# Restarting in MS-DOS mode from Windows hangs the system... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131 "2003-04-25T15:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/1 "2003-04-25T15:47:47Z")
Yet Another Windows Problem… Whenever I restart in MS-DOS mode from the Start Menu, the system will go through the ‘shutting down’ process and still freezes with a black screen. However, running the MS-DOS prompt from Windows doesn’t have any problems at all… What shall I do? Try googling and the solutions seem to be fixing IF Windows give an error message. Windows just dump me to a black screen. Any help will be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/2 "2003-04-25T16:25:37Z")
The problem is likely to be either in your autoexec.bat file or config.sys. Run msconfig from the Start/Run command on the desktop. Then go through both files, disabling individual commands temporarily to see where the problem lies. Good luck. If nothing works try these guys: > **[Tech Support Guy](https://forums.techguy.org/)** > > Free computer help. They work wonders! ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/3 "2003-04-25T16:34:30Z")
[Microsoft’s solution](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;232657) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/4 "2003-04-25T21:40:34Z")
What version of windoz is this? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/5 "2003-04-25T22:19:42Z")
You have an incompatible real-mode driver. Find “Exit to DOS.pif”, get Properties, and on the Program | Advanced tab enable “Specify a new MS\_DOS configuration.” Yet another non-Windows problem being called a Windows problem… ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/6 "2003-04-26T02:23:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*You have an incompatible real-mode driver. Find “Exit to DOS.pif”, get Properties, and on the Program | Advanced tab enable “Specify a new MS\_DOS configuration.” > > Yet another non-Windows problem being called a Windows problem… \*\* Sorry Bill Gates… ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restarting-in-ms-dos-mode-from-windows-hangs-the-system/171131/7 "2003-04-29T01:19:45Z")
Your welcome.