1. Running Dos On Windows 8
2. Running Dos On Windows 7
3. Running Dos On Windows
4. Running Dos Games On Windows 98

New versions of Windows don’t fully support classic DOS games and other old applications — this is where DOSBox comes in. It provides a full DOS environment that runs ancient DOS apps on modern operating systems. We’ve written about using the D-Fend Reloaded front-end for DOSBox in the past, but what if you just want to use DOSBox itself. How to run old DOS programs in Windows 10. Running old DOS programs. The exact steps for installing and/or running an application or game will vary. Look out for batch (BAT) files.

Robert Wray wants to know if his old DOS programs will run in Windows 7.

Here's the general rule: If the DOS program ran in XP, it will probably run in a 32-bit version of Windows 7. But no DOS program can ever run in a 64-bit version of Windows 7.

Except that there's a workaround. I'll explain it in a minute.

If you're not sure whether your Windows is 32- or 64-bit, click the Start orb, right-click Computer, and select Properties. Look for the System type.

You can launch most DOS apps in a 32-bit version of Windows 7 simply by double-clicking the DOS program's .exe or .com file. If it doesn't work, or if there are problems, right-click the file and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab. Check the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for' option and select an older version of Windows. You may have to do some experimenting to find the right one.

And if none of those work, try the 64-bit solution below.

Actually, there are several solutions, all of which involve using software to create a virtual machine (VM) inside Windows. If you want to run a lot of different operating systems inside Windows, VMware Player is probably your best bet.

But if all you're only looking for is a way to run DOS programs, try DOSBox, a free program that launches a DOS VM. I can't promise it will work with every program you throw at it, but it worked for every one I tried.

Once you download and install DOSBox, here's how to set it up so that it can find and work with your DOS programs and files:

1. Create a folder (just as an example, let's call it C:DOSFiles) and place in it every program and file you want DOSBox to access. You can use subfolders within that folder.
2. Click Start, type notepad and press ENTER to bring up Notepad.
3. Click Start, and select All Programs, DOSBox-0.74 (the version number may change), Extras, Screenshots & Recordings.
4. This will open Windows Explorer to a probably empty folder inside the DOSBox configuration folder. In the path bar at the top of the window, click DOSBox to go to that folder.
5. Drag the file dosbox-0.74.conf into Notepad. (The .conf part will probably not be visible.)
6. In Notepad, go to the bottom of the file, where you'll find the [autoexec] section.
7. On a blank line at the end of the file, type mount driveletterpath, where driveletter is the drive letter you wish to assign the folder to, and path is the path to that folder. For instance, mount a c:dosfiles wil make the C:DOSFiles folder appear as DOSBox's drive A:.
8. Save the file and launch DOSBox.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and cinema. Email your tech questions to him at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum. Follow Lincoln on Twitter, or subscribe to the Answer Line newsletter, e-mailed weekly.

Ericuse165 has a friend with a PC that's making a grinding noise. Eric asked the Hard Drives, NAS Drives, Storage forum for advice.

Kenneth M. Frith is moving away from Windows XP (as he should). But he still has some old DOS programs he’s either unwilling or unable to give up. Can they run in Windows 8?

The big question is: Does your new PC run the 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 7 or 8? If you have the 32-bit version (referred to as x86 for historical reasons), you should have no trouble with many (but not all) DOS programs. But if you’re using the 64-bit version (x64), running a DOS program is officially impossible.

But that doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Have a tech question? Ask PCWorld Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com.]

Running Dos On Windows 8

Some DOS programs will not work in any current version of Windows. Generally, these are utilities that work close to the hardware, such as defraggers and diagnostic tools. But really, you shouldn’t be running outdated versions of these tools, anyway.

Some DOS games also run close to the hardware, and these might not work in Windows, either. But these will probably work in a virtual machine. I discuss that option below.

If you don’t know if your PC is running a 32- or 64-bit version of Windows, now is the time to find out. In Windows 7, click Start, right-click Computer, and select Properties. In Windows 8’s Search charm, type pc info, and select PC info. Either way, you’ll find the answer in the System Type field.

If you’re running the 32-bit version, you can launch a DOS program by simply selecting the .com file. The first time you do this in Windows 8, you’ll probably be asked about installing a feature called NTVDM; click Install this feature.

If the program fails to run, or if you’re running Windows 8 x64, try running it in DOSBox. This simple, free program runs DOS in a virtual machine that comes reasonably close to emulating an old-fashioned computer.

But there’s one tricky part about setting up DOSBox: You need to create a “drive” for it.

Running Dos On Windows 7

First, in Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 8), create a folder as close as possible to the root of a real drive or partition, and give it a short name without spaces or punctuation. I recommend C:DOSfiles. Put your DOS programs and files in that folder.

Then, in the Start menu's Search field, or in Windows 8's Search charm, type dosbox and select DOSBox 0.74 Options (the number might change). This will bring up a rather large file in Notepad. Scroll to the bottom. Below the flag [autoexec], type in mount a c:dosfiles. Save the file.

Running Dos On Windows

From then on, when you launch DOSBox, it will see the C:DOSfiles folder as drive A:.

Running Dos Games On Windows 98