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Service Hints & Tips

Document ID: GSMH-3FCKEV

IBM PC/IBM IntelliStation - Creating utility diskettes

Applicable to: World-Wide

Creating Utility Diskettes:
To create the utility diskette for DOS:
1. Start the Diskette Factory in either OS/2 Warp or Windows.
2. Select IBM PC DOS 7.0 and follow the instructions on the screen.

To create utility diskettes for OS/2 Warp:
1. On the Desktop, double-click on OS/2 System.
2. Double-click on System Setup.
3. Double-click on Create Utility Diskettes , and follow the instructions on the screen.
4. Label the diskettes:
OS/2 Warp Utility Diskette 1
OS/2 Warp Utility Diskette 2
OS/2 Warp Utility Diskette 3

OS/2 Warp Recovery Choices Program:

The Recovery Choices Program built into OS/2 Warp provides a means to recover from some problems that prevent OS/2 Warp from loading successfully, such as:
- A video mode not supported by your hardware
- An incorrect statement in the OS/2 Warp CONFIG.SYS file
- A damaged .INI file
- A hard disk error

If you get an unreadable screen or a message that OS/2 Warp cannot start correctly, you can try to resolve the problem using the Recovery Choices Program.

To start the Recovery Choices Program:

1. Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart it using the Ctrl+ Alt+ Del key sequence.

2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, press Alt+ F1.

3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, select from the following:

4. Quits the Recovery Choices program and continues the OS/2 Warp boot (startup) sequence.

5. Gives you access to an OS/2 command prompt.

6. Resets the video mode to a base VGA mode and restarts the computer. After the computer restarts, you can select another video mode, if necessary.

7. Restores OS/2 Warp to its original state (as it was originally installed).

8. Starts OS/2 Warp using a set of configuration files used during one of the last three times OS/2 Warp was started. The date when these files were archived appears next to each selection. These selections do not appear on the Recovery
Choices screen unless you previously opened the Desktop Settings notebook and selected Create archive at each system restart from the Archive page.


For more information about the Recovery Choices program, refer to the Master Help Index located in the Information folder on the OS/2 Desktop.

Editing the CONFIG.SYS File:
A CONFIG.SYS file contains lines of instructions that control how the computer starts up and how the computer works with the
devices attached to it. The active CONFIG.SYS file for DOS and OS/2 Warp is stored in the root directory. OS/2 Warp maintains other CONFIG.SYS files in other subdirectories for error recovery and other purposes.

Important:
If you need to edit the CONFIG.SYS file to remedy a problem, edit the one in your root directory.



For information about statements that can appear in the CONFIG.SYS file, refer to the Command Reference located in the Information folder on the OS/2 Desktop.

Using OS/2 Warp to Edit the CONFIG.SYS File:

To edit the CONFIG.SYS file while OS/2 Warp is active:

1. On the Desktop, double-click on OS/2 System.

2. Double-click on Command Prompts

3. Double-click on OS/2 Window or OS/2 Full Screen.

4. Type COPY CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and press Enter. This copies the current CONFIG.SYS file as CONFIG.OLD in case you need it for future reference.

5. TypeE C:\CONFIG.SYS where E is the command to start the System Editor, C is the drive where OS/2 Warp is installed, \ is the symbol for the root directory.

6. Then press Enter.

7. When you are done working on the file, select File, and then select Save.
8. Select Type in the Save Notification window.
9. Select Plain text, and then select Set.
10. Press Alt+F4 to exit from the System Editor.

11. Shut down your computer. (You must restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect.)

Using OS/2 Warp Utility Diskettes to Edit the CONFIG.SYS File:

To edit the CONFIG.SYS file using the OS/2 Warp Utility Diskettes:
Insert Utility Diskette 1 in your diskette drive.Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart the computer using the Ctrl + Alt + Del key sequence.Follow the instructions on the screen until you get to a command prompt.Insert Utility Diskette 3.Type COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and press Enter. This copies your current CONFIG.SYS file as CONFIG.OLD in case you need it for future reference.Type TEDIT C:\CONFIG.SYS and press Enter.Press Esc to move the cursor from the command line to the editing area.When you are done working on the file, press F4 (File) to save the file and exit from the editor.Shut down your computer. (You must restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect.)

Using the DOS Utility Diskette to Edit the CONFIG.SYS File:

To edit the CONFIG.SYS file from the DOS Utility Diskette:
1. Insert PC DOS Disk 1 in your diskette drive.
2. Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart the computer using the Ctrl+Alt+ Del key sequence.
3. When the following prompt appears: Do you want to install PC DOS 7 (Y,N)? typeN. The command prompt appears.
4. Type COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and press Enter. This copies your current CONFIG.SYS file as CONFIG.OLD in case you need it for future reference.
5. Type CD \DOS and press Enter.
6. TypeE C:\CONFIG.SYS and press Enter.
7. When you are done working on the file, press F4 (File) to save the file and exit from the editor.
8. Shut down your computer. (You must restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect.)

Recovering from OS/2 Warp Problems:
The following are some problems that might occur when you try to start your system or switch from one operating system to another.

Internal Processing Error Message Appears:

Symptom:
The system stops and the screen displays INTERNAL PROCESSING ERROR at the top of the message.

Action:
Record the information exactly as it is displayed on the screen, and write a description of what you were doing when the problem occurred. Contact an IBM HelpWare technician for assistance.

Unable to switch from DOS or Windows to OS/2 Warp:

Symptom (DOS):
Unable to switch from DOS to OS/2 using the C:\OS2\BOOT /OS2 command.

Symptom (Windows):
Unable to switch from DOS with Windows to OS/2 using the Go to Warp icon.

Action:
You might have one or more active terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) or DOS cache programs that take up the available computer memory. End the TSR programs before attempting to switch to OS/2 Warp.

If you suspect the problem is caused by TSR programs that are loaded from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, deactivate the programs before attempting to switch to OS/2 Warp. Refer to the instructions that come with your TSR program. If this solves the problem, you might need to deactivate the TSR programs each time you want to switch to OS/2 Warp.

System Stops Working:

Symptom:
The system stops and the keyboard and mouse do not respond.

Action:
Press Ctrl+ Esc or Alt+ Esc and wait a few seconds to see if the system responds.

If this does not resolve the problem, do the following:
1. Determine if you can move the mouse pointer, but cannot select any object when you press mouse button 1.
2. Press the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys to see if their status lights come on.
3. Record a description of what you were doing when the system stopped. If any messages appeared on the screen, record the message text and number.
4. Call a HelpWare technician for assistance.

Stacked Icons:

Symptom:
Some of the icons on your Desktop appear to be stacked on each other.

Action:
Refresh your Desktop by doing the following:
1. Position the pointer on a blank area of the Desktop.
2. Press mouse button 2. A pop-up menu appears.
3. Select Refresh.
4. If your screen goes blank, press Alt+ Esc to switch between programs and force repainting of your screen.

Folders open and close immediately

Symptom:
When you attempt to open a folder, it will not stay open.

Action:
Use the OS/2 Warp Recovery Choices Program to recover a set of archived system files. See OS/2 Warp Recovery Choices Program for instructions.

Recovering from Errors on the Hard Disk:
You can use the CHKDSK command with the /F parameter to check the hard disk for errors and, if any errors are found, correct them.

Correcting Disk Errors from DOS:

To run the CHECKDSK program from DOS:
1. Close all active programs, including Windows.
2. At the DOS command prompt type CHKDSK /F and press Enter.

The program will check the hard disk and correct any errors found.

Correcting Disk Errors from the DOS Diskette:
If you cannot get to a DOS command prompt from your hard disk, use the following procedure.
1. Insert PC DOS Disk 1 in your diskette drive.
2. Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart the computer using the Ctrl+Alt+ Del key sequence.
3. When the following prompt appears: Do you want to install PC DOS 7 (Y,N)? typeN. The command prompt appears.
4. Type COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and press Enter. This copies your current CONFIG.SYS file as CONFIG.OLD in case you need it for future reference.
5. At the DOS command prompt type CHKDSK /F and press Enter.

Correcting Disk Errors from OS/2 Warp:
When you use the CHKDSK /F command, you cannot have any other activity on that disk. Therefore, if you need to use the CHKDSK /F command on the disk where OS/2 is installed, you must shut down OS/2 and use the OS/2 Warp Utility Diskettes.

To correct disk errors on the disk where OS/2 Warp is installed:
1. Shut down OS/2.
2. Insert Utility Diskette 1 in your diskette drive.
3. Power-on your computer. If the computer is already on, restart it using the Ctrl+ Alt+ Del key sequence.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen until you get to a command prompt.
5. Insert Utility Diskette 3.
6. Type CHKDSK C:/F:2 ; then press Enter. (C is the drive on which OS/2 is installed.)
7. Follow any instructions that appear on the screen.
8. Remove the diskette from drive A.
9. Restart your computer using the Ctrl+ Alt+ Del key sequence.

To correct disk errors on another drive:
1. On the Desktop, double-click on OS/2 System.
2. Double-click on Command Prompts.
3. Double-click on OS/2 Window or OS/2 Full Screen.
4. Type CHKDSK D: /F:2 and press Enter. (If you are checkinga drive other than D, substitute that drive letter for theD used in this example.
5. Follow any instructions that appear on the screen.

Recovering from a Forgotten OS/2 Password:
If you forget your OS/2 lockup password, use the following procedure.
1. Power-on the computer.
2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, press Alt+ F1.
3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
4. Type CD \OS/2 and press Enter.
5. Type the following: MAKEINI OS2.INI LOCK.RC
6. Press Enter.
7. Restart the computer.

Backing Up and Restoring Files:
The backup routines provided with OS/2 and DOS allow you to back up a single file, a directory, or the entire contents of a disk. Backing up files that contain your day-to-day work will help to protect you from losing data that cannot be recovered from another source. Backing up the entire contents of each disk takes longer, but ensures that you can reinstall your operating system, programs, and data files exactly as they were before a major problem occurred.

Procedures for backing up and restoring files using DOS are in the DOS/Windows users guide. Procedures for backing up and restoring files using OS/2 Warp are in the online OS/2 Command Reference.

If a problem occurs, you might not be able to view the online OS/2 Command Reference , or you might not be able to get to a command prompt. Therefore, the following short procedures have been included to help you to back up and restore the entire contents of your hard disk using the OS/2 Warp Utility Diskettes.

Backing Up Your Hard Disk:

To back up the entire contents of your hard disk:
1. Insert Utility Diskette 1 in your diskette drive.
2. Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart the computer using the Ctrl+Alt+ Del key sequence.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen until you get to a command prompt.
4. Insert Utility Diskette 3.
5. To backup the entire contents of drive C, type BACKUP C:\*.* A: /S and press Enter. (To back up another drive, substitute that drive letter for the C in this example.)
6. Follow the instructions on the screen. Be sure to label the diskettes in the correct sequence.

Restoring the Hard Disk:
The hard disk must have a formatted partition before you can use the following procedure. If your hard disk does not already have a formatted partition, you can create one using the FDISK and FORMAT programs on Utility Diskette 3.

To restore the entire contents of your hard disk:
1. Insert Utility Diskette 1 in your diskette drive.
2. Power-on the computer. If the computer is already on, restart the computer using the Ctrl+Alt+ Del key sequence.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen until you get to a command prompt.
4. Insert Utility Diskette 3.
5. To restore the entire contents of drive C, type RESTORE A: C:\*.* /S and press Enter. (To restore the data to another drive, substitute that drive letter for the C in this example.)
6. Follow the instructions on the screen.

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Hardware Maintenance Information

Date Created

20-03-97

Last Updated

28-04-98

Revision Date

20-04-99

Brand

IBM PC, IBM IntelliStation

Product Family

PC 300GL, PC 300XL, PC 300PL, PC 330, PC 340, PC 350, PC 360, PC 365, PC 730, PC 750, M Pro, Z Pro

Machine Type

6272, 6282, 6284, 6561, 6591, 6588, 6562, 6592, 6862, 6892, 6571, 6573, 6575, 6576, 6577, 6560, 6581, 6583, 6585, 6586, 6587, 6598, 6589, 6875, 6876, 6877, 6885, 6886, 6887, 6888, 6889, 6898, 6899

Model

Various

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