NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM)

Definition of NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM) in The Network Encyclopedia.

What is NTVDM (NT Virtual DOS Machine)?

A single-threaded Win32 application that simulates an MS-DOS environment on a Microsoft Windows NT system to enable the system to properly run MS-DOS and Windows 3.x applications. Each MS-DOS-based application running on Windows NT requires its own NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM). As a result, if an MS-DOS-based application fails while running on Windows NT, it does not affect other MS-DOS-based applications.

How It Works

You can customize the NTVDM for an MS-DOS-based application by right-clicking on the application’s executable file and choosing Properties. The settings you can configure are similar to those available in the Windows 3.x tool PIF Editor.