16 bit Windows error

[Gene Goldenfeld]

All of a sudden tonight, an application that I've been using for years,
Polar Advisor (heart rate monitor software), wouldn't open and gave the
following error message:
16 bit Windows Subsystem
config.nt. The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and
Microsoft Windows applications.

A google search on config.nt led me here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324767

I tried all three alternatives offered in these instructions, but no
resolution. One thing is that in the instructions, step 4 wouldn't
work; I kept getting an error message that the output file
(d:\windows\...\config.nt) couldn't be found. I was using the XP CD to
run it (the instructions aren't clear which CD to use in Step 1, but the
application doesn't have these files). However, since the other two
alternatives didn't work, I'm not sure it matters. Any suggestions what
to do next? I tried reinstalling, but the install gets the same error
message. Thanks,

Gene
XP/SP2

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Gene,

The simplest method to resolve this common problem is to copy autoexec.nt
from C:\Windows\repair to C:\Windows\system32 and overwrite the one that is
currently there.

Alternately, you can create a new autoexec.nt file and save it to the
\windows\system32 folder to overwrite the corrupted one. Click start/run and
type notepad, then click ok. Copy/paste the below code into it (instead of
typing it in to prevent errors), then click file/"save as". Navigate to the
C:\Windows\system32 folder, change the "save as file" type to "all types"
and name the file autoexec.nt, then click save (if prompted to overwrite the
existing one, do so).

@echo off
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

Reboot when finished. This usually fixes it, but you will find further steps
here if it doesn't:

Error message when you install or start an MS-DOS or 16-bit Windows-based
program
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324767

Basically, you will have to expand new copies of command.com, autoexec.nt,
and config.nt to the system32 folder from the WinXP CD or I386 folder on
your hard drive. Sometimes, you need to create new ones and overwrite the
existing ones - the method is described in the article.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Gene Goldenfeld]

Rick, I was going to kid you about being overly busy, since what you
propose and the link you give is exactly what I reported doing and
using, except that I reported a config.nt error and you treated it as an
autoexe.nt one. However, in going back over the alternatives your first
two again didn't do a thing, but the expansion worked. This time I
changed the drive the XP CD was inserted in and I used caps where MS'
help page used them. Don't ask why those worked, but they did. Thanks.

Gene