NTVDM.EXE error?

[ADB100]

I have three 2003 Servers. One of these servers refuses to run any 16Bit applications at all; even trying to run 'command.com' fails. If I click Start, Run and type 'command" and press return I get a dialogue box titled 'ntvdm.exe - System Error', in the box it says

NTVDM encountered a hard error

There are Close and Ignore buttons to click. If I choose either close or ignore nothing happens apart from the box going.
The server in question is running 2003 Standard and is a Dell 3Ghz P4 with HT, the other 2 Servers are HP/Compaq P3 servers, one is a Dual P3 933Mhz, the other a single P3 800Mhz. Command.com works on both the other servers?

Any ideas?

Andy

 

[ADB100]

After a bit of searching and comparing a working server to the one with the problem I worked it out. The problem server was missing the 'AUTOEXEC.NT' file from the system32 folder. I copied it from the other server and it now works.....

Andy

 

[ITfromZX81]

Hi ADB100

I have a similar issue. When running a 16-bit Windows program on Windows 2003 server users sometimes get the "NTVDM encountered a hard error." message.

I have looked at the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT as it seems these are the problem areas but I can't find a pattern.

I do know that when I renamed AUTOEXEC.NT just to see what happened the programs wouldn't start at all and just gave the hard error message.

What does your AUTOEXEC.NT have in it?

Thanks,

ITfromZX81