Launch a Dos Environment in a USB Flash Drive

wrote in message
...
I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

There is a Command Prompt app in Win 7: in Start | All Programs |
Accessories.

However it will not run all DOS programs.

Hi, John.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

You were told wrong - at least, partly.

Win7 (and Vista and Win8) includes the Command Prompt window, and it is
accessed in the same way as in WinXP. There are, in fact, two versions of
Command Prompt, and either can be accessed "as Administrator" or not.

Neither Command.com nor cmd.exe is true MS-DOS, though. Just as in WinXP,
each is an emulator which executes DOS commands and - to a non-techie like
me - looks just like MS-DOS. To me it seems to be "a better DOS than DOS",
as some have said. But, since it is not actually DOS, it might not respond
as you expect to your machine-language or assembly-language apps.

I'll leave further explanations to more-knowledgeable posters.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3505.0912) in Win8 Pro


wrote in message ...

To make myself more clear: With Windows 7 "running", you plug in this
USB
flash drive, open ("enter") the USB flash drive, click on something that
creates a Dos environment so you can run a particular Dos program in the
USB
flash drive (doesn't access the HDD or other devices). Note: This one Dos
program runs just fine via a Dos bootable CD that was created on a Win98
computer.

I would like to be able to do this without using a bootable device.
[]
What is the DOS program you want to run - what does it do? I take it it
won't just run under 7 as it is, or in a DOS command window.

Hi,

At the present time, I do not have a Windows7 computer yet, but I am
waiting for one I ordered (laptop) from Dell. You can still buy a Windows 7
laptop from Dell.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

The program is one I made (assembly programmer since 1984) for my kids
that reveals sensitive information if something happens to my Wife and I.
This information is encrypted using my own technique.

John

To make myself more clear: With Windows 7 "running", you plug in this USB
flash drive, open ("enter") the USB flash drive, click on something that
creates a Dos environment so you can run a particular Dos program in the USB
flash drive (doesn't access the HDD or other devices). Note: This one Dos
program runs just fine via a Dos bootable CD that was created on a Win98
computer.

I would like to be able to do this without using a bootable device.
[]
What is the DOS program you want to run - what does it do? I take it it
won't just run under 7 as it is, or in a DOS command window.

Hi,

At the present time, I do not have a Windows7 computer yet, but I am
waiting for one I ordered (laptop) from Dell. You can still buy a Windows 7
laptop from Dell.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

The program is one I made (assembly programmer since 1984) for my kids
that reveals sensitive information if something happens to my Wife and I.
This information is encrypted using my own technique.

John

On 20/03/2013 12:46, wrote:
To make myself more clear: With Windows 7 "running", you plug in this USB
flash drive, open ("enter") the USB flash drive, click on something that
creates a Dos environment so you can run a particular Dos program in the USB
flash drive (doesn't access the HDD or other devices). Note: This one Dos
program runs just fine via a Dos bootable CD that was created on a Win98
computer.

I would like to be able to do this without using a bootable device.
[]
What is the DOS program you want to run - what does it do? I take it it
won't just run under 7 as it is, or in a DOS command window.

Hi,

At the present time, I do not have a Windows7 computer yet, but I am
waiting for one I ordered (laptop) from Dell. You can still buy a Windows 7
laptop from Dell.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

The program is one I made (assembly programmer since 1984) for my kids
that reveals sensitive information if something happens to my Wife and I.
This information is encrypted using my own technique.

John
As others have said, there is indeed a command window available
in Windows 7 which can run many DOS-like commands or programs:
Startruncmd.
One thing to be aware of though is that if it is Windows7,64-bit,
you will NOT be able to run an old 16-bit executable, whether in a
command window or not. 64-bit Windows simply will not run 16-bit
code, so if your executable was created using a 16-bit compiler
it won't run under x64.
Workarounds usually involve creating a virtual machine (or
recompiling the source to 32-bit code of course.)
--
Rob

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:02:47 +0000, NY wrote:

wrote in message
...
I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

There is a Command Prompt app in Win 7: in Start | All Programs |
Accessories.

However it will not run all DOS programs.

I'm not sure why this is so. Because of this, I was reluctant to upgrade
to 7 since my wife insists on running an old dos bridge program. Then I
discovered a freeware program called dosbox. This was designed for earlier
game programs. It runs my wife's stupid bridge game, dos wordperfect 5.1
etc. The only caveat is you can't do things like access the hardware
directly which is to be expected. I don't know the internals are, but it
must access the virtual dos mode of the processor. Whatever it does
really doesn't matter, what does matter if a third party can achieve what
it does, there is no excuse for MS not doing the same. It makes one
seriously consider Linux.

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:46:51 -0500, wrote:


I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.


Sorry, but you've been told wrong, on both counts. There *is* a
command prompt, exactly like the one in Windows XP. It's not true DOS,
but neither is it in XP.

You *can* run DOS programs; but you can't run them all. But you also
can't run all older Windows programs. Some older programs, whether DOS
or Windows, are compatible with Windows 7; others are not.

Ken Blake wrote:
On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:46:51 -0500, wrote:


I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.


Sorry, but you've been told wrong, on both counts. There *is* a
command prompt, exactly like the one in Windows XP. It's not true DOS,
but neither is it in XP.

You *can* run DOS programs; but you can't run them all. But you also
can't run all older Windows programs. Some older programs, whether DOS
or Windows, are compatible with Windows 7; others are not.

One thing to watch, is when the OS is 64 bit, that may restrict the
kinds of things that can run. The 64 bit OS runs 64 bit and 32 bit
applications, and not 16 bit ones. The 32 bit OS runs 32 bit and
16 bit applications. If you were a dyed in the wool DOS user, you
might try the 32 bit version of OS (in the hope that more command
line stuff would work).

I don't think my copy of "md5sum.exe" runs from the DOS prompt,
on my 64 bit laptop, and it could have something to do with that.
It runs fine on WinXP 32 bit.

You can use the "file.exe" program to determine what some of your
files are like inside. I generally don't install gnuwin32 applications,
the way they prepare them, and if you DIY a thing like this, it can be
a bit of a challenge getting it running.

http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/file.htm

Here, I show the output, when checking my copy of "md5sum.exe"
to determine what was wrong with it. The "file.exe" command itself,
appears to be a 32 bit executable (so it is likely to run on any
of my Windows OSes, from the DOS prompt). While not demonstrated here,
if you have a 64 bit executable, it will be labeled as "PE32+".
That's the label they use for the 64 bit ones. I use file.exe,
mainly because other utils, don't cover as much ground as
this one does.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3629/usingfileexe.gif

It's quite likely, that a newly purchased prebuilt computer,
will have the 64 bit version of OS installed. And a quick check,
indicates at least one computer maker, won't offer a 32 bit recovery
disc set, for a 64 bit purchase, so you can undo it. To change
between 32 bit and 64 bit, is a clean install, which on a prebuilt,
can be arranged by restoring using the recovery discs. If you
could find a 32 bit set of recovery discs, then you'd be able
to arrange the machine that way. The difference between the
two OSes, one of the differences, is the 64 bit OS has two
Program Files folders.

As far as purchasing an OS at retail, for Windows 7 you would
have received both a 32 bit and a 64 bit OS disc. And the
license key on the box, would have worked with either of them.
I think Windows 8 was still the same, at least with the
electronic purchase of Windows 8 for $39.95. If you happen
to have both 32 bit and 64 bit installation media, the license
key should have worked with both. So that part of it is not
a problem.

On my Windows 7 laptop, there is a license key on the
exterior of the laptop, and I can use that with a DVD for
Windows 7 SP1, downloaded off the net. So that's another
way to switch the newly purchased prebuilt computer, to
the "other bit flavor". That would be a bit more work.
For example, I have copies of X17-24208.iso and X17-24209.iso
here (downloads), and that is what I'd use to reinstall either
32 bit or 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium, if somehow, I lost all
materials that originally came with my Windows 7 laptop.
Just use the license key on the COA. I've actually
tested that in a VM (without activating it), and the
key was accepted OK. Since the VM environment only runs 32
bit in this case, I would have been testing X17-24208.iso
installation.

Paul

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:46:51 -0500, wrote:

To make myself more clear: With Windows 7 "running", you plug in this USB
flash drive, open ("enter") the USB flash drive, click on something that
creates a Dos environment so you can run a particular Dos program in the USB
flash drive (doesn't access the HDD or other devices). Note: This one Dos
program runs just fine via a Dos bootable CD that was created on a Win98
computer.

I would like to be able to do this without using a bootable device.
[]
What is the DOS program you want to run - what does it do? I take it it
won't just run under 7 as it is, or in a DOS command window.

Hi,

At the present time, I do not have a Windows7 computer yet, but I am
waiting for one I ordered (laptop) from Dell. You can still buy a Windows 7
laptop from Dell.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

There is a Command prompt, but if you want to run DOS programs, make sure you
get the 32-bit version rather than the 64-bit versions.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:39:13 +0000 (UTC), Dave Cohen wrote:

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:02:47 +0000, NY wrote:

wrote in message
...
I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

There is a Command Prompt app in Win 7: in Start | All Programs |
Accessories.

However it will not run all DOS programs.

I'm not sure why this is so. Because of this, I was reluctant to upgrade
to 7 since my wife insists on running an old dos bridge program. Then I
discovered a freeware program called dosbox. This was designed for earlier
game programs. It runs my wife's stupid bridge game, dos wordperfect 5.1
etc. The only caveat is you can't do things like access the hardware
directly which is to be expected. I don't know the internals are, but it
must access the virtual dos mode of the processor. Whatever it does
really doesn't matter, what does matter if a third party can achieve what
it does, there is no excuse for MS not doing the same. It makes one
seriously consider Linux.

Get the 32-bit version of Windows 7.

Some of my old DOS programs don't work, but that is usually because of the
speed of the processor rather than the OS. Programs written in TurboPascal,
for example suffer from divide overflow or something.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Steve Hayes wrote:


There is a Command prompt, but if you want to run DOS programs, make sure you
get the 32-bit version rather than the 64-bit versions.

Won't DOSBox run 16-bit programs in 64-bit Win7?

--
Tim Slattery

On 21/03/2013 10:27, Steve Hayes wrote:
On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:39:13 +0000 (UTC), Dave Cohen wrote:

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:02:47 +0000, NY wrote:

wrote in message
...
I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is no
"Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

There is a Command Prompt app in Win 7: in Start | All Programs |
Accessories.

However it will not run all DOS programs.

I'm not sure why this is so. Because of this, I was reluctant to upgrade
to 7 since my wife insists on running an old dos bridge program. Then I
discovered a freeware program called dosbox. This was designed for earlier
game programs. It runs my wife's stupid bridge game, dos wordperfect 5.1
etc. The only caveat is you can't do things like access the hardware
directly which is to be expected. I don't know the internals are, but it
must access the virtual dos mode of the processor. Whatever it does
really doesn't matter, what does matter if a third party can achieve what
it does, there is no excuse for MS not doing the same. It makes one
seriously consider Linux.

Get the 32-bit version of Windows 7.

Some of my old DOS programs don't work, but that is usually because of the
speed of the processor rather than the OS. Programs written in TurboPascal,
for example suffer from divide overflow or something.

ISTR there is/was a fix for those TP programs which failed in
that particular way (the issue was some internal timing in a
library module was done via a code loop - terrible practice!)
Ooh - google just hit it:
http://www.kennedysoftware.ie/patchcrt.htm
--
Rob

On Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:01:13 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:

Steve Hayes wrote:


There is a Command prompt, but if you want to run DOS programs, make sure you
get the 32-bit version rather than the 64-bit versions.

Won't DOSBox run 16-bit programs in 64-bit Win7?

I don't know what DOSBox is.

As soon as I found my programs wouldn't run in 64-bit Win 7, I switched to
32-bit and it solved the problem. It meant I had to install it from a DVD that
came with the machine, while the 64-bit version was pre-installed.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Steve Hayes wrote:

I don't know what DOSBox is.

http://www.dosbox.com/information.php?page=0

A DOS emulator that runs in Windows.

As soon as I found my programs wouldn't run in 64-bit Win 7, I switched to
32-bit and it solved the problem. It meant I had to install it from a DVD that
came with the machine, while the 64-bit version was pre-installed.

If you have 4GB or more RAM, you won't be able to use it all with the
32-bit version.

--
Tim Slattery

On Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:06:49 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:

Steve Hayes wrote:

I don't know what DOSBox is.

http://www.dosbox.com/information.php?page=0

A DOS emulator that runs in Windows.

As soon as I found my programs wouldn't run in 64-bit Win 7, I switched to
32-bit and it solved the problem. It meant I had to install it from a DVD that
came with the machine, while the 64-bit version was pre-installed.

If you have 4GB or more RAM, you won't be able to use it all with the
32-bit version.

It depends on what you want.

Having unused RAM is less of a problem to me than having an unusable computer.
I don't care how much RAM it has -- if it doesn't work, it's no use to me.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

In message , R. C.
White writes:
Hi, John.

I was told you can not "run" Dos programs via Win7 since there is
no "Command Prompt" as in WinXP.

You were told wrong - at least, partly.

Win7 (and Vista and Win8) includes the Command Prompt window, and it is
accessed in the same way as in WinXP. There are, in fact, two versions
of Command Prompt, and either can be accessed "as Administrator" or
not.

Neither Command.com nor cmd.exe is true MS-DOS, though. Just as in
WinXP, each is an emulator which executes DOS commands and - to a
non-techie like me - looks just like MS-DOS. To me it seems to be "a
better DOS than DOS", as some have said. But, since it is not actually
DOS, it might not respond as you expect to your machine-language or
assembly-language apps.

I can't speak for 7, but in '9x and XP, the "DOS prompt" ('9x) or
"command prompt" (XP) defaults to a window; however, Alt-Enter will make
it run full-screen, or (more importantly) character mode; this may help
some older softwares run. (Alt-Enter will switch back!)

I'll leave further explanations to more-knowledgeable posters.

RC
Ditto!
--
YNASATDD.
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3505.0912) in Win8 Pro
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Time is an illusion - lunchtime doubly so. (First series, fit the first.)