Not able to use program on DOS comp

[Famicoman]

I recenty made a simple program in C++ that outputs some binary digits in the command prompt on my windows box. It has no purpose, but It was cool and simple. The problem is that when I take the .exe and try to execute it on an older DOS lappy I have, I get an error, "This program cannot be run in DOS mode". It is made to be ran in command prompt, and I can successfully run it in command prompt in Windows, but it just won't work in DOS.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

[moonlit]

Is it a console application? There are programs that you can write which can run in what appears to be a Windows 'DOS' box but in fact they are Windows programs with no GUI and not true DOS programs. Because of this, they won't run in pure DOS because they are actually the same as any other Windows app, you just can't see any windows or buttons. These are often called console applications.

[Famicoman]

Yes, its a console app.

[moonlit]

That would be why you can't run it in pure DOS :)

[Famicoman]

Grrrrrr... IS there any work-around what so ever for this?

[moonlit]

Not really, what are you using to write the program?

Since you're using C++ though you could grab a pile of old C++ programming apps from around the net though, I've seen old versions of C++ for MSDOS floating around, should be easy enough to find 'em.

[Famicoman]

Used Dev++ and MSVS 2005 without any luck. I'll look for some period software, though.

[moonlit]

Yeah VS2k5 doesn't really allow for DOS dev but go take a looksee and grab some period software like you say, that's got more of a chance of working since it was made to create DOS binaries :)

[cooper]

*cough*Borland Turbo C*cough*

[Guest]

there should be an option you can set on the compiler to make it MS-DOS

[jool]

The problem you're having is most likely caused by the "real" ms-dos being 16-bit while everything created with newer visual studio is (at least) 32-bit. You will need an older compiler to make 16-bit executables. There might also be a hidden compiler switch somewhere but if there is I don't know it.