# Microsoft Knowledge Base

## FastTips: MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up Questions and Answers

Last reviewed: July 29, 1996 Article ID: Q105076
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.2, 6.22

    1. Q. When I ran MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, it said it couldn't update a specific
          file. How can I update this file?

       A. If MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up indicates it cannot update one of your MS-DOS
          files, you (or a third-party application) may have deleted or
          replaced the file, or you may have an original equipment manufacturer
          (OEM) version of MS-DOS. Although most OEMs do not modify MS-DOS, a
          few OEMs do in order to meet the needs of individual hardware
          designs.

          For more information on restoring an MS-DOS 6.0 file and then
          updating it with MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, see the section titled "Setup
          cannot update a file" in the README.NOW file located on your
          original MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disks.

          To determine if you have a version of MS-DOS that was modified
          by your OEM, contact your OEM or order FastTips Technical Library
          item Q104252, titled "Running MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up over an OEM Version
          of MS-DOS 6.0."

    2. Q. I'm using Stacker, and when I try to install the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade,
          I receive an error message and cannot continue. How can I correct
          this problem?

       A. If you recently acquired Stacker 3.1, you may need to run a STAC
          Electronics patch before upgrading to MS-DOS 6.2.

          If your Stacker 3.1 files show a date and time stamp of 06-03-93
          3:10a, you can install MS-DOS 6.2. If the file dates and times are
          later than these, you need to run the 62STAC.EXE patch before
          installing MS-DOS 6.2. You can obtain this file from the Utilities
          section of the STAC forum on CompuServe or by calling STAC
          Electronics Technical Support.

          MS-DOS 6.2 was tested with the original Stacker 3.1. Because version
          3.1 was changed without notice, you must use the patch before running
          MS-DOS 6.2 Setup.

          The patch temporarily updates the Stacker driver in memory;
          you must run MS-DOS 6.2 Setup immediately after running
          62STACK.EXE. If you have already installed MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade or
          Step-Up, uninstall using your Uninstall disk, run the patch, and
          then reinstall MS-DOS 6.2.

    3. Q. When I run MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up, my video display is unreadable:
          either the instruction lines are truncated or the screen text is
          unreadable. How can I correct this problem?

       A. If you are currently running a version of MS-DOS earlier than
          6.2 and your monitor is not displaying the setup screens
          properly, use the following steps:

          1. If you have not already done so, quit Setup by pressing the
             F3 key twice.

          2. Insert MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up Disk 1 in drive A or drive B. At
             the MS-DOS command prompt, type "a:\setup /i" or "b:\setup
             /i" (without the quotation marks) and then press ENTER.

          The /I switch disables automatic hardware detection. Since
          display problems can be caused by incorrect hardware settings,
          make sure you enter the correct display type when Setup prompts
          you for it.

    4. Q. MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up repeatedly prompts me to insert the same disk
          or indicates that my Uninstall disk is not the correct disk. How
          should I troubleshoot this problem?

       A. Your computer may contain memory-resident or disk-caching
          programs that prevent Setup from correctly reading the floppy
          disk. Remove or remark out any memory-resident programs that are
          started from the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file, restart the
          computer, and then run Setup again. If the problem persists, you
          may be able to successfully install MS-DOS by using the
          following steps:

          1. Create a temporary directory on your hard disk.

          2. Use the COPY command to copy all files from the MS-DOS 6.2
             Upgrade disks to the temporary directory.

          3. Run the Setup program for the MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade from the
             temporary directory.

    5. Q. I think that one of my MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disks is defective.
          What should I do?

       A. To determine if an original MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up disk is
          defective, use the following steps:

          1. Copy the contents of the suspected defective disk to NUL. For
             example, type "copy /b a:\*.* nul" (without the quotation
             marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt and then press ENTER.

             This command forces MS-DOS to read all the files on the disk
             and copy them to the NUL device.

          2. If you receive an error message, such as "Data error reading"
             or "General failure reading," during the copy process, the
             disk is probably defective. To order a replacement disk, call
             Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400.

          If you do not receive an error during the copy process, the disk
          is probably not defective.

    6. Q. How does the MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up differ from the MS-DOS 6.2
          Upgrade?

       A. The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up can be run only on MS-DOS 6.0 systems.
          The MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade can be used on systems running MS-DOS
          2.11 or later, IBM DOS, Novell DR DOS, or OS/2.

          The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up uses a set of small binary files to patch
          or update your existing MS-DOS 6 files; it does not contain the
          MS-DOS 6.2 files. You end up with the exact same set of files
          whether you run MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up or MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade.

          The MS-DOS 6.2 Step-Up uses online documentation to describe new
          features and to supplement your existing "MS-DOS 6 User's Guide."

> KBCategory: kbfile kbdisplay kbfasttip
> KBSubcategory: msdos
> Additional reference words: 6.20 bbsstepup stepup softlib
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Last reviewed: July 29, 1996
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