Can I treat Terminal, or CMD, like a DOS window?

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I like playing with QBasic 4, but I haven’t messed with it in awhile, and I don’t want to forget the code. Can I place my QBasic program in a folder, and then simply run it from the command prompt the same as if it was a DOS window?

Thanks all;

Artie

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64-bit versions of Windows (which would be the vast majority now) no longer support 16-bit DOS applications directly. You might need to run it in an emulator like DOSBox instead.

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Artie

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Or try:

NTVDMx64 by Leecher1337

available from:

https://mendelson.org/ntvdmx64.html

Advantages of NTVDM:

Unlike emulator applications such as vDos and DOSBox, NTVDMx64 is fully integrated with Windows, with the same access to the Windows file system and ports that NTVDM has under 32-bit Windows. NTVDMx64 does not perform as quickly as DOSBox or vDos, but its integration is a unique and important advantage.

 

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Thanks Steevie. I’ll check into that.

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Hey Artie, most 64 bit Windows still run 32 bit programs.  If there’s a 32 bit version of QBasic then you should be able to use it.  I say should because you listed this topic under Windows 11, and I’m not sure what the situation might be there.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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Hey Charlie. Thanks. DOSBox didn’t work very well. I guess I’ll dig out my old PC-486-66 to play with DOS.

To think . . . that was a $4000 computer in it’s day. I got it at a flea-market for $10. Works perfect.

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That’s good, and probably the best way of running it.  I myself keep older computers running so I can run old games made for DOS as well as QBasic.  I still have my first computer – an IBM PS/1, 486 SX, with Win 3.1 and DOS 6.22 that I updated as much as possible, and also a 1998 computer with Win 95B that I once used at my job.  Both still run good (knock on wood).

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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Hi Arti, just curious – did you try NTVDMx64 by Leecher1337 that I mentioned above?

If not, why not? Any particular reason?

If yes, was there a problem?

 

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AusJohn wrote:

Hi Arti, just curious – did you try NTVDMx64 by Leecher1337 that I mentioned above?

If not, why not? Any particular reason?

If yes, was there a problem?

 

Sorry John. No, I didn’t. Checking it out now. I’ll report back after I check it out.

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Charlie wrote:

That’s good, and probably the best way of running it.  I myself keep older computers running so I can run old games made for DOS as well as QBasic.  I still have my first computer – an IBM PS/1, 486 SX, with Win 3.1 and DOS 6.22 that I updated as much as possible, and also a 1998 computer with Win 95B that I once used at my job.  Both still run good (knock on wood).

Somewhere, around here, I still have “Windows for Workgroups” on floppies. It was the “expanded” version of Win 3.1.  I also have the book, with the Microsoft certificate of authenticity. I’m totally legal. 

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You really don’t have to go all the way back to Win 3.1 – what does your old 486, 66 PC have on it?  QBasic came with Win 95, & Win 98 that I know of.  Old 32 bit Windows still run 16 bit programs like QBasic.  Wins 95, 98, and 98SE should work.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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Charlie wrote:

You really don’t have to go all the way back to Win 3.1 – what does your old 486, 66 PC have on it?  QBasic came with Win 95, & Win 98 that I know of.  Old 32 bit Windows still run 16 bit programs like QBasic.  Wins 95, 98, and 98SE should work.

Hey Charlie. My old 486 ONLY has DOS 6.22 on it. Presently, it’s somewhere in the catacombs of my storage barn, but I’d like to get it out again. When I say “only”, I mean as an OS goes. I still have bunches of old DOS utilities and progs from people I’ve collected over the years.

One of the things I like about it, (besides staying current with DOS/batch files/QBasic), is the fact that everything fits on a single CD. In case of a monumental screw-up on my part, I can restore it completely in a couple minutes.

As I’ve thought about it, I want to keep my DOS/QBasic stuff independent of my main laptop. It just means I have to dig out my old dinosaur. Not quite as convenient as running on my laptop, but makes me feel better from a security POV.

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That 486, 66 mhz was fast in its day and ran the OS’es of the day very well given enough RAM (16 megabytes was enough!).  Hope you’re able to find it and it works okay.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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