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Q.  Does the DCMS operate in Windows VISTA, XP, 2000, NT, etc?

Yes. The DCMS runs on all Windows versions since Windows 95. I use Windows XP on my Laptop and Windows 98 Second Edition on my desktop computer with no problems at all. I have many users who have switched to Windows XP and all report that the DCMS runs fine.

Many Windows VISTA users also report no problems with running the DCMS, straight out of the box..

Every computer is different and all ofm these versions of Windows allow you to configure Windows to best accomplish your day-to-day tasks. As well, when you install some programs, especially games, .they may make a few changes to your configuration. From time to time, we will come across a configuration setting that conflicts with the DCMS and it has to be ironed out. That happens in all versions of windows and only happens now and then. I am happy to say that the conflicts are few and far between and usually occur with a program the user didn't even know he was running and therefore doesn't miss if it has to be changed or deleted. It's usually not a problem and can be done over the phone on a one to one basis.

There have been some issues with some installations of Windows XP and Windows VISTA. Here are some thoughts about that. The following procedure mentions Windows XP only, but the very same techniques can be used with Windows Vista.

I have been using it successfully in Windows XP on my three computers here at home (two desktops and a laptop) since July 2002 and it's working splendidly.  However, not all copies of Windows XP work the same in all computers. 

My laptop and my assistant's desktop computer have run the program flawlessly without a hitch. My main desktop computer, however, required me to use the "compatibility" option of WinXP.  This is a wonderful feature that I am glad Microsoft included in this version of Windows. It's also in Windows 2000 and VISTA.

The reason compatibility is offered is because the higher levels of Windows (XP, VISTA and 2000) contain so very many configuration options to allow Windows to be as powerful as you need it to be. The problem is that programs like mine, which were designed before Windows XP, don't know about all the many possible programs which could be running in the background of Windows, and which actually conflict with the DCMS - or try to use the same operating resources as my program does. Whenever you conflict with a Microsoft product, you lose.

Therefore Windows allows itself to be put in "compatibility" mode, where for all intents and purposes, it looks and feels exactly like a previous version of Windows to the program you are trying to run. As a user, you don't see any difference in Windows, but the DCMS sees a much less cluttered environment to run in.

To use this capability, I recommend that you make all of the "executable" files in the DCMS "compatible" with Windows 98. To do that, please follow these steps...  (please note that the instructions below assume you installed the program to the default directory (the DCMSWIN folder of Drive C:) If yours is installed differently, please adjust steps 2 and 3)

  1. Double Click on My Computer
  2. Log on to drive C:  (Local Disk C: - in most cases)
  3. Find the folder icon named  "DCMSWIN"   and double-click on it (to view the files in the folder)
  4. When you see the files (folders and icons) open the "View"  menu on the upper part of the My Computer Window and choose  the "Arrange Icons by..." option. Then, from the submenu which appears, choose the "Type" option.  (what this does is that it "groups" all of the executable files together, and does the same for graphics files, data files, etc)
  5. Once the icons are "grouped" scroll down until you see the icon labelled "BDECFG". (It might also have a ".EXE" behind it, depending how your copy of Windows is configured.) "BDECFG" is the first of the "executable" files. Look further down the list and you will see  "TROUBLE"  (with or without the .EXE behind it). That is the last of the executable files.
  6. For each of the files listed between (and including) "BDECFG" and "TROUBLE", do the following. Click on the file with the RIGHT mouse button (that's the button you don't usually click with). A pop-up menu will appear. Choose "Properties" from the menu. A Properties window will appear. Across the top, you will see several "tabs". One will be labelled "Compatibility". Click on the Compatibility tab. On the Compatibility page, you will see an option box labelled "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" Check that box, and the menu will activate below that option box. From the menu, choose "Windows 98/Windows Me". Leave all the other options on that page as they are. Finally, click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the box, and then click the "OK" button to close the box.
  7. Repeat the process for all of the files between (and including) "BDECFG" and "TROUBLE" and you should have no further problems with the complexities of Windows.
From there on, when you start the DCMS, Windows XP, 2000 or VISTA first sets itself up to look like Windows 98 - which the DCMS works extremely well in. Like I said, I only have to do that in my desktop computer and it is the one with the more complicated configuration (three separate monitors and lots of toys attached) If you experience any problems running in WinXP, 2000 or VISTA,  just use the "Compatibility" option and they should disappear. 

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