Anyone know how I can install and run a DOS program in Windows XP please? I have tried exploring the drive with the CDROM in it and then double clicking on the setup.exe but I just get an error message. Any info would be much appreciated.

Using Windows practices to install a legacy DOS application under XP leads to true failure. First of all you have to set up a DOS box to access the DOS prompt (actually NT system console as in XP there is no DOS and what you see is an emulator NTVDM). If you have the MS-DOS icon on the desktop double click that to get the prompt, otherwise set up one by right clicking and choosing new shortcut with Cmd.exe as destination. At prompt you have to follow the procedure required to install the application *as you were under plain DOS*, setting up directories and whatever needed. Eventually you have to create an icon/shortcut to the application and adjust properties and Autoexec.NT and Config.NT related files. Sorry, but that is not an easy job if you do not have any exposure to DOS and XP system logic. My post is only a very short outline of a complex process.

NT4 article which is basically the same for W2K, W2K3 and XP, it may help you understand the emulation of MSDOS when running DOS Apps... http://www.windowsitlibrary.com/Content/226/03/1.html

I have run dbase111 in XP with no problems. Other DOS programs that I run and used to run have installed that way. Could not get all of them to run though. It was installed from a backup disk by copying the entire program that had been copied from my previous machine. I may have set the compatability to Win98 but not sure. Not all DOS programs will run though. I had others that I wanted but just could not get them running. If your old computer is still available, you could copy it to disks and move it. You could also create a dual boot on your computer and make the other partition DOS based. Install your program on the DOS partition, copy it to disks and then copy that into your XP installation. If the program is important to you, you could also just leave the dual boot setup. One other option that just occured to me would be to get the Microsoft Virtual partition program and run it there. It was available free for a while as a trial version but I don't know if it is still available. Cost on it didn't seem too bad either if you had to buy without trying it. The file name on it is "MicrosoftVirtualPC2004.exe" and you might find it with a search of their site or maybe a google search will work. I have seen a list of incompatable programs and it was not entirely accurate. Some that they list as not being able to run will run just fine.

Martin I just did a google search on "Microsoft Virtual PC" and it gave links to the free trial from Microsoft.