[Gandalf]

I guess I have probably set the wrong localisation setting during the install. As I am not too keen on having to reinstall the system again, I'd like to ask if there is - and if so, what is it - a way to fix that without reinstalling DOS?

Open your config.sys in a text editor and look for a line like this:

Country=049,850,c:\dos\country.sys

This example uses German date/time format (country code = 049) and a corresponding keyboard layout (codepage = 850).

You didn't specify your location in your profile, but I guess it's Poland (as you are linking a polish website...)? If so, then use this line:

Country=048,852,c:\dos\country.sys

If you need another countrycode and/or codepage just let me know.

Edit:

Here is an addition if you want to use a non-standard keyboard layout:

Add this line to your autoexec.bat:

KEYB country,codepage,KEYBOARD.SYS

Use the same codepage number as above.
But: the countrycode is this time not numeric, but a two letter code (GR = Germany, US, PL, ...)

I would use:
KEYB GR,850,KEYBOARD.SYS
For Poland use:
KEYB PL,852,KEYBOARD.SYS

I had a boot menu for DOS which enabled me to select among several boot options (...)
Back then I have gotten the hang of how it worked enough to modify the settings for each option on my own, but I have no idea how to prepare something like that completely from scratch.

I've found an example on a German tech-site. Maybe this will help you reconstructing your old configuration:

config.sys

[MENU]
MENUITEM=WIN,Windows 98
MENUITEM=DOS,DOS 7.0
MENUITEM=NOEMS,DOS 7.0 (NOEMS)
MENUITEM=NONE, DOS 7.0 (without EMM386/Smartdrv)

MENUDEFAULT=WIN,0

[WIN]
DEVICE=c:\startdat\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Country=049,850,c:\startdat\country.sys

[DOS]
DEVICE=c:\startdat\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=c:\startdat\EMM386.EXE RAM 4096
DEVICEhigh=c:\startdat\ASPI8DOS.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Country=049,850,c:\startdat\country.sys
DEVICEhigh=c:\startdat\ASPICD.SYS /D:MSCD000

[NOEMS]
DEVICE=c:\startdat\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
Device=c:\startdat\emm386.exe RAM NOEMS
DEVICEhigh=c:\startdat\ASPI8DOS.SYS
DOS=HIGH, UMB
Country=049,850,c:\startdat\country.sys
DEVICEhigh=c:\startdat\ASPICD.SYS /D:MSCD000

[NONE]
DEVICE=c:\startdat\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=c:\startdat\ASPI8DOS.SYS
Country=049,850,c:\startdat\country.sys
DEVICEhigh=c:\startdat\ASPICD.SYS /D:MSCD000

[COMMON]



Some hints regarding syntax:

MENUITEM=NAMETAG, description
MENUDEFAULT=NAMETAG, delay
MENUCOLOR=x,y
(x and y ranging between 0-15)

For every menuitem name tag used there must be a [NAMETAG] block

[COMMON] is a special tag and does what it says: it holds common commands and should not be left out if unused.




Here is a matching autoexec.bat. All name tags from the config.sys are repeated once more:


@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH c:\Windows;c:\Windows\COMMAND
SET TEMP=d:\temp
SET TMP=d:\temp
set dircmd= /p /ogn
del d:\temp\*.tmp
goto %config%


:WIN
LH c:\startdat\keyb gr,,c:\startdat\keyboard.sys
win
goto ende

OS
SET SOUND=c:\startdat
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
LH c:\startdat\DIAGNOSE /S
LH c:\startdat\MIXERSET /P /Q
lh c:\startdat\keyb gr,,c:\startdat\keyboard.sys
LH c:\startdat\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:16
LH c:\startdat\smartdrv a- 16384 /x /l
LH c:\startdat\mouse.com
goto ende

:noems
SET SOUND=c:\startdat
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
lh c:\startdat\keyb gr,,c:\startdat\keyboard.sys
LH c:\startdat\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:16
LH c:\startdat\smartdrv a- 16384 /x /l
LH c:\startdat\mouse.com
goto ende

:none
SET SOUND=c:\startdat
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
lh c:\startdat\keyb gr,,c:\startdat\keyboard.sys
LH c:\startdat\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:16
LH c:\startdat\mouse.com
goto ende

:ende


As I said before: this example was ripped off a website. You have to adjust pathnames and parameters according to your needs.