robert213 wrote:

Just for kicks and giggles, I copied an old Paradox app to my Thinkpad T30 running Win XP SP3 to see what would happen. […]
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Just for kicks and giggles, I copied an old Paradox app to my Thinkpad T30 running Win XP SP3 to see what would happen.

I attempted to run a "tried and true" app that I wrote in Paradox 3.5 for DOS. Works perfectly on Pentium II desktop with DOS-bootable HD that was formatted with FORMAT.COM included with Win98SE.

I ran app using "runtime" version of Paradox 3.5 on Thinkpad T30 under Win XP SP3.
I promptly received some sort of "JMP" error in DOSBox.

It is not clear if you actually used DOSBox, or if you were just trying to use the Windows XP "command prompt". They are not even remotely the same thing.

Yes, I attempted to run a Paradox 3.5 runtime app in DOSBox-0.74.

DOSBox immediately gave me a "JMP Illegal Descriptor" error message.

Wow this is an old thread.. If there is anyone out there, I need to get Paradox 3.5 running with DOSBox. Has anyone done this? Is it even possible with any hardware/software configuration? Any reply would be greatly appreciated.

As DOSBox IS NOT SUITED TO RUN YOUR NON-GAMING DOS APP, don't expect official support.

You can give it a try and see for yourself. If it doesn't run in DOSBox right off the bat, some of your options include:
-using core=normal instead of core=dynamic in DOSBox.conf
-changing the amount of RAM in DOSBox.conf
-booting DOS in DOSBox using a hard drive image or floppy disk image
-using an SVN build of DOSBox

But you'd probably be better off using VMware, VirtualPC, or some other solution instead.

Dunno about 3.5, but 4.5 at least runs. However, if your data files are suddenly truncated to zero bytes or some other data disaster occurs, you'll only have yourself to blame for trying to use a database application in a games-oriented emulator.

This is the OP replying back...

1) Paradox 4.01 will run under Windows XP (also, Windows 7) command prompt window. Paradox 4.01 has ability to switch to Paradox 3.5 user interface. This is your BEST option.

2) Paradox 4.01 will run under DOSBox. Paradox 4.01 has ability to switch to Paradox 3.5 user interface.

3) Paradox 3.5 will NOT run under Windows XP (also, Windows 7) command prompt windows. Paradox 3.5 has built-in VROOM memory management. I have tried both modes (Protected and I forget the name of the other). I have experimented with various EMM386.EXE settings.

4) Paradox 3.5 will NOT run under DOSBox.

5) Both Paradox 3.5 and 4.01 will run under DOS-bootable USB Flashdrive. Google HP USB Disk Format Tool. Purchase Sandisk Cruzer 2GB (MUST BE 2 GB in order to format FAT16) flashdrive. You can use HP USB Disk Format Tool (in conjunction with a file folder containing Command.com, io.sys and ms.sys DOS system files) to format a DOS-bootable USB Flashdrive. Create your own config.sys and autoexec.bat. This is your SECOND best option. In your machine's BIOS setup, move the flashdrive on top of (or in front of) your internal harddrive. Restart machine and it will run DOS, instead of Windows XP.

To be clear:

robert213 wrote:

1) Paradox 4.01 will run under Windows XP (also, Windows 7) command prompt window.

Only the 32-bit version of Windows 7.

Purchase Sandisk Cruzer 2GB (MUST BE 2 GB in order to format FAT16) flashdrive.

You can use a smaller one, to be sure. You can even use a larger one, but you'd have to manually repartition it. (Maybe you could even use a flash card in a USB card reader.)

Also, apparently it's VROOMM. (Hadn't heard of that before. Used in Quattro Pro too, apparently.)

Also, apparently it's VROOMM. (Hadn't heard of that before. Used in Quattro Pro too, apparently.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QEMM
Before DOS 5.0, Quarterdeck's Expanded Memory Manager (QEMM) was very popular. It enabled DOS programs to access extended memory above 1MB boundary. Borland (later known as Inprise) elliminated the need for QEMM by incorporating VROOMM in all of their products.

DOS 5.0 and above without EMM386.EXE, does not allow sufficient room below 640KB to start Paradox 3.5. Under DOS 5.0 and above with EMM386.EXE, Paradox 3.5, must be configured to standard mode. DOS 5.0 EMM386.EXE conflicts with VROOMM.

DOS 3.3 allows sufficient room below 640KB to start Paradox 3.5 in both standard and protected (i.e. with VROOMM) modes. In other words, to enable VROOMM (Protected mode), you must use DOS 3.3. However, DOS 3.3 has its own set of limitations -- e.g. 32MB maximum drive partitions.

[/quote]

Paradox viewer v1.98: direct viewer for Paradox files
http://www.scalabium.com/

I quickly create data entry screens (with data validation) using either Paradox 3.5 or Paradox 4.01. After client completes data entry process, I quickly run conversion utility to produce MS Excel (MS Office 1998) spreadsheets.

Paradox viewer v1.98: direct viewer for Paradox files
http://www.scalabium.com/

Data entry errors (from entering data directly into MS Excel) have been significantly reduced.

I'm able to run Paradox 4.0 for DOS on a Windows 7 Pro (64-bit) machine using DOSBox. It might be Paradox 4.01, but the splash screen is too quick for me to read.

I haven't tried printing anything to paper from within Paradox, and that might not work because Paradox assume that all printers are connected via either a Parallel port (LPT) or a Serial port (COM) and my Windows 7 system has neither.

Also, even though I set a path within DOSBox to the location of my Paradox software, I still have to start Paradox in the software directory and then change directories to where my date is stored from within Paradox.

Try booting an actual installation of MSDOS within DOSBox. Supposedly, it helps with programs that use odd memory management schemes.

As for printing, try using one of HAL9000's DosBox builds. The default distribution of DosBox doesn't have printing built in because of its gaming-centric focus. 😜

Sojourner7 wrote:

I haven't tried printing anything to paper from within Paradox, and that might not work because Paradox assume that all printers are connected via either a Parallel port (LPT) or a Serial port (COM) and my Windows 7 system has neither.

As such this is of no importance. Programs running within DOSBox don't access your real ports anyway. They access emulated ports, and to the DOS application those emulated ports always look the same, whether any real hardware is behind them or not.

That said, standard DOSBox emulates only COM ports, not LPT ports, and has no focus on printing even via COM ports. As Mr. Bigmouth said, you need to use a non standard DOSBox build, such as the so called "Megabuild", if you need printing.

Necroposting I know, however Databases really went backward IMHO, with the shift to GUI.

I'm looking at OpenOffice Base and MySQL front ends, however none even come close to what Paradox PAL (or DBase for DOS) could achieve with some relatively simple code.

Give me a sequential language any day (like C), over the object orientated marketing gimmicks.

Anyone integrating PAL with HTML etc?

I've been writing programs in PAL since 1993 (very sloppy but they do the job). A few years ago I bought a Win-XP PC and run it on there. I don't like DOSBox or any simulators because the program has difficulty with the scripts I write. A dedicated machine with 4gb of Ram and an internet connection is ideal, plus you can use Excel as a front end.

TeaRex wrote on 2012-11-05, 09:55:

Sojourner7 wrote:

I haven't tried printing anything to paper from within Paradox, and that might not work because Paradox assume that all printers are connected via either a Parallel port (LPT) or a Serial port (COM) and my Windows 7 system has neither.

As such this is of no importance. Programs running within DOSBox don't access your real ports anyway. They access emulated ports, and to the DOS application those emulated ports always look the same, whether any real hardware is behind them or not.

That said, standard DOSBox emulates only COM ports, not LPT ports, and has no focus on printing even via COM ports. As Mr. Bigmouth said, you need to use a non standard DOSBox build, such as the so called "Megabuild", if you need printing.

Get a dedicated machine with WinXP.

robert213 wrote on 2012-06-02, 00:48:

This is the OP replying back... […]
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This is the OP replying back...

1) Paradox 4.01 will run under Windows XP (also, Windows 7) command prompt window. Paradox 4.01 has ability to switch to Paradox 3.5 user interface. This is your BEST option.

2) Paradox 4.01 will run under DOSBox. Paradox 4.01 has ability to switch to Paradox 3.5 user interface.

3) Paradox 3.5 will NOT run under Windows XP (also, Windows 7) command prompt windows. Paradox 3.5 has built-in VROOM memory management. I have tried both modes (Protected and I forget the name of the other). I have experimented with various EMM386.EXE settings.

4) Paradox 3.5 will NOT run under DOSBox.

5) Both Paradox 3.5 and 4.01 will run under DOS-bootable USB Flashdrive. Google HP USB Disk Format Tool. Purchase Sandisk Cruzer 2GB (MUST BE 2 GB in order to format FAT16) flashdrive. You can use HP USB Disk Format Tool (in conjunction with a file folder containing Command.com, io.sys and ms.sys DOS system files) to format a DOS-bootable USB Flashdrive. Create your own config.sys and autoexec.bat. This is your SECOND best option. In your machine's BIOS setup, move the flashdrive on top of (or in front of) your internal harddrive. Restart machine and it will run DOS, instead of Windows XP.

I run paradox just fine on Win 10 actually with 4mb ram in 32-bit mode.

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