You cannot exit this way

[dominicraf]

We find that vDos (v2023.05.01) crashes occasionally, usually because it can't access a file on a mapped network drive. (This in itself is strange because other DOS virtualisers don't have the same problem, and the remote drive exists and is available [via SMBv3, using Linux Samba].)

So the user tries to close the vDos window using the top-right X and she sees a dialog box 'You cannot exit this way: One or more files are open'. The only way she can get rid of the (crashed, useless) vDos is from Task Manager. Once this is done, vDos can be (re)started and it works fine.

This dialog (see below, irrelevant text has been blurred) doesn't seem to help at all, quite the reverse. Can it be removed or bypassed, so that the user can force-close vDos the conventional way (i.e. top-right X), without having to resort to Task Manager?

[Jos]

The dialog is to inform files are still open (in use by your program) at that moment. So it’s unsafe to close vDos. That’s like unplugging an actual DOS PC. There’s no option to get around this safeguard.

vDos seems not to crash, it would then terminate. Also your program is still able to display “ERROR 68: Device unavailable”. It even offers the option “RESTART PROGRAM”, did you try that?

You could eventually start vDos with the log option (….\vDos.exe /log). The generated vDos.log will probably show what’s going on.

Jos

[dominicraf]

The compiled Basic program is unable to proceed at this point (unresponsive). Debugging is not possible because the VBDOS IDE does not run in vDos (as discussed here earlier). OK, I guess they continue to use Task Manager...

[Jos]

Or (temporary) start vDos with the log option...

Jos