Conference noted::windows95

    I have a DOS app that won't run under Windows 95.  The app, EXE2BIN.EXE
    gives the message "Incorrect DOS version" when I try to run it.
    
    As far as I know, there is no EXE2BIN.EXE available for Windows 95.  If
    this were DOS 6.2/Win 3.1, I'd load the SETVER TSR with a version
    number that EXE2BIN likes.  
    
    In fact, I've tried to do just that.  When I single step through
    CONFIG.SYS, I can see the DEVICE=SETVER.EXE command execute (I won't
    say properly - without any success message, its impossible to say).
    
    When I get to the prompt, and type the SETVER command, it lists the
    files it knows about, but also warns me "SETVER device not loaded".
    And of course, no matter what version I set it to, EXE2BIN still won't
    run.  I looked for it by using MEM /D, but it doesn't show up.  So I
    can't really tell if it loads properly or not.  Never-the-less, even if
    it does load, it doesn't seem to work.
    
    Anyone know a magic way to get an older version restricted app to run
    under Windows 95?
    
    jeb
    

    
    Jeb,
    	Have you tried it under DOS V7 itself. Ie shut Win95 down to DOS
    mode (which reports V7 on my machine) and try exe2bin from there? You
    will get more truly Dos-like behaviour at that level and - so long as
    you don't actually need Win95 running full tilt to acheive your goal it
    may be a better bet?
    
    Rgds
    Alan T.
    

    I always like it when I can answer my own question!  :-)
    
    Turns out that there are some applications in the Win95 WINDOWS
    directory that end in .WIN.  Specifically, there is a file called
    SETVER.WIN.
    
    Seems that this is ACTUALLY an EXE!  You simply have to rename it to
    SETVER.EXE, and then place a line in CONFIG.SYS to load it at boot
    time.
    
    Then you can use the SETVER command to update its database as needed. 
    For EXE2BIN, it was happy with version 5.00.
    
    You know, there must be a lot of really neat stuff in Windows 95.  Too
    bad 99% of the public will never know about 99% of it, thanks to
    stealth documentation.
    
    jeb
    

How did you find that out ?

Alan

    Someone who was more experimental than I!  I actually searched for
    SETVER.*, and found the SETVER.WIN file, and browsed it.  It was
    garbage, but it never occurred to me that, duh, executables tend to
    look like garbage when browsed.
    
    I'd love to tell you I found it in some not-so-obscure MS
    documentation, but you might hurt yourself laughing at me.  :-(
    
    BTW, EXE2BIN DOESN'T come on Windows95.  You have to find a copy
    yourself.  The copy I originally had didn't work, but I found that the
    version that comes with NT is a little more forgiving, and believed
    what SETVER had to say.
    
    jeb
    

I too searched for SETVER.* and found SETVER.EXE on my system.
I wonder why?

Dave

    Its possible that it has to do with OPK SR2, or it may be the
    particular FIS that we build here.  In truth, I can't call my system
    "off the shelf", other than that it faintly resembles a Digital laptop
    factory disk.  
    
    However, I distinctly got the impression from the person that told me
    about this was that it was a standard procedure.  Maybe he meant
    standard in his group.  His group develops the FIS image for the
    laptops.
    
    jeb