what goes first???

[thedarkavenger]

What are the files which are loaded first before the OS is loaded?
Like I know command.com is loaded first, but is there a file which is loaded before that? And can somebody please tell me which file
is loaded just before the win.com file is loaded?
Thanks

[cup]

If you have a facility for examining disks, have a look at track 0 of your disk. Try a floppy to start with: you don't want to screw your hard disk by doing something silly. If you sys the floppy, it will install the bootstrap on it. The bootstrap is the first thing that is loaded and it lives somewhere on track 0. It then tells the machine what to do next.

As for your other question, I don't know what is loaded between command.com and win.com. Probably nothing because once command.com is loaded, you can type win and windows will boot up.

If you have a virus checker on, it may stop you examining track 0.

[thedarkavenger]

hey thanks mate!!
But can you tell me which utility to use to check for sector 0?

[cup]

I've normally written my own whenever I needed to look at sector 0. Use a 16-bit compiler in DOS and you won't go wrong. You can get Turbo C++ from the Borland museum

Software Interrupt 13H
Read a diskette sector
AH=02H
AL=number of sectors
CH=track
CL=sector
DH=head
DL=drive (1=a, 2=b)
ES:BX = pointer to buffer

Result CF=success/failure
AL=status
AH=sectors read

Reading hard disks
AH=0AH
the rest of the registers are the same

Have fun.