)
Values critical error handler is called with:
AH = type and processing flags (see #02544)
AL = drive number if AH bit 7 clear
BP:SI -> device driver header (see #01646 at INT 21/AH=52h)
(BP:[SI+4] bit 15 set if character device)
DI low byte contains error code if AH bit 7 set (see #02545)
STACK: DWORD return address for INT 24 call
WORD flags pushed by INT 24
WORD original AX on entry to INT 21
WORD BX
WORD CX
WORD DX
WORD SI
WORD DI
WORD BP
WORD DS
WORD ES
DWORD return address for INT 21 call
WORD flags pushed by INT 21
Return: AL = action code (see #02546)
SS,SP,DS,ES,BX,CX,DX preserved
Notes: the only DOS calls the handler may make are INT 21/AH=01h-0Ch,30h,59h
if the handler returns to the application by popping the stack, DOS
will be in an unstable state until the first call with AH > 0Ch
for DOS 3.1+, IGNORE (AL=00h) is turned into FAIL (AL=03h) on network
critical errors
if IGNORE specified but not allowed, it is turned into FAIL
if RETRY specified but not allowed, it is turned into FAIL
if FAIL specified but not allowed, it is turned into ABORT
(DOS 3.0+) if a critical error occurs inside the critical error
handler, the DOS call is automatically failed (AL set to 03h and
the INT 24 call skipped)
The initial critical error handler is located in the kernel and
always results in FAIL. However, by default it is replaced by
the critical error handler in the command interpreter when it
loads. This can be suppressed (e.g. for BBS systems) by loading
the primary DOS 3.00+ COMMAND.COM shell with the undocumented
option /F 'Fail'. This syntax is also supported with PTS/DOS 6.51+,
S/DOS 1.0+, and DR-OpenDOS 7.02+ (1997-11-13) COMMAND.COM, as well
as 4DOS.COM/NDOS.COM. OpenDOS 7.01+ COMMAND.COM (1997-03-21)
introduced this under /N, which is still supported by newer releases
(although it has a slightly different meaning now).
BUG: DR DOS COMMAND.COM before 1998-05-07 caused incorrect error messages
to occur if the error code had a non-zero MSB (e.g. NWCDEX's
"IO error reading from device" instead of the correct
"not ready error"). This was fixed with the DR-OpenDOS 7.03
COMMAND.COM now passing the full error code to any critical error
handlers.