16Bit DOS executable to 32Bit Windows Console app

[memo-5]

Hi every body:
Is there any utility to transform 16Bit DOS executable to 32Bit Windows Console application?

[chessgod101]

Not possible. It would require several changes and recompilation of the program for it to become a PE.

[aldente]

If you just want to run this application on a modern Windows version, you should try out DOS Box.
You can even create a portable DOS Distribution with just our executable...

Just an idea for a workaround...

[memo-5]

Actually I don't need to run the application at all, the situation that I am facing is that I have about 50 DOS apps that I need to reverse and I hope to get benefit of hex-rays decompiler to speed up the process, but unfortunately hex-rays decompiler doesn't support 16 bit application!. so I am looking for a simple utility to transform 16 bit apps to 32 bit apps and I have the feeling that such utility exists.

Thank for the advice.

[Kerlingen]

Such an utility does not exist. 16 bit DOS programming is totally different from Win32. I say only the words interrupt, segmentation and full control. Most people who started programming after Win95 wouldn't probably even understand the logic behind DOS singularity.

Why would anybody on earth have to reverse 50 DOS programs? Most of them will be probably older than 10 or 15 years.

[yogi_saw]

In that case u r approching wrong way. Try to search for decompiler instead converting 16 bit to 32 bit

try this
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~cristina/dcc.html

[memo-5]

Thank you yogi_saw, for the advice and the link, the problem with dcc decompiler that it's academic app and dos not work for many programs, I tried it long time ago and I failed to get it work with the target apps.
I will look into the code as soon as I get some free time.

[redbull]

I have had a great deal of success debugging and running DOS and 16bit applications in DOSBOX. You can also script nice start up scripts. So you can create a batch file, put it on the desktop, double click and it will launch DOSBOX with your application running in it. DosBox can also be configured to turn off when you exit the program inside it.

Debugging I have always used either SoftIce or TR.

Softice wont work in DosBox (im sure) but TR 2.52 has been great.

[giv]

Dcc has a fundamental implementation flaw that limits it to about 30KB of input binary program

http://itee.uq.edu.au/~cristina/dcc.html

The end note.

[ricnar456]

Insight is a good debugger for 16 bits programs and work in XP in 7 etc.


http://ricardonarvaja.info/WEB/OTROS...K/insig124.zip

ricnar

[dj-siba]

Try :
LiuTaoTao TRACER
LADO's Tracer 1.0
and other debugers
all from here
http://www.exetools.com/debuggers.htm