Running an MS-DOS program

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robin Clay
  • Start date Start date
R

Robin Clay

Greetings !

I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600], though
they work fine on my Desktop computer, also running XP.

I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"

How can I get the programs to work again?

I seem to recall a "program" called "Version" or similar, that would force a
program to work under a "previous" version of the OS.


Regards

Robin Clay



Regards

Robin
 
Robin Clay said:
Greetings !

I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work
on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600],
though
they work fine on my Desktop computer, also running XP.

I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose
'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"

How can I get the programs to work again?

I seem to recall a "program" called "Version" or similar, that would force
a
program to work under a "previous" version of the OS.


Regards

Robin Clay



Regards

Robin
Click to expand...

It could be a graphics issue. I have DOS programs that won't run
on my desktop, but will run on my laptop. Try downloading DOSBox.
It's a DOS emulator that provides a virtual DOS environment in
XP and Vista. It even provides the old ISA Soundblaster settings
to DOS apps requiring sound support, along with 320x240x16 color
graphics support. It may even support CGA and EGA graphics, but
I haven't tried those.
 
Robin said:
Greetings !

I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600], though
they work fine on my Desktop computer, also running XP.

I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"
Click to expand...

You get a DOS Virtual Device Driver failure after you install a program
which generates one of the following error messages. If you ignore the
message, the program may or may not run. The problem is caused by the
program corrupting the VDD value.

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem
drive:\program path
XXXX. An installable Virtual Device Driver failed DLL initialization.
Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.

-or-

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem
drive:\program path
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers. VDD. Virtual
Device Driver format in the registry is invalid. Choose 'Close' to
terminate the application.

You can resolve the problem by deleting and re-adding this value in the
registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers

Name: VDD Type: REG_MULTI_SZ

Delete the value. When you re-add VDD, leave the entry blank and click
OK This should resolve the problem.

Alister
 
Alister said:
Robin said:
Greetings !

I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work
on THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600],
though they work fine on my Desktop computer, also running XP.

I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose
'Close' to terminate the application. Close Ignore"
Click to expand...

You get a DOS Virtual Device Driver failure after you install a program
which generates one of the following error messages. If you ignore the
message, the program may or may not run. The problem is caused by the
program corrupting the VDD value.

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem
drive:\program path
XXXX. An installable Virtual Device Driver failed DLL initialization.
Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.

-or-

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem
drive:\program path
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers. VDD. Virtual Device
Driver format in the registry is invalid. Choose 'Close' to terminate the
application.

You can resolve the problem by deleting and re-adding this value in the
registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers

Name: VDD Type: REG_MULTI_SZ

Delete the value. When you re-add VDD, leave the entry blank and click OK
This should resolve the problem.

Alister
Click to expand...

It would be safer to rename the VDD value to VDD(bad). This is equivalent to
disabling it but it leaves the OP the option of restoring it in case he
needs to.
 
Pegasus said:
It would be safer to rename the VDD value to VDD(bad). This is equivalent to
disabling it but it leaves the OP the option of restoring it in case he
needs to.
Click to expand...

True, thanks. So long as he creates a new blank VDD key to replace the
original.

As I understand it, windows /should/ replace the blank contents of the
key with uncorrupted data when the program is next run.

Alister.
 
I highly recommend DOSBox. Not only is it free, but it's simple enough that
even I can run it with no problem. There are various forums available on
the web that will address any problems you may have, and I have yet to find
a DOS program it won't run. Get it here:
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1 along with various frontends if
you can't remember or never knew the old DOS commands.

Buddha
 
I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work
on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600], ....
I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"
How can I get the programs to work again?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

philo said:
You can try the compatibility tab and set it back to win95
Click to expand...

I tried that - but it has no effect.

Thanks, though for the suggestion.


Regards

Robin
 
Alister said:
I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600],
I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
You get a DOS Virtual Device Driver failure after you install a program
which generates one of the following error messages. If you ignore the
message, the program may or may not run. The problem is caused by the
program corrupting the VDD value.
Click to expand...
You can resolve the problem by deleting and re-adding this value in the
registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
Name: VDD Type: REG_MULTI_SZ
Delete the value. When you re-add VDD, leave the entry blank and click
OK This should resolve the problem.
Click to expand...


I tried that - but it has no effect.

Thanks, though for the suggestion.


Regards

Robin
 
Try the XP 16-Bit Fix:

Info: http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/16bit_fix.htm
Download: http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/File_store/16bit_fix.exe
MSI Installer: http://download.freewarefiles.com/files/winfx16.msi

Please let us know if it works for you or not, thanks.


ju.c


Robin Clay said:
Alister said:
I have some old but still serviceable MS-DOS programs that now won't work on
THIS laptop computer running Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600],
I get an error message giving the program path & name, and then "VDD. An
installable Virtual Device Driver failed DII initialization. Choose 'Close'
to terminate the application. Close Ignore"
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
You get a DOS Virtual Device Driver failure after you install a program
which generates one of the following error messages. If you ignore the
message, the program may or may not run. The problem is caused by the
program corrupting the VDD value.
Click to expand...
You can resolve the problem by deleting and re-adding this value in the
registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers
Name: VDD Type: REG_MULTI_SZ
Delete the value. When you re-add VDD, leave the entry blank and click
OK This should resolve the problem.
Click to expand...


I tried that - but it has no effect.

Thanks, though for the suggestion.


Regards

Robin
Click to expand...
 
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