A Simple Menu - Batch file Collection
For the Arachne GPL Internet Client and Windows 3.1, 95 or 98
(Not designed for Windows XP)
Will work on a computer with just MS-DOS, or FreeDOS installed on the hard drive.
Here is a collection of batch files that you can use to
have your computer
boot up to a menu rather than go to Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or 98.
This is designed for Arachne GPL
- Windows 3.1 - MS-DOS 6.x users.
Will also work with DOS 7 in Windows 95 or 98.
This menu will also work with a loadlin batch file to boot a linux hard drive installation
such as Debian 2.2 or Redhat 6.1, in addition to Arachne.
Additional external documents on using loadlin are here, and here.
Your only limitations are how much menu wil fit on the screen!
Let's say you have removed "WIN" as the last line in your
autoexec.bat file, then your computer boots up to the DOS C:\ Prompt.
From there, you may be entering "a" to go to Arachne,
or "WIN" to go to windows 3.1.
Arachne GPL, when installed, can create a file "a.bat" that will start the Arachne GPL Internet Client when "a" is entered at the DOS C:\ prompt.
The menu presented here is a step beyond that.
You'll like
the way the menu looks, and enjoy the way it works.
With your computer booting up to this menu, you will be
able to
select from the following with the touch of a key:
Arachne
Windows 3.1 (or Windows 95, 98)
Defrag
Scandisk
MS-DOS Editor
DOS Prompt
Here are the files you will need:
(instructions below)
- a.bat
- w.bat
- s.bat
- m.bat
- d.bat
- menu.bat
- setscrn.com
Instructions:
- Make a directory c:\menu
- Place all the files there.
(See note below on a.bat and m.bat)
You'll also need
setscrn.com(see below)
To get these files:
You may copy the batch files from this webpage using these instructions:
-
In Windows, copy these files (Ctrl-C), one at a time, to the
clipboard, and paste them (Ctrl-V) in notepad, where you will save
each one as the .bat file named.
(
To prepare a file for the copy, highlight the text with your mouse cursor, it will turn another color, then Press Ctrl-C)
- Save them to the c:\menu directory.
- When you are done, your c:\menu directory will have:
- a.bat
- w.bat
- s.bat
- m.bat
- d.bat
- menu.bat
- setscrn.com
(see below)
- Important Note:
Batch files should have no spaces
before each line on the left margin.
There will be spaces that you need to delete
if you copy the files from this webpage.
Before you save each file, check to see that
the file looks like the one on this webpage.
Once you have all the files saved to your c:\menu directory,
continue with these instructions:
- You also need to copy the a.bat and m.bat files to the root
directory, c:\
This is so you can boot up Arachne or Menu from the
DOS Prompt if necessary.
- Once you have all the .bat files in the c:\menu directory,
here's what you'll need to have as the last line
of your autoexec.bat file:
(When your computer boots up, the menu will appear)
REM =====Begin with the Menu=====
cd MENU
MENU
|
The a.bat file:
@Echo Off
C:
cd C:\ARACHNE
call arachne.bat %1 %2 %3 %4
C:
CD C:\MENU
menu
|
The w.bat file
@Echo OFF
C:
cd C:\
call WIN
C:
CD C:\MENU
MENU
|
The S.BAT file
@Echo OFF
C:
cd C:\DOS
call scandisk.exe
C:
CD c:\MENU
menu
|
The D.BAT file
@Echo OFF
C:
cd C:\DOS
call defrag.exe
C:
CD C:\MENU
menu
|
The M.BAT file
rem bring up menu.bat with "m" ENTER.
@Echo OFF
cls
cd c:\MENU
menu
|
The MENU.BAT file
rem The menu.bat file
rem save this file in root directory.
rem in autoexec.bat last line is menu.bat
rem this menu will begin when computer is booted up.
@ECHO OFF
cls
setscrn
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo Press a Key:
echo;
echo;
echo A = Arachne 1.60
echo.
echo W = Windows 3.1
echo.
echo D = Defragment the HDD
echo.
echo S = Scandisk
echo.
echo E = MS-DOS Editor
echo.
echo P = DOS Prompt
echo;
CHOICE /C:ESDWAP /N /T:P,30 Your Choice?
IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO END
IF ERRORLEVEL 5 GOTO ARACHNE
IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO WIN31
IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO DEFRAGHD
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO SCAN
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO EDITOR
:ARACHNE
a.bat
:WIN31
w.bat
:DEFRAGHD
d.bat
:SCAN
s.bat
:EDITOR
C:
CD DOS
call edit
C:
CD C:\MENU
MENU
:END
cls
c:
cd c:\
|
The Menu's Screen and Text Color file, setscrn.com
Also, you will need this file,
setscn.com
Click on the link to download it. This file is only 70 bytes.
With this file, the menu will be yellow text on a blue background.
Place setscn.com in the c:\menu directory with the .bat files.
Go there to get setscrn.com, then move it from your download directory and place it in c:\menu.
When all files are in place, exit to the DOS prompt,
and type "m" (without quotes) and press enter.
The menu will appear.
You'll have 30 seconds to make
a choice, then the DOS prompt will reappear.
(The menu will only remain active for 30 seconds)
When any
choice is made, and you later exit from that program, the menu will reappear.
If you modify the menu to include a linux installation, the menu will not reappear when you exit linux.
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