Further development work is being done on DR-DOS/OpenDOS at The DR-DOS/OpenDOS Enhancement Project.  This is a work-in-progress version to add FAT32 support to DR-DOS.  Thanks to Udo Kuhnt for this tip! 

The renamed Dr-DOS, inc. (DeviceLogics, inc.) is trying to sell a patched v8.1 using code from the above mentioned Udo Kuhnt's work and utilities from FreeDOS. ALL of which is already free to download so why pay $45 to people who contributed exactly ZERO?

Alternately:

For those who do not already know, there is a DR-DOS v7.04 and a DR-DOS v7.05.  I have the v7.05 here on a diskette.  There are rumors that there may even be a v7.06 being used by IBM for it's Disk Manager 2000 that contains native FAT32, LBA, and no rename bugs.  I haven't found that one yet. My recent download (11-27-02) of IBM's diskette image file shows v7.05 here.

I've been debating with myself that this topic could be more trouble for many DR-DOS users than it's really worth.  There are 'bugs' in these versions, or at least one bug.  You can't rename files, or so it seems according to OnTrack (they don't need to and don't care?).  I had read about this problem before and finally tested v7.05 here on my machine.  With W31 accessing my email I received several error messages from Eudora that it could not rename files it normally renamed without informing me (temporary files).  This is not good.

This 'rename bug' can apparently be fixed by using a debug script file written for this purpose, I've not tried it myself as yet.

A message posted at one of the user forums gives the impression the problem is in only one of the two hidden files, IBMDOS.COM.  By replacing IBMBIO.COM on your v7.03 install using the v7.05 boot disk apparently you will add FAT32 access to DR-DOS v7.03 installs without using v7.05 IBMDOS.COM (the buggy one?).

(the suggestion below has not been tested here at DOS Ghost)

"... I replaced the DR-DOS 7.03 IBMBIO.COM with that from DR-DOS 7.05, and was then able to see the FAT and FAT32 logical drives in the extended partition.
[...]
At least I now have a way of viewing the FAT and FAT32 drives under DR-DOS.  I was advised ... not to use the DR-DOS 7.05 IBMDOS.COM."

NOTE: Just don't get confused and replace the wrong one. LOL - CPA

FULL MSG TEXT

WARNING:  The disk manager software being discussed at this point offers the user functions to put zeros where your MBR (Master Boot Record) is located as well as zero out your partition tables.  This is a WIPE of the drive and totally disables the hard drive until you repartition, reformat, and reinstall ALL of your software.  Don't 'fiddle' with these applications if you are not familiar with their purpose.  Concentrate on removing all but the DR-DOS v7.05 files and ignore the disk `manglers'.

Meanwhile OnTrack is selling their Disk Manager v4.05 using this v7.05 of DR-DOS to boot their diskettes.  OnTrack refers to this as Disk Manager DOS v9.57.

OnTrack:
"Create a self-booting diskette for single drive installations.  Text based installation wizard.  Create FAT 16 or FAT 32 partitions before installing any Operating System!"

This number, v9.57, used to turn up again at IBM's website for their bootable Disk Manager 2000 diskette v9.57. The difference? IBM offers a free download  (1661 KB).  The support webpage is gone now due to the sale of IBMs hard drive manufacturing to Hitachi. This download is an automated 'wizard' that will create the DR-DOS v7.05 bootable diskette using an image file (I know the webpage used to say this was for Windows but I have the file here - trust me).