Operating System Boot File – IO.SYS
Io.sys is an operating system file. If you run WinPartol 10.x or later, you'll find this file in your Hidden Files list. The file runs on system startup. It processes instructions that tell the operating system how the computer is set up. In Windows 95, IO.SYS replaced the older MS-DOS system files, IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS.
Io.sys eliminates the need for the CONFIG.SYS and autoexec.bat files. But you'll still find these files on most systems for backwards compatibility. If you modify or delete this file, Windows won't boot. So we'd recommend leaving it alone.
You'll find a description of Windows files in the root folder of your hard drive at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q151667 .
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