1

When I attempt an installation of an application in MS-DOS, I receive the following error: "Divide Overflow." What is the meaning of this error and how do I fix it?

The install procedure is:

  1. Partition my HDD
  2. Format C drive

  3. Install MS-DOS 4 Add the flowing lines to config.sys

    DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 6000 512 64 /e

  4. Insert my floppy application and then restart

It works properly the Virtual machine Q emulator but I receive a "Divide Overflow" error on the real machine (Vectra HP PC).

slhck
  • 228,104
repozitor
  • 61
  • There is probably a timing loop somewhere in the code, and your new[er] machine is way faster than it ever expected, generating a divide-by-zero error. What application is it? Do you have the source code? – Cody Gray - on strike Aug 17 '14 at 09:27

2 Answers2

1

You have a lot of options.

  1. FreeDOS:Instead of installing MsDos, install that one
  2. Emulator on the machine: Istead of installing it on a virtual machine, do it on the real one.
  3. DosBOX: Istead of using Q emulator, use DosBOX, multi-platform, and works like a charm on any machine.
TweakFix
  • 481
1

I'm not sure how old this system is, but it may have subtle incompatibilites in the chipset that cause it not to really be compatible with DOS or all DOS applications. It's also possible there's a newer CPU feature that is causing an issue. It could be that the application is doing something weird with invalid instructions

Try going into the BIOS and disabling any extended CPU features, any caching, and any onboard hardware that you don't need for this application.

LawrenceC
  • 73,957