DOS Games Discussion

Hey there,

Ive been reading through the HELP topics, but its all arabic to me! I run Windows XP, and from what Ive understood that doesnt support DOS.
So how do I get my game to work?
I HAVE been trying to figure it out by myself, but I really dont get it.

Can someone help me please?? Get me through it step by step (easy steps please!)
Thanx!

Well, it can vary depending on which game your trying to play, but in general, there are a couple of programs you can try running them in for example Dosbox or VDMSound (for some games you can also change the settings on the program compatible wizard (start/all programs/ accessories/program compatible wizard)

To run a game in dosbox, download the application, run it, now you need to mount your drive to do this type mount and the drive you want to mount (for example mount c:\) then go to that drive (for example type c:) and proceed as if you were in dos.

For VDMSound download VDMSound and the VDMSound Lounchpad extension, install both, now right click over the game (you wish to run) exe file (start, main or whatever it's called) and click run with vdmsound) this will create a shortcut which you can use for now on to run the game (sometimes you need to change some settings, which you can do by right clicking over it and clicking properties).
I hope that helps, if you don't understand something then just post.

hmmffff, I still dont get it... Where do I find the applications that run DOS?

Dosbox http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download. ... cecc067e1c

Vdmsound
http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdmsound/

VDMSound Luanchpad
http://vdmsound.sourceforge.net/files/

charlotte22 wrote:Hey there,

Ive been reading through the HELP topics, but its all arabic to me! I run Windows XP, and from what Ive understood that doesnt support DOS.
So how do I get my game to work?
I HAVE been trying to figure it out by myself, but I really dont get it.

Can someone help me please?? Get me through it step by step (easy steps please!)
Thanx!

I can run a lot of dosgames on my computer with XP Proffesional...

Don't be too hard for yourself, even though... But don't hear me complain about you, my computer is even too slow to run dosbox

What OS are you running?

I run '98 SE, but my pc is just crap.

charlotte22 wrote:Can someone help me please?? Get me through it step by step (easy steps please!)
Thanx!

Download Dosbox and D-fend (windows front-end for using dos-box) and read this post for a step-by-step example of how to a game working using those items.

Gamer_V wrote:I run '98 SE, but my pc is just crap.

On win 98 SE you can run 80% of the dos games with no problem at all.
Just look at the shortcut,if there isn't one create one, and edit the param's regarding mem properties.

win 98 se is prob the best windows for dos games.

there is a much easier way to do it and its simple

1 go to windows and then system 32 directory
2 find the files autoexec.nt and config.nt
3 copy the files and put the copied files in the directory where youre game(s) are located
4 click on the starting file .exe then properties
5 then click on program and then below u must see an advanced button click on that
6 then u must give the bars the location of youre autoexec and config

an Example : Omf is in my C drive so there is where the config files are so u put in the 1st bar C:\Omf\autoexec.nt
the 2nd bar C:\Omf\Config.nt

do that in every .exe file in youre game and it will run

dosraider wrote: win 98 se is prob the best windows for dos games.

I know! But my computer is JUST crap... Whoops.. going offtopic here...

The thing with Windows 98 and DOS games is that you can run them all (well, not all, but most) in pure DOS mode, i.e. "the way they meant to be played", but you need to have a DOS-compatible soundcard, which are getting rare these days. Without a soundcard that DOS games will recognize you will either have to play soundless or resort to DOS emulators again.

yes and no:
the newer bios allows you to give a irq (forced) on your soundcard, even a sb compability,it works on windows.(most off the time....)
of course they still are dos games, and problems will always occur with usb devices (joyst,mouse....)
In fact the best solution is lay your hands on a late 486 (dx66) or an early pentium 1 (166) and run the games on pure dos.There lot's off stuff out there on a cheap price.

all by all it's a bit crazy to own a 2 or 3 GHz machine and then emulating a old dos machine.

sorry charlotte22 i almost forgot to give you some answer,snorry!

I have to say you that about 50 % of the dos games runs on win XP,
you just have to try,it won't hurt your pc,if the game don't run under XP it just will fade out and XP will get back.

This said,look into the game dir for:
1)a file with uselly GAMENAME.BAT or
2)a file with GAMENAME.EXE or
3)a file with GAMENAME.COM
doubleclick on it and see what's happens,if it can't run on XP ,XP will kick it out,no harm done.
It is possible you get a memory warning like the kind NOT ENOUGH MEM
or NO EMS or something,than you select the above mentioned file,rightclick and CREATE SHORTCUT,rightclick on the shortcut and you can edit several param's on it,also memory param's.
I gonna stop here cause i prob can go on for 20 pages.......
Just a last one,you also can set win9X compability on that shortcut,it can be helpfull....on the same tab set the resolution to 640X480,that's the res lot's dos games uses.

dosraider wrote:yes and no:
the newer bios allows you to give a irq (forced) on your soundcard, even a sb compability,it works on windows.(most off the time....)

Like you said it - most of the time.

dosraider wrote:of course they still are dos games, and problems will always occur with usb devices (joyst,mouse....)

Considering that PS/2 isn't going anywhere for a while, that's not a big problem, I guess.

dosraider wrote:In fact the best solution is lay your hands on a late 486 (dx66) or an early pentium 1 (166) and run the games on pure dos.There lot's off stuff out there on a cheap price.

Here I agree with you, but the number of working old machines gets lower. Systems won't last forever. Right now this option exists, but at some point it may become impossible to obtain older hardware.

dosraider wrote:all by all it's a bit crazy to own a 2 or 3 GHz machine and then emulating a old dos machine.

Well, not really. You need the newer machines for new games and applications, and if you won't/can't set up an alternative old system for DOS, emulation might be a good solution.

maybee it's going to fast for charlotte22,so here we go from the first steps with one thats working on xp.
1)look in the 'sidescrolling' games for commander keen 4 :goodbeye galaxy
2)download it (don't forget where you put it)
3)unzip it to a dir of your choice(tempkeen or so)
4)look in that dir for 'install.exe',doubleclick it.
5)install? hit <enter>
where? x:\keen4 x is the drive you want it,it can be a subdir x:\games\keen4 or so.....your choice.
6)goto x:\dir you install it and look for keen4.exe,doubleclick and here you go....
fore easy start you can create a shortcut to it on your desktop or start menu.When you rightclick on the shortcut there's a lot of stuff you can alter,but it isn't neccesery for keen4.
in the game you can set stuff in the "configuration" menu like svga comp or sound options,i think the only sound what will work in XP is the "PC Speaker",but it's better than nothing.


let us know if you getting somewhere whit that, and NO you aren't an idiot,we all have to learn and the hardest steps are the first.......

dr_st
Expert:i'm prepaired to discuss with you,but start an other tread,or charly will never set here first step if we struck her with tigs off techstuff.

I don't know what's here to discuss. It was just a side remark.