DOS based applications with XP home

[Fahed]

Hi,
My email address is (e-mail address removed).

I'm having windows XP Home edition installed on DELL
Inspiron 2600.

When I try to open C language compiler (which is DOS
based) or other DOS based applications, it doesn't open
and gives the following message:
"C:\WINDOWS\System32\autoexec.nt. The system file is not
suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the
application".

what should I do?
Thanks for your support.

 

[Pop]

Well, that message is pretty self explanatory IMO. Do you have a version of
DOS you can copyu to the drive, and then boot with a floppy? You'll need to
create autoexec and config files, though.
It's also possible to install it as a second OS if you know how to do
that. This is the rout I think I'd take - I was pretty unhappy with booting
from a floppy. Many full blown DOS apps won't run in XP, though it does
include a skeleton DOS subset.

Pop

 

[Alex Nichol]

When I try to open C language compiler (which is DOS
based) or other DOS based applications, it doesn't open
and gives the following message:
"C:\WINDOWS\System32\autoexec.nt. The system file is not
suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the
application".

The autoexec.nt files performs in effect the service that autoexec.bat
does in an earlier system, but just for the DOS emulation you run in.
And something has been added to it that is not acceptable in XP - some
TSR or real mode driver program probably. Edit it with Notepad, and
reduce its content - apart from a lot of REM comment lines - to

REM Install CD ROM extensions
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

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

and possible SET or PATH lines, by adding a REM and space in front of
anything else. That may leave you with one DOS program complaining it
cannot run its TSR, but the C compiler will probably be OK.

I have recently seen it mentioned that this can result from an addition
of a line for a file in an avast folder, believed to have been added by
installing AVG Avast