Editing Windows Me (section)

===Real mode DOS===
Windows Me restricted support for [[real mode]] [[MS-DOS]]. As a result, <code>[[IO.SYS]]</code> in Windows Me disregards <code>[[CONFIG.SYS]]</code>, <code>[[COMMAND.COM]]</code> and <code>[[WIN.COM]]</code> and directly executes <code>[[VMM32.VXD]]</code>. In its default configuration the system would neither boot into an MS-DOS command prompt nor exit to DOS from Windows; real mode drivers such as <code>[[ANSI.SYS]]</code> could not be loaded and older applications that require real mode could not be run. Microsoft argued that the change improved the speed and reliability of the boot process.<ref name="realmode" /><ref name="FastBoot1" />

In Windows Me, the <code>CONFIG.SYS</code> and <code>AUTOEXEC.BAT</code> files are used only to set global [[environment variable]]s. The two files (if present) are scanned for settings relating to the environment variables, and any other commands present are moved into a Windows registry key (see below). The two files thus contain only settings and preferences which configure the "global environment" for the computer during the boot phase or when starting a new [[virtual DOS machine]] (VDM).

To specify or edit other startup values (which, in Windows 98, would be present in the <code>AUTOEXEC.BAT</code> file) the user must edit the following Windows registry key:
:<code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Environment</code>

For troubleshooting and crash recovery, both the Windows Me CD-ROM and the Windows Me startup disk (a user-creatable floppy disk, known as the Emergency Boot Disk (EBD)) allowed booting into real mode MS-DOS.

It is possible to restore real mode DOS functionality through various unofficial means.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/10/21/windows_bugs_me_but/|title=Windows bugs Me – but a little less?|last=Escalante|first=Luis|date=2000-10-21|work=[[The Register]]|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=July 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707171814/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/10/21/windows_bugs_me_but/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm |title=Some features of MS-DOS 8.0 |publisher=Multiboot.ru |access-date=2020-04-10 |archive-date=October 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022205112/http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, a registry setting exists that re-enables the "Restart in MS-DOS mode" option in the [[shutdown (computing)|shutdown]] [[dialog box]]; however, unless patched unofficially with third-party software, Windows Me cannot be booted to MS-DOS real mode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaanalyzer.addr.com/msdospolicies.html |title=Activity and Authentication Analyzer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107065618/http://www.aaanalyzer.addr.com/msdospolicies.html |access-date=2020-04-10|archive-date=2007-11-07 }}</ref>