Rumbling PC TurboC++ /WinXP

[lord loh.]

I have noticed this in several computers- Both single and dual cores

When I run the DOS based turboc C++ editor on windows XP, the CPU fan speed increases and makes a lot of noise. Also, on the task manager, the CPU usage bar reaches ~100%

Why could this be happening? Is there a way to avert this?

 

[Hero999]

That's because Windows XP doesn't have DOS it emulates it which requires more resources.

What could be happening is Windows isn't detecting that Turbo C++ is not doing anything and is allocating it processing power when all it's doing it looping waitng for your input. Right click on the desktop icon click propreties and select the general tap, try playing with the idle sensitivity.

 

[lord loh.]

Dos 7

I had also tried to install DOS 7 (standalone OS) on my dual core. And the same thing happened when dos was running without any applications - I heard the fan rumbleing. However, on DOS, I could not check the processing power being used.

 

[Hero999]

I've heard about similar probems been caused by other old operating systems like Windows 95/98 when they're run in emulators like MS Virtual PC and VMWare. It's caused because old operating systems like DOS don't use the idle instruction, I can't remember what it's called off the top of my head, it's a no operation instruction that's used in program loops so the CPU doesn't use as much power.

You could check out FreeDOS, it should be better as it's still being updated and is open source so if you know what you're doing you can fix it yourself. There again whatever OS you use once your program is running your CPU will go into overdrive anyway since it doesn't put the put it to sleep when it's idle.

If it annoys so much you then get an old PC and install DOS and Turbo C++ on it. The chances are you can pick up an old 500MHz machine with 64MB of RAM for nothing.

 

[Sceadwian]

Why are you programming using an outdated dos C comiler in XP? There are many free programming languages out there that run under XP nativly.

 

[lord loh.]

Well I had to use the turbo C++ compiler asd it was a part of my curriculum and I needed to use that very compiler for my project. :-(

 

[Sceadwian]

You're pretty much stuck with it, aside from perhaps using a quieter fan. Most PC fans are massivly over powered for the amount of air they actually need to move.

 

[Hero999]

So what did you do in the end?

Did the Windows settings help or have you given up and are putting up with it?

Is this installed on your home computer? Do you have the appropriate license? Is this a student version?

Aren't there other free and open source compilers around that are more or less 100% compatible with Turbo C++?

 

[lord loh.]

I guess the old turbo c++ is no longer supported by borland. And there is a C++ commandline tools that is free..

Even this compiler from borland is not 100% compatable.

OS have minimal borland support.. clrscr(); is absent to begin with in GCC for windows..

I guess I shall dump the old C++ compiler now that I have finished the course.

 

[Sceadwian]

My first, and only real C program was in Borland Turbo C. A silly little program I wrote like 15 years ago that cheated at a hangman door game on a local BBS after I found a plain text file of every word in the english language =) Really ticked off a friend of mine when I beat her high score that took her 6 months to get in less than an hour.