There are three essential steps involved in preparing the hard disk for use:
•Creating one or more partitions for the MS-DOS operating system
•Formatting the MS-DOS partition(s)
•Copying files from the Operating 2 and Reference diskettes to the hard disk.
Partitioning the disk prepares it to receive the MS-DOS system files. You use the FDISK program to perform this step.
Formatting a partition prepares the partition to receive data. You use the FORMAT command to perform this step.
You use the COPY command to copy essential MS-DOS programs and Epson-supplied utility programs from your Operating 2 and Reference diskettes to your hard disk.
Note
The instructions in this chapter assume that MS-DOS is the only operating system you are going to use on your hard disk. If you’re going to use another operating system in addition to MS-DOS,you may need to create an additional partition. For information about how to do this, consult the chapter an FDISK in your MS-DOS manual. If you want to set up your hard disk to run another operating system only, consult the manual fur that operating system.
With MS-DOS version 3.3, you can create one or more partitions on the hard disk. You must create a primary partition, which is where MS-DOS is stored and from which your computer loads the operating system. Additionally, you can create an extended partition, which you can use to store additional programs or data.
If you have a 20MB hard disk, you probably need only one partition. If you have a 40MB hard disk, however, it is best to create an extended partition in addition to the primary partition.
3-2 Preparing the Hard Disk for Use