Post by Aspen Env on Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:30 am
Help
I have a friend that uses Word Perfect 6.1 for DOS (what can I say, he’s stuck in his ways).

In any event. he asked me to load the software on a laptop for him to use. In the process, I’m having trouble reading the install disk 1. It’s hanging up on the Install.exe file

I’m wondering if I can obtain a copy?

Second, I would ask if it will run under windows XP?

Thanks in-advance for your help.

Jon
Aspen Env
(email address removed by moderator to prevent harvesting)

WordPerfect/DOS, version 6.1 or 6.2, might still be available from Corel. Might not, too-6.2 came out while WP was a Novell product. 6.2 is very similar to 6.1, and may have slightly better file compatibility with current versions, but do note that the WP file format changed at version 7, and is the same for 7-12.

Try 800-772-6735 (800-77COREL) to buy a copy; at one time Corel had a referral to a non-profit organization that they had allowed to resell the old versions–worth asking.

I assume that your friend can’t find the install disks. Note that WP 6.x, as a DOS application, doesn’t need installation the way Windows programs do. You can just copy the program folders to the new PC from his old box, and manually create startup shortcuts on the desktop.

It should run just fine under Windows XP. If it doesn’t, create a shortcut to run the program, right click it, and there should be a tab for compatibility. Choose ‘disable themes’ and tell XP to make the software act as though it is running under the oldest version of Windows shown in the list. Set it to run full-screen. Test it in both text mode and graphics mode, and in print preview–WP 6.x used different video modes. You’ll have to set the options in WP for the video card; try the autodetect first.

Printer drivers are another matter. (ahem) If he is running a laser printer, it’s probably OK; look in the manual for what it emulates. Try an HP LaserJet II or 4 driver; it is emulated by a lot of modern lasers. You may also need to use a “net use” command (see the Microsoft support pages) to redirect LPT1 to an existing printer. Tricky, but not too tough.