I have developed a C program using Microsoft Visual C++,Version 1, which, when run provides a variety of screen messages of different background and foreground colours. The EXE file is defined to be MSDOS, so it should run on a variety of platforms. And so it does. The program runs on old MSDOS versions and Windows versions up to ME 2000. However, I have two problems:- 1) When run from MSDOS command prompt (under Windows ME 2000), the program seems to eneter a peculiar mode in which the colouring is all wrong and the programmed highlighting cursor control lost. 2) When run from the START / RUN buttons, the displays starts full screen, then reduces to being confined to a window, then back to full screen, then windowed again. The effect is disconcerting,especially since expanding the confining window does not stop the next window confinement from occuring at the smaller size. Is anything wrong or is this simply a consequence of using an ancient version of Visual C++ ?? I would appreciate any comments on the matter Ken

It sounds like Windows got freaked out by a DOS program. Happens all the time, but not always to this extent. Try play scorched earth 1.5. Windows complains every time you start it. If you want this program to work correctly in windows, you need to run it full screen. In a window, the character graphics become real graphics and windows does not retain the color or the cursor. BTW, this program only runs on DOS platforms. Windows ME still a DOS platform (DOS 7) so it can run the program. Win2k and WinXP use the same executable formats so there usually isn't a problem there. If you try to directly access hardware or memory in Xp/2k, though you'll have problems. Try the same code on linux and you'll get compiler errors.