Procomm wants a modem on COM1 or COM2. On a modern laptop, your USB-to-Serial adapter is likely COM3 or COM4. In DOSBox, you redirect the virtual COM1 to your physical COM port.
Add this line to your dosbox.conf file:
serial1=directserial realport:COM3
The most critical technical issue with Symantec Procomm Plus 4.8.zip is that the executable is 16-bit. Modern 64-bit versions of Windows (Windows 10 and 11) cannot run 16-bit applications natively. If you double-click the EXE on a 64-bit PC, you will get an error: "This app can't run on your PC." Symantec Procomm Plus 4.8.zip
To run it, you have three options:
If your goal is simply to connect to a serial device or a modern SSH server, you may not need this 16-bit classic. However, if you need the look and feel of a retro terminal, here is the comparison: Procomm wants a modem on COM1 or COM2
| Software | Pros | Cons | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Procomm Plus 4.8 | Authentic ASPECT scripting, ZMODEM, Nostalgia | 16-bit, requires emulation | BBS nostalgia, legacy script automation | | Tera Term | Modern, open source, Supports SSH/Serial | No ANSI music or BBS art | Modern serial debugging | | PuTTY | Industry standard, lightweight | Ugly interface, no scripting | Quick SSH/Serial connections | | SyncTERM | Built for BBSes, Supports telnet/SSH/RLogin | Less professional scripting | Modern BBS surfing with ANSI color | | mTelnet | Excellent font rendering | Windows only | Viewing old ANSI art |
A) Dialing into a BBS and downloading a file (high-level) The most critical technical issue with Symantec Procomm
B) Serial console to network equipment
C) Macro to automate login (example in ProComm macro pseudocode)
"Symantec ProComm Plus 4.8.zip" refers to a compressed archive that likely contains version 4.8 of ProComm Plus, a terminal emulation, modem communications, and BBS/file-transfer client originally published by Symantec (which acquired the product line). ProComm and ProComm Plus were widely used in the late 1980s and 1990s for dial-up communications, serial terminal sessions, file transfers (ZMODEM/XMODEM/YMODEM), scripting/automation, and BBS access. Version 4.8 is one of the late MS-DOS-era releases; an archive named "Symantec ProComm Plus 4.8.zip" would typically contain executable files, documentation, configuration files, drivers for serial ports/modems, and possibly installation scripts or copy-protection files.
Below is an exhaustive, structured reflection covering historical context, technical features, typical archive contents, installation and usage guidance, security and legal considerations, migration and modern alternatives, and practical examples (commands, scripts, configurations). Where appropriate I assume a typical DOS environment unless you specify otherwise.