How get more characters per line in "DOS window"?

[Zak]

How can I get my XP Pro to display more characters for each message
line in the "DOS window"?

If I launch the DOS window and cut & paste a command into the DOS
windows then this new line wraps. That is ok. However if I run a
DOS program then the messages I get do not wrap but get truncated.

I have tried right-clicking the icon on the left of the DOS window's
title bar and adjusting DEFAULTS or PROPERTIES. But I don't seem to
be able to get message lins to wrap or the DOS Window to show more
characters per line.

 

[Klaus Meinhard]

I have tried right-clicking the icon on the left of the DOS window's
title bar and adjusting DEFAULTS or PROPERTIES. But I don't seem to
be able to get message lins to wrap or the DOS Window to show more
characters per line.

Did you set the width to , say, 105 characters, check the "Settings for
all windows with this name" (or similar text) box in the next screen
_and_ hit the full size button up right?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

How can I get my XP Pro to display more characters for each message
line in the "DOS window"?

If I launch the DOS window and cut & paste a command into the DOS
windows then this new line wraps. That is ok. However if I run a
DOS program then the messages I get do not wrap but get truncated.

I have tried right-clicking the icon on the left of the DOS window's
title bar and adjusting DEFAULTS or PROPERTIES. But I don't seem to
be able to get message lins to wrap or the DOS Window to show more
characters per line.

Let's get the words right to begin with. DOS is an operating
system. Windows XP is another operating system. They don't
have much in common. You're thinking of the Command Prompt,
which looks like DOS but it certainly isn't.

Rather than starting the Command Prompt via the Run command,
create a shortcut with the following target line:

cmd /fn /k mode con lines=50 cols=100

This will give you the following:
- 50 lines
- 100 characters on each line
- Command completion

"Command completion" means that you can type things like

xcopy c:\prog

then press Ctrl+F to get Windows to complete the file or folder
name for you, complete with double quotes. DOS can't do this!

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Zak.

I usually call it the "DOS" window, too, although, as Pegasus says, it's not
really MS-DOS at all. That's why I try to always remember to include "DOS"
in quotes when discussing the Command Prompt window.

There are many ways to customize the size and appearance of the "DOS"
window. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories, then right-click Command
Prompt and choose Properties. You should see a screen with several tabs,
including Font and Layout. Explore the options on these pages.

If you have an icon for a program that runs in the "DOS" window, right-click
on that icon and choose Properties. This should pop up a different
properties screen with more tabs than the first version. This one will even
let you use EMS and XMS settings, like we did back in the olden days. Since
I've forgotten most of that exotica, I'll leave it for your exploration.
;^}

And don't forget good old Alt+Enter, which toggles full-screen mode.

RC

 

[billious]

Hi, Zak.

I usually call it the "DOS" window, too, although, as Pegasus says, it's
not really MS-DOS at all. That's why I try to always remember to include
"DOS" in quotes when discussing the Command Prompt window.

[snip]

....to which kind of "PC" are you referring?

....Bill

 

[Todd Vargo]

Hi, Zak.

I usually call it the "DOS" window, too, although, as Pegasus says, it's
not really MS-DOS at all. That's why I try to always remember to include
"DOS" in quotes when discussing the Command Prompt window.

[snip]

...to which kind of "PC" are you referring?

If someone has a Mac, and they do not share it, do they have a PC?

 

[Clueless Newbie]

I usually call it the "DOS" window, too, although, as Pegasus says, it's not
really MS-DOS at all. That's why I try to always remember to include "DOS"
in quotes when discussing the Command Prompt window.

There are many ways to customize the size and appearance of the "DOS"
window. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories, then right-click Command
Prompt and choose Properties. You should see a screen with several tabs,
including Font and Layout. Explore the options on these pages.

If you have an icon for a program that runs in the "DOS" window, right-click
on that icon and choose Properties. This should pop up a different
properties screen with more tabs than the first version. This one will even
let you use EMS and XMS settings, like we did back in the olden days. Since
I've forgotten most of that exotica, I'll leave it for your exploration.
;^}

And don't forget good old Alt+Enter, which toggles full-screen mode.

Here is something that I haven't quite been able to get to work:

I would like to set up Windows 2000 so that, upon booting, it
executes my Console mode program (let's call it "mycode.exe")
in full screen mode. This would be for a kiosk, so there is
no need to have the ability to exit to Windows Explorer or run
any other program. I already know how to get W2K to autologin
and autostart the program, but I need to use Alt+Enter to get it
into full screen mode.

Ideally it wouldn't ever go to GUI mode at all.

Here are a few iseas that I am thinking of trying:

[1] Make mycode.exe the default shell?

[2] set HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ConsoleFullScreen\REG_DWORD to 1?

[3] Get a dual monitor video card and only hook up a monitor?
to the second output.

Any ideas, comments?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Newbie.

Any ideas, comments?

Only a guess, since I've not tried to do what you want to do. But, as I
said to Zak, there are many ways to customize the "DOS" window by using the
Properties screens. For instance, the Layout tab for Command Prompt
Properties lets you set the Windows size (80 x 25 ?). Or create an icon for
your "DOS" program, then right-click that icon. From the context menu for
my old WordPerfect Office Calendar program, for example, the Properties
screen has 8 tabs, including Screen, from which I can choose Full Screen.

I haven't run Win2K since the day WinXP arrived, but as I recall, it worked
much the same way.

Most of what I know about this I have learned by simply being curious and
exploring WinXP. ;^}

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

I usually call it the "DOS" window, too, although, as Pegasus says, it's
not
really MS-DOS at all. That's why I try to always remember to include
"DOS"
in quotes when discussing the Command Prompt window.

There are many ways to customize the size and appearance of the "DOS"
window. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories, then right-click
Command
Prompt and choose Properties. You should see a screen with several tabs,
including Font and Layout. Explore the options on these pages.

If you have an icon for a program that runs in the "DOS" window,
right-click
on that icon and choose Properties. This should pop up a different
properties screen with more tabs than the first version. This one will
even
let you use EMS and XMS settings, like we did back in the olden days.
Since
I've forgotten most of that exotica, I'll leave it for your exploration.
;^}

And don't forget good old Alt+Enter, which toggles full-screen mode.

Here is something that I haven't quite been able to get to work:

I would like to set up Windows 2000 so that, upon booting, it
executes my Console mode program (let's call it "mycode.exe")
in full screen mode. This would be for a kiosk, so there is
no need to have the ability to exit to Windows Explorer or run
any other program. I already know how to get W2K to autologin
and autostart the program, but I need to use Alt+Enter to get it
into full screen mode.

Ideally it wouldn't ever go to GUI mode at all.

Here are a few iseas that I am thinking of trying:

[1] Make mycode.exe the default shell?

[2] set HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ConsoleFullScreen\REG_DWORD to 1?

[3] Get a dual monitor video card and only hook up a monitor?
to the second output.

Any ideas, comments?

 

[Don Wiss]

Let's get the words right to begin with. DOS is an operating
system. Windows XP is another operating system. They don't
have much in common. You're thinking of the Command Prompt,
which looks like DOS but it certainly isn't.

Not exactly. If you want to get the words right, DOS stands for disk
operating system and has for a long time. The operating system that is no
longer part of Windows is MS-DOS. The OP is not incorrect in asking about a
"DOS Window."

I have a pet peeve with the people in the .general group that jump all over
people that use DOS to refer to the command prompt. It is uncalled for. If
they call it MS-DOS, then by all means correct them.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Not exactly. If you want to get the words right, DOS stands for disk
operating system and has for a long time. The operating system that is no
longer part of Windows is MS-DOS. The OP is not incorrect in asking about a
"DOS Window."

Let's look at this in some detail.

I have a Unix machine and I create a process under Unix that
has a black screen, a prompt of the form C:\>, and it uses
the commands cd, copy, del in a similar way as MS-DOS.
I can now call this process "DOS Window". Correct or incorrect?

If correct, does this mean that anything that has a black screen
and looks like an MS-DOS prompt should be called a
"DOS Window"?

IMHO, there is a lot more to MS-DOS than just a black
screen and a prompt. If you do not think so then let's hear
***your*** definition of a "DOS Window"!

 

[Steve N.]

Not exactly. If you want to get the words right, DOS stands for disk
operating system and has for a long time. The operating system that is no
longer part of Windows is MS-DOS.

Or PC-DOS or DR-DOS or Caldera-DOS, etc.

The OP is not incorrect in asking about a
"DOS Window."

Sorry, but the OP is incorrect in calling it a "DOS Window". It is no
such thing.

I have a pet peeve with the people in the .general group that jump all over
people that use DOS to refer to the command prompt.

I have a pet peeve with being lumped into a category like, "the people
in the .general group".

It is uncalled for.

Accuracy is _always_ called for when dealing with computers and accuracy
of terminology is imperative when troubleshooting them via text-based
communication such as usenet.

If
they call it MS-DOS, then by all means correct them.

If they call it MS-DOS, PC-DOS, DR-DOS, Bozo-DOS, Slimeball-DOS or just
plain old DOS it is wrong and needs correcting. Being "jumped all over"
is in the mind of the reader. Pegasus didn't and I've never seen him
"jump all over" anyone for any reason.

Steve