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Q60080: Codepage Support Setup Information

Article: Q60080
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft MS-DOS version 3.30 introduced the use of codepages. Codepages can
only be used with devices that have codepage support files (such as EGA or LCD
displays, or some printers). To install a different codepage on your system, you
need to add certain commands to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following commands should be added to your CONFIG.SYS file to add codepage
support

  DEVICE=[drive:][path]DISPLAY.SYS con=(<devname>,yyy,2)
  COUNTRY=xxx[,[yyy],[drive:][path]country.sys

where: xxx is the country code
yyy is the default codepage used by the machine hardware (in North America, this
is usually 437).

The following lines should be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to add codepage
support

  nlsfunc
  mode <device> codepage prepare=((www)[drive:][path]<devname>.cpi)
  chcp www
  mode <device> codepage select=www
  keyb zz,www,[drive:][path]<devname>.cpi

where:

  www is the codepage for the country
  zz is a two-letter keyboard code
  <device> is the device to support codepage switching
  <devname> is the name of the codepage information file

Listed below is a sample codepage setup that demonstrates what changes need to be
made to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files so that you can use the Norwegian
Codepage on a system with an EGA display:

  rem CONFIG.SYS
  files=30
  buffers=30
  device=e:\dos\display.sys con=(ega,437,2)
  country=001,437,e:\dos\country.sys
  rem AUTOEXEC.BAT
  nlsfunc
  mode con codepage prepare=((850)e:\dos\ega.cpi)
  chcp 850
  mode con codepage select=850
  keyb us,850,e:\dos\keyboard.sys

Additional query words: 6.22 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 4.01a 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20 code page

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

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