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Thanks for your overall positive evaluation of vDos.

Some remarks:

vDos “installation” is mostly a convenient way to create a vDos directory and copy its files to there (and a desktop shortcut to vDos.exe). vDos is 100% portable, you could just copy its files to a PC. Or for instance create a vDos environment with DOS programs and data on an USB stick. Plug it into some Windows PC, and run the programs.

In a network setting there’s only one vDos.exe needed (at the server). No vDos at the workstations, those can just start that central vDos.exe (eventually by a shortcut). DOS programs and data files can be located anywhere in Windows filesystem.

DOS needs at least one drive (letter), in vDos that’s C:. By default assigned to the Windows current working directory as vDos starts. So generally that of vDos.exe, but C: can be reassigned to any Windows directory. Placing DOS programs in that directory is a convenient first start/test. Many (non networked) users will just leave it there.

Printing to DOS or Windows printers should mostly work out-of-the-box. If customization is needed, the documentation (Printing.pdf document) should help. And yes, that can a bit daunting due to the number of options.

The vDos/DOS window is usually 25 lines by 80 columns. Its size is not freely scaled, instead depends on the dimensions of the individual character cells. For instance increasing both by 1 pixel results in a window 25 pixels taller and 80 pixels wider. The percentage given in for instance WINDOW = 79 or 80 will merely be an indication until you would have a 100+K monitor :).

Biased vDos developer.

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Ben Myers

Thanks for your opinion and advice.

I’ve already tried that. Didn’t work.

That seems much too complicated for the rare times I need to access the old data.
And the barebones Win7/32 is already in place with the old data *and* able to redirect LPT1 to the USB printer port.

Now I’m thinking that I might leave things as they are. My old data files will never again need modifying. As my Win7/32 installation runs perfectly well and will also not really need any more updates ever again, I can configure it to NOT connect to any LAN and to NEVER update. That partition can just remain unconnected and its files unchanged forever. As for backups, a single one-time-only image (but 2 copies) will suffice.

And finally, there’s my old laptop with the old data that still works OK and that also doesn’t need updates any more.

You could try vDos (http://www.vdos.info).
It derived from DOSBox, but has been largely modified/enhanced to run serious DS applications instead of games.
Perhaps your applications just need file- and record locking that are missing from DOSBox.

The HP 1320 handles PCL coding, so it can be used by DOS programs that support PCL printers.
Your VirtualBox – WinXP combination is overkill.
dBaseIII+ should run under vDos, http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdos.
Starts dBase in a snap, integrates better with the Windows 7 host system and looks nice with a truly scalable font.
You could also print to any Windows printer.

Jos

Problem will be that the printer is a Windows GUI device.
Being a physical or virtual printer (like CutePdf), it won’t accept a series of ASCII codes that a DOS program will send to it.
You need some program like DOSPrinter that converts the stream of ASCII codes (saved to a file) to the format the printer driver will accept.
Remains a mystery how that DOS program can function/print on the other PC’s.

It’s a Windows GUI printer?
Then you can’t send ASCII output directly to it, it has to be rendered by the printer driver.
So share the printer on the laptop and use that in net use lpt1.

Your network printer is connected to another PC and shared from there?
Have you looked at the render print jobs on client computers option?
Eventually install the printer driver on the laptop, connect it to the network printer, share it and use that in net use lpt1.

You didn’t specify the operating system your old DOS program is running on.
Has to be some Windows version (net use …), so you can try vDos: http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdos.
It goes beyond what you tried and expected until now to get that DOS program running in Windows.
At least printing shouldn’t be an issue anymore.

Windows 7 32 bit will run most likely your DOS programs.
64 bit editions of Windows won’t run any of them.

If you want a better experience and integration of your DOS programs with Windows: http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdos/
Even if using Windows 32 bits, you should have a look at vDos.