format floppy>copy system files=msdos.sys -0- bytes ?

[Nanceel0]

Recently when formatting a floppy disk and then "copy system files" the msdos.sys file is 0 bytes. I got around this by deleting that file and copying msdos.sys to the floppy. What would be causing this?
All attributes are checked on that file, but on the io.sys file read only, hidden and system file are all checked and that file (and the others) copied fine.
Thank you.
Sincerely, Nancee

[kjanx]

if your doing that in millenium, there is no dos in millenium.

[Nick Grana]

That's normal. I don't know why msdos.sys is put in there blank but a bootable flop only needs the other three files.
Good luck.

[markp62]

It should be that way.
The reason Msdos.Sys on the C: has something in it is because certain aspects of windows are controlled there, and windows itself is started from it.

[Nanceel0]

Thanks guys for explaining this is normal. I needed the msdos file on there so that Ghost 2002 could copy the file.

I'm having another problem in dos - when I boot with the Ghost floppy I access the program fine, but when I click on exit, it prompts "really exit" I say yes and I get a black screen with a blinking line in the upper left corner. I removed the disk at this point and Windows tried to read the A drive. When I did c/a/d I got some message and chose "abort" then I got "error loading explorer.exe You must reinstall Windows"! I used the tower button and the computer was okay.

Does anyone know how I'm suppose to exit with a black screen and blinking light only?

Thanks.
Sincerely, Nancee

Windows 98se, IE6 SP1

[markp62]

When you exited the program, your system was probably trying to reload Command.Com off of the A: drive, when you removed the floppy it couldn't find it. Then you go the message about Explorer.Exe because of the Msdos.Sys file from the hard drive that was copied onto the floppy, it was looking for it on the A: drive.
I am not a user of Ghost, but from the tutorials from this page, Ghost should make one for you that shouldn't give you this problem.

[Nanceel0]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for your reply. It turns out it was the msdos file I copied to the Ghost bootup disk. A friend duplicated this and had the same results. That msdos file is suppose to be 0 bytes, but Ghost wasn't able to read it when copying my files. My friend fixed my files and I was able to boot and exit gracefully with the disk .
Another thing I didn't mention, was when I booted into dos with the disk the Windows splash screen appeared before going into dos - it didn't happen with the fixed disk.
Sincerely, Nancee