Error while installing DOS 5.0

[FrankO1]

Yes, I know it probably seems like a jurassic technology, but I have a good reason for wanting to install DOS 5.0 under Parallels Desktop 14.0.1. However, I'm encountering an error and am hoping there might be someone who can suggest ideas.

I'm using the method described in message #12 in the following thread (which was concerned with DOS 6.22, but same idea):

https://forum.parallels.com/threads/ms-dos-vms.30679/

Starting at the Parallels Desktop, steps I'm taking:
File > New
Choose: "Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file"
Continue
Select File
[Locate on Mac file system]: DOS5.0_bootdisk.iso
Open
[Message]: Unable to detect Operating System
Continue
[Message]: Please select your operating system
Other > Other DOS
OK
[Enter name for .pvm]: DOS 5.0
Create
[Message]: Amount of memory 32 MB outside recommended range. Change to maximum recommended amount?
Don't change

At this point, I get an A:\ DOS prompt.

Based on the instructions in the message thread linked above, I gather I next need to create a DOS partition for a boot drive using fdisk, and format it with the "format /s" command.
I therefore enter "fdisk" and see the fdisk menu. I select "Create DOS partition," then "Create primary DOS partition." When asked, I say I want to use the maximum available size and make the partition active.
After this step, I see a message "System will now restart. Insert DOS disk in drive A:, Press any key"

When the VM reboots, I see a message identifying the Parallels BIOS, a notice that 32 MB of physical memory is installed, Network bootrom installed. Then the following:

Trying to boot from Primary Master IDE drive ...
Missing operating system

At this point I haven't figured out how to progress any further. Any suggestions on how to get past this point? Or is there another sequence of steps I should be using overall for the install?

 

[Elric]

Trying to boot from Primary Master IDE drive ...
Missing operating system
At this point I haven't figured out how to progress any further. Any suggestions on how to get past this point? Or is there another sequence of steps I should be using overall for the install?

Hi
It appears that the problem is that after Hard Disk was made active, Parallels tries to load OS from it. But it doesn't have os installed yet.
Try to go to VM Configuration -> Hardware -> Boot Order and enable "Select boot device and startup". Then at start of VM will appear message "press ESC to select boot device". Select CD Rom.

 

[FrankO1]

Try to go to VM Configuration -> Hardware -> Boot Order and enable "Select boot device and startup". Then at start of VM will appear message "press ESC to select boot device". Select CD Rom.

Unfortunately, at the VM Configuration menu it will not let me change items on the Hardware page such as the Boot Order until I "shut down" the VM. However, I can't find a way to shut down the VM. DOS doesn't have a "shut down" menu choice as, for example, Windows does.

If I ctrl-click on the VM icon in the Mac dock, I can find a menu option to shut down the VM. However, when I try this (sometimes several times in a row) nothing happens.

I also tried starting over from scratch, and changing the boot order after installing the OS but before running fdisk. Again, however, it told me I could not change the boot order until I "shut down" the VM. When I try to shut it down from the menu choice on the VM icon in the Mac dock, again, nothing happens.

 

[Elric]

Hi,
Just press the stop button and enable the option; or enable it immediately after VM creation; it doesn't matter

 

[FrankO1]

Thanks. I eventually got it sorted out and used "format c: /s" to format a C:\ drive.

At this point I have two questions.

1) When I now start the DOS 5.0 VM, it opens at an A:\ prompt. I can also change drives to the C:\ drive that I partitioned and formatted. I understand that C:\ is a virtual drive that exists in RAM within Parallels, but what is A:\? Another virtual disk existing within the .pvm? I don't think it references the .iso disk image in the Mac file system that I used to install DOS 5.0 because A:\ shows that it contains individual files such as command.com, etc.

2) At this point, I would like to connect other storage devices to the computer (through one of the Mac's USB ports) and use DOS 5.0 to partition and format them. Normally, when I'm running Windows in Parallels, if I connect a USB device, Parallels asks if I want it to be available to macOS or to Windows. However, if I connect a USB device to the Mac when DOS 5.0 is running in Parallels, no such message appears. Is there any way to make a USB storage device such as a CF card visible to DOS 5.0?

 

[Elric]

Hi

1) When I now start the DOS 5.0 VM, it opens at an A:\ prompt. I can also change drives to the C:\ drive that I partitioned and formatted. I understand that C:\ is a virtual drive that exists in RAM within Parallels, but what is A:\?

The disk A: is an image of floppy which is stored on the DOS iso image. Sure it is not an ISO-image itself. Btw, except A and C there should be some letter for the CD-rom; likely you can find it by executing command "type a:\config.sys" or "type a:\autoexec.bat" and looking for the command where driver for CD-rom is loaded.

2) At this point, I would like to connect other storage devices to the computer (through one of the Mac's USB ports) and use DOS 5.0 to partition and format them.

afaik dos 5.0 doesn't have drivers for USB. So mounting USB will not be possible.
Likely you can stop the VM and go to the VM folder (right-click in Parallels Desktop Control Center on DOS-Vm and choose Show In Finder; then right-click on the .pvm-bundle and choose Show Package Content. Then double click on .hdd-bundle. This will cause that Hard Disk will be mounted on host (see left pannel of Finder) and you will have read-write access to disk from mac. Of course this only works when VM is stopped.

 

[FrankO1]

Btw, except A and C there should be some letter for the CD-rom; likely you can find it by executing command "type a:\config.sys" or "type a:\autoexec.bat" and looking for the command where driver for CD-rom is loaded.

In this case, there is no CD-rom permanently installed on the Mac, only one that I connect by USB. The .iso image I used to install DOS 5.0 under Parallels was not loaded off a CD-rom, but rather was in the Mac file system. The only things in config.sys are device=himem.sys, dos=high and files=30.

Likely you can stop the VM and go to the VM folder (right-click in Parallels Desktop Control Center on DOS-Vm and choose Show In Finder; then right-click on the .pvm-bundle and choose Show Package Content. Then double click on .hdd-bundle. This will cause that Hard Disk will be mounted on host (see left pannel of Finder) and you will have read-write access to disk from mac. Of course this only works when VM is stopped.

This is odd, when I go through this series of steps, after I double-click on the .hdd file the hard disk doesn't appear in Finder in macOS (for example it is not on the left panel in Finder). However, if I then restart the DOS 5.0 VM at this point, it says the hard disk file is being used by another VM, and please close that.