Multiple PIFs for Same MS-DOS Applications in Windows

Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
Article ID: Q84419

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1, if a program information file (PIF) for an MS-DOS application already exists, a dialog box will appear and provide an option to create a new PIF, replace an existing PIF, or cancel the request.

In Windows 3.0, running the Set Up Applications command from the Windows Setup icon creates a new PIF for each MS-DOS application that it recognizes from the [PIF] section of the SETUP.INF file.

MORE INFORMATION

To set up MS-DOS applications to run in Windows 3.0 or 3.1, do the following:

From the Program Manager, choose the Windows Setup icon.
From the Options menu, choose Set Up Applications.

Windows searches the [PIF] section of the SETUP.INF for Windows 3.0 or the APPS.INF file for Windows 3.1 for MS-DOS applications and uses the related information to create the PIF.

The PIF filename conventions are as follows:

For Windows 3.1, the Set Up Applications program displays the following message when it encounters an existing PIF for an MS-DOS application:

   A program information file (PIF) for <name of MS-DOS application>
   already exists: <PIF name>. The existing PIF may provide Windows
   with special instructions about running <name of DOS application>.

   To preserve the existing PIF and set up an additional PIF for <name
   of DOS application>, choose Create. This also creates a new Program
   Manager icon for <name of DOS application> so you can run <name of
   DOS application> using the new PIF.

   To replace <PIF name> with a new PIF, choose Replace. This creates
   a new Program Manager icon for <name of DOS application> and any
   existing Program Manager icons that refer to <PIF name> will use
   this new PIF.

   To preserve the existing PIF without creating a new Program Manager
   icon, choose Cancel.

If you choose Create, Windows creates a new PIF and adds sequential numbers to the new filename. The list of PIFs will then look as follows:

   WORD5.PIF
   WORD500.PIF
   WORD501.PIF

In Windows 3.0, a number is substituted for the last letter of the filename (not the extension). For example, several PIFs for WORD for MS-DOS would be created as follows:

   WORD5.PIF
   WORD0.PIF
   WORD1.PIF
   WORD2.PIF

In this example, Set Up Applications was invoked three times with the original PIF being WORD5.PIF. Windows also creates a new icon using the last PIF created. The original icons are not replaced. However, if the previous icon is deleted, it is also safe to delete the previous PIF.

KBCategory: kbusage kbenv
KBSubcategory: win30 win31
Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a 3.10 3.11 files option options

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Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
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