command.com prompt in XP

[Guest]

I installed XP over ME.I recently purchased a bundle of games that included
some written for the 16 bit Windows.I have several different versions of
autoexec, and config. on my sytem.they have extesnions of .bak,.sys.dos and
..nt.of course cmd runs like a charm since this is now an XP system.How can I
get the older DOS based programs( and that might be a bad description) to run
on my system.

 

[neil]

Some programs may just run in a window, others you can control by changing
the properties of the shortcut created to run the program. (or adjust
compatability mode) If you type "command" in "run" XP will open a DOS based
window using a 16 bit subsystem.

hope that helps, or reply and tell us the games you are trying.
Neil

 

[billious]

I installed XP over ME.I recently purchased a bundle of games that included
some written for the 16 bit Windows.I have several different versions of
autoexec, and config. on my sytem.they have extesnions of .bak,.sys.dos
and
.nt.of course cmd runs like a charm since this is now an XP system.How can
I
get the older DOS based programs( and that might be a bad description) to
run
on my system.

Try DOSBOX.EXE (Google is your friend...)

HTH

....Bill

 

[Wesley Vogel]

From various sources...

Windows XP uses Config.nt and Autoexec.nt, not Config.sys or Autoexec.bat.

If you have a Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file XP will (mostly) ignore them.
Nothing in Config.sys will have any effect. Any line in Autoexec.bat that
launches a program or changes a directory will be ignored; the only lines in
Autoexec.bat that Windows XP will read are the lines that begin SET or PATH,
if ParseAutoexec is set to 1 in the registry.

In order to launch programs or change settings for DOS programs under
Windows XP, you must modify two files named Config.nt and Autoexec.nt,
typically found in the C:\Windows\System32 directory.

Config.nt is used for the same kind of tasks formerly performed by
Config.sys (loading device drivers, etc.). Autoexec.nt is used for the same
kind of tasks formerly performed by Autoexec.bat (launching memory-resident
programs, etc.) Only old-style 16-bit DOS programs can be run from
Autoexec.nt. You cannot use Autoexec.nt to run 32-bit Windows XP text-mode
programs like MODE or SUBST; these programs may be run in an ordinary batch
file, but not in Autoexec.nt.

Getting Older Games to Run on Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/games/expert/durham_og.mspx

Run Older Programs on Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/appcompat.mspx

HOW TO: Use Windows Program Compatibility Mode in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292533/en-us

How to use the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301911

Getting older programs to run on Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...ddocs/en-us/compatibility_tab_and_wizard.mspx

Make old software work on a new Windows XP machine
By Kim Komando
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusin...oftware_work_on_a_new_windows_xp_machine.mspx

Using the Compatibility Tab
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/lgcyapps.mspx#EHAA
from...
How to Run Legacy Applications Using Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/lgcyapps.mspx

Troubleshooting MS-DOS-based programs in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314106

How to Troubleshoot 16-Bit Windows Programs in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314495

Not everything in the following article will apply. The article was written
for Windows 2000. However most of it does.
Troubleshooting NTVDM and WOW Startup Errors
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;196453

Lots of good 16-bit info here...
Appendix D - Running Nonnative Applications in Windows 2000 Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/Windows2000Pro/reskit/part8/proch36.mspx

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Thanks Wesley fro prompt reply.I have tried playing with the compatibility
settings with no luck and have run the wizard which is making the same
changes.I believe that I could get the program to run from the CDROM if I
edit the game .ini file.Unfortunately since i am not the P.A. that doesn't
work.I may have already viewed some of the KB's that you URL'd.This is a
problem in progress and will take some time to think about.