SLOWWWWWW DOS App

[RH610]

We have a DOS app that was running fairly well on our PIII machines with WIN98. We switched to P4/1.6g machines with WIN2K PRO SP2 and the app takes 10 times as long to run! I guess this is progress for you (at least in Microsoft's eyes). Anyway, would anyone know how I can undo some of this "progress" and get this app running as it should? I know. I should go back to DOS to run a DOS app, but I am stuck with WIN2K for other reasons. Note: This is run from a Netware network with Novell's Client 4.81 for WINNT/2000 installed.

Thank You

 

[TestNode]

The tone of your words is rather mocking. Consider that your app runs on a non-DOS system, period. That fact alone is remarkable to some extent. I will suggest that the problem is not Windows 2000, but a lack of understanding on how to configure the OS.

W2k has very good DOS support, better than NT anyway - and that is progress. Would it surprise you to know that W2k uses .pif files and will allow you to configure separate autoexec.bat and config.sys files for each and every DOS program? Further will allow you to load TSRs that the program needs to function? Right click on the program file and take a look at the tab titled Program. Click on the Advanced button to see that you can configure setup files. I will note that by default, W2k uses a blank autoexec.nt and config.nt file when you launch any DOS program, and uses the same two files for every DOS program. Try copying the Win98 startup files to their own folder in W2k and point the program to use those startup files. They might just resolve your problem, but they might need some tweaking.

I would suggest doing this on a test machine first. If you have any questions, please let us know. Tao is the mobius. The ribbon of heaven and earth, you cannot lose your way.

 

[austim]

Can you possibly set up your machines to be dual booting?

I recently got a new whizzbang desktop with W2K, but found I needed to dual boot to run one of my ancient but vital DOS programs. I now have Win98 on my C: drive and Win2K on my D: drive.

(Note, although I can request my Win98 to restart in MSDOS mode, the system goes through the dual boot routine, and I cannot get to 'genuine' MSDOS).