The latest stable Synchronet release is v3.21e-Win32 (install), released Mar-2026.

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faq:win [2022/01/07 18:35] – Add mentions of NTVDMx64 for 16-bit DOS program support on x64 versions of Windows digital manfaq:win [2026/05/30 00:34] (current) – Replace dead external link with archive.org copy Claude.Ai
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 There are 2 new requirements for 16-bit DOS programs to work under Synchronet-Win32 on //Windows Vista+// 32-bit (x86) operating systems: There are 2 new requirements for 16-bit DOS programs to work under Synchronet-Win32 on //Windows Vista+// 32-bit (x86) operating systems:
   - You must have ''SBBSEXEC.DLL'' rev 38 or later (this is included in SBBS v3.14a).   - You must have ''SBBSEXEC.DLL'' rev 38 or later (this is included in SBBS v3.14a).
-  - You must copy ''SBBSEXEC.DLL'' to your Windows ''System32'' folder.+  - You must have a copy of ''SBBSEXEC.DLL'' (from your Synchronet ''[[dir:exec]]'' directory) in your Windows ''System32'' folder.
  
-Beginning with Windows 8, Microsoft disables support for 16-bit (DOS) programs by default. Search for "16-bit Application Support" in the Windows Control Panel and enable that setting. This setting only exists in 32-bit versions of Windows 8 and Windows 10.+Beginning with Windows 8, Microsoft disables support for 16-bit (DOS) programs by default. On Windows 8, Search for "16-bit Application Support" in the Windows Control Panel and enable that setting. 
 + 
 +In Windows 10 (32-bit), this setting is found under "Turn Windows features on or off", "Legacy Components", "NTVDM". 
 + 
 +{{:faq:windows_ntvdm_setting.png?500|}} 
 + 
 +On Windows 10 (32-bit), you also need to right-click on the title bar of a ''cmd.exe'' window, select Properties and then enable "Use legacy console": 
 + 
 +{{:faq:windows_10_legacy_console.png?500|}} 
 + 
 +If you do not enable this setting, you may get 16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem error popup messages when attempting to run 16-bit DOS programs from a command prompt: 
 + 
 +{{:faq:dos_subsystem_ntvdm_error.png?500|}} 
 + 
 +These settings only exists in 32-bit versions of Windows 8 and Windows 10.
  
 Stock 64-bit (x64, amd64) editions of Windows (without [[http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/ntvdmx64.html|NTVDMx64]] installed) cannot run 16-bit DOS programs from Synchronet. See the next FAQ item for the details. Stock 64-bit (x64, amd64) editions of Windows (without [[http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/ntvdmx64.html|NTVDMx64]] installed) cannot run 16-bit DOS programs from Synchronet. See the next FAQ item for the details.
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 64-bit operating systems, by default. Synchronet for Windows relies on NTVDM for 64-bit operating systems, by default. Synchronet for Windows relies on NTVDM for
 16-bit DOS program support, so you need to either run a 32-bit Windows version 16-bit DOS program support, so you need to either run a 32-bit Windows version
-(e.g. re-install, use dual-boot, or run in a Virtual Machine) or install [[http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/ntvdmx64.html|NTVDMx64]] to gain 16-bit DOS program support in your 64-bit Windows install. Yes, you can run 32-bit Windows versions of Synchronet on a 64-bit (x64) system.+(e.g. re-install, use dual-boot, or run in a Virtual Machine) or install [[howto:NTVDMx64]] to gain 16-bit DOS program support in your 64-bit Windows install. Yes, you can run 32-bit Windows versions of Synchronet on a 64-bit (x64) system.
  
 As of March 12, 2014, you can disable DOS program support in a single instance of Synchronet with the ''NO_DOS'' option in the ''Options'' value of the ''[BBS]'' section of your ''[[config:sbbs.ini]]'' file. Or uncheck the "DOS Program Support" checkbox in the "Terminal Server Configuration" dialog of the [[monitor:sbbsctrl|Synchronet Control panel]]: As of March 12, 2014, you can disable DOS program support in a single instance of Synchronet with the ''NO_DOS'' option in the ''Options'' value of the ''[BBS]'' section of your ''[[config:sbbs.ini]]'' file. Or uncheck the "DOS Program Support" checkbox in the "Terminal Server Configuration" dialog of the [[monitor:sbbsctrl|Synchronet Control panel]]:
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 Some "security" software (e.g. firewall and anti-virus programs) will interfere with the inheritance of socket descriptors between processes. One such program is the //ZoneAlarm Security Suite//. Another is //NOD32//. I don't know if this is an intentional security "feature" or a design flaw. If you have this (or similar) software installed, it may need to be disabled or completely un-installed for socket inheritance to work again.   Some "security" software (e.g. firewall and anti-virus programs) will interfere with the inheritance of socket descriptors between processes. One such program is the //ZoneAlarm Security Suite//. Another is //NOD32//. I don't know if this is an intentional security "feature" or a design flaw. If you have this (or similar) software installed, it may need to be disabled or completely un-installed for socket inheritance to work again.  
  
-Another potential cause of this Windows problem is malware (viruses, trojans, etc.) which disable the Windows Firewall Service. Even if/when the malware is successfully removed, the damage done to Windows (and specifically the registry) remains. One recent sighting of this problem was rectified with the following steps (found [[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-security/cannot-start-windows-firewall-service-error/e5c277c7-df4d-4253-91ec-5b3314488dae|here]]):+Another potential cause of this Windows problem is malware (viruses, trojans, etc.) which disable the Windows Firewall Service. Even if/when the malware is successfully removed, the damage done to Windows (and specifically the registry) remains. One recent sighting of this problem was rectified with the following steps (found [[http://web.archive.org/web/20210417115942/http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-security/cannot-start-windows-firewall-service-error/e5c277c7-df4d-4253-91ec-5b3314488dae|here]]):
  
   - In Registry Editor, browse to the key ''HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess''   - In Registry Editor, browse to the key ''HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess''
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 :!: ** Answer:**\\ :!: ** Answer:**\\
-Synchronet v3.17 defaults to assuming that your operating system supports IPv6. Windows XP does not support IPv6 by default (only IPv4). You can either install IPv6 services on Windows XP (e.g. using the command-line: ''[[https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2478747|netsh int ipv6 install]]'') or set the ''Interface'' key values in your ''[[config:sbbs.ini]]'' file to exclude the IPv6 //all-interfaces// address: ''::''.+Synchronet v3.17 defaults to assuming that your operating system supports IPv6. Windows XP does not support IPv6 by default (only IPv4). You can either install IPv6 services on Windows XP (e.g. using the command-line: ''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20151028183111/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2478747|netsh int ipv6 install]]'') or set the ''Interface'' key values in your ''[[config:sbbs.ini]]'' file to exclude the IPv6 //all-interfaces// address: ''::''.
  
 ===== See Also ===== ===== See Also =====
   * [[:faq:|FAQ Index]]   * [[:faq:|FAQ Index]]
  

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