systemroot question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob
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B

Bob

I'm trying to load a program - Black Hawk Down and constantly get a
16bit subsystem error.

After looking up and rechecking everything via the knowledge base,
nothing seems to work. After turning echo on however in the
Autoexec.nt file, I now see what may be the problem. In the
autoexec.nt file it shows a command line (ex:) :
1h %systemroot% Windows\system32\dosx

If I put the 1h in the line, I get an error message back saying it's a
bad command or filename. If I remove the 1h, I no longer get the error
message but loading 16 bit programs then cause general protection
faults. Question what is the 1h for? Question any idea how to fix?

O.k -- tough one -- running xp professional

Any help here?

Thanks,
Bob
 
I'm trying to load a program - Black Hawk Down and constantly get a
16bit subsystem error.

After looking up and rechecking everything via the knowledge base,
nothing seems to work. After turning echo on however in the
Autoexec.nt file, I now see what may be the problem. In the
autoexec.nt file it shows a command line (ex:) :
1h %systemroot% Windows\system32\dosx

If I put the 1h in the line, I get an error message back saying it's a
bad command or filename. If I remove the 1h, I no longer get the error
message but loading 16 bit programs then cause general protection
faults. Question what is the 1h for? Question any idea how to fix?

O.k -- tough one -- running xp professional

Any help here?

Thanks,
Bob
Click to expand...

Bob, perhaps you're misreading the 1h? Seems to me that should be an LH --
short for LoadHigh. I just took a peek at the file with Notepad and it is
LH. If you change the font in Notepad, it's easier to recognize it for what
it is. For example, try Trebuchet. It will show the little curve at the
bottom of the small L (l).
 
Bob, perhaps you're misreading the 1h? Seems to me that should be an LH --
short for LoadHigh. I just took a peek at the file with Notepad and it is
LH. If you change the font in Notepad, it's easier to recognize it for what
it is. For example, try Trebuchet. It will show the little curve at the
bottom of the small L (l).
Click to expand...

Yep!! You were correct so I changed it to the LH and will change the
font style in the morning.
I still have a problem with running this due to the following error
after trying to run command:

"Cannot run this 16 bit protected mode application;
The DOS extender could not find system files needed to run"

Below is the autoexec.nt file excluding all the REM lines:

@echo on

Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
 
Yep!! You were correct so I changed it to the LH and will change the
font style in the morning.
I still have a problem with running this due to the following error
after trying to run command:

"Cannot run this 16 bit protected mode application;
The DOS extender could not find system files needed to run"

Below is the autoexec.nt file excluding all the REM lines:

@echo on

Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
Lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
Click to expand...

One more item:

This all started when trying to load "Black Hawk Down" and during the
install an error message stated:
"The WIN16 subsystem was unable to enter Protected Mode, Dosx.exe must
be in your autoexec.nt and present in your path"

Somethings appears wrong with the way XP is trying to find a path or
something -- very strange
 
You do realize you are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole as there
is no DOS in XP. While XP does run some DOS games and other applications,
it is using emulation and the rest is based on the settings you input.

You might want to try this question on this question on the
microsoft.public.windowsxp.games board.
 
You do realize you are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole as there
is no DOS in XP. While XP does run some DOS games and other applications,
it is using emulation and the rest is based on the settings you input.

You might want to try this question on this question on the
microsoft.public.windowsxp.games board.
Click to expand...

You're right Michael however, according to other users who use the
program on the same platform, and these other individuals had no
problems installing the basic program, I would assume my system should
work as well. I've crossed this note over to the games side as well
but this is a good question for this board as well.

Thanks
 
One more item:

This all started when trying to load "Black Hawk Down" and during the
install an error message stated:
"The WIN16 subsystem was unable to enter Protected Mode, Dosx.exe must
be in your autoexec.nt and present in your path"

Somethings appears wrong with the way XP is trying to find a path or
something -- very strange
Click to expand...

It would be unusual for your path to have altered so much from the default
entries that it would need editing. The system32 folder/subfolder structure
is part of the path for the regular Windows environment as well. If the
path to system32 was goofed up a LOT of things would not be working besides
one game.

To see the current path, open System Properties to the Advanced page. Click
the Environment Variable button (you can see this same information by
opening a command prompt window: Start> RUN> CMD).

The default "system variables" PATH should include the following (note that
there no spaces between paths):
%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\system32\WBEM

You might find other things tagged onto the path and under "user
variables." These extras have been added by other software you've
installed.

Many folks leave the default autoexec.nt file alone and instead use the PIF
file (shortcut to the DOS game) to add a customized autoexec and config
that loads when you start the game from the shortuct. When you go into the
properties of such a shortcut there is quite a bit of information built-in
to guide you in constructing a suitable environment for the program to run
in. Check it out.

Also.. There are two good articles to refer to in the MS Knowledge Base
that should be helpful with this project:

Troubleshooting MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314106

How to Troubleshoot 16-Bit Windows Programs in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314495
 
I agree, Bob, but remember, the assumption implies all things are equal not
only the platform. You may have other things at work on your setup. It's
possible the game is only marginally compatible and your setup might differ
just enough to put it over the edge.

Sharon, has posted some additional information in this thread which might
help.
 
Thanks to all who helped on this project. - Special thanks to Sharon
who determined something was indeed wrong in the enviornmental system
settings. Unfortunately, this dumb program just will not load since I
now get the infamous ISSET_SE General Fault even after disabling all
startup, programs etc. -- It's time to give up trying to load it on
WinXP Pro and stick with putting it on Win2k only.

Here's a question for you all . . .

Anyone with WinXP Pro - when looking in the system enviornments, do
you see several small boxes in the Path line?

Thanks again to all
Bob
 
Thanks to all who helped on this project. - Special thanks to Sharon
who determined something was indeed wrong in the enviornmental system
settings. Unfortunately, this dumb program just will not load since I
now get the infamous ISSET_SE General Fault even after disabling all
startup, programs etc. -- It's time to give up trying to load it on
WinXP Pro and stick with putting it on Win2k only.

Here's a question for you all . . .

Anyone with WinXP Pro - when looking in the system enviornments, do
you see several small boxes in the Path line?

Thanks again to all
Bob
Click to expand...

Hi again, Bob. The infamous isset* errors can usually be cleared up by
emptying out the temp folders. You have at least two:

1) Hidden folder, change Folder Options> View to show all files
Documents and Settings\<your account>\Local Settings\Temp

2) Windows\Temp

You mentioned above using Start> Run> Command
That starts the 16bit emulator command.com

Try using Start> Run> CMD
This is the 32bit emulator cmd.exe

Cmd.exe can deal with the long file names and is more commonly used than
command.com

If you are coming to WinXP from a Win9x or WinME background, you need to
divorce yourself from the "dos in a window" concept. WinXP does not have
this. Instead it has emulators. The emulators let programs think they are
running in a different environment. Your programs will actually be running
in XP.

It's possible that the boxes are appearing because of extra spaces or line
breaks within your customized file. There should be no trailing spaces at
the end of any line. There should only be a single line break at the end of
each line. A final line break at the end of the file is not necessary.
 
Just to add to Sharon's comment. Each such command as you describe is
something of a directive, ether to look for something or load something a
particular way and of course you know that. However, while the path may be
as close to correct as it can be in XP, you may be giving it a command to
load or seek something that either isn't there or is not exactly what the
application assumed would be there by virtue of the command.
 
To Sharon, Mike and all who helped!!

IT's FIXED!!!

Here's what was found -- in the environments section I found two items
which didn't make sense.
#1) In both the system variable as well as the user variable, for some
reason there was a path line with approximately 15 small boxes - yep
square small boxes seperated by commas and semicolons. I removed these
boxes.

#2) I added the line Sharon recommended in the System Variables so as
to provide a path to the system32 files and voila' everything works
great!!

Loading of the program went flawless. Only question is how did this
all happen -- oh well, learned a heck of a lot.

Many Thanks to all!!
Bob
 
To Sharon, Mike and all who helped!!

IT's FIXED!!!

Here's what was found -- in the environments section I found two items
which didn't make sense.
#1) In both the system variable as well as the user variable, for some
reason there was a path line with approximately 15 small boxes - yep
square small boxes seperated by commas and semicolons. I removed these
boxes.

#2) I added the line Sharon recommended in the System Variables so as
to provide a path to the system32 files and voila' everything works
great!!

Loading of the program went flawless. Only question is how did this
all happen -- oh well, learned a heck of a lot.

Many Thanks to all!!
Bob
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that you now have this working the way you want it to.
Congrats!
 
That's terrific, Bob. Those small boxes, probably machine code , were
unrecognizable and pop goes the error. I'm sorry I wasn't more help but DOS
on XP is problematic.
 
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