Dos Application

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Our company has an old dos app I need to see if I can keep running with a
Vista Client. Before anyone yells at me let me explain this is a monster
application to build, 900+ forms and not a product we can easily replace
since it is so robust. We recently tested the dosbox in Vista and it will
not run our app like XpPro did. Can someone PLEASE offer some some
suggestions on how to keep this running as a last resort. We are looking at
other packages however a app like our old one takes YEARS to add
functionality and debug minor flaws in the app until the app matures.
Having it rough today but..
Thanks in Advance... Please help out MS!
Tim
 
Thanks Jimmy
I already thought of that tho.. The problem is working with a pervasive
btrieve database. The old client from pervasive would load on XPPro and run
the Dos app just fine from a Dos Box. The Dos emulator software however has
to load some TCP/IP requestors to communicate with the database server from
the client. (instead of the MS XPPro dosbox alone)

This is where the problem kicks my tail. When I load the Tcp/IP requestors
with the Dos emu apps there is only 475k of conventional memory left for an
app that needs 520k. I am REALLY hoping someone has a idea here to help us.
WHAT has changed from XPPro dosbox to a Vista dosbox that keeps our app from
running? I think it may be something to do with lack of a tcp/ip stack in
the Dos box in Vista... Just a guess tho..

Thanks again in advance
Tim
 
Tim,

I solved a similar problem by running the DOS app in a VMWARE or Microsoft
Virtual PC environment. It was dependent on a an old DOS database but
loaded and ran fine.

-Reed Rinn
MVP Shell / User
 
Tim,

16-bit application support is being dropped altogether in Windows Vista. You
only have one workaround, and that is emulation. I suggest you consider
setting up VMWare Player for your users. MS-DOS has a fairly small footprint
(these days, comparably) even in VMWare, you really only need to allocate as
much RAM for your VM as your app requires, plus another 4 or so megs.

In case you didn't already know, VMWare Player is free. However, building a
VM for VMWare Player will require a single license (or trial license?) of
VMWare Workstation.

You can also use Microsoft Virtual PC, but Microsoft still needs to overhaul
that for performance, feature set, and ease of use, to compare with VMWare
Player.

Good luck,
Jon
 
Why not search your company and locate the oldest slowest, PC that you can
find and just load DOS on it?
 
I'm going to have to agree with everybody else ...

However, you should also try running your application in one of the many
compatability modes offered by Windows Vista ... right-click it, click
properties, and then the compatability tab.

I'd say your best bet is to run the program in its natural environment using
virtualization technology, such as VMWare or Microsoft's Virtual Server.

Dos is long dead, and I imagine that even if you did figure out what is
causing your program not to work on Vista, the chances of you being able to
fix such a situation woule be remote, and I seriously doubt Microsoft would
do anything to help you.

- JB

Vista Support FAQ
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
 
Our company has an old dos app I need to see if I can keep running with a
Vista Client. Before anyone yells at me let me explain this is a monster
application to build, 900+ forms and not a product we can easily replace
since it is so robust. We recently tested the dosbox in Vista and it will
not run our app like XpPro did. Can someone PLEASE offer some some
suggestions on how to keep this running as a last resort. We are looking at
other packages however a app like our old one takes YEARS to add
functionality and debug minor flaws in the app until the app matures.
Having it rough today but..
Click to expand...

Do all your users need this application? Why not let the ones who do
continue to use XP. Regardless of whenever Vista ships XP is not going
away anytime soon. Where is it written in stone that your company *MUST*
upgrade all its desktops to Vista. In fact, the majority of companies
would never even consider this with the initial release of a new operating
system.

Having said that the best solution for continuing to use legacy apps like
yours is one of the virtual machine solutions. Microsoft's is now free.
 
The problem for us employees of the Vista Life and Casualty Company is that
Vista IS graven in stone over our main entrance. You see our problem now,
yes?
 
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