How to run BASIC script in Windows PE?

Question

I work for a computer hardware business. They've got automated installations over a file server in their network, where they clone a Windows installation to a hard drive and then run Windows PE to finish it.

Before Windows PE starts, you have a customization menu written in BASIC. This script then copies, as stated, the Windows and initializes Windows PE.

Now I need to run another BASIC script when Windows PE has already started. I know there is a command file in the Windows folder, which is being executed when Windows PE starts up. So there is a single command line window which executes.

UNfortunatelly, I don't get BASIC to run. I have managed to include QBasic to Windows PE, but when I try to run it like qbasic.exe /run test.BAS it tells me that this is not the right environment.

I also Googled for it, but couldn't find any way to get BASIC to run.

How can I run BASIC scripts in Windows PE?

Answer 1

Windows PE (similar to e.g. Windows 7-64) does not contain the NTVDM and is unable to run DOS applications. Since QBasic is a pure DOS application, it cannot be run at all. Try to rewrite your script to something more modern, e.g. VBScript (if it needs to be a BASIC dialect).

If that is not possible, you might get away with using DOSBox (which itself is a Windows application) to run the QBasic interpreter.