Why do DOS exe files not open properly in XP?

[trueman]

I remember reading somewhere about running DOS programs in XP. It seems whenever you click on a DOS exe file it will open a Command window which will briefly display some text relating to the program and then the window will shut down.
I once read that there was a reason that this happened and there was a setting or something in XP that you could change to stop the window from closing. I have noticed this happen with many programs I have downloaded in the past. I would like to fix this so I can run the program.
Anyone know what I am talking about and how it can be fixed?

[Bizkitkid2001]

Thats because windows doens't have dos installed. It has the command console wich is pretty much a dos emulator that doesn't do its job that well. Right click ont he file and change it to run for windows 95 or 98.

[John Prophet]

What is the program?

What if you open a dos window first and THEN run the program?

[JohnE.]

If it's an exe that has the old-style DOS exe icon and closes immediately when you open it, most likely it needs to be run from the command line (command prompt) with switches/parameters, etc.

[muno]

If you still can't get the program to run, you could try dosbox.

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1

[trueman]

Originally posted by JohnE.
If it's an exe that has the old-style DOS exe icon and closes immediately when you open it, most likely it needs to be run from the command line (command prompt) with switches/parameters, etc.

Yes thats the kind I am talking about. You can just see some text come up within the DOS window and then it shuts down. I once read something about this somewhere and how to fix it but cannot remember what to do. What switches/parameters would I use anyway?
This is not just happening with one particular program but many DOS exe files I try to open in XP.

I am downloading Dosbox but would still like to know of there is another way to fix this.

[Peter M]

You fix this by learning how to use them.

Open a Command Prompt window, and type your DOS commands from there.

[trueman]

PeterM,

I opened a command prompt window and the program worked.
I am sure I had tried that before but couldn't get the program in question to start. I suppose sometimes the simple solutions are always the best.
Im sure I tried that last time though and had read that it was more to it than that to fix the problem, but it was awhile ago so I cannot really remember.

Thanks for the help

[JohnE.]

I'm having my own problem with DOS exe's now, lol.

Thrice now I've downloaded BIOS or driver updates that were compressed with some ancient file compressor, the kind of file that looks like a DOS program but is actually a self-extracting archive.

I download the file(s) to the desktop and when I try to cut and paste it to an appropriate directory, WinXP tells me the "file is in use" and won't let me move or delete it. The only solution I've found so far is to run Sysinternals Process Explorer, close the handle and reboot; I can then move or delete the file. If I close the handle but don't reboot, the handle starts up again as soon as I hover over/select the file... wierd, very weird. Any ideas?

[JohnE.]

Update: the latest file (3Com NIC driver update) is still unmovable/undeleteable even after closing with Process Explorer and rebooting. Oddly, this is only happening with this type of file. Argh, grrr...