Using Dos in WinME

I am wondering is there a dos in WinMe ??
How do we get it out ?
I know that it can't be restart in dos like win98, right ?
I am having problem with my dos accounting software with winME, it always have "DOS 4 error". Is it because of my winME or it's the Pentium 4 chip??

1. RE: Using Dos in WinME
lbyard Jun-25-01 05:36 PM
In response to message 0

It’s not the Pentium 4 chip. DOS programs are run in Me by Start, Programs, Accessories, MS_DOS prompt to open a DOS window. A DOS program can be optimized with the procedure explained at Start, Help, enter Optimizing an MS-DOS program. Also, a shortcut can be created to the DOS program using Start, Settings, Task Bar and Start Menu, Add… A DOS error 4 error means there are not enough file handles allocated in the environment and is probably being caused because Win Me does not use a config.sys where the FILES and BUFFERS lines used by many old DOS accounting packages are entered. See Microsoft Knowledgebase Article Q269524, How to Increase Available File Handles for MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows Millennium Edition at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q269/5/24.ASP? for instructions on how to increase the FILES parameter to Windows Me. If you don’t know the values (they should be in the accounting package documentation), I would start at: 40 and move up in increments of 10 until the problem disappears. The Windows Me defaults are:
BUFFERS=30
FILES=30
This good enough for most programs, as most will work with:
FILES=20
BUFFERS=20
But I have seen some that needed as many as 100 open files. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q269/5/24.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=config.sys&rnk=25&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=WINME
Additional info is in MS KB Q269524, Overview of Real Mode Removal from Windows Millennium Edition, at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q269/5/24.ASP?
Larry

2. RE: Using Dos in WinME
DewDew Jun-26-01 12:13 PM
In response to message 0

Finally decided to give up on winME.
So we reformated the harddisk and installed win98.
I am having a dell 8810 machine with P4 chip.
I have installed a panasonic K1121 dot-matix printer to LPT1 and having some problem.
The problem is I just can't print from dos !
But if I printed some page from windows (which is working in windows) and restart in dos for my accounting software. It prints in dos ! Anybody know this weird problem ??

3. RE: Using Dos in WinME
lbyard Jun-26-01 03:15 PM
In response to message 2

LAST EDITED ON Jun-26-01 AT 03:16 PM (GMT)
Does it print when you do this:
C:\>type autoexec.bat>lpt1:
An aside... I don't understand why you don't run your DOS accounting package from a DOS window in windows. Before we switched to QuickBooks Pro this year, we ran our DOS accounting package (SBT) that way for years and it had the advantages of not having to boot to DOS and the ability to run multiple accounting modules in multiple windows at the same time, as well as other applications. That arrangement worked very well for us. Larry

4. RE: Using Dos in WinME
DewDew Jun-28-01 01:57 PM
In response to message 3

It won't print anything until I printed something from window...and then. Restart in dos and will print anything. ???

5. RE: Using Dos in WinME
lbyard Jun-28-01 05:14 PM
In response to message 4

At this point I would try the printer on another computer to isolate it to the printer and cable or computer and software. Larry