The classic Turbo C++ 3.0 IDE, packaged as a normal Windows installer.
Run the setup, click the desktop shortcut, and the IDE opens fullscreen. There is
no DOSBox to configure, no drive to mount by hand, no C:\TURBOC3 folder to copy
around, and nothing else to download — the emulator, the compiler and the Visual
C++ runtime are all inside the installer.
Everything works the way it is taught: the compiler is at C:\TC and your
own programs live in C:\PROJECTS.
⬇ Download the latest installer — 81 MB, from the Releases page.
| Requires | Windows 11 or Windows 10, 64-bit |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Install scope | Per-user — no administrator rights needed |
| Updates | Automatic — see Updates |
| Uninstall | Settings → Apps → Turbo C++ IDE |
Verify the download if you like (PowerShell):
Get-FileHash .\TurboCpp-Setup-1.0.2.exe -Algorithm SHA25662a2b7ecdf263c760cc1eed75eb1caad0d08f1947318cdf2f5d1edae3578af1a
That is SmartScreen, not a virus warning. The installer is unsigned and has no download reputation yet, so Windows warns on first run.
Click More info → Run anyway. If the button is not there, right-click the downloaded file → Properties → tick Unblock → OK, then run it again.
- Download the installer from the Releases page.
- Run it and follow the installer.
- Launch Turbo C++ from the desktop or the Start menu.
Windows never prompts for elevation — it installs to your own user folder. You
can change the install folder during setup if you prefer, for example to
C:\TurboC.
The folder you choose must be named with ordinary English letters, digits and spaces. The DOS emulator cannot open paths containing other alphabets or accented characters, and the app will tell you so rather than failing silently.
The IDE opens fullscreen, already sitting in C:\PROJECTS. Type this in:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
void main()
{
clrscr();
printf("hello world");
getch();
}Press F2 to save it as HELLO.C, then Ctrl+F9 to compile and run.
That is the whole loop. Ctrl+F9 builds and runs; Alt+F5 brings the output
screen back if it disappears too fast.
Inside the IDE there is one drive, C:, laid out the familiar way:
| Path in the IDE | What it is |
|---|---|
C:\PROJECTS |
Your programs — this is where the IDE starts |
C:\TC |
Turbo C++ itself — C:\TC\BIN, C:\TC\INCLUDE, C:\TC\LIB |
In Windows, C:\PROJECTS is the folder Documents\TurboC\PROJECTS. Open it
any time to back your work up, email it, or print it. Uninstalling the app does
not delete it.
Save your work in C:\PROJECTS. Files written into C:\TC live inside the
installed program and are removed if you uninstall.
DOS filename limits: 8 characters plus a 3-character extension.
MYPROG.Cis fine,my_first_program.cis not.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
F2 |
Save |
F3 |
Open |
F9 |
Build (compile + link) |
Alt+F9 |
Compile only |
Ctrl+F9 |
Compile and run |
Alt+F5 |
Show the program's output screen |
Alt+Enter |
Toggle fullscreen / windowed |
Alt+X |
Exit — this closes the whole application |
Ctrl+Alt+F9 |
Force-quit the emulator, if a program hangs |
The app updates itself. There is nothing to click and no need to come back to this page.
When a new version is released, it downloads quietly in the background while you are working, and is applied when you close the IDE. The next time you start Turbo C++ you are already on the new version.
The first automatic update downloads the whole installer, about 81 MB — worth knowing if you are on a metered or mobile connection. After that the app keeps a copy to compare against, so later updates fetch only the parts that actually changed and are much smaller.
If the machine is offline, nothing happens and the IDE is unaffected — it simply tries again next time.
The app does nothing when I launch it
It reports missing or damaged files in a dialog box. If a dialog names a file,
reinstall. If nothing at all appears, make sure an earlier copy is not still
running in the background (Task Manager → end dosbox.exe), then try again.
"Unable to create output file" when saving or compiling
You are writing somewhere read-only. Save into C:\PROJECTS.
A second window titled "DOSBox Status Window" appears
That is normal and expected. DOSBox always opens a status/log console alongside
the emulator; the IDE runs fullscreen in front of it. Closing the IDE with
Alt+X closes both.
The output screen vanishes before I can read it
Press Alt+F5 to bring it back, or end your program with getch(); so it
waits for a keypress.
The whole app closes when I press Ctrl+F9
Fixed in 1.0.2 — update, or download the latest installer. Ctrl+F9 is "Run"
in Turbo C++, but it was also the DOS emulator's "shut down" shortcut, so
running a program quit everything. Alt+F5 had the same clash and saved a
screenshot instead of showing your output. Both work properly now.
I upgraded and my old files are missing
Versions before 1.0.1 saved to Documents\TurboC_Projects and showed it as
drive D:. Your files are still there — move them into
Documents\TurboC\PROJECTS to see them at C:\PROJECTS.
Silent install (for labs and deployments)
TurboCpp-Setup-1.0.2.exe /S
Installs per-user with no prompts. Add /D=C:\path\to\install to choose the
folder.
| Component | Version | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Turbo C++ | 3.0 | The IDE and compiler |
| dosbox-staging | 0.82.2 | Runs the 16-bit DOS software on 64-bit Windows |
| Electron | 28.3.3 | Packaging host for the launcher (no browser window) |
Windows 11 cannot run 16-bit DOS programs at all, so Turbo C++ cannot execute
natively — DOSBox is what makes it work. The launcher's only job is to set up
your projects folder, present it as C: alongside the compiler, and start the
IDE inside the emulator.
This repository distributes a binary installer only. No source code is published here.
dosbox-staging is licensed GPL-2.0-or-later. The copy bundled in this
installer is the unmodified official Windows x64 build
(dosbox-staging-windows-x64-v0.82.2.zip). Its full licence text is in
THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md, which also carries the written
offer for the corresponding source code required by GPL-2.0 section 3.
Turbo C++ 3.0 is proprietary software owned by Borland / Embarcadero. It has no current official free distribution, and no redistribution licence is granted here. It is included for convenience of study and is widely circulated for that purpose, but if you intend to mirror, rebrand, sell or bundle this installer, confirm your own right to redistribute Turbo C++ first. If you are Embarcadero and want this taken down, open an issue and it will be removed.
The launcher and packaging around them are the author's own work.