How to Run Old FPD App/Exe in Windows 7/8

Technology Race:

Due to fastest revolution in  Software/Information Technology, inventions are coming much faster day after another and will remain in future,  even we can not deny this difference and can declare it as UNIVERSAL truth.
In-fact today's moderate era of  information Technology, many of the countries of world are still Back in  implementation of technology as well as today's moderate / modal counties of world.There are several reasons for this which may vary each other.

I have seen several searches & question on different sites i.e.( Foxite forum, Google etc.) regarding old Foxpro DOS developed  Applications to Run on New PC/LAPTOP Hardware coming with installed OS Windows 7/ Windows 8.


Microsoft has already expired customer support for Foxpro  DOS many years ago, even its moderate release Visual Fox Pro 9.0 published in 2007 support will end 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_FoxPro

Re-writing /conversion of  existing FPD application is time taking process, so as immediate/emergency running old app's as it basis is solution. For long term basis it is recommended that ultimately re-designed in latest version of VFP 9.0.
On foxite forum Ernesto Paez putted  a similar question to run FPD Dos in windows 7 for Printing (USB port) Bar codes with a .com TSR . Thread gone so long long,  as well as email communication to give him a complete understanding.  For easy understanding i decided to write  immediate solutions here at my blog.
This is my first time to blog as it will be memorial for me forever.

Standard Solution:


Microsoft have given Backward Compatibility Option to Run backward OS compatible applications.
Setting & Running a application as backward compatibility does not effect the whole UAC (user Authentication Control) of OS. we can use Windows 7/8 compatibility mode for running FPD application.
There is limitation in Printing in this method on USB Port Printers.

1. Right click on your application then click ->Properties
2. click on "Compatibility" tab.
3. "Check mark"  both options and Click "Apply"
  i) "Run this Program in Compatible Mode"
     ->select Windows Xp (service Pack 2)
 ii) "Run this program as an administrator"

Figure 1.1

Advance Solution (Recommended):
We can use third party software emulator "DOSBOX"  (current release is  0.74) which support all old DOS software including any TSR program in .com format.Standard software is developed/released under Open Source license of sourceForge.net another link DOSBox. , Andriod http://androiddosbox.appspot.com/  DOS Software's can  run successfully under this standard release,  but  limitation in Printing. 

I recommend here for another release of "DOSBOX MEGABUILD" (http://home.arcor.de/h-a-l-9000/) which support the printing of documents on both USB and Parallel port.
By modifying config file of dosbox "DosBox.Conf" printing can be redirected to multiple/single page PNG Graphic format or can be redirected to file. Spooled file can be later used for printing by other third party Dos re-director printing software like DOSPRN (www.dosprn.com), DOS2USB (www.bsspl.com) Printfil (www.printfil.com), etc.

Tips for Configuring DosBox:
 After installation of Dosbox, Right click on shortcut of Dosbox then click on "Open File Location" to go in folder of dosbox where it is installed. Find there "DOSBox.conf " file. Open it in NotePad.exe editor. Jump to end of file, see [autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
in this section we can  map with "mount" command  any folder as drive letter which may exist  at local hard drive or shared network location on another PC.e.g
mount f:   d:\foxpro
mount h: \\server\d
For Printing :
Go to Section  [printer], as default printer is false in config enable it by changing value to
printer=true
printoutput=printer
if you are having Parallel port then GO to Section [parallel]
for direct output to print port change default value from 'disabled' to
parallel1=printer
to re-direct  printing to file e.g. location at C drive in TEMP folder.
parallel1= file append:c:\temp\prnspl

This blog is related to Running  FPD application under windows 7/ windows 8, so for more DOSBox options refer to DOSBox website DOSBox.

Hope it will give a way to Fox Pro DOS programmer's to run there application under windows 8.

Cheers & My respects!