Will Windows 8 Run Dos Programs that run under XP?

I have not been able to upgrade from Win XP to WIN 7 because the invironment I would have needed to set up in Dos Box was far too complex. I have heard that WIN 8 will use all system Network settings (Novell) and run my DOS programs as well as WIN XP did.

Is that right?
Is there a Novell network driver for WIN 8?
Does it make a difference if I install the 32 or 64 bit version of WIN 8?

Thanks for the help!
Dan

Win8 64-Bit doesn't support 16-Bit programs (just like Vista/Seven). Win8 32-Bit is supposed to support, but I had no luck with a few of them.

No 64 bit version of Windows has ever supported 16 bit Windows or DOS applications. Don't expect that to change. Each new 32 bit version seems to have more limited support for 16 bit applications. If such an application does not run under Windows 7 it is unlikely to work under Windows 8. You could try but I wouldn't hold out much hope. The best option would be to run it on XP installed on a virtual machine.

Windows 8 32-Bit is supposed to support, but I had no luck with a few of them.

Click to expand...

Each new 32 bit version seems to have more limited support for 16 bit applications.

Click to expand...

Vista / Seven x86 used to run most of my old 16-bit progs, but the story with Windows 8 x86 is very different... most of then doesn't work properly.

Hi there
IMO Ms should drop support for the 32 bit OS completely -- why maintain two different versions of the OS - no new computers are 32 bit any more.

People who want to run 32 bit or even DOS apps can easily do it in a Virtual machine. Virtual Machine overhead these days even on modest hardware is very small.

Eventually even the WOW (windows on windows) where things like 32 bit office run in the 64 bit OS could be phased out too.
This would make the OS even leaner (and quite a bit sappier) too.

Cheers
jimbo