Subj : *.SYS and pascal
To : Dennis Collins
From : Donald Tidmore
Date : Wed Feb 21 2007 04:52 pm
> Hi Donald
> I have aquired a DOS program (from a friend) that must have a network driver
> installed and removed when it exits.... it currently works by modifying the
> config.sys file on entry then reboots the pc.... the same on the exit of the
> program..... DAMN annoying to say the least.
I don't know of any way for a DOS program to load any kind of device driver on
its own. Bear in mind I'm a novice at Windows programming type stuff, but my
understanding is that all versions of Windows, but especially XP and Vista,
will NOT allow DOS device drivers to be loaded by a DOS program under any
circumstance. XP does not let you run device drivers such as ANSI.SYS in a
config.sys file, for instance. In fact, XP does its best to discourage you
even trying to have a config.sys file if I recall right.
I can't recall details but I think I read in a computer magazine somewhere that
one can load and run ANSI.SYS on a WinXP system by editing one of the WinXP
system init files. But I can not remember which file other than it was
probably in the WinNT\System folder. As for anything to do with Network
drivers, I've never used any and don't know how they work.
I don't think you will have any luck with a pascal program being able to create
a RAM disk drive either. That sort of thing, as far as I know, MUST be done at
system bootup. And Windows XP does NOT like DOS device drivers very much, and
makes it very hard to use them.
Hopefully someone else will have better information on whether any of this can
be done or not. I don't understand why a DOS program even would care if the
system was part of a network. Some of this stuff MIGHT be doable inside a
Windows application, but I have no idea how or if that would work.
> The main thing that is needed is to be able to create approx 8096 bytes of
> common area and to be able to read and write text files to that common area.
> cheers Dennis
> ... "DOS for dummies"? Isn't that what Windows is?
Why can't the DOS programs create a sub-directory on the hard drive they are
being used on, and use that for storage of its data files? I just can't imagine
there is ANYONE who is using a system that does not have a hard drive in it.
I think you're going to have to change
your idea from using a Ramdisk area to a hard disk directory setup.
Have you checked with the experts on BBS programming such as Bryan Turner and
Michael Preslar to see if they've ever done anything like this sort of thing in
their programming work? Donald
--- BBBS/LiI v4.01 Flag
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)
