[Ham-Computers] Re XP HE And DOS Screen Reader

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hi All,

I am wondering if there is any way to use a DOS screen reading software 
program with Windows XP Home Edition. JFW - JAWS For Windows - will read in 
the command prompt mode, but not reliably. For example, if I do a dir/b/o it 
fails to read the first files that scrolls up, as well as quite a few 
thereafter! It may start talking with a file starting with the letter "F"! 
This should not happen! If it were a true DOS window, I could fix it, but 
not in XP HE and its command prompt window!

So I wonder about using a 64 Meg memory stick plugged into a USB port with 
DOS on it. If I plug the stick in, then boot up the computer, it should 
default to the USB port with the stick eventually. Now can I come up running 
MS DOS version 6.22 or Windows DOS or?

If I can come up using the same DOS as booting from a 3.5 inch 1.44 Meg 
floppy does using the 'command.com' file, then I can configure it to my 
needs via the 'autoexec.bat' and 'config.sys' files. This would allow me to 
run an external speech synthesizer off the serial port COM#1.

If I can do this, then I could do what I had to do in DOS, reboot the 
machine into XP HE etc. Unfortunately, with XP HE or PRO it is not possible 
to switch between Windows and the MS DOS prompt as one could do with Windows 
98 and back. So I have no alternative other than to reboot to switch from 
one to the other. Or do I?

Thank you for dusting off your DOS neurons guys!


Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
dfischer at usol.com
HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
http://www.w9wze.net
HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
hhrp.w9wze.net