Computer help: My brother needs you!

[Poli]

Here's the scoop:

The computer is used to run a program for his work, which is a DOS program. But something always shuts it down. Some programs will run fine, but others won't. This program is nothing more than a "basic" DOS program.

I thought, "it's probably a virus of some sort", but I can't ever seem to locate it. I put a free anti virus software, AVG, on the computer, which was no small task. Whatever it was, it kept trying to shut down the install process.

Got it installed, and tried to run it, but it continually shut down AVG while it was scanning. I could never run it through completely. I've shut down nearly every program possible not needed through msconfig and every active process possible. AVG and his DOS program still won't work.

That's as far as I got. Ms. AE called (I'm home for the weekend), and I thought I'd run it by FOFC.

Any tips or suggestions? I'm planning on running by his house tomorrow for Easter, but I could make it over there again on Monday as well.

I kind of feel bad I can't get this. I'm the computer guru of the family and he fully expected I could get it working. :(

AE

[Pumpy Tudors]

Is the computer shutting down, or is it only that one process that shuts down?

[Poli]

Just the one process (DOS program or AVG). The computer will stay online.

[cartman]

Has it ever run successfully on this machine before, or is he trying to run it on a new machine? If it is a new machine, my guess is that there are some environment settings that the program needs. What is in his autoexec.bat, or config.sys files? Maybe something there will give you a clue. Usually when a DOS program just flakes out like that, it is because it has run out of usable memory, or has conflicted with a loaded driver. One more question, what OS is on the machine?

[Poli]

windows XP.

[MizzouRah]

Sounds like the program just isn't compatible with Windows XP. Did he just upgrade from Win 98 to XP?


Todd

[cartman]

Yep, MizzouRah might be right. Windows XP is based on the NT kernel, meaning DOS isn't around anymore. There is a command line, and some of the same commands, but it is not DOS. If that app was requiring certain features of DOS, it just might not run in XP. As an option, if he has to have it run, is to check into VMWare. Then he'd have the ability to create a virtual machine inside of XP that had actual DOS installed.