Resolved DOS Programs; Taskbar

There are two DOS programs that I use frequently. Each of them covers the taskbar, although in Start Menu/Properties/Taskbar I have checked "keep the taskbar on top of other windows ".

Is there a way around this?

One of the programs I wrote myself and can change, but reducing the screen size doesn't seem to help.

I would also like to have a title bar with minimize and restore buttons, but the taskbar is the only important thing.

Thanks, Robert

 

Related question:

How does Windows 7 handle DOS - better, worse, not at all?

 

Only thing can think of is to create a shortcut on the desktop.

Right click on desktop and select NEW "“ Shortcut.
Or right click on program and drag it to desktop- then select Copy Here.

Once shortcut is created open the Options tab and select Window under Display Options.
You can also play with settings in the Layout and Compatibility tabs.

Layout tab has option for placement and size of window.

 

"Do you mean Create shortcut here "? The program needs to be in the directory with support files and I don't want all that cluttering my desktop.

I don't have an Options tab.
What I do have is (rightclick menu)/properties and then tabs: General Program Font Memory Screen Misc Compatibility.

Under screen I have checked [ ] Full screen / [x] Window, but there is no Layout tab and no size and placement options under the screen tab.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that I am running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 and [ ] Start menu / [x] Classic Start menu.

While composing this I am going to try [x] Start menu / [ ] Classic Start menu, but I'm sure the settings will be lost when I switch back to Classic.

But the change makes no difference - no Options tab and no way to set size and location,

What am I missing?

Also, it doesn't matter whether the shortcut is a new one on the desktop, or the one that lives in a subfolder of ...\ral\Start Menu (so I can launch the program with 3 keypresses)>

Thanks, Robert

 

That (Click START->Run and type: CMD ) just opens a DOS window waiting for a command.
C:/Documents and Settings>

Actually I used a batch file to test your suggestion:

C:\x.bat
_________________________________
g:
cd Prog\download\new62-7b\new71\psion
Chess.exe
_________________________________

And as I expected, that just launched the progeam exactly as the shortcuts do.

Just to be sure I tried the other DOS program

C:\x.bat
________________________________

g:
cd orig\PROG\LF
LX.EXE
________________________________

with the same result.

I especially don't understand

"Click START->Run and type: CMD

That should give you access to the layout tab etc..... "

What I don't understand is why you would think this "should give [me] access to the layout tab etc..... "

Thanks, Robert

 

1. I normally get a DOS prompt by a shortcut to

C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /en
[Why is the editor putting a smiley over part of "/ ", "e ",colon, "on "?]
[Hmm. Now it's not showing smilies at all. Oh well, they're not important.]

That gives me full screen, which is what I want. Start/run/CMD gives the same thing except in a mostly unresizeable window. I have no clue what you mean by "a CMD prompt versus a command prompt ".

2. Alt+enter does not work in one of the programs, the chess program (http://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Psion_Chess.html), but I imagine that is the program's fault. In the other program, and in a DOS screen or window, alt+enter flips between full screen and the mostly unresizable window.

But in DOS there is nothing - wait

Ok, I've got it. You get the layout tab by right ckicking on the title bar of the DOS window and selecting 'properties'. Uncheck 'Let Windows position the window' and you can set the size and position to fill the whole screen. (I don't quite have the parameters right yet - it looks as if the size and position are in screen coordinates, and I'll have to do a little research to see what I should put for buffer size - but I have no doubt I'll trial-and-error it out.

Thanks. I'll mark this solved or answered if that's an option.

Best wishes, Robert

I think this is going to be a nearly full solution

 

Alas, not.
It works fine for the DOS window, but for my program, L or LX.exe, entries in width and height are not accepted.

 

Just my tuppence worth, there is DOS apps and terminal apps, what are we talking about here?

Yes I know, just clarifying for others

 

DOS apps. I barely know what a terminal app is.

 

lx.exe is one of the 2 programs I mentioned. I wrote it years ago and use it for most of my word processing.

Your question makes me think that I ought to get a DOS program that is known to be well-behaved and see if it has the same problem. If youcan recommend one off the top of your head, I'd appreciate a reference.

I've lived with no taskbar at least since I switched from W98 to XP, so I can go on doing so. It only recently occurred to me that it would be nice to see the taskbar without parking the DOS app. Anyway, lx has a limited remaining lifespan since the windows version is about 3/4 done.

Thanks, Robert

 

Well, I tried 4 dos games and for 1 of them the layout fields will accept new values, thus making it possible to set the values to have a window that covers the entire screen, excepr for the taskbar. The program is mines.exe from http://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Mines.html. It is only 35k, and it came with the source code so I may try to figure out how mines does it.

Thanks, Robert

 

This thread is concluded.

Thanks, ral