DOS issue in XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ratedr
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Ratedr

I have a DOS based program that I want to run in XP. Now the problem
is not that it wont start, or run in XP. It will, I have in fact seen
it. I formatted and installed 4 new computers with XP Pro. I
installed the DOS program onto the computer. On EVERY one of the
computers, when I open the program it gives me an error "system cannot
open com1 requested by the application" (some say com2, etc) My
current COM port is not 1, but when I try to change it to COM1 and
open the program, the program now says "system cannot open com2
requested by the application". Does anyone have any suggestions? I
cannot find any config file where it would be requesting any specific
COM port, but this might be a function or error with XP.

Thank you in advance,
Scott
 
Thank you for your prompt reply. Are these instructions also
beneficial for my error? my error doesnt match any of those error
msgs from the ms help page.
 
Ratedr said:
Thank you for your prompt reply. Are these instructions also
beneficial for my error? my error doesnt match any of those error
msgs from the ms help page.
Click to expand...

No, I don't see how those links could help with your problem since its
not the same issue at all. There is no true DOS in XP. There is a DOS
emulator. Some DOS programs will run and some won't. It sounds like
yours needs to take direct control of hardware and this is not possible
in an NT-kernel operating system (NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Vista).

Solutions:

1. Try DOSBox, a third-party program that allows you to run many DOS
programs in XP.
2. Install Virtual PC 2007 on XP and create a virtual machine running
DOS. Your program will now run natively.
3. Keep an older computer around running DOS/Win9x/ME for this program.
4. Find another program that will do what you want and be compatible
with a modern operating system.


Malke
 
You could try amending the short-cut to this program so that it runs in Win98
compatibility mode.

If it runs on other XP machines, you could also try asking the person who
set it up on those machines. No doubt some jiggery-pokery was required.
 
Ratedr said:
I have a DOS based program that I want to run in XP. Now the problem
is not that it wont start, or run in XP. It will, I have in fact seen
it. I formatted and installed 4 new computers with XP Pro. I
installed the DOS program onto the computer. On EVERY one of the
computers, when I open the program it gives me an error "system cannot
open com1 requested by the application" (some say com2, etc) My
current COM port is not 1, but when I try to change it to COM1 and
open the program, the program now says "system cannot open com2
requested by the application". Does anyone have any suggestions? I
cannot find any config file where it would be requesting any specific
COM port, but this might be a function or error with XP.
Click to expand...

You don't have a COM1. That is, a hardware device that responds to the
interrupts and IRQ that are classically associated with COM1.

You could try a legacy serial port card that you've hard strapped for the
proper IRQ and interrupt.
 
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