How do you boot Windows to the C prompt cleanly?

[davidos]

Sorry brain fart.... Can't remember.

 

[BurntKooshie]

press F8 during bootup (before it gets to the windows screen - just keep hitting it repeatedly until it shows up). There you'll get a few options and a few seconds to choose which option you want - choose "command prompt only".

 

[davidos]

It still loads some windows commands. I'm doing this so I can update my BIOS.

 

[zetter]

do as BurntKooshie suggested, but use Shift-F5 instead of F8, then you don't even get the boot menu, just drops you straight to the command prompt.

 

[davidos]

Thanks!

 

[Netopia]

Or if you simply hold down the shift button while booting it will automatically take you to the safe mode command prompt only!

Joe

 

[DaddyG]

If you are upgrading your BIOS you really should do this with a boot floppy and follow the instructions from the mobo makers site to the letter. I prefer a DOS 6.22 floppy containing only the flash utility and the new BIOS. (nothing in autoexec.bat or config.sys)

 

[joekker]

Hit F8 after bios results and cycle thru your current config.sys/autoexec.bat. Y for himem.sys and N for all the rest. Works for me as you need 522kb free for the Award updater program.