Unable to run DLL linked C++ exe. "This program cannot be run in DOS mode." error

I am trying to run a console C++ application linking with my DLL files from the command prompt in a XP windows machine. Recently I have started getting "This program cannot be run in DOS mode." as an error message. As I understand this is a filler message in all DLL's to print if this exe was invoked in a pure MS-DOS environment. So Why am I getting this in a Windows CMD window? Is it telling me that one of my DLLs has a problem?

Also I observed immeditaly after the error message the Windows path depiction changes as follows

<--------------Screen Dump------------------------------>

C:\Program Files\MYPROGRAMS\APPLICATIONS>foo.exe This program cannot be run in DOS mode.

C:\PROGRA~1\MYPROG~1\APPLICAT~1>

<--------------Screen Dump------------------------------>

Why does the path text change to Win95 style(for want of better phrase)? Is it som开发者_JAVA百科ehow setting the system into some compatibility mode?

Most of the googling indicates this error occuring only during installation(unlike my scenario). THis link http://www.personalcopy.com/doserror.htm talks about a variant but the checkboxes are no longer present in the DOS window properties.

Any help and pointers appreciated.

First open the EXE with hex editor ,what u want to run .After open ,can u see the MZ signature at starting...if there is other than MZ ,there may be ,Exe is not a correct form....after this ,u can move next..

@Hans THis is the linker command (Answering because the text is too big for comments)

/OUT:"......\nt\win32\Release\foo.exe" /INCREMENTAL:NO /NOLOGO /MANIFEST /MANIFESTFILE:".\foo_cli\Release\foo.exe.intermediate.manifest" /DEBUG /PDB:".......\nt\win32\Release/foo.pdb" /SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF /LTCG /MACHINE:X86 /ERRORREPORT:PROMPT kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib "......\nt\win32\release\foo_other_tests.lib" "......\nt\win32\release\foo.lib" "......\nt\win32\release\foo_tests.lib" "......\nt\win32\release\foo_logger.lib" "......\nt\win32\release\ext1.lib" "......\nt\win32\release\ext2.lib"