Not able to run MSDos Gwbasic programs on XP Pro OS

[Giaan]

I am having a laptop and I am using XP Pro as my operating system and the problem is that I am not able to run run GWBasic programs because it is not accepting Autoexec file in order to load the GWBasic programs, where as I am able to run the GWBasic programs in my HP Netbook Home Edition. Is there anyone who can help me out with this? Any help regarding the same will be appreciated.

[Alfons]

I am having a laptop and I am using XP Pro as my operating system and the problem is that I am not able to run run GWBasic programs because it is not accepting Autoexec file in order to load the GWBasic programs, where as I am able to run the GWBasic programs in my HP Netbook Home Edition. Is there anyone who can help me out with this? Any help regarding the same will be appreciated.

First of all I will like to know that why there is a need of HP Netbook Home Edition in order to run the GWBASIC Programs. I mean that if you want to run programs at startup than you can just do that by a simple bat file where you just have to add your commands in it and then put it in the startup folder. If you are not aware of it then just go to start and then click on open or open all user and then open the programs and there you will find the Startup folder.

But if you are not willing to try that then and you do want to use Autoexec.bat in order to run the programs then I think you should use it in MS-DOS environment, I am saying this because I will like to inform you that GWBASIC was written for the MS-DOS environment so now you can try out loading MS-DOS or Free-DOS OS in another partition. If you still have problem in running the GWBASIC.exe then you can try to right click on the GWBASIC.exe > Properties > Compatibility > and after that Run this program in compatibility mode and Select one from the “Windows 95" and "Windows 98".

[Giaan]

I am not that well aware of these things but then I have tried to set up a bat file in the startup folder but then I don’t think that it is making any difference. I have also tried to run the compatible program on GWBasic but even it did not helped and I had also made sure that I have loaded the MSDos and completed the process and I got all the files on the desktop as well. As far as the partition is concerned I did not got your point I mean that what I have to do with it? So can you help me in a detail or I should just switch to the windows xp home edition as I am sure that it works in that? Any further help regarding this will be appreciated.

[Valan]

Even I was facing the same problem with the xp pro and even I was looking for a solution to sort it out but I did not found an effective one but I had found a solution which was mentioned to be working but then it was not acceptable to me because even I was not good in trying out solutions which involved dragging files here and there. So later I switched to the Windows XP Home Edition in order to end it.

[Alfons]

I don’t think that you actually need Home version of Widows XP in order to solve the problem because they both are having the same base code the only thing that makes them different is the server related stuff. I will also like to share that even I have been using Windows XP Pro and I have download GWBASIC.exe it myself and it is working fine on as well and I have not faced any such problems with it. I will suggest you to just check the properties of my computer and then get the latest service pack from Microsoft Official Web Site.

[Giaan]

I have done that before and I am still facing problem with the service pack 3 and I will also like to share that I had the settings on the crashed Windows XP so the program folder is in C drive and in that I am having the basic programs as well as the Gwbasic program. I used to have a shortcut to an Autoexec.BAT file on the desktop and it used to load and run program without any program but now when I am clicking on the same then the outline of the window with GWbasic Menu just flash once and get closed and then nothing happens and I really want to get this work so if anyone is having an idea about this than please help me out.

[Alfons]

I have done that before and I am still facing problem with the service pack 3 and I will also like to share that I had the settings on the crashed Windows XP so the program folder is in C drive and in that I am having the basic programs as well as the Gwbasic program. I used to have a shortcut to an Autoexec.BAT file on the desktop and it used to load and run program without any program but now when I am clicking on the same then the outline of the window with GWbasic Menu just flash once and get closed and then nothing happens and I really want to get this work so if anyone is having an idea about this than please help me out.

Ok I got your problem now and it seems like that it is related to the "Menu.BAS" so I just want to know that whether you are running via bat file which is located in the program folder and you are having a sort out of this file on the desktop??
I will suggest you to go to the GWBASIC.EXE and the copy it in the C:\Windows an just make sure that there are no illegal character in the path because as I told that GWBASIC is the interpreter which was written for MS-DOS so if there is any such character in the path that might be taken as illegal in MS-DOS, so just to avoid this create directory in "C:\PROGS" and then copy your programs in the same directory.
After that open notepad and then copy the following lines:
cd \
C:
cd C:\PROGS
GWBASIC.EXE Menu
And then save as and when you get a dialogue box then write "C:\PROGS\mybat.bat" in the file name and also select all file below and after that go to that file again and then just check if it is working or not. Just check it out and then let me know for further help.

[Giaan]

I have tried to follow the instruction properly and I have made sure that I am not missing any steps but then I am still facing the same problem I mean that after saving I to the C:\PROGS\mybat.bat when I went in to the folder and tried to run the file then it did the same thing, I mean that it flashed for a moment and then disappeared again and even though I tried to create a shortcut of the that file on the desktop then it did the same. I am really running out of ideas now. Any further help will be appreciated.

[Alfons]

I don’t know that why this is not working for me I mean that I am getting it work and I have tried the same again and it is still working fine and I am not facing any such problem as you have described .I am sure that the flash screen like this appears when the interpreter is not able to locate the file and you are having the same problem with the "Menu.bas" file.I will suggest you to just try out by adding pause to the file so it will return an error and that can help to find the exact cause of the problem:
cd \
C:
cd C:\PROGS
GWBASIC.EXE Menu
pause

[Giaan]

I have don’t the above steps and after this the flash did not went away and I got "Cannot shell to basic" I don’t know what that means do you have an idea about the same??

[Alfons]

I have don’t the above steps and after this the flash did not went away and I got "Cannot shell to basic" I don’t know what that means do you have an idea about the same??

This is making me think that there might be some kind of hardware compatibility problem. I mean that the GWBASIC.EXE interpreter might not be compatible with the 64-bit Operating System and I have also found that the 64-bit OS does not allow the GWBASIC.EXE load in to memory and because of which we are not able to run it as well. Now here I think that you should try to use different GWBASIC interpreter I think that you can use the “RapidQ Compiler for BASIC” for the same. Just try it out and then let me know what you get.