How can I run DOS 3.3 programs from 3.5″ disks and hard disk?
You can run quite a few DOS 3.3 programs from 3.5″ disk, a large RAM disk, or hard disk. However, there are numerous DOS 3.3 programs which will not run this way and which could even damage files and directories on the larger media. Problems are especially likely when a program modifies and CALLs machine code routines such as Read/Write Track-Sector (RWTS) and/or makes assumptions about the physical locations on disk of important DOS 3.3 areas such as the Volume Table of Contents, CATALOG track, and DOS itself. Using a special routine to save “High Scores” to a specific Track/Sector is just one of many ways a DOS 3.3 program might create havoc on a hard disk. On the other hand, you have programs which stick to using standard DOS commands from BASIC such as, probably, most of your own DOS 3.3 programs and most ‘type-in’ software from publications like SoftSide. Programs like these should run fine using one of the techniques for accessing DOS 3.3 software from 3.5″ diskette or hard disk.
