Os Collection – Part 3 – MS-DOS 6

I figured I’d make less of a review and more of a guide this time around, MS-DOS is really only necessary to use when you are installing Windows on top, or if you need to use a boot disk.

This guide is very image heavy, so click below to open it, it may not be dialup friendly.

We’ll start off with VMWare 6.5 running, the version I’m running for the initial setup is a beta version of 6.5 and as such has the exp numbering listed, however it is virtually the same.

Main VMWare Window
Main VMWare Window

Click on ‘New Virtual Machine’ as highlighted above and a new window should appear.

Choose Custom Machine
Choose Custom Machine

We want to be in control of the options here, so choose ‘Custom (Advanced)’, then click next.

Leave defaults and click next
Leave defaults and click next

Here you will be asked for the compatability options, we don’t have to worry about those, so just click next.

Choose later, click next
Choose later, click next

As we will most likely be installing from either floppy disk images, a floppy drive or a CD drive, for the time being we will choose ‘I will install the Operating System later’ and click next.

Select other, click next
Select other, click next

Here we will select the type or Operating System, this is used by VMWare to determine the initial specs of the Virtual PC we will be using, choose ‘Other’, then MS-DOS should automatically get selected from the drop-down box, if it does not, select it and click the next button.

Choose a name and folder, click next
Choose a name and folder, click next

You most likely won’t have to change the virtual machine name or the folder location, if you do, change them, then click the next button.

Choose 1, click next
Choose 1, click next

As this is MS-DOS 6 and it will only ever have Windows 3.1 on it if anything, there is no need for more than one processor and chances are it will cause problems, so select ‘One’ and then click next.

>16 and <64 MB of RAM will suffice, click next
>16 and <64 MB of RAM will suffice, click next

Here we will be choosing the amount of RAM available for our virtual machine, choose no less than 16MB and stick to less than 64MB, there’s no need for more and as above it can cause problems if you choose something out of line for 1995 and earlier PCs.

Your choice, network-dependant, click next
Your choice, network-dependant, click next

I prefer bridged networking, I’ve never had any problems with using it, however it’s your choice what you choose, when you have decided, click the next button.

SCSI will not be used, just click next
SCSI will not be used, just click next

As we will need to work only with IDE in this case, just skip this by clicking the next button.

Choose HD type, click next
Choose HD type, click next

As this is MS-DOS there’s not much use installing it onto it’s own drive so choose ‘Create a new Virtual Disk’, then click next.

Choose IDE, important, click next
Choose IDE, important, click next

Make sure you choose IDE, not SCSI, then click on next.

Stay <1GB, allocate now, click next
Stay <1GB, allocate now, click next

If this installation is going to be used for Windows 3.1 down the track, choose anything under 1GB, otherwise FAT32 will be needed and Windows 3.1 doesn’t like that, choose ‘Allocate all disk space now’ to make sure the disk is created fully when we finish the wizard, it’s only 1GB and won’t take long to create, then click the next button.

Choose your filename, click next
Choose your filename, click next

Here we will be choosing the filename of the virtual machine, we shouldn’t need to change this, when you’re done, click next.

We're not done, click Customize Hardware
We’re not done, click Customize Hardware

You should be at the wizard summary now, we’re not done though, as we will need to enable the floppy drive and choose the source, click on ‘Customize Hardware’.

Choose setting applicable, click OK
Choose setting applicable, click OK

A new window will open up, scroll down to ‘Floppy’ in the list and click on it, your screen should look like the image above, make sure ‘Connect at power on’ is ticked and choose the source your floppy drive will use, VMWare takes .IMG files as I have used, or .IMA files, you just have to rename them to .IMG to show up in the file select dialog, then we are done here, click on OK, you will be back at the wizard summary screen again, click on the Finish button.

Creating disk, wait for it to finish
Creating disk, wait for it to finish

You will be shown a progress bar of the Disk creation, wait for it to finish and you will be brought to another simple window.

We are done creating the VM, click Close
We are done creating the VM, click Close

This window explains that the virtual machine is not installed yet, we will do that in a moment, click on the close button.

We are set up, click power on
We are set up, click power on

The virtual machine should now be set out correctly and should look something like the above, I have just upgraded my installation so that I can run the virtual machine, we can now turn the machine on, click ‘Power on this virtual machine’.

Setup introduction screen, press enter
Setup introduction screen, press enter

The setup wizard should automatically load once the VMWare BIOS screen disappears, from here, just press enter.

Setup warns the HD must be configured, press enter
Setup warns the HD must be configured, press enter

The next screen should warn that the Hard Drive space is unallocated, choose the option highlighted in the screen above and press enter.

Restart required, press enter
Restart required, press enter

This will require a reboot, just press enter, the setup disk will still be available when we restart.
Upon restart the Hard Drive will be formatted fairly quickly.

Choose your settings, press enter
Choose your settings, press enter

The regional settings step will appear, choose your settings, if you’re Australian etc, just choose United States or International English, countries other than Canada and the U.S. weren’t invented when DOS 6 came out, press enter when done.

Choose the install folder, press enter
Choose the install folder, press enter

You will then come across the install folder option, it’s best to leave it at the default of C:DOS, then press enter.

DOS wants the next disk
DOS wants the next disk

Now we need to change disks.

Click floppy icon, then settings, change, click ok, press enter
Click floppy icon, then settings, change, click ok, press enter

Release input from the virtual machine by pressing Alt and Ctrl at the same time, click the floppy drive icon highlighted, then click ‘Settings…’. Here change your disk by either the image name or simply change the disk in the physical drive on your PC, then click Close, click into the virtual machine again to capture control, then press enter, you will have to repeat this for disk 3 also.

Click the floppy again, settings, disconnect, press enter
Click the floppy again, settings, disconnect, press enter

Here we will be doing a similar thing to what we did previously, release input again, click the floppy icon, then click ‘Settings…’, uncheck ‘Connected’ and ‘Connect at power on’, then click OK, you will notice that the floppy icon is now grey, capture the Virtual Machine again and press enter.

Setup is finished, press enter
Setup is finished, press enter

Setup will now be complete, press enter.

We are finished
We are finished

After the restart MS-DOS 6 will start, we are done here, you can move onto installing Windows 3.1 if you wish, MSCDEX etc is not installed yet, so you will have to google for help with installing that if you wish to use an optical disc drive.

If you have any further questions, comment below.

Also I forgot to add, Tony’s VMWare Site is a good resource once you get MS-DOS installed, installing the DOSIDLE program is very important.

Published by

TechGremlin

Owner and main content writer.

5 thoughts on “Os Collection – Part 3 – MS-DOS 6”

  1. Well MS-DOS is still under copyright laws so legally you can get a copy off eBay for less than $5 usually, then make your own images with a program like Winimage. But if you’re looking at getting it illegally you’re on your own there. Let me know if any part of the guide is hard to follow and i’ll make some changes to it.

  2. Well,the whole guide is quite good enough for acomplish the task, images really play an important role in this case,thanks for having that in mind….

    Sorry i don’t wanna bother you but i’ve got another question:

    Is it a safe way to be connected to the internet trough a virtual machine? you know for keeping the host-PC away from viruses and stuff like that..?

    Thnks in advance,…

  3. Well there’s a few ways to set up networking, NAT protects the virtual PC in a way, whereas bridging gives it as much access to the outside world as your host PC. If the virtual PC gets a virus and the virus sends out on the local network to spread, it may infect the host PC like any other PC on your local network could. However there is no higher risk by default to running a virtual PC. You just have to keep in mind old Operating Systems don’t have new security measures, so keep your antivirus and firewall software running and you should be fine.

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