command.com needs to be in 64-bit windows! need high-end system for DOS and windows development

Question

• I need a 64-bit system because I need the memory it gives (I want to max the machine out) - I use every bit I get.  I typically run about 20-30 applications at once, more if I had the chance.
• I need command.com for DOS development to run DJGPP so I can make a distribute DOS programs and make bootable CD's using FreeDOS (partition tools, etc)
• I need to execute 64-bit programs to test them
• I need to execute 32-bit programs to test them (covered with 64-bit OS)
• I need to compile windows programs, targeting 32 and 64-bit windows platforms.

PLEASE , Microsoft, bring command.com to 64-bit windows!   I don't want to buy a windows 7 32-bit because of the memory hogging I am hearing about.  I need application memory and as much as I can get.  I will go with 32-bit XP if I have to.  Don't force us developers into a corner!
Can you at least bring it back in a service pack?  please tell me before I buy an expensive system (only once every 5-7 years).
Jim Michaels

Answer 1

You can use a virtual machine running 32-bit OS. Or, if it works with your system, there is the CMD.COM 32-bit replacement. COMMAND.COM is the older 16-bit version of the command prompt.

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Dustin Harper
[e-mail]
http://www.mstechpages.com  Microsoft News, support, FAQ's and much more!

"Jim Michaels" wrote in message news:bc18346c-4b8f-485e-ac5b-f4b752fe91e0...

• I need a 64-bit system because I need the memory it gives (I want to max the machine out) - I use every bit I get.  I typically run about 20-30 applications at once, more if I had the chance.
• I need command.com for DOS development to run DJGPP so I can make a distribute DOS programs and make bootable CD's using FreeDOS (partition tools, etc)
• I need to execute 64-bit programs to test them
• I need to execute 32-bit programs to test them (covered with 64-bit OS)
• I need to compile windows programs, targeting 32 and 64-bit windows platforms.

PLEASE , Microsoft, bring command.com to 64-bit windows!   I don't want to buy a windows 7 32-bit because of the memory hogging I am hearing about.  I need application memory and as much as I can get.  I will go with 32-bit XP if I have to.  Don't force us developers into a corner!
Can you at least bring it back in a service pack?  please tell me before I buy an expensive system (only once every 5-7 years).
Jim Michaels

---

Dustin Harper [e-mail] http://www.mstechpages.com --- Windows Help and Support Page

Answer 2

On Fri, 7 May 2010 04:14:47 +0000, Jim Michaels wrote:

 

> I need a 64-bit system because I need the memory it gives (I want to max the machine out) - I use every bit I get. I typically run about 20-30 applications at once, more if I had the chance.

 

 

Bear in mind that even if you have a lot of programs open at once, you

are typically using only one of them or so at once. That means that

those that are aren't being used will quickly end up in the page file,

and you don't really need a lot of extra RAM for them.

 

So your justification above may not be correct. More typically the

reason for needing a lot of RAM is that you run programs like

Photoshop which use a lot of memory, both for themselves and for the

files they are working on.

 

 

 

> I need command.com for DOS development

 

 

No version of Windows since XP has come with command.com. But all

versions, including Windows 7, has come with the command prompt, CMD.

That lets you do almost all the things that could be done with

command.com years ago.

 

 

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003

 

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Ken Blake

Answer 3

bolderdash.  windows 7 32-bit comes with command.com. I checked because I wanted to know and I knew someone who had both 32 and 64-bit windows 7 systems.  only 64-bit versions of windows OS's consistently do not come with command.com.  cmd.exe is a different command shell that cannot really run DOS apps.

as for multitasking, yeah, I am typically only using 1 app at once, but sometimes I have up to several long batch files running at once (compiles, cd builds, etc) that can last for several hours.

DJGPP runs under a DOS virtual session.

http://fixunix.com/ms-dos/517624-window-blinks-every-time-when-i-run-linux-commands-like-gcc-make-ls-etc-using-djgpp.html

my actual question is, will DJGPP compiler still execute and compile stuff under a 64-bit windows 7 if I buy a new system?  what about 32-bit?  or am I going to have to stay with XP 32-bit?

*please* don't give me junk answers.  my question about DJGPP is my only real concern.  maybe I should make that a separate post.  I still want to be able to execute 32-bit DPMI-based DOS apps (which is the output of DJGPP) on the OS in question.

 

 

Answer 4

Jim,

I am moving your post to MSDN forums as they might have more information for you since you are wanting to use DJGPP.

Thanks,

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Marilyn
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

Answer 5

64 bit Windows has no native 16 bit support at all. This actually comes from a limitation in the processor itself that 64 bit mode can't use virtual x86 mode that 16 bit emulation uses. 32 bit Windows has 16 bit support by using WoW to emulate the 16 bit protected mode environment. Also, just to let you know, on Windows, command.com actually runs backed by the Windows csrss like cmd.exe so there isn't much of a difference between them. Whats more, 16 bit console applications would be emulated by VDM regardless of where it came from and the VDM, which is seperate from cmd.exe and command.com, is a protected mode 32 bit application.

So it works like this

64 bit Windows, emulates 32 bit Windows, no support for 16 bit.

32 bit Windows, emulates 16 bit Windows, no support for 64 bit.

Whats more, the trend is going towards 64 bit Operating Systems with 32 bit emulation and no 16 bit support.

So you have two options unfortunately, use a virtual machine with a 32 bit operating system installed on your 64 bit Windows 7 or use a 32 bit version of Windows 7.

Of course, you could always put FreeDOS into a virtual machine and run DJGPP from there.

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Any samples given are not meant to have error checking or show best practices. They are meant to just illustrate a point. I may also give inefficient code or introduce some problems to discourage copy/paste coding. This is because the major point of my posts is to aid in the learning process.
Visit my (not very good) blog at
http://c2kblog.blogspot.com/

Answer 6

what about windows xp mode in windows 7 64-bit?  does that have command.com?  I understand windows xp mode is a 32-bit environment.
I just want to be sure I am getting what I need.

 

come on guys, be creative. :-)

Answer 7

Erm, well, I'm sure creativity doesn't need to come from this end. Windows XP mode should have been implied with the Virtual Machine running a 32 bit operating system since that is all Windows XP mode is. Since Windows XP mode is basically a version of Windows XP then it can also be assumed that it has everything Windows XP does.

But unless you are relying on behaviour in the emulated version of command.com which hasn't come over to cmd.exe then it shouldn't matter. As I said, it doesn't matter which side it comes from, a 16 bit console application run through cmd.exe will use ntvdm to execute it. If you use command.com to do the same then it will result in ntvdm to execute the program too. So either way ntvdm is what will be used and so, it shouldn't matter.

All 16 bit applications I tried through cmd.exe worked just as well as command.com when I was required to use one or two.

But anyway, if you want true creativity, how about a way to build a 16 bit application without using a 16 bit compiler. There is Open Watcom available which can target DOS and the extenders. Or if you want to be really creative you can always try building a cygwin/mingw32 to djgpp cross compiler. Who knows how well that will work but it will be an adventure.

---

Any samples given are not meant to have error checking or show best practices. They are meant to just illustrate a point. I may also give inefficient code or introduce some problems to discourage copy/paste coding. This is because the major point of my posts is to aid in the learning process.
Visit my (not very good) blog at
http://c2kblog.blogspot.com/

Answer 8

I still don't have a solid answer on command.com in windows xp mode yet.  I can only assume that since it's 32-bit "system"  that it comes with command.com.  but I don't like assuming.

I have a friend who went and got 7 ultimate 32 and 64-bit.  guess what?  he told me that not only did the virtual pc not come on the OS, he downloaded it and it refused to install.  it said the virtual pc wasn't compatible or something to that effect.

...and to think everybody's ditching xp for 7...

looks like my DOS development days are over unless I can get a 32-bit version of windows 7 and limit my memory to 4GB.

ugh.  I sorely wanted 24GB.

Answer 9

I still want to be able to execute 32-bit DPMI-based DOS apps (which is the output of DJGPP) on the OS in question.

So what's the problem? x64 editions of Windows can't run 16-bit apps, but they can run 32-bit apps. If you're producing 32-bit apps to begin with, I don't see what the point of all this ranting is. Have you tried to run one of your apps on your friends' Win7 x64 installation?

Answer 10

since I have already tried running djgpp-compiled applications on 7 x64 (not using windows xp mode, it refuses to run on that machine),and found that they do not execute, I guess I forgot to add that I need command.com, dpmi, and its associated ntvdm to run 32-bit DOS apps. 

note that these are 32-bit DOS DPMI apps , NOT 32-bit windows GUI or 32-bit windows console apps which run under 32 or 64-bit windows.  VERY different.  I am going to assume that DJGPP was bootstrapped with itself and is therefore also a 32-bit DOS DPMI application. 

a 32-bit DOS app will not run on x64 systems since there is no command.com.  I have already tested that (with hopes in vain that it would).

this is the whole issue of the first post.  I wish now I had added that tidbit for non-DOS programmers.

why DOS?  got to have a usable free OS to boot a cd with for manipulating OS's with!  Embedded systems too.

 

Answer 11

Try after Copying command.com file of windows xp to SysWow64 folder of windows 7 64 bit computer.

Answer 12

Try after Copying command.com file of windows xp to SysWow64 folder of windows 7 64 bit computer.

In case you hadn't noticed, this thread is from eight and a half years ago.
I seriously doubt that the OP is still trying to get a solution.

- Wayne