Solved: VMware Workstation 8 DOS Full Screen

Create Account

VMware

Questions

Followers

Top Experts

RickEpnet🇺🇸

VMware Workstation 8 DOS Full Screen

We have an old accounting system runs on DOS it is also used to estimating with blueprints. It was written in FOX Pro 2.6.

With Windows 7 64 Bit we need to run a virtual machine we are using VMware Workstation 8. We would like to do a full screen DOS. I have it working but in order to for it to work after the application is started I have to click on the View menu in VMware Workstation Auto Size and Stretch Guest. If it is already on Stretch Guest I have to switch it off and then back on.

Is there anyway around this? Can this be done via a batch file because the application starts with a batch file.

I know I interact with vCenter with Power Shell (I know not the same)

Zero AI Policy

We believe in human intelligence. Our moderation policy strictly prohibits the use of LLM content in our Q&A threads.

John🇨🇦

Go into the Guest Machine options (before starting), Advanced Tab and set the option to enter Full Screen after powering on. I tried it and it seems to work.

(Note, it is unchecked here because that is the way I want it). ... Thinkpads_User

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)🇬🇧

What don't you just use CTRL-ALT-ENTER Full Screen?

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)🇬🇧

Unless you are wanting to run a DOS screen above 80x25?

EARN REWARDS FOR ASKING, ANSWERING, AND MORE.

Earn free swag for participating on the platform.

John🇨🇦

CTRL-ALT-ENTER is the same as the option setting I suggested earlier (except the option is automatic). You can also try the Stretch Guest option, but that is in Preferences and is guest independent. DOS has no VMware Tools and I do not know if it will work for DOS.

... Thinkpads_User

RickEpnet🇺🇸

ASKER

I understand what you are saying. Here is what I am talking about. See the difference between these two screen shots?

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)🇬🇧

The top image is how it would have appeared on a real DOS system on that ERA. 80x25 console mode.

So you actually want it stretched to fill a modern day high resolution screen?

Get a FREE t-shirt when you ask your first question.

We believe in human intelligence. Our moderation policy strictly prohibits the use of LLM content in our Q&A threads.

John🇨🇦

Try this:

Start your DOS machine either as I suggested earlier or use CTRL-ALT-ENTER to get to Full Screen.

Then, once full screen, in the Menu bar at the top, click on View -> Autosize - Stretch Guest. It only works in full screen, but it does stretch the guest machine.

... Thinkpads_User

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)🇬🇧

Depending upon how much time, you want to spend on this, and it would depend if this DOS application "uses" the current console mode it's in before program starts. (if it resets it to 80x25) this will not work.

but the ansi.sys driver, can change the resolution of the screen

http://www.computerhope.com/ansisys.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/msdos/comm1.mspx?mfr=true

by setting a resolution code, if you application did not reset the mode, it would be possible to run in a higher mode, but if it resets back tom text, you would lose the mode change.

RickEpnet🇺🇸

ASKER

With their pure XP machines when they do a CTRL-ALT-ENTER it looks like the bottom image.

EARN REWARDS FOR ASKING, ANSWERING, AND MORE.

Earn free swag for participating on the platform.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)🇬🇧

membership

Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.

Create Account

John🇨🇦

>>> With their pure XP machines when they do a CTRL-ALT-ENTER it looks like the bottom image.

Because you can do that with the Font properties of teh command window. That is very different from a VMware DOS machine. ..... Thinkpads_User

SOLUTION

John🇨🇦

membership

Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.

Create Account

John🇨🇦

Thanks and good luck going forward with your application. ... Thinkpads_User

VMware

Questions

Followers

Top Experts

VMware, a software company founded in 1998, was one of the first commercially successful companies to offer x86 virtualization. The storage company EMC purchased VMware in 1994. Dell Technologies acquired EMC in 2016. VMware’s parent company is now Dell Technologies. VMware has many software products that run on desktops, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS, which allows the virtualizing of the x86 architecture. Its enterprise software hypervisor for servers, VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), is a bare-metal hypervisor that runs directly on the server hardware and does not require an additional underlying operating system.