DIR Results in Strange Characters When Using SCSI Drive

• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

When you are running MS-DOS version 6.0 or higher and you press the F4 or F8 key at the Starting Windows prompt, running the DIR command causes strange characters rather than a directory listing to be displayed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if your hard disk is a SCSI drive that requires double buffering and the following line is loading in the CONFIG.SYS (CONFIG.DOS) file:

   DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS X=D800-DFFF

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem, insert the command doublebuffer=1 in the MSDOS.SYS file. To insert this line, do the following:

1. Start Windows 95.

2. Click the Start button on the taskbar and then click Run.

3. In the Open box, type the following:

         attrib -s -h -r c:\msdos.sys
   

4. Click the Start button on the taskbar and then click Run.

5. In the Open box, type the following:

         notepad c:\msdos.sys
   

6. In the [Options] section, add the following line:

         doublebuffer=1
   

   NOTE: The doublebuffer=1 setting is a conditional setting that enables double buffering for controllers that need it.

7. Click Save on the File menu.

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type the following:

         attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
   

3. Click the Start button on the taskbar and then click Run.

4. In the Open box, type the following:

         notepad c:\msdos.sys
   

5. In the [Options] section, modify the doublebuffer=1 line that you added in step 6 above so that it appears as follows:

         doublebuffer=2
   

   NOTE: The doublebuffer=2 setting is an unconditional setting that enables double buffering regardless of whether the controller needs it or not.

6. Click Save on the File menu.

MORE INFORMATION

This is a MS-DOS 6.x configuration problem, not a problem in Windows 95. When you boot under Windows 95, double buffering is automatically provided if needed. This is not the case with MS-DOS versions 6.0 and higher.

This problem is known to occur with the following SCSI hard disks:

   Seagate ST1200N external drive