I have just logged on to this board for the first time.
I am an ancient programmer and have stuck doggedly to Paradox DOS 4.5. My current data base has 286 scripts in 6 libraries and countless data, code and template tables.
I updated my hardware last week and am trying Windows XP. To my surprise, PDX DOS works in this platform. But I have a problem with calling MS programmes from within it. Under Win 98, I could "Start WinWord.exe xxx.Doc". The DOC is set up to merge with data exported from PDX to a DBF file. I cannot start winword now.
Is anybody else still using Paradox DOS? If so, any ideas?
Thanks.
PS: To Webmaster. Am not very proficient at using stuff on the Web. I am trying to post an introduction message and my apologies if this message is in the incorrect context.
Member subscribes to this thread but email is NOT VERIFIED.
Email Not Verified!
Once email is verified, we will review and approve the account.
Web Presence Hidden.
Once above is taken care of, full Profile content will display including back links, about me, my message, custom Profile html,
social networking links, message board signature, company profile, etc.
As for executing a Windows application from Paradox for DOS, I'm not sure. What is the "start" command. Is that a Paradox for DOS command? XP is really Windows NT so that makes me wonder if start is supported on Windows NT?
Thanks Steve for adding good info to old threads. Much appreciated.
For those lurking-around, Steve is a long-time Paradox developer who helps run a great website called theDBcommunity.com as well as his own website www.diamondsg.com and participates heavily in the various Paradox newsgroups. Lot's of good things on both websites but many times I have personally recommended my clients purchase Paradox (especially older versions) from his Paradox Sales page...
The error message : -Cant start Paradox: unable to open/create E:\PDOX45\NETWORK\PDOXUSRS.NET
can be corrected by opening your idapi.cfg file and changing the path paradox is using for the pdoxusrs.net location. you do not need to reinstall paradox, just edit that file. (you can also edit any aliases, working directory, etc paths while you're in there in case any of those also point to your now-gone e: drive.)
normally you can access this thru the control panel BDE Administrator, but on some systems it may be "OBDC". sometimes it is easiest just to navigate to the c:\idapi folder and locate it there. in any case, once you have it open you want to change the NETDIR path, then save the changes and close it.
I have to say though that one of my test machines is running Win98SE and has Pdox Dos 4.5 on it, and it has the BDE configuration in its control panel. When I access it and change the NETDIR path, and then open Pdox, it is using the path I set it to. I searched my hard drive and I don't have an 'nupdate' file.
My configuration/installation must be different. I know this machine also has another old DOS program (SmartManager) which uses the BDE as well. Don' t know if the one thing has anything to do with the other, just throwing it out there :)
Anyway, thanks again for the info Steven, and good luck dimpex2, hope you've got it solved.
help me out here steven, when i'm done changing the NETDIR in BDE config on the Win98 machine, and I go to exit, it prompts me to save, and the default filename is idapi.cfg.
along the top in the title bar it reads "BDE Configuration Utility - idapi.cfg".
i'm confused... why is my machine always the odd duck?! can you shed any light?
so it sounds like i must have had pdox win on this machine at some time, or that SmartManager program put it on and uses the idapi.cfg. probably the former, since one of the drivers in the window is pdox. i'll have to play with it a bit!
I updated my hardware last week and am trying Windows XP. To my surprise, PDX DOS works in this platform. But I have a problem with calling MS programmes from within it. Under Win 98, I could "Start WinWord.exe xxx.Doc".
I'm replying to a very old message, just adding some useful hints for the lurkers..
yes, PdoxDOS runs fine under XP.. see 4xGuide on my web site for complete installation / deployment guidelines..
the Windows Start command was required in the original Win95 only, but it's still there.. it's important to note that the command line switches were changed in XP.. see the Windows Help files if you need more info on that.. my guess is that the issue for the OP is that he was doing something that no longer mapped the PATH to the MS Office folder..
PdoxDOS does NOT use the BDE in any manner.. the BDE didn't even exist when PdoxDOS was around, so how could it be used?
nupdate.exe is used to set up the .cfg file.. the .cfg file is what is called when the program runs.. doesn't matter if nupdate is gone, once it's done the configuration..
the idapi.cfg is for PdoxWIN, or other Win-based platform using paradox tables (delphi, C+, etc.).. the paradox.cfg in the folder with the rest of the PdoxDOS files is what PdoxDOS uses..
Member subscribes to this thread with a verified email.
Old Account!
If this is your account, sign in to activate web presence data (sign in quarterly to keep active). Alternatively, you can subscribe to our monthly eMag with a valid email address.
Web Presence Hidden.
Once above is taken care of, full Profile content will display including back links, about me, my message, custom Profile html,
social networking links, message board signature, company profile, etc.
Paradox
Print This
What's that? 
(just kidding).
, Steve is a long-time Paradox developer who helps run a great website called 
