Dos and XP

[Guest]

I am getting an upgrade to my system to get the best out of WindowsXP and
then a clean install of XP.
My problem is that our club & myself rely heavily on being able to use DOS
programs.
I have been told many times that DOS won't run on XP but I have proved this
to be wrong as I tried one of the programs on a friends XP setup and it ran
OK.
When I ran the program on this PC it opened in a Full Screen; ie, Text top
to bottom of the screen.
Unfortunately the chap that set up my friends PC is no longer around so I
can find out how he achieved this.
I have tried the same program on other PC's running XP and the program only
opens in the top third of the screen.
I believe that it can be made to open as a full screen by delving into the
BIOS.
Neither myself nor my son, who knows enough to do the upgrade & install,
have no idea of how to go about this and I greatly would appreciate help

 

[David Candy]

Can you describe what you see? You normally configure things by right clicking and choosing properties. Most Dos programs set the screen explicitly and Windows reacts accordingly. It sounds like your program doesn't, and uses whatever is configured but assumes that it's the plainest dos mode available.

Tell me how many lines you see. Anyway you can set initial screensize or full screen in the properties.

 

[Guest]

Click the Command Prompt and once the small DOS window opens, hold
down the Alt key and press Enter. Voila!.........full screen. To close the
DOS window, type Exit at the blinking cursor and press Enter...back to XP.
I have DOS programs that go back to 1981 and they run with no problems.

 

[Guest]

Click the Command Prompt and once the small DOS window opens, hold
down the Alt key and press Enter. Voila!.........full screen. To close the
DOS window, type Exit at the blinking cursor and press Enter...back to XP.
I have DOS programs that go back to 1981 and they run with no problems.

As soon as my lad gets back from Queensland I'll try it out on his PC.
I haven't installed XP yet

 

[Guest]

Can you describe what you see? You normally configure things by right clicking and choosing properties. Most Dos programs set the screen explicitly and Windows reacts accordingly. It sounds like your program doesn't, and uses whatever is configured but assumes that it's the plainest dos mode available.

Tell me how many lines you see. Anyway you can set initial screensize or full screen in the properties.

Thanks David,

I tried accessing the command.com properties but had no luck
When the screen opens it displays all the lines of the program but it crams
it all into the top third of the screen.
When I bought a second hand Laptop with Windows98 SE installed my ptogram
would only open in a about a 9 x 12 cm window in the middle of the screen.
Their technician adjusted it and got to open ina a full screen by going into
the BIOS..
I couldn't get any more info from him as he quit the firm I bought the
Laptop at.
A nother reply I got from this Forum was:
< Click the Command Prompt and once the small DOS window opens, hold
down the Alt key and press Enter. Voila!.........full screen. To close the
DOS window, type Exit at the blinking cursor and press Enter...back to XP.
I have DOS programs that go back to 1981 and they run with no problems.>

As I haven't installed XP yet I cannot try it out on my lad's PC until he
gets back fron Queensland.
Cheers

 

[David Candy]

It has nothing to do with the bios or command.com (assuming you aren't starting the program via command). It's all in the properties for the program.

 

[Guest]

It has nothing to do with the bios or command.com (assuming you aren't starting the program via command). It's all in the properties for the program.
The program I am referring to is one I wrote in QBasic

I do not know too much about computers running Windows as I learnt too
program in basic on an early AMSTRAD
Can you be a bit more more specific re "properties for the program".
Have to go offline now for about an hour >

 

[David Candy]

You right click the object and choose properties like nearly every object in Windows.

 

[Guest]

You right click the object and choose properties like nearly every object in Windows.
David I was going to the program,'Velo.Bas' properties and it only had the 'Gen' tab in the prop. box.

I then created a batch file, 'V.BAT " the props box for this had the
'screen' tab giving an option for either 'Fullscreen' or 'Window'
This BAT file opens and runs Qbasic.exe whih in turn opens 'Velo.bas'
The prop box for 'Qbasic.exe' also has the screen option.
When I get XP installed or my lad gets home I'll try opting for 'fullscreen
' in both the V.BAT box and the 'Qbasic.exe' box
Hoping this will work and thanks for your help>

 

[David Candy]

The program is qbasic.exe not the bas file. The error most likely is in the bas file as qbasic is the program I use for testing dos stuff and I have not been able to make it (either as Dos Help or Qbasic editor - it's multipurpose and displays Dos or Basic help) muck up the screen.

Post a copy of the bas file. I only intend to glance at it not dissect it in detail.

 

[Guest]

The program is qbasic.exe not the bas file. The error most likely is in the bas file as qbasic is the program I use for testing dos stuff and I have not been able to make it (either as Dos Help or Qbasic editor - it's multipurpose and displays Dos or Basic help) muck up the screen.

Post a copy of the bas file. I only intend to glance at it not dissect it in detail.

--David I don't know how to post a file to the forum.

I could zip the file. It is 303kb zipped. I sent a zipped copy to myself,
then opened it, highlighted all the files when it opened in winzip I
extracted it to my 3.3 floppy drive.
I then went into dos and at the A:> prompt typed 'V.' this opens the program.
chequeratdodocomau
I hope this is a safe way to give you my email address.
The zipped file take about 2.5 mins to download
'------------------------------------------------------

 

[David Candy]

Dodo, dodo, internet that flies.

I emailed you, customer of horrid bird.

 

[David Candy]

Put this as the second command in velo.bat, after the screen command.

width 80, 25

Bat files are run by cmd.exe which starts a terminal window. You have cmd in more than 25 line mode. The V program only sets text mode, but not which text mode. And it appears hard coded for 25 lines (though that's a very quick glance of 1 page of code).
--

 

[David Candy]

velo.bas not bat

--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message Put this as the second command in velo.bat, after the screen command.

width 80, 25

Bat files are run by cmd.exe which starts a terminal window. You have cmd in more than 25 line mode. The V program only sets text mode, but not which text mode. And it appears hard coded for 25 lines (though that's a very quick glance of 1 page of code).
--

 

[David Candy]

David,
I tried entering WIDTH 80,25 on my Program and it wouldn't accept it.
I am still using Windows 98SE.
What it does accept and brings my program up in the normal fullscreen is WIDTH 80,25
As a point of interest if I enter WIDTH 80,43 it replicates the screen as it appears on my son's PC, who is running XP
I don't really know if this is the secret as when I ran the program on a friend's PC it came up in full screen mode as did other Qbasic programs I tried on it
Could differences in display cards have something to do with it ?.
Would you prefer that my replies were 'Replied to in Group' rather than Emailing you direct?.
All the best,
Keith


CLS 0: SCREEN 0
width 80, 25
KEY 6, "wed" + CHR$(13): KEY 7, "THU" + CHR$(13)

It depends on the settings on the computer it is run on. As your program doesn't tell it what to do it does whatever it's settings are. If you set the screen mode windows recognises it and adjust the terminal window to suit.

This is a programmer error (or oversight) and probably didn't matter much when first written as most terminal windows would be set for 25 lines. But you can't assume that anymore.

Full screen v's Windows is a seperate issue to 43 vs 25 lines. What I've said above applies to both full screen and window. Full screen happens for two reasons

1. The programs properties says to run full screen. What program's properties depends on the exact way you start the program. If you start it in a command prompt then it's the command prompt's properties maybe. Exact steps you are taking needs to be specified.

2. Your program switches to a newer video mode. QB can't do this (at least not with commands like width and screen - you need to call interupt functions) as it only does well known modes for when it was made. If a program tries to use a newer mode (SVGA) then windows switched to full screen and lets the program access the video hardware direct.

--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message velo.bas not bat

--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message Put this as the second command in velo.bat, after the screen command.

width 80, 25

Bat files are run by cmd.exe which starts a terminal window. You have cmd in more than 25 line mode. The V program only sets text mode, but not which text mode. And it appears hard coded for 25 lines (though that's a very quick glance of 1 page of code).
--

 

[Guest]

David,
I tried entering WIDTH 80,25 on my Program and it wouldn't accept it.
I am still using Windows 98SE.
What it does accept and brings my program up in the normal fullscreen is WIDTH 80,25
As a point of interest if I enter WIDTH 80,43 it replicates the screen as it appears on my son's PC, who is running XP
I don't really know if this is the secret as when I ran the program on a friend's PC it came up in full screen mode as did other Qbasic programs I tried on it
Could differences in display cards have something to do with it ?.
Would you prefer that my replies were 'Replied to in Group' rather than Emailing you direct?.
All the best,
Keith


CLS 0: SCREEN 0
width 80, 25
KEY 6, "wed" + CHR$(13): KEY 7, "THU" + CHR$(13)

It depends on the settings on the computer it is run on. As your program doesn't tell it what to do it does whatever it's settings are. If you set the screen mode windows recognises it and adjust the terminal window to suit.

This is a programmer error (or oversight) and probably didn't matter much when first written as most terminal windows would be set for 25 lines. But you can't assume that anymore.

Full screen v's Windows is a seperate issue to 43 vs 25 lines. What I've said above applies to both full screen and window. Full screen happens for two reasons

1. The programs properties says to run full screen. What program's properties depends on the exact way you start the program. If you start it in a command prompt then it's the command prompt's properties maybe. Exact steps you are taking needs to be specified.

2. Your program switches to a newer video mode. QB can't do this (at least not with commands like width and screen - you need to call interupt functions) as it only does well known modes for when it was made. If a program tries to use a newer mode (SVGA) then windows switched to full screen and lets the program access the video hardware direct.

--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message velo.bas not bat

--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message Put this as the second command in velo.bat, after the screen command.

width 80, 25

Bat files are run by cmd.exe which starts a terminal window. You have cmd in more than 25 line mode. The V program only sets text mode, but not which text mode. And it appears hard coded for 25 lines (though that's a very quick glance of 1 page of code).
--
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.uscricket.com
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message Dodo, dodo, internet that flies.

I emailed you, customer of horrid bird.

David,
I'll wait until I get XP installed then I can do a bit of experimenting
Thanks. You have been most helpful
Are you fortunate enough to be able to watch the one day matches currently
being played in Oz, Australia v West Indies and Pakistan.
The Windies had rhe Aussies well done in the Brisbane game but rain saved
the Aussies from a certain defeat.
Keith, a very keen cricket fan>