Q70753: DELOLDOS Command and OLD_DOS Directory Creation Limit

Article: Q70753
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS: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 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
=======

In the Microsoft MS-DOS Upgrade for versions 5.0 and later, DELOLDOS command
deletes all OLD_DOS.x directories residing in the root directory of the boot
drive. Upon deletion of the these directories, DELOLDOS.EXE itself is also
deleted from the directory it resides in.

The MS-DOS Upgrade installation process can create a total of 99 old DOS
directories named OLD_DOS.<x>:

  OLD_DOS.1 ... OLD_DOS.99

The <x> value is based upon the integer extensions of any previous OLD_DOS
directories residing in the root directory of the boot drive, so that <x>
is the next integer available in order starting at 1. When the installation
process attempts to create the 100th OLD_DOS directory, it instead replaces the
last OLD_DOS directory made, creating a directory with the same name.

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

If the current DOS directory in use is deleted prior to installation or not
detected when installing, an OLD_DOS.x directory is still created when
installing; however, it contains only the README.NOW file. Also, any non- DOS
files put into the DOS directory aren't saved in the OLD_DOS.x during
installation. Those files are put into the new installed DOS directory instead.

Additional query words: 6.22 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

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