DOSbox software for running Thermo in Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11

Here are the instructions required to make Thermo run under Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11.

The DOS capabilities of Windows 7 were broken by Microsoft. However, there is a free utility that provides an alternative that works well under Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11. This requires going to http://www.dosbox.com and downloading the free DOS compatibility software by selecting 'Downloads' then 'Windows'. This takes you to the direct link below.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/files/dosbox/0.74-3/DOSBox0.74-3-win32-installer.exe/download

Once the DOSbox software has been installed, there is a simple command that needs to be typed in to tell DOSbox to run from your C: drive:

> mount c c:\
> c:
> cd Thermo
> Thermo

This can be automated (by putting these commands into a configuration file) so that you just click on a Thermo icon and everything works directly. This is how I have it on my 64-bit Windows 10 machine.

There is a file supplied in the c:\Thermo folder called dosbox-Thermo.conf that can be used for this purpose. To use this, I have an icon on my taskbar that points to the DOSbox program and has the following properties. (Please note that the 'Target:' section should all appear on the same line when typed in.)

Target:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\DOSBox-0.74-3\DOSBox.exe" -exit -conf "C:\Thermo\dosbox-Thermo.conf" -noconsole

Start in:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\DOSBox-0.74-3"

The contents of the configuration file are standard except for the last five lines or so. You should be able to view and edit the file using Notepad.

I hope this information helps you to get started. The DOSbox documentation should explain more generally how to run DOS programs under Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11.

Creating a shortcut on your desktop or taskbar
Right click on your computer's desktop. Select New / Shortcut.
Browse to "C:\Program Files (x86)\DOSBox-0.74-3\DOSBox.exe".
Name the shortcut "Thermo". Right click on the shortcut and select Properties.
Change the icon to "C:\Thermo\Thermo.ico".
Target:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\DOSBox-0.74-3\DOSBox.exe" -exit -conf "C:\Thermo\dosbox-Thermo.conf" -noconsole

Thermo software was written by Wolf Meihack and Rodney Jones.


Copyright © 2014-2023 Rodney Jones, rtjones@global.co.za.
21 July 2023