restart win95

Dos start.bat runs the autoexec and config files required to load DOS mode.  It also is where the CD Rom is loaded from. If the CD Rom does not load, this is where you make any changes..
Think of it as a separated autoexec.bat and config.sys in one file

I'd check it for configuration problems, like a line refering to "win"
or windows...Also make a copy of it to a floppy in case you need to reinstall it..

I know of some people that have litterally copied the information from a dos boot disk to the dosstart.bat and worked from there

It can be found in the windows directory

My present C:\windows\dosstart.bat file contains two line entries.  Both of which are "REM" ed out.. thus it should accomplish nothing but restart in dos with a C: prompt.  This is not the case. It is telling me "Incorrect DOS version" then "Restarting Windows"  at which time windows restarts. ..  

So there must be some other call somewhere to something..?!?!  Whatever file that loads the dosstart.bat file must have another enty in it AFTER the call to dosstart.bat .. but what file is calling dosstart.bat from within win95 when you try to do a "Restart in DOS" shutdown?!?!?!!

Have you tried looking for files of the form wininit.* in your windows\system directory and then viewing their contents?

have you tgried just entering C: in the dosstart bat.
may not work but it's an entry that win95 recognises..

have you tgried just entering C: in the dosstart bat.
may not work but it's an entry that win95 recognises..

Are you using OSR2 (Win95 OEM Service Pack 2)?  I don't know, but this might make a difference, especially if it was installed over a previous version of Win95.  Also, the command.com in your Win95 dir (any version of Win95) might be from a version of DOS.  Try going back to your setup CD (or disks) and expanding the command.com found in one of the .CAB's.  This is probably the answer to your error message about the Incorrect DOS version.

Mo better answer,
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Description of Restarting Computer in MS-DOS Mode

                        Article ID: Q138996
                        Creation Date: 31-OCT-1995
                        Revision Date: 11-JUL-1996

                The information in this article applies to:
                             Microsoft Windows 95

                        SUMMARY

This article describes the process that occurs when you restart your computer by choosing "Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode" in the Shut Down Windows dialog box, or by double-clicking a program or shortcut configured to run in MS-DOS mode. This article also describes how to define custom Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files to be processed when you restart your computer using the "Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode" option.

                        MORE INFORMATION

              Restarting the Computer in MS-DOS Mode

When you restart your computer by choosing the "Restart the
computer in MS-DOS mode" option in the Shut Down Windows dialog
box, Windows closes all running programs, removes itself from
memory, and then starts a real- mode command prompt. During this
process, the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files are processed. If the Use Current MS-DOS Configuration option is selected in the "Exit to DOS.pif" file that is used to restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, the Dosstart.bat file in the Windows folder is also processed.

To restart Windows normally after restarting the computer in MS-DOS mode, type "exit" (without quotation marks) at the command prompt and then press ENTER.

              Starting a Program in MS-DOS Mode

When you double-click a program or shortcut configured to run in
MS-DOS mode, the following items are performed. The items listed
below assume that a new MS-DOS configuration has been specified.
1.The Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files in the root folder of the
boot drive are renamed to Config.wos and Autoexec.wos. If the
Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file does not exist in the root folder, a zero-byte Config.wos or Autoexec.wos file is created.
2.The custom Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files specified in the
properties for the MS-DOS-based program you are running are
copied to the root folder of the boot drive. The last line in the
Config.sys file is always:
dos=single

The last line in the Autoexec.bat file is always the following line
c:\<windows>\win.com /wx
where <windows> is the name of your Windows folder. The
Autoexec.bat file also contains a CD statement that changes to
the folder that contains the MS-DOS-based program's files and
a CALL statement that starts the MS-DOS-based program.
3.Windows restarts the computer.
4.While the computer boots, Io.sys detects the presence of the
Config.wos and Autoexec.wos files in the root folder of the boot
drive and displays the following message:

Windows 95 is now starting your MS-DOS-based-program.
Press Esc now to cancel MS-DOS mode and restart Windows 95.

The above message is displayed for approximately three seconds. If you press the ESC key during this time, the
MS-DOS-based program you are running does not run and
Windows 95 restarts normally instead. Note that the "Starting
Windows 95" message is not displayed when the above
message is displayed.
5.If you do not press the ESC key while the above message is
displayed, the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files are
processed. The CALL statement in the Autoexec.bat file starts
the MS-DOS-based program.
6.When you quit the MS-DOS-based program, the remainder of the Autoexec.bat file is processed, beginning with the line
immediately following the CALL statement. The line
immediately following the CALL statement is normally the line
that starts Win.com.

The /WX switch causes Win.com to rename the current Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files to Config.app and
Autoexec.app, restore the original Config.sys and Autoexec.bat
files from the Config.wos and Autoexec.wos files, delete the
Config.wos and Autoexec.wos files, and then reboot the system
to Windows 95. Note that using the /WX switch instead of the
/W switch prevents the following message from appearing after
these steps are performed:

                Press any key to continue...

If the Win.com line is removed from the Autoexec.bat file before
you quit the MS-DOS-based program, or you attempt to start
Windows from the command prompt before the Win.com line in
the Autoexec.bat file is processed, the following message is
displayed:

You are currently running in MS-DOS mode. Do you want to return to normal mode, to run Windows applications again?

NOTE: If the CALL statement in the Autoexec.bat file starts the
MS-DOS command interpreter (Command.com), you must type
"exit" (without quotation marks) at a command prompt and then
press ENTER to quit that instance of the command interpreter
and allow the remainder of the Autoexec.bat file to be
processed. If the CALL statement starts a third- party
command interpreter, you must type the appropriate command
to quit that instance of the third-party command interpreter.
7.Windows restarts the computer.
8.While Windows starts, the Config.app and Autoexec.app files
are copied to the properties for the MS-DOS-based program
you are running in MS-DOS mode or the properties for the
shortcut that starts the MS-DOS-based program you are
running in MS-DOS mode. If the Config.app and Autoexec.app
files are accidentally deleted before this occurs, the custom
Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files must be created again manually.

         Defining Custom Config.sys and Autoexec.bat Files

To define custom Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files to be processed when you restart your computer using the "Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode" option, follow these steps:
1.If you have not restarted the computer in MS-DOS mode before,
click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart The Computer In
MS-DOS Mode, and then click Yes. At the command prompt
that appears, type "exit" (without quotation marks) and then
press ENTER.
2.Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click
Windows Explorer.
3.Locate the "Exit to DOS.pif" file in the Windows folder, use the right mouse button to click the file, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
4.Click the Program tab, and then click Advanced.
5.Click Specify A New MS-DOS Configuration, define the custom
Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files in the CONFIG.SYS For
MS-DOS Mode and AUTOEXEC.BAT For MS-DOS Mode
boxes, and then click OK.

                        REFERENCES

For additional information about using MS-DOS mode in Windows 95
to run MS-DOS-based programs, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID : Q134400
TITLE      : General Tips for Using MS-DOS Mode