So I won't get all into the details, but I did want to share a kind of odd experience I had recently.

We have an old machine at the shop called a Wire EDM.  It receives code from a DOS program called GeoTalk that our shop had running on an archaic PC with some operating system that predates science.  In addition, we subcontract our codes which come via e-mail, but this old PC isn't internet ready nor is it USB compatible.  So we have to carry the code on a flash drive to a PC running XP, transfer it to a floppy disc, put the floppy in the DOS machine, and then run it from there.

Well, that PC stopped working one day and I was asked to fix or replace it.
It was unfixable.  The power supply had blown, and it was so ancient that there was no way in hell I'd be able to find a replacement part.

The only other PC in the shop with the proper connections was the XP machine, and XP won't run GeoTalk.  The only sensible option to me was to wipe off XP and install Windows98.  98 still runs DOS, and it has USB support (though it isn't native).  Went through all the trouble of finding a copy of 98, then finding a copy of the USB driver (wasn't easy, very surprising), installed it all, tried to run GeoTalk, and it won't send over the program.  One better, it freezes and has to be manually crashed.
I try everything and eventually give up.



Flash to today, it's now several months later and my boss is screwing about with the PC trying to get GeoTalk  to work again.  He calls me over asking about particular settings.

I take a look.  He had right clicked on GeoTalk and went into properties.  I'm already    as the in-program settings GeoTalk gave me were few and very basic and these are all different.  It is a DOS program, after all, so I never expected there to even be a properties tab or any options at all despite what I can access inside the program.
Under properties is an advanced tab.  And under the advanced tab is a check box for "Force program to run in DOS mode."  Now I'm all 
Checking the box revealed more options for either a default or a custom config.  Default config didn't work, so then I checked custom which opened a small list of options.  I checked everything in the list.

Now when I double click on GeoTalk, the PC restarts the OS, has a text prompt asking me to give it permission for Direct Disc Access, and then immediately runs GeoTalk.  Tried sending a program, works flawlessly.
When you close down the OS restarts again and brings back the Win98 interface.

I pull a  and my boss comes over all 

And when he asks me what I did, I  and add "It works, don't question it!" 


But I can't wrap my mind around why a DOS program on a DOS operating system even has a "run in DOS mode" option.   


Edit:
Did some poking around and found out Win98 only really has DOS as a legacy support system, and it's not actually a DOS operating system.  So it does make sense what I had to do.
Still, had me scratching my head for a long time.  Gimme a break, I was 9 when Win98 was modern and a lot of the research I did before tackling the project was done word of mouth rather than internet.
Really would have saved some time and frustration.
Either way, it was a moment of happiness and excitement in an otherwise dull day.

This is so cool I really enjoyed reading this post!  I love old school technology... I have an old Packard Bell desktop PC hooked up in my house that I keep around just to run DOS and Windows 3.1 for old FPS games 

There's just something fun to me about typing in command lines 

I woulda never known there was a right-click or a force to run in DOS option though... maybe someone on here will chime in with the wisdom!  I could also bug my older brother... he would probably know!

Dang bro! Wish you posted your Win'98 woes here first! I just happen to be well versed in it... I'm the least knowledgeable about computers compared to my dad and brothers tho... but some stuff rubbed off   Growing up, my brother learned everything he could about computers from my dad, who was all DOS btw, but then he just took off... became a hacker at heart really lol, but is a frickin' computer wiz - works for intel now and never graduated high school (did get his GED before they would officially hire him though).  Anyways, when I was into it all - I learned on Win98 and eventually graduated to XP - But still, most everything I know is from 98... and I coulda at least told ya to run it in DOS mode for GeoTalk to run! lol  Glad you got it sorted though!

- Bboy

I could have told you that. Now, try to get a mainframe terminal emulator made for a Windows 32bit XP or older to run on Wn7 64bit. You need to run it in XP virtual machine mode. Basically it's like running a PC with XP inside your Win7 machine. Don't you just love computers . Somebody said they would make our lives easier .

FYI, you may be able to skip the part where you load Windows and right click the icon to make GeoTalk run. Just repeatedly hit the F8 key when you turn it on. A menu will pop up with the option to run the pc in DOS mode. Then you can just type the name of the .exe file that the runs GeoTalk.

Quote from: pliskin on November 14, 2014, 07:39:05 AM
FYI, you may be able to skip the part where you load Windows and right click the icon to make GeoTalk run. Just repeatedly hit the F8 key when you turn it on. A menu will pop up with the option to run the pc in DOS mode. Then you can just type the name of the .exe file that the runs GeoTalk.

Good to know but we still need to launch in Win98 in order to get the code from the USB device.  So it would only be useful if the job was already in the PC.
We don't have to modify the setting every time we launch, though.  Once we double click the icon it does its thing and all is good.


Honestly I didn't think to ask anything here since its a motorcycle forum, not a PC forum, and from the preliminary research I did it seemed like a pretty cut and dry operation.  I got personal help from a friend of mine in IT and even he was stumped.  Showing our age, I guess...

Actually trying to diagnose GeoTalk on the web proved useless, and I truly thought it was GeoTalk that had the issue instead of Windows just not running it in proper compatability...

@ShowBizWolf

When the old PC was deemed dead, I was brought an "old PC that was sitting in the back of the garage, it might work..."
Yeah...  It was an IBM PS/1 2011 with PC-DOS 4.0...  LOL
I'll see if I can snag a picture of it!

SWEET!  I'd love the pic... I will hafta post one of my '97 Packard Bell dinosaur then too 

Oh yea, I this is why I work in unix.
Screw learning and getting smarter ... I am still milking what I learnt in 1992.
Thanks to google, I dont even have to remember that sheite.
Back in the day I could use the find command that I'd learn more and more about from a Book with a skunk on the cover.
Now I cant string a 3 argument command together and not have it bomb ... but I am still kicking the crap out of my env ...
Cool.
Buddha.

Here ya go!





'97 Packard Bell?  Might as well be a Labrador puppy compared to this Tyrannosaurus!


And this is our Sodick Wire EDM machine for those who are curious.




And just because, a pic of me milling a relief channel for the shank on an 18x22x9 die-block.  Tedious job...

Wow that is really really neat!  Can you actually remove the monitor from the PC portion or is it not made to be separated?  The world certainly has come a LONG LONG way when it comes to technology... blows my mind away really.

Here is my Packard Hell as my brother always called it... hehe 

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Quote from: ShowBizWolf on November 14, 2014, 04:11:22 PM
Wow that is really really neat!  Can you actually remove the monitor from the PC portion or is it not made to be separated?  The world certainly has come a LONG LONG way when it comes to technology... blows my mind away really.

The monitor is not attached to the computer physically, but they are made to stack one on top of the other like I have in the pic.  However, the monitor is also the power supply for the computer.  It's an odd setup.  You plug the monitor into the wall and plug the monitor into the computer, then when you hit the power button on the monitor both come on.

WOLFENSTEIN! Good times......

Watcher, what is that little die block used for? I have milled die blocks before where I work, but they are considerably larger than that.....

Quote from: Big Rich on November 14, 2014, 11:54:57 PM
WOLFENSTEIN! Good times......

Watcher, what is that little die block used for? I have milled die blocks before where I work, but they are considerably larger than that.....

Don't know for sure, we don't actually sink the dies, we just do the prep work.  Most likely automotive parts.

We often do dies that are larger as well, but to be honest these little ones are a lot handier and we can crank them out faster so we have been getting a lot more of them lately. 
The mill I have pictured can handle stuff quite a bit bigger, but the smaller Hydrotel we use to start the dowl-pocket and the CNC we use to finish it are a bit cramped...

DOS issues?
Put this puppy under the boss's Christmas tree this year and the problem is solved!
No more DOS issues.

Just sayin' 

If only!



Well, there's always a dream...

Need a bigger tree! Lok

Wolfenstein, duke nukem, and leisure suit larry. Still have those on a RUNNING 8088 laptop

Duke Nukem heck yeah!  I love that one... I also have Skyroads, Blood, Doom, Spear of Destiny, King's Quest IV (lol) and Blake Stone.  I wish I had Leisure Suit Larry... I will hafta look into getting that one!

Wow....memories. I remember when I realized there was no empty spaces on the map on Blake Stone - they were all secret rooms.

Medic !!

Quote from: ShowBizWolf on December 05, 2014, 02:00:49 PM
Duke Nukem heck yeah!  I love that one... I also have Skyroads, Blood, Doom, Spear of Destiny, King's Quest IV (lol) and Blake Stone.  I wish I had Leisure Suit Larry... I will hafta look into getting that one!

seems you can get lsl on android. I almost did lol