Homework help PLEEEAASE

As you guys are all freakin genuises (note the ass kissing) I am coming here for help (yet again). I'm taking the first of 2 classes for my A+ cert and not sure what Im supposed to put for a simple answer. I'm sure now Im just over thinking this but after attempting to google it and asking some friends Im more confused. Anywho I have 2 questions:

13. Device drivers loaded from Config.sys run in *** mode.
14. Device drivers loaded from Autoexex.bat run in *** mode


I know that 16 bit real mode drivers can be loaded from both, but I don't know if 32 bit protected can be loaded from Autoexec.bat. I saw that they could but it said it was via a virtual something or another. So is Autoexec.bat a virtual mode? or a protected mode? or both real and protected?

All my text book says in referance to Autoexec.bat and config.sys (in this chapter) is that real mode drivers are loaded in winows 9x/me using them, but if the answer they are looking for is real to both I don't see why it is 2 different questions.

I can't exactly answer your question, but autoexec.bat predates windows, IE Dos. I would assume drivers loaded via autoexec.bat would be virtual.

*shrugs*
oh umm not really sure on the answer but even if they were both the same answer the like making it as hard as possible so it common to get 2 questions with the same answer

Atomm wrote:
I can't exactly answer your question, but autoexec.bat predates windows, IE Dos. I would assume drivers loaded via autoexec.bat would be virtual.

yeah, on the A+ cram sheet it says both config.sys and autoexec.bat are virtual machines for running older dos drivers.


why the hell I have to know how to load drivers for stuff that was outdated 10 years ago is beyond me. I decided to definatly go with real mode for the config.sys still unsure about autoexec.bat. If I don't decide by the time I have to turn it in I guess one wrong answer isn't gonna kill me but I hate not knowing something that Im supossed to.

Thanks for the input, it is appreciated.

I would say that the simple answer would be that both run in DOS mode.

Backwards compatibility is the reason - remember that when WinXP came out it was 2001 (I think). That's a lot closer to the DOS days than now 🙂

It's amazing in the time when I did the A+ cert, it was alot about hardware voltages...etc. Now it's about outdated DOS things. Much like the first MCSE, that question to me is almost a trick question. In the days of DOS I would say both were real mode, or real mode on the Autoexec, and high mem mode on the Config.sys. Of course in 95 that would remain. In 98 they might be virtual or real. Beyond 98 they are no doubt virtual. Or at least that is how my mind remebers these things.
:-) sorry I couldn't be more help.

reminds me of the 1 MCSE exam I took. One of the questions was something to the effect of
"Was is the max run length of thinnet cable?" it was multiple choice and the answers were something like
a. 184.5 meters
b 185.4 meters
c. 186.3 meters
d. 183.6 meters

Now, the real answer is never run thin net beyond 180 meters. Not to mention when I took the exam thinnet was a distant memory. At that point I decided that MCSE really only meant someone had the money to waste, but not that they knew anything.

Yea, I had to study ThinNet and ThickNet for Network+.

**typical GRB thread divergence ahead**

I had a customer try to return a controller, and in the return process we need to know the bar code number to track the date sold to make sure it was with in our return limits.

When I asked him to read the code to me the SOB started saying:

"thick thin thick thick thin thick thick thin......."

After about the fourth thick thin thick I realized the dumb bastard was reading the thickness of the bars them selves..... I had to put him on hold because I was gasping for air I was laughing so hard.


** Resume your normally scheduled thread**

bwahahahahahaha, nice.

If I made a thread that didn't get jacked I would feel neglected.

I'm going to ask my instructor what the hell the answer is supposed to be tonight. I guess I'm supposed to 'pretend' that Windows 95 is the new hotness based on everything in the chapter - like anyone uses 95 🙄 I was in such a rush this weekend to get the homework done I forgot I was actually working a week ahead of schedule lol, so maybe the answer will be in the lecture this evening.

Duck wrote:
**typical GRB thread divergence ahead**

I had a customer try to return a controller, and in the return process we need to know the bar code number to track the date sold to make sure it was with in our return limits.

When I asked him to read the code to me the SOB started saying:

"thick thin thick thick thin thick thick thin......."

After about the fourth thick thin thick I realized the dumb bastard was reading the thickness of the bars them selves..... I had to put him on hold because I was gasping for air I was laughing so hard.
** Resume your normally scheduled thread**

Are you serious?????????

HAHAHAHA Wow that one will be written up along with a lady who called a tech support guy asking if he could help her fix her cup holder (read CD tray) on her computer. Seems the cup was too heavy for it and broke it. 😉

Oh man I have a text file someplace with loads of these types of things. If you want, and I find it, I will post it. Funny stuff.. 😉

BTW to answer the question They load in Real Mode.

There are two types of device drivers.

Real-Mode Device Drivers
Real-mode drivers are made to interface through the DOS environment. The drivers are implemented through .SYS or .DRV files. These files are loaded in the CONFIG.SYS or any Windows .INI file.

Protected-Mode Device Drivers
The protected-mode drivers take advantage of the x86 architecture. They are loaded when needed and unloaded when they are no longer required. These files are loaded as .VXD or .386 files.

Should protected-mode drivers be found, the system will remark (REM) out the real-mode drivers in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Dead serious. We still laugh about it to this day.