Most of the control software run only in a "clean" DOS environment. Maxnc software also work correctly in windows, but using it in a DOS environment is always best.
But how if we have not a DOS license?
Well the answer is "FREEDOS" ( http://www.freedos.org ).
I had installed it on a second (and old) Hard Disk on a PC with Win98SE already installed .
Necessary components
Note about XOSL: Due to (I hope temporary) unavailability of the site xosl.org, you can download from here the latest version of XOSL (1.1.5). The XOSL project seems to be "frozen" and not maintained anymore, but it is always the best solution for multiboot, so you can download it from here ftp://ftp.eriskouma.com/pub/xosl/xosl115.zip
The simplest choice is to use a second hard disk (an old 500MB IDE in my case). Insert the HD into PC cabinet, and connect it to a free IDE port (I've it on the Secondary Slave IDE port). Prepare the three Freedos FloppyDisk (only the base set) previously downloaded from the freedos site. Download and install on the PC the XOSL boot manager. It will be installed in a directory on your Windows "C" disk.
Restart the PC and configure the Boot Manager. The first boot will be automatically present in the XOSL dialog box referring to your windows partition. At this time add only a boot option of type "Boot from floppy" .
Start the PC, enter in the BIOS setup and set to "NONE" the others hard disk, so the newly inserted HD will be named as "C:" by the system. Insert the first Freedos Diskette, boot from the first freedos floppy and follow the instruction to install the freedos on your HD. (partitioning and format the hard disk as needed). Remember, after installation, to use the SYS command to make the HD bootable. Then, restart your system, enter in the BIOS setup and re-enable all hardDisks. Reboot. Now in the XOSL startup panel choose settings , add a new "boot" (choosing your freedos harddisk): it's necessary also to check the voice "Swap drives", so when you boot freedos, the freedos disk will be see as "C:" drive. That's all.
MINIMAL CONFIG.SYS EXAMPLE@ECHO off
ECHO Welcome to FreeDOS (http://www.freedos.org)!
REM ********************************************************************************
REM Set the default search path for programs
PATH=C:\NET;C:\FDOS\BIN;C:\FDOS\BIN\KEY;
REM Add other directories here
SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\UTIL\ZIP;C:\UTIL\DN;C:\UTIL\ARACHNE;C:\MAXNC_S;C:\TC\BIN
REM ********************************************************************************
REM Setup keyboard mappings (italy)
LOADHIGH XKEYB it
REM ********************************************************************************
REM FreeDOS utilities specific, set language & location for those
REM that supports alternate language message catalogs via Cats
SET NLSPATH=C:\FDOS\NLS;
SET LANG=IT
SET TEMP=Z:\TEMP
SET TMP=Z:\TEMP
SET ARACHNETEMP=Z:\TEMP
REM ********************************************************************************
REM Start the ramdrive (32 MegaByte - I have the XMSDSK installed in FDOS\RAMDSK)
C:\FDOS\RAMDSK\XMSDSK 32000 Z: /t /y
Z:
mkdir TEMP
C:
REM ********************************************************************************
REM CLEARSCREEN AND START DISK NAVIGATOR
C:
CD \
CLS
DN
device=C:\FDOS\BIN\FDXXMS.SYS
REM Freeware program to support UMBs for some computers
REM Obtain from http://www.uwe-sieber.de/umbpci_e.html
device=C:\fdos\umbpci\umbpci.sys
dos=high,umb
files=30
buffers=50
REM Italy settings
country=039,850,C:\FDOS\BIN\COUNTRY.SYS
lastdrive=z
shellhigh=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:2048 /P
stacks=16,256
version=6.2
devicehigh=C:\FDOS\BIN\NANSI.SYS /S
REM set the video mode to 43/50 lines
screen=0x12
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