Switch from MS-DOS 6.21 to Windows DOS Box?

[Clueless in Seattle]

Hi again! Some of you reading this might remember me as the old guy with worsening disabling health problems who is still running MS-DOS 6.21 on an old laptop with a floppy drive.

That old laptop ain't getting any younger (and neither am I for that matter) and I'm worried that when it finally dies on me, I'll be left without my favorite computing platform. So I guess it's finally time for me to bite the bullet and try to figure out how to migrate my ancient DOS software over to a Windows environment before I lose my old laptop once and for all.

I'd be grateful for your help as I try to think through how to go about this project.

My health continues to decline, so I don't have that much time or energy each day to devote to this project. Most of my time each day is taken up by the most basic tasks of daily living, so a key factor will be keeping the transition process as simple and streamlined as possible.

Since I already know MS-DOS 6.21, as well as the early versions of Windows, (I used to have a version of Win 95 that came on a set of floppies!), it seems like the simplest way to proceed would be to find the most stable version of Windows with a DOS box that's most compatible with my old DOS 6.21 batch files.

So I guess that's my first question: "If you were trying to import your DOS 6.21 software, batch files and its config file into a Windows environment, which version of Windows would you choose?"

I'm pretty sure that some, or perhaps even most of you reading this will want to urge me to abandon MS-DOS and Windows altogether and make the jump to a current iteration of DOS. I'd be interested in what you might have to say, but have to warn you that I'm so old now, and suffer such cognitive impairment, that learning new skills has become very difficult for me. And as I probably don't have that much time left to me, I think that what little time I have left would be better spent on wrapping up my old computing projects that I started back in my CP/M days, rather than trying to learn a new system.

I'm eager to learn what you think of my proposal,

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

P.S. The above message is a copy of a message I just posted over in the DOS ain't dead forum. I hope it's not considered bad form for me to post the same message in both forums simultaneously.

[Squashman]

So I guess that's my first question: "If you were trying to import your DOS 6.21 software, batch files and its config file into a Windows environment, which version of Windows would you choose?"

Depending on what software you are trying to run I would probably say any version of Windows 9x would be most compatible with your older DOS software.

I'm pretty sure that some, or perhaps even most of you reading this will want to urge me to abandon MS-DOS and Windows altogether and make the jump to a current iteration of DOS.

Umm. No! Microsoft has not made a version of DOS this century that I am aware of.

[foxidrive]

There is a program called DOSBOX which is free and it is an DOS emulator that runs under Windows. http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/

You would copy your MSDOS c:\ hard drive into a directory tree on the Windows hard drive and then 'mount' that folder and it will be drive c:\ in the DosBox emulator.
Most things should run there without many changes I think.

The GUI you use on the screen of DosBox is a regular program window, and in Modern Windows it can't go full screen, but the emulator screen resolution can be adjusted in the config file to increase the size of the dos window.

It will need some fiddling if the defaults don't suit you, but it's free and worth a try.

If you also install Teamviewer in Windows (it allows remote control of the screen/keyboard/mouse, with a password) then I'm willing to help configure it remotely if you run into trouble.

[Clueless in Seattle]

I'm pretty sure that some, or perhaps even most of you reading this will want to urge me to abandon MS-DOS and Windows altogether and make the jump to a current iteration of DOS.

Umm. No! Microsoft has not made a version of DOS this century that I am aware of.

Hi Squashman, I was thinking that there might still be some MS-DOS replacement programs out there such as FreeDOS or DR-DOS that are still being tinkered with. I have to confess that I've been out of the loop for quite a while but am trying to get back on my feet (or at least back to my keyboard) to try to pick up where I left off months (or has it been years?) ago.

I appreciate your taking the time to reply. Just knowing that there are folks out there who are knowledgeable about DOS is encouraging.

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

[einstein1969]

There are two option.

- Virtual machine that run even DOS but depend of use.

for example Supported operating system on Virtualbox

- And for the second i agree with foxidrive. The dos emulator that I don't probed if work on virtual machine. Foxidrive could you confirm if it works in a virtual machine. But have you confirmed that work even on windows 7.

You can mix the previus option togheter for test or other.

I think that windows 7 is the minimun for get working best the previuos choice.

If you find someone who can 'give you remote access to a real/virtual machine you can try the MIGRATION until you are satisfied.

I can not, my hardware is dead and I have no more money to buy back again. Otherwise I would have given remote access to a real/virtual machine for testing.

einstein1969

[Clueless in Seattle]

There is a program called DOSBOX which is free and it is an DOS emulator that runs under Windows. http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/
...
If you also install Teamviewer in Windows (it allows remote control of the screen/keyboard/mouse, with a password) then I'm willing to help configure it remotely if you run into trouble.

This is great news, foxidrive!

I'm really encouraged by the speed and helpfulness of you guys' responses.

So, if I understand you correctly, this DOSBOX emulator runs independently of the DOS "command prompt" that's an integral part of the various Windows operating systems.

If I got that right, then do you believe that it is more stable and reliable than the "command prompt" that runs from the "Start" menu in Windows?

I seem to recall that Windows 98SE was my favorite of the 9x versions. Do you think that would be a good choice?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

[einstein1969]

I'm pretty sure that some, or perhaps even most of you reading this will want to urge me to abandon MS-DOS and Windows altogether and make the jump to a current iteration of DOS.

Umm. No! Microsoft has not made a version of DOS this century that I am aware of.

Hi Squashman, I was thinking that there might still be some MS-DOS replacement programs out there such as FreeDOS or DR-DOS that are still being tinkered with. I have to confess that I've been out of the loop for quite a while but am trying to get back on my feet (or at least back to my keyboard) to try to pick up where I left off months (or has it been years?) ago.

I appreciate your taking the time to reply. Just knowing that there are folks out there who are knowledgeable about DOS is encouraging.

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

If you think to use Freedos you can probe this emulator bochs.

It run on windows. I don't know if work on virtual.

einstein1969

[foxidrive]

There is a program called DOSBOX which is free and it is an DOS emulator that runs under Windows. http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/

So, if I understand you correctly, this DOSBOX emulator runs independently of the DOS "command prompt" that's an integral part of the various Windows operating systems.
If I got that right, then do you believe that it is more stable and reliable than the "command prompt" that runs from the "Start" menu in Windows?

It is a mature product, having been around a long time, so should be stable and yes it is independent from the Windows side command prompt.
The command prompt in Windows is not as compatible with MSDOS as DosBox is.

I seem to recall that Windows 98SE was my favorite of the 9x versions. Do you think that would be a good choice?

I'd recommend Windows 7 or Windows 8 if that is an option.

How do you connect to the Internet at the moment?