Don't Change Disks during a Critical Error (35759)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 2.11
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.1
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.2
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.21
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 3.3a
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 4.0
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0a
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22
This article was previously published under Q35759

SUMMARY

MS-DOS does not reinitialize floppy disks after an interrupt 24h critical error (the type of error in which the default MS-DOS action is to issue the "Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail" message). This can cause problems if you change disks at this prompt because the application that was working with the first disk has no idea that the disk has changed, which can cause unpredictable behavior on the second disk. For example, if an application has a file open on the first disk and the disk is changed during this critical error prompt, the application will continue to write and close this file on the second disk, most likely damaging the root directory entry of this second disk, and perhaps the one on the first disk as well.

Thus, disks should NEVER be changed when DOS issues a critical error. Instead, you should (usually) select the Abort option, then re-execute the command with the proper disk in the drive.

NOTE: This problem does not occur under MS-DOS if you load SHARE.EXE (or VSHARE.386 under Windows or Windows for Workgroups).
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/12/2003
Keywords:KB35759
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