JamesH

New HP Brio 433 Celeron.

Trying to run old DOS batch file calling a Foxpro program

Error

This program has caused an illegal operation & will be terminated. Quit all programs and then restart your computer.

(Then try troubleshooting )

Under details we have

The Program tried to execute an invalid instruction.

Fault location 0004:2AE8

Interupts in Service none.

This is beginning to really bug me. Brand new installation of 98, the problem occurs. Reformat HDD & reinstall - same. Reformat & install 95 - same (except fault location is different). Changed memory from 64mb simm to 2x 32mb - no difference.

Strange thing is that the first time you run program, it just comes up with the error. 2nd time you can go in, but on exiting, you are sent back in (to a total of 3 times) with error message behind. 3rd time, works OK. This happens in either full screen or window. Not an option 'cos user is an older worker who is set in their ways & this will be construed as not working properly & me being out to upset her (Guess who DaveU).

Any help GRATEFULLY appreciated.

Swiss Steve

the more newer versions of Windows we get, with new drivers etc.. the more backward compatability problems you'll see.

check the autoexec.bat and config.sys files.
For normal windows operation they'll be almost empty except for maybe some sound card definitions (maybe not even that with a full plug n play sound card).

If you load any legacy programmes (old DOS stuff it may try to make changes to these two system files, which are of course run at boot... not longer used by Windows - that's why they're now mostly empty. I had probs with running some DOS under windows and also not getting Colin McRae Rally to run (like 15 minutes to load a stage) because I'd allowed DOS drivers to be referenced in the Autoexec.bat / config.sys files which caused a conflict with the way Windows was working.

What you could do though is set up a DOS boot disk loading HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE and MSCDEX.EXE etc and all the usual stuff, get it run fully in DOS only mode and see whether that works.

I still have to (had to) do that to play Duke Nukem which wouldn't run under Windows

NOTE that DOS components are now in C:WindowsCommand (but I don't see EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS in there with Win 98... should still be available in Win 95 as that still ran ontop of DOS I think, Win 3.1 certainly did and Autoexec.bat and config.sys were still used then)

Mark Piesse

Have you tried running the program is DOS mode rather than in a Window?
You can get the batch program to start in ms dos mode by the following. (Copied from Programs.txt which should be in your Windows directory.)

Quote;
1. Create a shortcut to the MS-DOS-based program.

2. Right-click the shortcut you created in step 1,
and then click Properties.

3. Click Program, and then click Advanced.

4. Make sure the MS-DOS mode check box is selected.

When you run a program in MS-DOS mode, it forces Windows 98 to shut down and load the program in an MS-DOS environment. You do not have access to devices that require protected-mode drivers.


You may even get away with checking the
Prevent MS-DOS programs from detecting windows check box, and not need to enter a full ms-dos environment.

Alternatively you can get to dos mode by selecting restart in ms dos mode from the shut down panel and calling the program from a dos prompt.

Hope you get it working.

Mark

swa

Once you get LINUX installed you'll be on your way to real computing.... he.he...he

kryten

you say the machine is new, what did you have before?

its not uncommon for 'old' programs to throw a bloody fit when run on anything other than the 100mhz pentium they are used to.

Try getting a DOS boot disk, if it still happens then your shiny new machine is just too much for it to cope with and you'll either have to get the program rebuilt, or patched, or find a crappy old machine to run it on!!

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for all the replies peeps.

I have, 'til now, resisted posting again BUT

The "program" in use is a DOS batch file running Foxpro (for DOS)2.6 with a command line similar to the following - "foxprox -t qlx.fxp". One of the programs doesn't use the "-t" command in order to allow 2 similar progs to run at the same time.

I cannot allow the progs to run under DOS mode only, as I need the ability to change between this prog & various windows progs.

It is only on this machine in either Win98 OR Win95 that this happens other (similar machines) are fine.

I have 20 or so machines (Pentium +++++++) that run absolutely fine as a DOS window (not session) with this [essentially] .pif file BUT NOT this machine.

WHY?????

(BTW - DaveU who writes/creates/owns the DOS software hasn't a bloody clue - blooody Nissan drivers )