IO.sys trick

I wasnt sure whether to post this in windows security or here so i did it here.

I found this out a long time ago when i was working with a few win95 machines. I have found that it also works on 98 98se and ME probably others as well.

If you copy io.sys to a floppy then boot from it, the machine will boot directly into windows and a screen will come up saying it is booting with alternate settings, or similar. The same result you get when you run msconfig and change some of the options.

Thats another thing. If you put msconfig on a floppy then use it on another machine can you disable startup options then reboot using floppy and literally disable security?

When I say reboot using floppy I mean creating a floppy that will load directly into windows using needed files off the floppy to load windows. (win.com msdos.sys, io.sys, command.com, win.ini, himem,sys..etc.)

I'm not exactly following your post, but I will tell you a little about what I know about this Hopefully it will answer your question:

1. ) MsConfig is nothing more than basically a combination of Sysedit and Regedit with a easy to use interface (You can duplicate what MSConfig does by using Notepad to edit the Config.sys, AutoExec, Win.INI, and System.INI. Then use Regedit or any other registry tool to modify the registry entries for program/service startup)

2. ) As far as the IO.sys, I haven't tried the "copy to floppy" trick so I can't comment...but what I do know (or understand) is that when Windows boots, the IO.sys is what "acts as the Windows OS" it loads all the system files and when it is finished, returns control to the "actual Windows OS".

So honestly I don't see what good booting the IO.sys from a floppy would accomplish, nor do I see a reason for copying MsConfig when you can use Notepad (or SysEdit) and RegEdit.

Hope this helps!

This may take some time to explain but then again it may be quick.

The whole reason behind my question was basicaly this.

coping io.sys to a floppy will (in some cases) bypass some startup files maybe on a windows machine. Copying MSconfig to a floppy will allow you to make changes if the computer (like the ones in our crapy library) has some paraniod security prog that wont let you do anything but internet. (i know you can run notepad from IE but msconfig looks less suspicious to ppl walking by) *sorry for the bad spelling im kind of in a hurry*

Also MSconfig is quicker in some cases, however on systems that allow it sysedit or regedit will work.

I was just woundering if MSconfig would actually work from a floppy or if other files are needed. I have also found it is easier to carry some version of pview.exe on a floppy. I even have a whole cd made up of different programs in case floppy access is restricted. In cases where everything is locked down i just go home and find somewhere else to play.

Ok, I guess i kind of answered some of my own questions and this post falls short of an actuall question.

basicaly i was just wanting to see if anyone else had tried this.

Thanks for your replies.

No I haven't tried it, but I must say you sparked my curiousity, and I will try the "copy to floppy".

I now understand what you are trying to do (bypass the school or library security program) Well I'm not sure what kind of program that school or library uses but I can tell you now that if it is Fortress, then you might as well not even bother trying MSConfig. Fortress Grand blocks access to everything (registry, API, system files, etc) The only way I ever found to thwart Fotress Grand was to boot to a floppy, go in with the DOS Tool "Edit" and comment all the references in the system files and then rename the Fortress folder (usually "fgc") using the old Alt 255 trick. I would then reboot the machine and Fortress wouldn't load and the machine would be open for whatever... when I was done, I would uncomment and rename everything and restart. No Harm No Foul....

If you are having problems with a program similiar to "Fortress" try that.

Thanks for the advise, i did think of this once but wasnt sure if i would have enough time to do the renaming and commenting out. So I wrote a few batch files to do it. But wasnt sure what folder was for fortress.

You have been most helpfull.
hats off to you.

AFAIK Msconfig works without copying other files, meaning that it is stand-alone. At any rate, it works on 95/98.

And if you can boot to floppy or DOS, the rest is usually a piece of cake... Floppy moreso than DOS.