save CMOS to file?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dos-Man
  • Start date Start date
D

Dos-Man

Is there an MS-DOS utility to show what is in the CMOS?

I know there is MSD.EXE from Microsoft, but it is too large, and
I can't shake the feeling that it is missing stuff.

I would like to make copies of my CMOS on demand and save to
file so I can get back to where I was when I screw something up :)

dos-man
 
Is there an MS-DOS utility to show what is in the CMOS?
Click to expand...
I know there is MSD.EXE from Microsoft, but it is too large, and
I can't shake the feeling that it is missing stuff.

I would like to make copies of my CMOS on demand and save to
file so I can get back to where I was when I screw something up :)
Click to expand...

A few freeware ones are available here:

http://www.filelibrary.com/Contents/DOS/54/18.html

but I haven't used them. You have to be careful with old ones since
they might only handle 64 rather than 128 byte CMOS.

The one I like is now donationware ($10). It's called CMOSSAVE

http://mindprod.com/products.html

If I recall correctly it came with the assembly language listing.
Actually it's almost trivial to write a program in assembler to handle
CMOS saving and restoring. In fact, if you search a bit, you'll find
the essential assembly language code needed to read and write to CMOS.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
A few freeware ones are available here:

http://www.filelibrary.com/Contents/DOS/54/18.html

but I haven't used them. You have to be careful with old ones since
they might only handle 64 rather than 128 byte CMOS.
The one I like is now donationware ($10). It's called CMOSSAVE

http://mindprod.com/products.html
Click to expand...

Art, I noticed this about that program at
http://mindprod.com/zips/cmossv.txt:

"May be freely used and copied for any purpose except military.
MASM/OPTASM source included. Shareware by Roedy Green of Canadian Mind
Products."

Hmmm. "I'm a teepee! I'm a wigwam!"
The doctor quickly replied, "I now know your problem! You're two
tents!" 80)>

Looks like and identity crisis to me. Might be clarified by this
(edited) from the included readme file:
____________________________
Shareware Status
****************

CMOSSAVE CMOSREST and CMOSCHK are shareware. To register your copy
please mail $10 US or Canadian cheque payable to Canadian Mind
Products, money order payable to Canadian Mind Products.

(clipped)
I don't currently accept credit cards. Personal cheques are fine.
Please make them payable to Canadian Mind Products. You can however
buy it online with a credit card via
http://mindprod.com/products.html#CMOSSAVE.

Please mention the program title since I sell many other products. It
would also be helpful if you mentioned the URL or source of where you
got your shareware copy. I want to make sure that site is kept kept
up to date.

I, in return, will send you the latest version complete with MASM
source for CMOSSAVE, CMOSREST, CMOSCHK, REBOOT, NEED, BOOTSAVE,
BOOTREST and BOOTCHK. I will also include a 1.44 diskette full of the
source code for the complete CMP suite of 70 other DOS utilities.

If you don't register, and continue to use CMOSSAVE, I will not do
anything mean to you. It pleases me to think that I may be
safeguarding thousands upon thousands of computers with my little
program. I would far, far sooner that you use my progam without
paying for it, than have it lie wasted. (clipped)
______________________________

Sort of a strange philosophy, but maybe he thinks that his chances of
getting registration fees are better by calling it shareware though.

I, like you, would call it donationware.

As far as documenting BIOS settings, I've used my digital camera to
take shots of all the screens. To do this, I turn off the flash and
mount the camera on a tripod. Then I convert the pictures into
grayscale, negative them and print them. Works quite well and I miss
nothing, guaranteed. Of course, one can also simply write them all by
hand but it's not as much fun.

I'll check out that program though. Thanks for posting the link.
 
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