DOS Screen Capture in XP

Hi all.

For years I have been using a DOS CAD program for PCB design. It's full screen with no print option. Previously I used Me and Print Screen would capture it to clipboard so I could paste it to MS painr and life was sweet.

With XP it will not Print Screen to clipboard from DOS, so I have to transfer the file on a stick to an old Win 95 'puter, process it there and bring it back.

I would really like to frre up some desk space and shift the old box out, as this is the only thing I still use it for.

Any ideas for a simple capture?

 

Is this what you are after? See thumbnail. I use GadWin Printscreen for this DOS capture. Available from http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/ Not available from MG unfortunately. :cry Bazza

 

Thx Bazza. I'm also from Qld - Bribie Island!

Looks like just the ticket.

 

Nope - doesn't work. Only captures a blank black screen.

The window opens up but at the same time closes the DOS window.

Something in setup, maybe?

 

MS has a free program that will allow you to capture either DOS windows or DOS full screens.

http://www.softwarelabs.com/help/source/fulldosscreen.html

 

Forgot to mention Start---Run--->cmd <enter> then I typed dir/p for the thumbnail. Bazza

===

 

Thanks Joelsz.

Bigbazza - is there a command I can use from run to open my program in a DOS window? I quite like that little capture program which will work with a DOS window but not a full DOS screen, so if I can open the program .exe in a DOS window, I could then capture it as you did.

I don't know DOS commands.

 

In XP command prompt you can rt click the cmd box and hightlight copy in the popup option menu and press enter and then paste the displayed text into wordpad.

 

Hi tjet.

You're way ahead of me.

The program normally opens full DOS screen from a desktop shortcut. I need to open it in a DOS window so I thought, if I can open it from Start --> Run --> cmd then enter a command, it might open in that box which I can then try what you say.

But what command? I don't know any DOS commands to try this. It starts in C:\documents and settings\My Name> . How to change to C:\ program.exe to get it to open.

BTW It's a CAD program - it's the graphics I'm after.

 

To run your DOS program in a window, go to the program's location in Windows Explorer and right click on the program's exe file. You can choose properties, click the "screen" tab and change how the program opens.
http://joelkilgore.com/numlo.jpg
This must be done on the exe file itself not a shortcut.

Many DOS applicatons (particularly games that run in full screen mode) will countermand this.

 

I know of no such DOS command. (I started using DOS in the early 1980's)
You would be asking DOS to utilize a Windows function.
An entire list of DOS commands that can be used in an XP shell can be had:
http://www.ss64.com/nt/
The "clip" command can be used to copy text from a DOS window.

A list of all standard DOS commands can be had:
http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

 

There is also a complete list of DOS commands and a short description of their functions
http://www.datastronghold.com/security-articles/general-computing/every-windows/dos-command.html

 

Type cd C:\ at the C:\documents and settings\My Name> prompt
Type program name and hit enter

Don't forget to try Joelsz' tip in #10

*******
What CAD program are you using? Someone might be able to test out a few things.

 

Thanks Joelsz,

I tried that and it is already set to window - but opens full screen from the shortcut. That's why I want to try the run -> cmd -> command path. THen the little Screen Capture program will (hopefully) capture it.

Hi sach2,

I just tried cd c:\ and that worked but typing the program or program.exe gives "invalid file or command..."

The program is traxedit.exe part of Easytrax, Autotrax suite. PCB program.

 

What is the full path to the program you want to run? In DOS you must use program names no longer than 8 characters. For example C:\Program Files must be typed as c:\Progra~1 (note the tildé) to work. Let us know and someone will help out. Due to time zones and my Net use, I am only on for a few hours daily. Bazza

===

 

I was afraid of that.
What is happening is that the program itself starts with a command to open up in full screen mode. Therefore anything you do to open the file in a window will be undone by the program itself.

There is however a small program called DOSBOX that might concievably be able to constrain your program from going full screen.
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
I've never used the program for this purpose so I' not certain it will work for you.There is a tutorial that you might read before you download the program
http://www.squakenet.com/dosbox/default.asp

 

OK
I tried the DosBox program in conjunction with GadWin Printscreen program that bigbazza mentioned.
The DosBox is cumbersome to setup. Read the manual carefully.
http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Basic_Setup_and_Installation_of_DosBox
First you have to mount the target folder as a c: drive; then you can access the program's executive file (.exe) and it will start the program within the DosBox window even though it is designed to run full screen.
It does this by using the DosBox window as though it was your screen.
You can then use GadWin Printscreen to capture screenshots of the DOS program.

A lot of steps, but it works.

 

After further testing I discovered that the GadWin Printscreen program uses a watermark on its unregistered version (the registered version removes this, but costs $30).
If this is a problem, you can simply use your PrintScr button on your keyboard to capture the image.
The drawback to doing this, of course, is that the clipboard that is part of the MS OS only holds one image at a time.
But...
There are several freeware programs that allow you to extend your clipboard to hold multiple screensaves.
http://www.nonags.com/software.asp?id=240
is one such.
Hopefully this will help you do what you want to do.

 

Hi Joelsz,

I still haven't had any success with this - got sidetracked with the impromptu tower purchase. If I'd been smarter I could have set a partition on the new (2nd hand) 'puter's 60Gb HD and installed my old Me, which does full DOS PrintScreens.:cry

 

I've used GadWin printscreen for years and never come across the "watermark" feature. :confused I use it in conjunction with ClipDiary 1.4 from http://www.majorgeeks.com/Clipdiary_d5344.html

ClipDiary will save your last 1,000's of clips. You set the limit. I recommend ClipDiary but remember it will save EVERYTHING that you copy and paste, including passwords, credit card details, so be careful. You can turn it on and off at anytime, so create a shortcut to dodge recording credit card info, etc.

Bazza

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bigbazza,

I downloaded a copy of GadWin to my home machine right after you made your post about it in this thread.
I tested it out and it seemed to work very well.
The following day I downloaded it to the laptop I keep at work and that is when I noticed the watermark.
In going back now and re-examining the link you supplied, I can see that I must have downloaded the professional version at work.
The other one is freeware and there is no watermark.
Sorry for the confusion.

I'm afraid it still doesn't copy full screen DOS.
The DosBox program is the only solution I have been able to find that works with that part of fathom's problem.

Fathom

http://joelkilgore.com/numlo1.jpg

This is a screen shot of a DOS game that normally runs in full screen mode.
I used DosBox in conjunction with bigbazza's GadWin printscreen program.
If this is the sort of result you are looking for, I can help you setup the two programs to work this way for you.

 

I think Joelsz has figured out the only way to do it on an XP machine. As far as I can tell either program will only capture the image as the size of the DOSbox whether you are running full screen or not. So you can't get true full screen resolution in your picture.

I'm not sure if this is the same program Fathom is using but I noticed a difference in colors when using Gadwin and another program ScreenThief(ver 2). The green pics are Gadwin, the gray ones are ST. The program shows gray on my screen. Maybe I did something with the resolution in one of the programs but if so I can't figure out what.

 

@ joelsz @

Sure had me confused. Bazza