A: Drive

[chrisr]

Going round in circles.

Contents of autoexec.txt:
    USE C: I:\vDOS\
    USE A: I:\vDOS\Floppy\
    C:
    C:\ALT\ALT130.EXE

Folder structure:
    I:\vDOS\Alt\    contains my program ALT130.EXE
    I:\vDOS\Floppy\Alt\    contains a file LOCKFILE.KEY

I have the same folder structure in a VMware XP Pro Windows virtual computer and this runs the software successfully with a virtual floppy drive [.flp file].

But I cannot seem to get the program to run in vDOS.

vDos.log contents:
    vDos 2023.05.01
    CodePage: 850
    C: => (Local) C:\vDos\ALT\
    C: => (Local) I:\vDOS\
    A: => (Local) I:\vDOS\Floppy\

    0.07 LOADEXEC: C:\ALT\ALT130.EXE
    INT 34 => 4C73:0755
    INT 35 => 4C73:0755
    INT 36 => 4C73:0755
    INT 37 => 4C73:0755
    INT 38 => 4C73:0755
    INT 39 => 4C73:0755
    INT 3A => 4C73:0755
    INT 3B => 4C73:0755
    INT 3C => 4C73:0702
    INT 3D => 4C73:072F
    INT 23 => 4C69:0099
    INT 04 => 4261:8908
    Redirect INT 24 ignored, won't be further logged
    INT 09 => 4261:808C
    OPENFILE failed: LOCKFILE.KEY(2) => I:\vDOS\Floppy\LOCKFILE.KEY(2)
    INT 00 => original
    INT 04 => original
    INT 09 => original
    INT 34 => original
    INT 35 => original
    INT 36 => original
    INT 37 => original
    INT 38 => original
    INT 39 => original
    INT 3A => original
    INT 3B => original
    INT 3C => original
    INT 3D => original
    INT 02 => original

    LOADEXEC: C:\COMMAND.COM /C VOL a:>volname
    INT 23 => 4C73:254A
    INT 34 => 4C73:0755
    INT 35 => 4C73:0755
    INT 36 => 4C73:0755
    INT 37 => 4C73:0755
    INT 38 => 4C73:0755
    INT 39 => 4C73:0755
    INT 3A => 4C73:0755
    INT 3B => 4C73:0755
    INT 3C => 4C73:0702
    INT 3D => 4C73:072F
    INT 09 => 4261:808C
    INT 04 => 4261:8908
    1.09 Delayed, directly set:
    INT 22 => 4C69:004E
    5.26 OPENFILE failed: LOCKFILE.KEY(2) => I:\vDOS\LOCKFILE.KEY(2)
    INT 08 => 4261:681A
    INT 09 => original
    INT 00 => original
    INT 04 => original
    INT 34 => original
    INT 35 => original
    INT 36 => original
    INT 37 => original
    INT 38 => original
    INT 39 => original
    INT 3A => original
    INT 3B => original
    INT 3C => original
    INT 3D => original
    INT 02 => original
    6.13 Delayed, directly set:
    INT 08 => original
    INT 22 => original
    INT 23 => original
    12.04 vDos ended by EXIT (0)

Error messages:
    KEY FILE NOT LOCATED
    ENTER DISC IN DRIVE A: OR DRIVE B:
and:
    ACCESS NOT ALLOWED
[Probably meaningless as I think these are the program errors]

VOLNAME left in folder I:\vDOS\ contains the text:
    'Bad command or file name'

Before exiting from vDos, I can change to the A:\Alt drive and verify that the LOCKFILE.KEY is present, but for some reason the program cannot access this.

I have tried changing the I:\vDOS\Floppy\Alt\ folder to I:\Floppy\Alt\ and editing autoexec.txt, but this does not help.

Can you suggest any possible reasons for my problem?

[Jos]

The first OPENFILE failed: LOCKFILE.KEY(2) => I:\vDOS\Floppy\LOCKFILE.KEY(2)
Shows (no path given) the DOS current work directory is DOS A:\ (Windows I:\vDOS\Floppy\).

The second OPENFILE failed: LOCKFILE.KEY(2) => I:\vDOS\LOCKFILE.KEY(2)
The DOS current work directory to be DOS C:\ (Windows I:\vDOS\).

USE A: I:\vDOS\Floppy\ should be USE A: I:\vDos\, and LOCKFILE.KEY in there?

The VOL command isn’t supported by the vDos command processor, so the 'Bad command or file name'.
Don’t recall anyone in need for that. The volume label is always “DRIVE-<DOS drive letter>.

Jos

[chrisr]

Thanks Jos,

I have simplified my folders to put all files into a [Windows folder] I:\vDOS\ALT

In autoexec.txt I then set the [vDOS folders] USE C: I:\vDOS\ALT and USE A: I:\vDOS\ALT, change to C:, then run the executable file ALT130.EXE.

Result is the same error messages:


KEY FILE NOT LOCATED

ENTER DISC IN DRIVE A: OR DRIVE B:

and:

ACCESS NOT ALLOWED


I have attached the vDos.log file. This time it does not show any 'OPENFILE failed' messages but there are two 'LOADEXEC: C:\COMMAND.COM /C VOL a:>volname' messages' with a file VOLNAME left in folder I:\vDOS\ which contains the text 'Bad command or file name'. I understand from your previous post that the VOL command isn’t supported by the vDos command processor. I am therefore not sure what is happening here or how this file is being created.

I think I am coming to the view that my MS-DOS program seems to want a physical drive A: or B: rather than the vDos drive A:. Looks like I may be at the end of the road unless you can suggest anything else.

Chris

Attachments:

vDos.log (2.97 KB)

autoexec.txt (56 B)

[Jos]

The trailing >volname redirects the output of COMMAND.COM to the file volname.
Since VOL isn’t supported, the error message 'Bad command or file name' will be written to volname (instead of being displayed).

Could be the program checks for a valid volume name in there and chokes on the error message. You could try the following:

Create a VOL.BAT batch file with the line ECHO A_DRIVE>volname. So that is executed and volname will contain A_DRIVE instead of the error message.

Possibly the program actually checks the volume name to be a specific string. So replace A_DRIVE in VOL.BAT by what it was in the virtual XP.

If the program does more ‘weird’ things like low level direct disk access, I’m afraid it ends for vDos.

Jos