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Some DOS Error Messages

Error / Symptom	Description
"Bad or missing Command Interpreter"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Bad Track 0"
"Configuration too large for memory" is displayed on-screen and then there is no further progress.	IBM DOS 3.30 is known to generate that error in particular situations of not enough conventional memory.  See here. ( This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3, and similar ).
"Disk Boot failure" is displayed on-screen and then there is no further progress.	This error is generated by the boot sector of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar). One example of it being seen is included at here.
"Error in COUNTRY command"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Error loading operating system"	This is not a DOS error message. This error is generated by the boot code within the master boot record (MBR) of a hard drive. Additional information is at here.
"Insufficient memory for COUNTRY.SYS file"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Internal stack overflow System halted"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Invalid country code or code page"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Invalid drive specification"	I see this error message if I: 1. At here, do STEP 1, but forget to do STEP 2; then 2. Boot from the DOS boot floppy; then 3. Enter the command of 'DIR C:'
"Invalid media"	See Microsoft article Q60082 at here.
"Invalid partition table"	This is not a DOS error message. This error is generated by the boot code within the master boot record (MBR) of a hard drive. Additional information is at here.
"Invalid STACK parameters"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Missing operating system"	This is not a DOS error message. This error is generated by the boot code within the master boot record (MBR) of a hard drive. Additional information is at here.
"No room for system on destination drive"	I see this if I use IBM DOS 3.3 to format my hard drive, and do it the long way (no /S with FORMAT), and do things in the wrong order: A:\>format c: A:\>copy command.com c: A:\>sys c: The error is seen after entering the last command above, i.e. generated by SYS.COM The error message is very misleading.  Early DOS versions require that the two files copied over by SYS.COM be the first two files on the drive.  So, the required order is: A:\>format c: A:\>sys c: A:\>copy command.com c:
"Non-System disk or disk error"	This error is generated by the boot sector of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Sector size too large in file"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Starting MS-DOS..." is displayed on-screen and then there is no further progress.	Note that this message is produced by later versions of DOS, to inform you that DOS has started loading. So DOS started to load, then 'fell over'.  Lots of possible causes. Some known causes: • Not enough conventional memory for MS-DOS 6.22.   128 KB is not enough.   192 KB works (no CONFIG.SYS, no AUTOEXEC.BAT). • Something 'improper' being loaded via CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT • XT-IDE card or XT-CF card in an early IBM 5170.  See here.
"Too many Block Devices"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
"Unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS"	This error is generated by IBMBIO.COM of IBM DOS 3.3 (and similar).
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