Chapter 39: Running DOS Programs and Commands

Chapter Introduction

You may need to install and run older DOS programs on your Windows XP system. Some important Windows utilities must be run at the DOS prompt, like ChkDsk and Msconfig. Windows provides ways to run DOS programs and commands; cut-and-paste between DOS and Windows programs; and configure how DOS programs work with the screen, mouse, and keyboard. If you're an old hand at DOS, you may also wonder what's happened to two files that were crucial to DOS: Autoexec.bat and Config.sys. This chapter covers all of these topics.

Windows 95, 98, and 98 Second Edition (SE) had a special version of DOS (version 7.0) to run DOS applications and games. Those versions could also be rebooted into a DOS mode, where the machine became a DOS-only computer until it was rebooted. In Windows Me, Microsoft finally removed all vestiges of DOS as it is traditionally known and replaced it with the DOS Virtual Machine (DOS VM). The only real difference was the absence of a DOS mode on startup, but the vast majority of DOS programs could still run successfully in the DOS VM.

Windows XP contains a similar DOS VM, which allows you to run those old, but still fun, DOS games of yore--at least a good percentage of them. Some old games just won't work because they don't have real access to the hardware, as they would running under DOS.