Latest WIN XP Auto Update installed on or about 8/1/04

I purchased WIN XP home about 8 months ago to solve a
persistent WIN Me problem (stuck in SAFE mode). I have
installed all auto updates. The latest was installed on or
about 8/1/04. After the installation I have tried to run
all of my DOS programs which had run successfully prior to
the latest WIN XP update ( I have at least a dozen of these
). The programs do not run now ... the ERROR message shows
the loading of the .PIF file and then states that the
program cannot run with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Autoexec.nt .

I Searched for autoexec.* , and the only file resulting
from the search was C:\Autoexec.nso.

Thinking the file might have a "hidden" attribute, I went
into DOS; went to C:\windows\system32 and typed:

attrib -h autoexec.nt result was: no such filename

I put the C:\autoexec.nso file in wordpad and there is
nothing unusual there except I used to have a path
statement in my old autoexec file to include C:\UTIL. There
was no "PATH" statement at all.

Does anyone know why this Auto update for WIN XP would
prevent me from running DOS programs? What might I do
about it? Is uninstalling the latest update an option?

Good ol' Microsoft !!! I pay $90 for WIN XP Home to fix a
terrible problem with WIN Me, and have to shell out another
$50 to get a new version of Quicken ... and NOW WHAT????

Have you tried the program compatibilty mode? Also XP
barely has DOS. Its just a DOS prompt.

-----Original Message-----
I purchased WIN XP home about 8 months ago to solve a
persistent WIN Me problem (stuck in SAFE mode). I have
installed all auto updates. The latest was installed on
or
about 8/1/04. After the installation I have tried to run
all of my DOS programs which had run successfully prior
to
the latest WIN XP update ( I have at least a dozen of
these
). The programs do not run now ... the ERROR message
shows
the loading of the .PIF file and then states that the
program cannot run with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Autoexec.nt .

I Searched for autoexec.* , and the only file resulting
from the search was C:\Autoexec.nso.

Thinking the file might have a "hidden" attribute, I went
into DOS; went to C:\windows\system32 and typed:

attrib -h autoexec.nt result was: no such filename

I put the C:\autoexec.nso file in wordpad and there is
nothing unusual there except I used to have a path
statement in my old autoexec file to include C:\UTIL.
There
was no "PATH" statement at all.

Does anyone know why this Auto update for WIN XP would
prevent me from running DOS programs? What might I do
about it? Is uninstalling the latest update an option?

Good ol' Microsoft !!! I pay $90 for WIN XP Home to
fix a
terrible problem with WIN Me, and have to shell out
another
$50 to get a new version of Quicken ... and NOW WHAT????
.

There are a few things you can try:

- Add the PATH statement to the NSO file
- Create an empty autoexec.nt file and put it in the location where it
belongs (I believe it's the root of your Windows drive - usually C:\)
- Create an autoexec.nt file and add the PATH to it

"Robert L. Ragot" wrote:

I purchased WIN XP home about 8 months ago to solve a
persistent WIN Me problem (stuck in SAFE mode). I have
installed all auto updates. The latest was installed on or
about 8/1/04. After the installation I have tried to run
all of my DOS programs which had run successfully prior to
the latest WIN XP update ( I have at least a dozen of these
). The programs do not run now ... the ERROR message shows
the loading of the .PIF file and then states that the
program cannot run with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Autoexec.nt .

I Searched for autoexec.* , and the only file resulting
from the search was C:\Autoexec.nso.

Thinking the file might have a "hidden" attribute, I went
into DOS; went to C:\windows\system32 and typed:

attrib -h autoexec.nt result was: no such filename

I put the C:\autoexec.nso file in wordpad and there is
nothing unusual there except I used to have a path
statement in my old autoexec file to include C:\UTIL. There
was no "PATH" statement at all.

Does anyone know why this Auto update for WIN XP would
prevent me from running DOS programs? What might I do
about it? Is uninstalling the latest update an option?

Good ol' Microsoft !!! I pay $90 for WIN XP Home to fix a
terrible problem with WIN Me, and have to shell out another
$50 to get a new version of Quicken ... and NOW WHAT????