Windows Me - Why does Windows Me no longer have DOS mode?

Older games, drivers or programs. They all often have one thing in common: they are still based on the Microsoft Disk Operating System. It is the predecessor of the Windows series and offered hardly any comfort. Mouse support, hardware recognition, convenient menus and an appealing, clear interface were not even conceivable. The user still had to type in all the functions of the computer or programs laboriously (white on black) using commands or navigate with the cursor keys. To open a text file, for example, you used to proceed as follows:

After the operating system had loaded, type in the command edit textdatei.txt. If you wanted to adapt the program, you still had to work with parameters.

The memory management of DOS also had to be painstakingly learned by yourself. Long parameters and complicated commands were the key to optimal DOS tuning. What the Windows registry is today, config.sys and autoexec.bat used to be - the most important system files.

DOS was always an integral part of all operating systems in the Windows 3.x and Windows 9x series. Only the professional operating system NT did without it, which resulted in increased stability and speed but also low compatibility. Windows Millennium put an end to this and appeared without the pure MS-DOS, despite being based on Windows 98. Only a simulated DOS interface was offered. However, as games, applications and drivers only work in some pure DOS environments, this is only a tiresome alternative.

So why did Microsoft omit this component?
With its new Windows version, Microsoft probably wanted to break new ground in the direction of a more professional and stable operating system. Instead, many users are left high and dry because their DOS drivers for components such as the sound card no longer work and not every manufacturer takes the trouble to publish their own driver.
The removal of the DOS mode results in a faster system startup, which is about 10 seconds. For this reason, Millennium boots much faster than Win2000 or 98. The operating speed has also increased slightly, as the legacy of the outdated operating system has now been removed.

Whether this progress made sense or not, it brought with it many problems and offered little in return.

Information: Windows NT, 2000 and XP completely dispense with DOS mode

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.