Confusing Error Message:

[Matt]

I have Windows-XP Home Edition. I get this message on
some occasions when installing a new program.

The WIN16 SUBSYSTEM was unable to enter the protected
mode, DOSX.EXE must be in your AUTOEXEC.NT and present in
your path

Any help in resolving this would be appreciated.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have Windows-XP Home Edition. I get this message on
some occasions when installing a new program.

The WIN16 SUBSYSTEM was unable to enter the protected
mode, DOSX.EXE must be in your AUTOEXEC.NT and present in
your path

This relates to installing old programs, designed for DOS or Windows 3
and not using up to date 32 bit code. Use Notepad to edit your
c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt file. It should have, apart from a lot
of other items, a pair of lines

REM Install DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

And the second of these may have had a REM added in an attempt to get
more 'DOS' memory - if so, remove that REM

Dosx.exe should also be in windows\system32, but it is a protected file,
so should be present. If the autoexec.nt is OK and the trouble
persists, rename dosx.exe - it should get replaced in seconds by the
backup copy

 

[S.Sengupta]

Hi,
First of all confirm that the DOSX.exe file is in fact present in
windows\system32
Next check Path settings:-
Open Control Panel > System > Advanced > Environmental Variables and
check (using Edit) the line for Path - it should be:-
%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\system32\WBEM

Make sure that autoexec.nt and config.nt files do not have any
Path.
Right click on the program

Advanced and make sure the settings are not to use some other file

instead of %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT

regards,
ssg MS-MVP
pronetworks.org