How did you initially install it on this computer?

No dos box simulates a dos environment on windows. It is for legacy programs that originally ran on dos. Windows 3.1 was heavily based on dos where as XP isn't at all therefore I thought that dos box might help. Your problem has less to do with the operating system and more to do with how resources are used which is totally different now than it was. Like I said I really don't know how to help you because to don't see how it ran on XP in the first place.

Hi
It did work on my windows 95, windows 98. XP, and Vista - for the last year on XP and 6 months on Vista.
So how this all works I do mnot know
it was written in Borland's "Turbo Pascal for Windows" v1.5.
Weren't all these green beige card games written as a kind of video, in the old days?
It originally camje from a 1.4mm floppy, in a zip file called carl16.zip
I do miss it so, especially as it is causing so much trouble - to me and to you

fchb

Hi rich
I took it from a 1.44 floppy years ago, and just copied into the next computer. It was in its own directory, and if it used anything outside that directory, it was never a problem.
I would create a new folder and copy it in - worked every time!?
It reminds me of those little memory-resident programmes from the eighties, small and compact, and easy to install

fchb

Hi
It did work on my windows 95, windows 98. XP, and Vista - for the last year on XP and 6 months on Vista.
So how this all works I do mnot know
it was written in Borland's "Turbo Pascal for Windows" v1.5.
Weren't all these green beige card games written as a kind of video, in the old days?
It originally camje from a 1.4mm floppy, in a zip file called carl16.zip
I do miss it so, especially as it is causing so much trouble - to me and to you

fchb

I installed it from a cd I had copied it onto - and it worked fine for 6 months.
I managed to find the original floppy disk. It was a .pcp file ( obviously archive) but I cannot unzip and install it.
How can I unzip a PCP file, as none of the normal zip programs will unzip it - ie., 7 file, unzip me, pk unzip, or winrar

thanks fchb

File Extension .PCP Details
Several Associations:
-AutoCAD R13 and Prior Plotter Configuration
-PC Paint (DOS) Bitmap Image (has not been verified)
-RCF EnCoder/DeCoder Encoded File
-Symantec Live Update Pro
-Windows Installer Database Editor (Orca) Patch Creation Properties File
Fir the third one:

RCF EnCoder/DeCoder is an application created for all people who need fast and medium secure encryption. You are able to encode multiple files and folders into a single compressed archive. The program uses keys which can be large as 36kB and can be made only for decoding. You can limit the maximum number of decodings after which key is unusable. PCP = Protective Content Provider

For the last one:

Uses a Windows Installer database editor called Orca to author a patch creation properties file (.PCP extension). The .PCP file may be used with the utilities Msimsp.exe and Patchwiz.dll to generate a Windows Installer patch package (.MSP extension). Orca, Msimsp.exe, and Patchwiz.dll are provided in the Windows SDK Components for Windows Installer Developers.

In your case my guess would be the last one however I don't know that it will help you because that will possibly be for installing the program on a dos based system like windows 3.1. XP is not a dos based system. Again, because of the extensive differences between the two systems and because of the way windows 3.1 programs ran in memory (which is a way that XP now prohibits) I don't know how it was able to run on XP in the first place much less how to advise you to get it running again. The only thing that I know of that might work is to launch it from DOSBox and I can't help you there either.

Thank you kindly for all your suggestions - it gives me a clear insight into how I can get around things!
If I do I'll tell you.
Thanks ever so much again

fchb

A very special thanks to Townsbg for his invaluable ideas.
.pcp turned out to be 'Pcplus' the magazine
The programme was an LHA file - which would not uncrypt!
I spent hours trying out ideas - but nothing
Much later I downloaded a CAD programme for my wife ( studying property and design)
and, remembering 'townsbg' suggestions - I copied the Carlton file back onto the computer, and tried again - SHOCK - it works!!!!!
Thank you all for your contributions

fchb - a happy bunny

You're welcome. I'm glad that you were able to figure it out.