How to set the properties of a Win NT DOS box for the best results

This topic is intended for use on Win NT (Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional).

For Win 9x(Windows 95, Windows 95 OEM, Windows 98, Windows 98 2nd Edition, and Windows Me) see: How to set the properties of a Win 9x DOS box for the best results.

Windows 2000 and Windows NT Console Virtual Machine Properties.

This topic reviews the suggested properties of the DOS Box (usually for a BAT or PIF file) in which to run the MonTel Server.

Windows NT (et al) treats DOS programs as a subset of Console programs, and runs them under C:\WINNT\system32\COMMAND.COM which calls C:\WINNT\system32\CMD.COM. A BAT (batch) file by default runs under CMD, which looks like this and does NOT have some of the properties that we require to be modified.

We need a DOS shortcut that looks like this:

So we will need to create a COMMAND.COM shortcut and modify that. In fact a shortcut to any DOS program including SERVER.EXE should work. Note that a DOS Box under Windows 2000 does not have the tool bar line of Win9x. Also you cannot edit the properties we are after from the menu of the DOS Box Window. (Technically this is a Console Virtual Machine and not a DOS box, but we will keep using the term, since that is what it is in popular usage).

If you right click directly on the application SERVER.EXE, you will not create a shortcut, but rather a PIF file, which will probably end up in the C:\WINNT\PIF directory. So you should make sure that you have actually created a shortcut before following these steps.

Open the Shortcut that you have created, and modify the the Program Tab. You change this to point to a batch file (presumably one you have created called MONTEL.BAT). You should change the working directory, and you may wish to also change the Icon as well.

Note that Advanced button gives the location of the AUTOEXEC.BAT (NT) file and CONFIG.SYS (NT) file used by COMMAND.COM, but they are not quite named or located as you might expect!

Icons can be found in the MOTEL.EXE file, or specifically as ICON files in the support directory.

Now select the other tabs and check that the settings are the same as below: (The Font settings are just to save memory - and are not necessary here)

Memory: (Note that you system may not allow you to 520K free. In this case you will need to make modifications to CONFIG.NT and AUTOEXEC.NT to allow the DOS prompt to have sufficient conventional Memory.) Protect the conventional memory. Note that the MonTel Server does not require XMS or EMS memory, how ever you will need HMA to maximise the conventional memory available to DOS.

Fast ROM emulation will only have limited effectiveness even though the Server is a pure text application, since the Server writes directly to Video (intercepted by Windows). Make sure that Dynamic memory allocation is checked off, or MonTel may not be able to obtain memory from the system (even though it is the only thing running in the DOS box) when it needs.

Selecting Idle sensitivity as Low, will give the Server a longer time slice, limiting the impact of other programs. MonTel will surrender the time slice when the serial port buffer is empty or a call record is saved, which should limit its impact on other programs (MonTel is well behaved).

It is important to make sure that Always suspect Background is unchecked. To play it safe, also disallow the screen saver.

Press OK and exit the DOS box to restart it with the new settings.