.10Setup.exe
* Seagate Windows 9x/ME Backup Tool (MSBACKUP.EXE) 32-bit from Windows 98/98
SE/ME Setup CD:
MSBACKUP.EXE [1.33 MB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.mdgx.com/files/MSBCKUP.ZIP
* Microsoft Old MS-DOS 6.xx Backup Tool (MSBACKUP.EXE) for Windows 9x/ME is
included with MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22:
Direct download [558 KB, free]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win95upg/bkup_b/1.0/W95/EN-US/msback.exe
More info:
* Hard Disk + Files Backup/Restore + Image/Cloning Tools [free(ware)]:

- thefreecountry.com:
http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml
- SnapFiles:
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwbackup.html
- Nonags:
http://www.nonags.com/nonags/diskbk.html
- MajorGeeks:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads3.html
- Gizmos Freeware:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-backup-program/
- Lifehacker:
http://www.lifehacker.com/398229/
- All Freeware:
http://www.all-freeware.com/results/free/system/backup/software/
- Freeware Guide:
http://www.freeware-guide.com/dir/util/backup.html
- Freeware Files:
http://www.freewarefiles.com/category_9_165.html
- Free-Backup.info:
http://www.free-backup.info/backup-software.htm
- DMOZ Open Directory Project:
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Freeware/Backup/
* HDD diagnostics and recovery software [free(ware)]:

http://www.hddguru.com/software/
* Recover CHK files tools (free GPL):

http://www.ericphelps.com/uncheck/
* Tools and References for MBR and OS Boot Records:

http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/BootToolsRefs.htm
* Free(ware) Data Recovery, File/Partition Recovery, Undelete/Unformat tools:

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/datarecovery.shtml
* Free(ware) Partitioning Software:

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/partitioneditors.shtml
* Eraser v6.0.8 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 +

16-bit for DOS safely and completely deletes sensitive data by securely
overwriting it with unrecoverable patterns:
http://eraser.heidi.ie/
Direct download [8.8 MB, free GPL]:
http://eraser.heidi.ie/download.php
IMPORTANT: Run DOS based partitioning/formatting tools ONLY from the

native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode OUTSIDE Windows GUI, NOT from a DOS
box/session/window INSIDE Windows, even full screen!
* 3rd party disk partitioning tools with FAT32X support:
- Partition Logic (free GPL):
http://www.partitionlogic.org.uk/
- Partition Magic [discontinued!] (retail demo):
- Partition Commander (includes System Commander Personal Edition) (trial
shareware):
http://www.avanquest.com/USA/software/partition-commander-11-126553
- Partition Master (crippled freeware):
http://www.partition-tool.com/
FAT32/FAT32X partitions are NOT compatible with Microsoft DrvSpace/DblSpace
compression scheme! The ONLY disk compression tool that recognizes (but does
NOT compress) FAT32/FAT32X partitions/disks is included on the Windows 98/98
SE(U)/ME setup CD-ROMs!
There is NO disk compression scheme/software able to compress/double
FAT32/FAT32X partitions.
* Microsoft FAT32 Evaluation Tool [part of Windows 98 Resource Kit (RK)]

included on the Windows 98 setup CD-ROM works also with Windows 95B/95C OSR
2.x, 98 SP1, 98 SE(U) and ME [97 KB, free]:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/technet/samples/ps/win98/reskit/config/FAT32WIN.EX
E
Shows all your drives/partitions specs, sizes and the disk space saved should
you decide to convert existing FAT16 partition(s)/disk(s) to FAT32.
UPDATE:
"Thanks for the FAT32 analysis - very comprehensive and understandable. I have
only one suggestion: You might consider a mention of users with Compressed
Hard Drives who cannot use FAT32 and for whom Partition Magic is of little
use. Of course, this applies to older machines with their small hard drives,
but I read that the average age of PCs in use is about 3 years with many
machines well past the 5 year mark. Many of these probably can't or don't run
Win9x for various reasons, but for those that do, the substitute to FAT32 is
DriveSpace which comes with Microsoft Plus! for Win95 [the Desktop Themes and
Pinball game are just space wasting fluff to those with small hard drives].
As a result of using DriveSpace [on a 250 MB hard drive] the cluster size on
C: is 8,192 bytes and on H: [the C: Host drive] is 4,096 bytes. The other
caveat: minimize cluster waste by deleting unused files, zip several files
together if appropriate and send files/programs off to portable drives if
possible. If stuck with a small hard drive, apply a "worthy to keep" test to
every file that is added."
[Thank you Ojatex!]
Below are detailed ALL available FDISK parameters, including the UNDOCUMENTED
+ HIDDEN ones:
______________________________________________________________________________
FDISK.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS
WARNINGS:
- BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA TO A SAFE LOCATION FIRST!
- Use ALL FDISK.EXE command line switches with CAUTION, ONLY from
native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode, NOT from a Windows DOS box/session, even
full screen!
1. FDISK /FPRMT [Windows 95B OSR 2.0 + MS-DOS 7.10 and above ONLY]
FDISK /FPRMT bypasses the FDISK startup screen, but enables interactive
FAT16/FAT32 support. This can be used to force FDISK to create FAT32
partitions smaller than 512 MB, normally not possible by default.
TIP:
A. Copy HELP.COM as FDISK.COM .
B. Open FDISK.COM in a hex editor:
http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#HEX
C. Replace each QBASIC.EXE instance with FDISK.EXE followed by 1 space.
D. Replace /QHELP with /FPRMT .
From now on whenever you run FDISK, it won't ask for large/FAT32 disk support
anymore.
To use FDISK without parameters, just run FDISK.EXE.
[Thank you os2fan2!]
2. FDISK x /PRI:n (/PRIO:n) /EXT:n /LOG:n (/LOGO:n) [MS-DOS 6.00 and above
ONLY]
FDISK x /PRI:n (or /PRIO:n) /EXT:n /LOG:n (or /LOGO:n) MUST be used together
for proper operation.
Meaning:
x = drive number: 1, 2, 3... etc. Drive 1 corresponds to the 1st hard disk
installed (C), drive 2 to second hard disk (D)... etc.
/PRI:n = creates a primary partition of size n (in MegaBytes) and makes it
bootable (active).
/PRIO:n = creates a primary partition of size n (in MegaBytes) and makes it
bootable (active) while overriding FAT16/FAT32.
/EXT:n = creates an extended partition of size n (in MegaBytes) which holds
logical partition(s).
/LOG:n = creates a logical drive in the extended partition of size n (in
MegaBytes).
/LOGO:n = creates a logical drive in the extended partition of size n (in
MegaBytes) while overriding FAT16/FAT32.
If using FAT16 maximum size allowed is 2,047 MB (2 GigaBytes).
If using FAT32 maximum size allowed is 2,047 GB (2 TeraBytes).
NOTES:
- Maximum partition size MUST be equal to or smaller than existing free disk
space.
- /EXT:n and /LOG:n (or /LOGO:n) partition sizes MUST be identical.
- Only one FDISK "LOG" is allowed per EACH logical drive! Therefore on
computers with more than one logical drive you MUST run a separate FDISK x
/LOG:n (or /LOGO:n) command for EACH installed drive.
- ONLY IF using Windows 95B OSR 2.0 + MS-DOS 7.10 or newer: /PRI:n and
/LOG:n default to FAT32 on partitions larger than 512 MB, or to FAT16 on
partitions smaller than 512 MB. /PRIO:n and /LOGO:n default to FAT16 even
on partitions larger than 512 MB, same as older MS-DOS 5.00/6.xx FDISK.
- ONLY Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98, 98 SE(U), 2000, ME, XP and 2003 support
FAT32.
- Use /LOGO:n instead of /LOG:n and/or /PRIO:n instead of /PRI:n to ignore
FAT information in case of disk access errors.
3. FDISK /MBR [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]

FDISK /MBR recreates the boot sector of the first (bootable) hard disk
overwriting it with a fresh copy, by writing a new Master Boot Record (MBR)
based on existent disk structure, without altering the partition table
information.
Can be used to repair a damaged/corrupted MBR (i.e. by a virus).
FYI:
- Official MSKB info:
- Master Boot Records:
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/#MBR
- Partition Table, MBR + Drive Overlays:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090202071133/http://powerjoe.tripod.com/MBR.html
WARNING:
Writing the master boot record to the hard disk in this manner can render
certain hard disks partitioned with SpeedStor unusable! It can also cause
problems for some dual-boot programs (including Windows 95) or for disks with
more than 4 partitions!
DEFINITION of MBR:
During the bootup sequence, at the end of the ROM BIOS bootstrap routine,
the BIOS will read and execute the first physical sector of the first
available floppy or hard drive on the system. This sector is called the
Master Boot Record (MBR), or Master Boot Block (MBB), or Partition Table.
A small program is stored at the beginning of this sector and the partition
table is stored at the end of this sector. This program uses the available
partition information to determine which partition is bootable (usually the
first primary DOS/WIN partition) and attempts to boot from it.
NOTES:
- The largest partition MS-DOS beginning with release 5.00 and up to Windows
95a OSR1 versions of FDISK can create/recognize is 2 GB (GigaBytes). The 2 GB
partition limit has been overcome by Microsoft (FINALLY!), beginning with
Windows 95B OSR 2.0. Named the FAT32 file system, it supports
partitions/drives up to 2 TB (TeraBytes).
- Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 have their own 32-bit protected file
system called NTFS, INCOMPATIBLE with FAT16 or FAT32!
WINDOWS 95 AND 95a OSR1 "MBR REFRESH" BUG
There is a problem when installing a new hard drive on your system under
Windows 95 [original retail] or 95a OSR1 [upgraded with SP1].
If you upgraded from MS-DOS 5.00 (or earlier), your primary hard disk,
formatted under your old version of MS-DOS, contains the MBR (the Master Boot
Record, also called the boot sector) written by the hard disk formatting
utility (FDISK) provided with MS-DOS. When you add another hard disk under
Win95, you format and partition it with the Win95/OSR1 (MS-DOS 7.00) version
of FDISK.
This means that each drive was formatted and partitioned under a different OS,
but Windows 95/OSR1 WON'T RECOGNIZE YOUR DRIVE! There is nothing wrong, don't
panic. :) It's "just" another glitch in the OS, something Microsoft
overlooked! :(
When a drive is formatted/partitioned under Win95/OSR1 the MBR tells the OS
that the drive is a Windows (WIN) drive. If your drive was
formatted/partitioned under earlier versions of MS-DOS (3.0 - 6.22) the drive
is recognized as an MS-DOS (DOS) drive.
All you have to do is refresh the MBR by running FDISK (the Windows 95/95a
OSR1 version) with the UNDOCUMENTED /MBR switch on the old drive, which
repairs the boot sector by overwriting it with a fresh copy:
FDISK /MBR
The boot record (MBR) will be refreshed without reformatting the drive or
losing any data!
I presumed your primary (old) hard disk has assigned the letter C (single
logical partition) and your new (secondary) hard disk is D (also with a single
logical partition). Change drive letters if different on your system and/or if
you have more than 1 partition per each hard disk.
This can be done ONLY from native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode AFTER you EXIT
Win95/OSR1 GUI to MS-DOS or (re)BOOT with the "Command prompt only" option
from the Startup Menu. See this article for details:
http://www.mdgx.com/msdos.htm#MEN
If the Win95 OS doesn't recognize the new drive, then you can ONLY do this
after rebooting into your old MS-DOS version, using the dual-boot feature
implemented into Win95 OS. This means you MUST have kept your old MS-DOS files
(including FDISK) on your primary (old) hard disk.
You also need to have kept the old drive as primary (master) and set the new
one as secondary (slave).
Reboot when done. Your (newly installed) hard drive should be recognized by
the OS from now on.
Now you can change the new drive to "master" (primary boot drive) and setup
the old one as "slave", especially if the new one is faster.
Sounds pretty complicated, but you may have to do this some day, and it's
better than reformatting the entire drive, and losing precious data.
There is still another way to refresh/fix the MBR: run the Windows Scandisk
tool (Scandskw.exe, located in your main Windows folder) on ALL hard drives on
your system. It will automatically refresh the MBR (as needed) if it is
damaged. See also "USE WINME DEFRAG + SCANDSKW WITH WIN95/98":
http://www.mdgx.com/98-5.htm#WDIW
in TIPS98.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE):
A MUST:
Install Microsoft Windows 95/95a OSR1 LBA and INT13 IDE Hard Disk Data Loss
DISKTSD.VXD Fix:
DSKTSUPD.EXE [147 KB, English]:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/win95upg/update/2/w95/EN-US/Dsktsupd.exe
NOTE: The "MBR BUG" does NOT affect Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x, 98/98 SE(U) or
ME.
FYI:
Partition Magic:
overcomes the above Windows 95/OSR1 limitation, and makes ANY hard drive
compatible with ANY Microsoft operating system and ANY FAT system (and much
more). IMHO it's worth every penny, it saved my "computing life" more than
once! :)
Supports Windows 95B/95C OSR 2.x/98/98 SE(U)/ME FAT32/FAT32X and
NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 NTFS file system standards.
4. FDISK /Q [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
FDISK /Q prevents rebooting the computer automatically after altering the

partition information by using FDISK with other parameters.
5. FDISK /STATUS [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FDISK /STATUS displays a screen similar to using FDISK's option 4: "Partition

information", but shows also extended partition information (if any).
6. FDISK /X [Windows 95 + MS-DOS 7.00 and above ONLY]
FDISK /X limits disk access to a total of 8.4 GB even on larger physical

drives, even if the BIOS supports INT13h extensions for hard disks over 8.4
GB, thus preventing the use of 0E and 0F partition types, by ignoring LBA
(Logical Block Addressing) and extended disk information.
This makes possible disk partitioning on computers with older BIOSes without
support for hard disks larger than 8.4 GB.
Use /X to start FDISK if you receive disk access, stack overflow and/or data
corruption error messages.
7. FDISK /ACTOK [Windows 95B OSR 2.0 + MS-DOS 7.10 and above ONLY]
FDISK /ACTOK (ACT OK = act as if disk is OK) allows to set an active partition
on any hard disk (if present) other than hard disk 0 (default = 128).
[Thank you JW Rebel!]
8. FDISK /CMBR x [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
FDISK /CMBR x MUST be used together for proper operation. Recreates the boot
sector of the second, third... etc hard disk(s) (if any) overwriting it (them)
with a fresh copy, by writing a new Master Boot Record (MBR) based on existent
disk structure, without altering the partition table information.
Valid values for x:
- 1 = first (bootable) physical hard disk (same as using FDISK /MBR):
FDISK /CMBR 1
- 2 = second (not bootable) physical hard disk (if any):
FDISK /CMBR 2
- 3 = third (not bootable) physical hard disk (if any):
FDISK /CMBR 3
- ... etc.
Can be used to repair a damaged/corrupted MBR (i.e. by a virus).
9. FDISK /PRMT [MS-DOS 6.00 ONLY]
FDISK /PRMT adds extra prompt ["nagging" :)] screens which require user input
(key press) before proceeding further.
______________________________________________________________________________
FORMAT.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS

FORMAT.COM is an external MS-DOS command, located by default in
%winbootdir%\COMMAND (default is C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND) [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a.
MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00] or in the MS-DOS 6.xx directory (default is C:\DOS or
C:\MSDOS) [MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22].
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the FORMAT.COM command line switches (the
FORMAT /?
or:
HELP FORMAT
to display the FORMAT.COM help screen.
NOTE: FORMAT drive: /Q (documented switch) performs a QUICK format ONLY IF
respective drive/partition is already formatted.
1. FORMAT drive: /AUTOTEST [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /AUTOTEST checks for the existing format of your disk, unless
the /U (UNCONDITIONAL) parameter is also used [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY],
and then proceeds with an UNATTENDED DISK(ETTE) FORMAT:
- DOES NOT prompt for a volume label!
- DOES NOT prompt to format another disk(ette)!
- NO delay: NO user intervention!
- Ends WITHOUT pausing!
After completion, it DOES display disk space statistics, ONLY IF using MS-DOS
5.00/6.xx.
WARNING: This works on ALL hard, flash, floppy + hybrid disk drives!
2. FORMAT drive: /BACKUP [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /BACKUP works exactly like /AUTOTEST, applies ONLY to floppy
diskettes, but it DOES prompt the user for a volume label, and it DOES display
disk space information upon completion.
3. FORMAT drive: /SELECT [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /SELECT is similar to using the MIRROR command [a MS-DOS 5.00
and earlier ONLY utility, removed from all MS-DOS releases beginning with
6.00], and reads the disk(ette) system area (sector 0).
In MS-DOS 4.0 FORMAT /SELECT has the same effect as FORMAT /BACKUP.
[Thank you William!]
4. FORMAT drive: /U [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /U performs an UNCONDITIONAL format, which DESTROYS every byte

of data on ANY writable hard disk/floppy/tape/optical/USB/SSD by overwriting
it with zeroes (hex F6h).
WARNING: ANY disk(ette) formatted using /U canNOT be UNFORMATTED using the
MS-DOS 5.00 - 6.22 UNFORMAT (UNFORMAT.COM) FAT16 drive/partition restore
command installed in C:\DOS or C:\MSDOS (default location)!
Microsoft removed UNFORMAT.EXE from MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00 [a.k.a. Windows
95/98/ME].
5. FORMAT drive: /SELECT /U [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /SELECT /U makes a disk(ette) UNREADABLE by filling the system

area (sector 0) with zeroes (hex F6h), due to using these two incompatible
options together. All other sectors are left intact.
[Thank you William!]
WARNING: NEVER use these two FORMAT switches TOGETHER on ANY drive!
6. FORMAT drive: /Z:n [Windows 95B OSR 2.0 + MS-DOS 7.10 and above ONLY]
FORMAT drive: /Z:n formats a FAT32 drive with a cluster size of n times
(multiple of) 512 Bytes. Meaning:
drive: = your hard drive letter: C:, D:, E:... etc.
n = number of sectors per cluster multiplied by 512 (cluster size in Bytes).
n = 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64.
Examples:
n = 1 creates a 512 Bytes cluster;
n = 2 creates a 1024 Bytes (1 KB) cluster;
n = ? creates a ? x 512 = ???? Bytes (???? bytes : 1024 = ? KB) cluster.
You can modify the size of the allocation units (sectors) on a FAT32 drive to
your heart desire.
The /Z:n parameter canNOT be used with floppy/removable drives.
WARNING: It is NOT recommended to change default cluster size because certain
programs such as disk-repair/anti-virus tools may STOP working properly!
______________________________________________________________________________
HIMEM.SYS HIDDEN PARAMETERS
HIMEM.SYS is the Microsoft high/upper/extended memory manager, located by

default in C:\WINDOWS [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00], C:\DOS
or C:\MSDOS [MS-DOS 5.00/6.xx].
Windows (ANY release) canNOT start without HIMEM.SYS loaded!
HIMEM.SYS can be loaded ONLY in CONFIG.SYS using the DEVICE command. Example:
DEVICE=drive:\path\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF /Q
HIMEM.SYS's DEVICE line MUST appear in CONFIG.SYS before ANY other device
drivers loaded with DEVICE, DEVICEHIGH, INSTALL or INSTALLHIGH, including
EMM386.EXE.
HIMEM.SYS provides access to the High Memory Area (HMA), Upper Memory Area
(UMA) and coordinates the use of the computer's extended memory, so that no
two programs or device drivers use the same memory area at the same time.
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the HIMEM.SYS command line switches (the
- Windows 95/98/ME users: use Notepad to read the "HIMEM.SYS" topic in
MSDOSDRV.TXT, a text file located in your Windows folder.
- MS-DOS 6.xx users: run this command from any DOS prompt:
HELP HIMEM.SYS
and read the topic.
- See also the HIMEM.SYS related topics in MEMORY.TXT + EMM386.TXT (both
included).
DEVICE=drive:\path\HIMEM.SYS /Q [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
HIMEM.SYS /Q (QUIET) disables the display of HIMEM.SYS loading status during

bootup. Only error messages will be shown, IF the Logo=0 line exists in
MSDOS.SYS, under the [Options] section, valid ONLY for Windows 95/98/ME OS.
This switch is valid ONLY for HIMEM.SYS versions 3.10 [MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22] up
to 3.95 [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00].
Example:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /Q
FYI: Get newest HIMEM.SYS 3.95 + EMM386.EXE 4.95 16-bit DOS mode memory
managers:
http://www.mdgx.com/dos.htm#MEM
See MEMORY.TXT, EMM386.TXT + REGIONS.TXT (all included) for comprehensive
memory management guidelines.
______________________________________________________________________________
MEM.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS
MEM.EXE is an external MS-DOS command, located by default in

%winbootdir%\COMMAND (default is C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND) [Windows 95/98/ME, a.k.a.
MS-DOS 7.00/7.10/8.00] or in the MS-DOS 6.xx directory (default is C:\DOS or
C:\MSDOS) [MS-DOS 6.00 - 6.22].
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the MEM.EXE command line switches (the
MEM /?
or:
HELP MEM
to display the MEM.EXE help screen.
More details:
- MS-DOS 7.xx (Win9x):
http://www.mdgx.com/mem7.htm
- MS-DOS 6.xx (Win31):
http://www.mdgx.com/mem6.htm
MEM /A [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]
MEM /A (ALL) displays a short summary screen of your memory configuration and
also the status of the HMA.
HMA (High Memory Area) is a little known 64 KB area just above the first
MegaByte (1 MB = 1,024 KB = 1,048,576 Bytes) of RAM as mapped by Microsoft
HIMEM.SYS memory manager or another 3rd party upper/extended/expanded memory
manager, like Quarterdeck QEMM386, Helix NetRoom RM386, Qualitas 386MAX,
Lineo DR-DOS EMM386 etc.
Part of the DOS resident module and DOS BUFFERS usually load into the HMA,
ONLY IF this memory region is free at bootup.
Example of MEM /A output display (only the HMA info shown here):
"Available space in High Memory Area 1K (944 bytes)

MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area."
To display all available memory configuration at a DOS prompt, run:

MEM /A /C /P
or if you prefer technical details (conventional/upper memory regions map and
exact hex addresses where all loaded devices/drivers/TSRs reside), run:
MEM /D /P
NOTE: High DOS is enabled by this CONFIG.SYS line (the "HIGH" switch):
DOS=HIGH,UMB
______________________________________________________________________________
VER HIDDEN PARAMETERS
VER is an internal MS-DOS command, built into COMMAND.COM. An actual file does
not exist.
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the VER command line switch (the documented
one anyway), run one of these commands from any DOS prompt:
VER /?
or:
HELP VER
valid for all MS-DOS 6.xx and Windows 95/98/ME users.
VER /R [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]
VER /R (REVISION) displays extended DOS info: the DOS revision and the memory
location of the DOS module, in addition to using the plain VER command.
Example of screen output for plain VER command (using Win98 SE + MS-DOS
7.10):
"Windows 98 [Version 4.10.2222]"
Example of screen output for VER /R command (using Win98 SE + MS-DOS 7.10):
"Windows 98 [Version 4.10.2222]

Revision A
DOS is in HMA"
______________________________________________________________________________
WIN.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS
WIN.COM is the Windows GUI (Graphical User Interface) command line executable
located in %winbootdir% (default is C:\WINDOWS).
IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the WIN.COM command line parameters (the
- Run:
WIN /?
from any DOS prompt, to display the WIN.COM help screen.
- MSKB: Windows 95/98 WIN.COM Command Line Switches:
- MSKB: Windows 3.1 WIN.COM Command Switches:
- See these related topics (all part of W95-11D.EXE):
- "WIN.COM SWITCHES" in MYTIPS95.TXT, also in MYTIPS31.TXT (part of
W31-11D.ZIP):
- "CORRUPTED WIN.COM" in TIPS95.TXT.
- "BLANK WIN.COM" in MYTIPS95.TXT.
FYI: Microsoft removed ALL undocumented WIN.COM switches detailed below from
Windows Millennium Edition (ME)!
1. WIN /MQ [Windows 95B OSR 2.1 and above ONLY]
WIN /MQ automatically restarts the computer (soft reboot), without prompting
or waiting for input (key press). This is similar to Quarterdeck QEMM's
QuickBoot, which calls INT19h to reboot almost instantaneously (VERY FAST!)
without performing any BIOS/CMOS hardware or OS/software checking.
CAUTION:
This fast reboot routine may generate error messages and/or lockups!
This switch works ONLY IF executed from the native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode
OUTSIDE the Windows 95/98 GUI, NOT from WITHIN Windows in a DOS box/session.
This DOS secret suggested by phish.
2. WIN /W [Windows 95 and above ONLY]
WIN /W generates this message:
"Press any key to continue...

Pressing a key reboots back to Windows 95 (98)."
waiting for user input (key press), and then restarts the computer (warm
reboot), restoring the original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files in the root
directory of the boot drive from CONFIG.WOS and AUTOEXEC.WOS (if any).
This is useful when the computer is restarted after interrupting a "single"
mode MS-DOS session, because of this CONFIG.SYS line:
DOS=SINGLE
which does NOT allow Windows 95/98 GUI to load.
NOTES:
- The .WOS files are created when you run a DOS based program that requires a
separate MS-DOS reboot setup (in "single" mode), and you have selected the
"Specify a new MS-DOS configuration" check box in the PIF file Properties tab.
- For more details see "MS-DOS PROMPT":
http://www.mdgx.com/lastweek.htm#MSDOSPROMPT
in MYTIPS95.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE):
3. WIN /WX [Windows 95 and above ONLY]
WIN /WX automatically restarts the computer (warm reboot), without prompting
or waiting for input (key press), and restores the original CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files in the root directory of the boot drive from CONFIG.WOS and
AUTOEXEC.WOS (if any). This is useful when the computer is restarted after
interrupting a "single" mode MS-DOS session, because of this CONFIG.SYS line:
DOS=SINGLE
which does NOT allow Windows 95/98 GUI to load.
NOTES:
- The .WOS files are created when you run a DOS based program that requires a
separate MS-DOS reboot setup (in "single" mode), and you have selected the
"Specify a new MS-DOS configuration" check box in the PIF file Properties tab.
- For more details see "MS-DOS PROMPT":
http://www.mdgx.com/lastweek.htm#MSDOSPROMPT
in MYTIPS95.TXT (part of W95-11D.EXE):
4. WIN /Z [Windows 95B OSR 2.1 and above ONLY]
WIN /Z automatically forces the ATX power supply to (soft-)power off the
computer ONLY on ATX motherboards, without prompting or waiting for input (key
press).
OUTSIDE the Windows GUI, NOT from WITHIN Windows in a DOS prompt/box/session.
This DOS secret suggested by Shaminda.
5. WIN : [Windows 3.xx + WfWG 3.1x ONLY]
WIN : starts Windows 3.xx or Windows for WorkGroups 3.1x WITHOUT displaying
the startup logo (RLE encoded, 16 colors).
This switch works ONLY IF executed from the native/real/true/pure MS-DOS
mode OUTSIDE the Windows/WfWG GUI, NOT from WITHIN Windows/WfWG in a DOS
prompt/box/session.
CAUTION: This switch may cause sudden lockups with some older video
controllers!
NOTE: To learn about another (SAFE) method of starting Windows/WfWG 3.1x
without a logo, read NEWLOGO.TXT (part of W31-11D.ZIP):
______________________________________________________________________________
��

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MDGx MAX Speed WinDOwS �Tricks � Secrets � Bugs � Fixes

These DOS Secrets:

Some of these HIDDEN/UNDOCUMENTED MS-DOS commands might save your "computing

Please send me feedback online:

MUST HAVE from SOFTWARE.TXT (included) [99.99% FREE(ware)]:

SECRETS.TXT Contents: [alphabetical order]

COMMAND.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

EMM386.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

FAT16 -> FAT32 -> exFAT:

DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS:

FDISK.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

FORMAT.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

HIMEM.SYS HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

MEM.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

VER HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

WIN.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS:

MS-DOS Commands on the Internet:

COMMAND.COM HIDDEN PARAMETERS

COMMAND.COM is the MS-DOS mode command line interpreter, located by default in

1. COMMAND /D [MS-DOS 5.00 and above ONLY]

COMMAND /D (DENY) performs different actions depending on the MS-DOS version:

2. COMMAND /F [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]

3. COMMAND /T [Windows 95 + MS-DOS 7.00 and above ONLY]

COMMAND /T forces the COMMAND.COM resident module to load permanently in low

4. COMMAND /Z [Windows 95 + MS-DOS 7.00 and above ONLY]

COMMAND /Z (ZERO) displays the "ERRORLEVEL" return code messages after

EMM386.EXE HIDDEN PARAMETERS

EMM386.EXE is the Microsoft upper/extended/expanded memory manager, located by

DEVICE=drive:\path\EMM386.EXE NOTR [MS-DOS 6.00 and above ONLY]

FAT16 -> FAT32 -> exFAT

Partition size FAT16 Cluster size

In 1996 Microsoft introduced a new File Allocation Table standard called

Partition size FAT32/FAT32X Cluster size

Intel 48-bit LBA test tool [33 KB, free]:

KNOWN BUGS + FIXES:

FAT + BIOS limits techno details + specs:

DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS

* Windows 98, 98 SE(U) + ME include a graphical FAT32 conversion tool

* Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8 + 2012 include a

* To create FAT32 partitions smaller than 528 MB or to convert FAT16

* Ranish Partition Manager v2.44 Beta 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows

* Partition Resizer v1.3.4 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME

* FIPS v2.0 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS + Windows 3.x/9x/ME FAT32 dynamic

* GPT Fdisk v0.85 DOS/console/terminal command line tool for Windows

* Free FDISK.EXE v1.3.1 16-bit [also part of FreeDOS: http://www.freedos.org/]

* XFDisk v0.9.3 Beta 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows 3.x/9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003,

* GDISK.EXE 16-bit + GDISK32.EXE 32-bit improved Microsoft FDISK.EXE

* Parted Magic v2012_02_27 16-bit, 32-bit + 64-bit bootable Linux OS (Live

* TestDisk + PhotoRec v6.14 WIP 32-bit + 16-bit for DOS/MS-DOS, Windows

* SwissKnife v3.22 32-bit for Windows 95B OSR 2.x/95C OSR

* PartitionGuru Free v3.4.5 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

* Partition Magic v8.05 32-bit + 16-bit [discontinued!] hard disk partitioning

* HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool v4.40 for Windows

* Symantec (PowerQuest) Partition Table + Boot Record Info + Editing tools 16

* Partition Wizard Home Edition v7.8 32-bit for Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7

* EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition v9.1.0 32-bit for Windows

* EASEUS Disk Copy v2.3 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 creates

* BootPart v2.60 32-bit for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 adds extra/hidden OS/2 +

* Partition Saving v3.80 16-bit partition copy/save/restore tool for DOS +

* Partition Rescue v1.0 32-bit partition save/restore tool for Windows

* FATWalker v0.3.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 detects +

* NTFSWalker v0.1.1 32-bit for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 detects +

* MBRWork v1.08 16-bit MBR/EMBR save/restore tool for MS-DOS 5/6/7/8 +