RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP

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Nikademus -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/7/2007 4:06:08 PM)
Has anyone ever had any success with XP's "Compatability" mode? I've never gotten any use out of it. (and maintain a Win98box for DOS games)

Apollo11 -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/7/2007 4:09:41 PM)
Hi all, quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus Has anyone ever had any success with XP's "Compatability" mode? I've never gotten any use out of it. (and maintain a Win98box for DOS games) Nope - it doesn't work. The best way to play old DOS games is to use "DOS Box" (or similar program). Few years ago I wrote about it here when I described how to run old classics from Avalon Hill (World at War: Operation crusader, World at War: Stalingrad and World at War: D-Day - America Invades). Please try to search for that thread! Leo "Apollo11"

marky -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/7/2007 10:19:46 PM)
aiii i tried dosbiox i almost tosssed my computer out the frakkin window[X(]

AlexCobra -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 8:18:57 AM)
quote: And I was a gamer in the 80s, so I had to learn how to optimize your Config.sys and autoexec.bat. The first real help was a application called memmaker, which was quite good im giving the right amount of memory for your games.Much better was Qemm. Whoever was able to get more than 620KB was really quite good. Hi My God, another gamer who knows what Config.sys and Autoexec.bat are about? A really rare thing in our days. Btw, imho Memmaker was great, but QEMM was crap, and I insist on that:-). Never had a success optimizing memory with QEMM. And I do run DOS games with DOSBOX program with no problems. Don't think it's interface can be a problem also. Alex.

m10bob -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 9:51:24 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Frank quote: ORIGINAL: marky and its easy for a sceintist and asssistant professor to say that! [:D][:D][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif][sm=00000028.gif] gigglez exactly! And I was a gamer in the 80s, so I had to learn how to optimize your Config.sys and autoexec.bat. The first real help was a application called memmaker, which was quite good im giving the right amount of memory for your games.Much better was Qemm. Whoever was able to get more than 620KB was really quite good. I was getting 634kb prior to acquiring QEMM. Don't remember which game needed the HIMEM, I believe it was TANKS!(Wargames Construction Set and Carrier Strike)? QEMM made it easier(automatic),but caused me to forget all I had learned... Long time ago.. I hang onto my old games, hoping some fine-haired sonovabitch will make Windows DOS-friendly, (as it was promised early on)..[:@]

wdolson -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 1:48:51 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AlexCobra My God, another gamer who knows what Config.sys and Autoexec.bat are about? A really rare thing in our days. Btw, imho Memmaker was great, but QEMM was crap, and I insist on that:-). Never had a success optimizing memory with QEMM. And I do run DOS games with DOSBOX program with no problems. Don't think it's interface can be a problem also. Alex. I was programming DOS back in the day. In Assembly. Device drivers. That was a lot of fun. I'm spoiled with C++ these days. As I said above, look into VirtualPC to run the old DOS games. You'll have to dig out DOS to install on the new virtual machine, but it's the best way I've found to run them without setting up a separate PC with an older version of Windows or DOS on it. Microsoft bought VirtualPC not that long ago, so they haven't messed it up yet. I've heard it's free for download now. Bill

rtrapasso -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 2:12:21 PM)
The problem with installing DOS as a partition is that there are often (generally?) no device drivers for things like your DVD-drive, mouse, etc. This makes it difficult to even install a DOS game you have in some cases.

wworld7 -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 3:49:33 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AlexCobra Memmaker was great, Wow, that brings back old memories (some good and some not so good). Flipper P.S. One good thing between the old days and now is NO MORE dip switches. My eyes couldn't handle that if I had to do those again... Irish

Nikademus -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 3:55:15 PM)
ah memories...... NOT ENOUGH MEMORY. wait a min....i have 4 megs..... NOT ENOUGH MEMORY oh....only the first 640k counts.....gotta config high MEM.....only have 455k free fiddle fiddle fiddle cool now have 510k NOT ENOUGH MEMORY (*&(!!! fiddle fiddle fiddle [:)]

rtrapasso -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 3:58:06 PM)
[:D] [:D] i had something like 23 batch files to install correct configurations to run various programs...

wworld7 -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 4:26:55 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: rtrapasso [:D] [:D] i had something like 23 batch files to install correct configurations to run various programs... YUP, YUP, YUP!!! Flipper

wdolson -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/8/2007 10:41:38 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: rtrapasso The problem with installing DOS as a partition is that there are often (generally?) no device drivers for things like your DVD-drive, mouse, etc. This makes it difficult to even install a DOS game you have in some cases. There are always compatability mode drivers. The standard CD driver will support CDs in a DVD drive. The generic MS mouse driver will work for most mice, though the buttons and wheel on newer mice probably won't work. The only tricky bit is the video. It's possible that you won't be able to get anything better than 640X480. Nice thing about VirtualPC is that it emmulates a very common video card and sound card from the early 90s, so just install the drivers for those and you're good to go. Bill

AlexCobra -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 8:57:44 AM)
Hi quote: There are always compatability mode drivers. The standard CD driver will support CDs in a DVD drive. The generic MS mouse driver will work for most mice, though the buttons and wheel on newer mice probably won't work. The only tricky bit is the video. It's possible that you won't be able to get anything better than 640X480. Nice thing about VirtualPC is that it emmulates a very common video card and sound card from the early 90s, so just install the drivers for those and you're good to go. Excuse me, can I ask a thing about VirtualPC? What about processor performance - the most annoying thing I can't handle with most of DOS-emulators, is that my Athlon is too fast for most early 90's games. I tried some progs that slows the processor, but it just don't work like it should do... I want no more then 100MHz, but can't get it. So, do VirtualPC allow to slow down processor frequency? Somehow:-)? Alex.

marky -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 9:04:39 AM)
i couldnt even get VPC to work[&:][:(]

Japanese_Spirit -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 11:43:34 AM)
Marky, Here is a quick instruction to loading up games on Dos Box. The Japanese_Spirit's way: 1) Cough and Sigh, shake your head and begin. 2) First of all, create a folder called 'Games' in your general 'C' drive. 3) Put all your DOS games in that folder (Create a folder in 'Games' called 'So and so game', for example) 4) Find out what the main file is called to start the game. 5) Go into DG and type mount c c:\games then I think the name of the game file as CD so and so games. 6) Type in the main file's name once the name of your folder is on the DOS BOX command setup. 7) Enjoy your game! I recommend myself popping over to www.abandonia.com to read up some tips (and get games that have been legally put up for download and accepted by the ESA, which is quite alot now) On a side note, anyone remember Pacific General? Well, you can play that game by downloading the main game and a fan made XP compatibilty patch from some place called "The Armoury". You can't run PG is Dos Box since it is a Windows game only. I hope this helps! P.S: I am only 19 years of age and remember playing all the DOS classics and fiddling around in DOS myself. Quite rare for someone my age. I recall messing with in Windows 3.1, etc and pure DOS in that, I believe.

Sardaukar -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 12:11:25 PM)
I have fond memories about having DOS boot disk with 6 different configurations needed in different games... DosBox is quite good, but cannot handle everything...so may have an old rig just for playing old games.

Japanese_Spirit -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 12:30:50 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Sardaukar I have fond memories about having DOS boot disk with 6 different configurations needed in different games... DosBox is quite good, but cannot handle everything...so may have an old rig just for playing old games. It is funny that you should mention the infamous "Boot Disks" but I, too, remember as a young boy, playing around with boot disks, trying to hope that it would run games and even in the end, start up Windows itself. Ahhhhhhh, memories. [;)] Also, games were pretty good back then, too. Only really M Games areworth playing nowadays. [:)]

wdolson -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 1:17:23 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AlexCobra Excuse me, can I ask a thing about VirtualPC? What about processor performance - the most annoying thing I can't handle with most of DOS-emulators, is that my Athlon is too fast for most early 90's games. I tried some progs that slows the processor, but it just don't work like it should do... I want no more then 100MHz, but can't get it. So, do VirtualPC allow to slow down processor frequency? Somehow:-)? I haven't tried it with any games that are touchy about speed. I don't have that many that are speed dependent. I just checked the settings and there is a setting for CPU performance, but it doesn't specifically slow down the performance to emulate slower processors. I did find that VirtualPC ran a lot slower when in windowed mode. Bill

wdolson -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 1:19:08 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: marky i couldnt even get VPC to work[&:][:(] You need to have some idea how to set up a PC running DOS. The instructions do cover a lot of what you need to know. I found it easier to set up than DosBox. More compatible too. Bill

marky -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 1:56:44 PM)
hmm. ill just have my geeek in law do it. he understands it, i tried but ended up wanting to pull my hair out [:D]

Nikademus -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 6:52:38 PM)
Guess there was a good reason to keep my DOS 5.0 manual after all..... [:D] How about this......anyone know where one can get a good analog joystick and then how to hook it up to the PC? I have an Atari 2600 emulator on my machine but the games are mostly unplayable with the keyboard only. and i'd really like to play classics like "The A-Team" or "Yar's Revenge" again. [:'(]

rtrapasso -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 6:58:41 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus Guess there was a good reason to keep my DOS 5.0 manual after all..... [:D] How about this......anyone know where one can get a good analog joystick and then how to hook it up to the PC? I have an Atari 2600 emulator on my machine but the games are mostly unplayable with the keyboard only. and i'd really like to play classics like "The A-Team" or "Yar's Revenge" again. [:'(] [&:] isn't there a port where joysticks plug in? i used to use one not that long ago...

Nikademus -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 7:03:01 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: rtrapasso [ [&:] isn't there a port where joysticks plug in? i used to use one not that long ago... Not for an analog joystick. I can plug in my flightstick to the port on the sound card. Is there an adaptor one can purchase? Last time i checked (but this was several years ago) you had to cobble together something from scratch. I'm not that handy. I'd probably burn the condo down.

rtrapasso -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 7:08:30 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus quote: ORIGINAL: rtrapasso [ [&:] isn't there a port where joysticks plug in? i used to use one not that long ago... Not for an analog joystick. I can plug in my flightstick to the port on the sound card. Is there an adaptor one can purchase? Last time i checked (but this was several years ago) you had to cobble together something from scratch. I'm not that handy. I'd probably burn the condo down. Not sure what you mean... the joysticks i've had were mostly cheapies ($5.95 from catalogs) - they convert the motion of the joystick into some sort of electrical signal, but i doubt it was digitized... maybe the port i plugged it into (sound card?) digitized it, but there were hardly any parts in the actual joystick...

Sardaukar -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 7:12:28 PM)
Hmmm..the good old days of MS-DOS, EMS, XMS, Himem, QEMM, DR-DOS...countless hours to fiddle with config.sys and autoexec.bat... At least then computer did exactly what you told it to do... Nowadays Windows "thinks" it's smarter than you and does it's stuff instead of what you want to happen..at least in some situations.

marky -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 7:22:22 PM)
hmm, ill give it another try spirit, maybe itll work this time :P

Dino -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 7:58:27 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus quote: ORIGINAL: rtrapasso [ [&:] isn't there a port where joysticks plug in? i used to use one not that long ago... Not for an analog joystick. I can plug in my flightstick to the port on the sound card. Is there an adaptor one can purchase? Last time i checked (but this was several years ago) you had to cobble together something from scratch. I'm not that handy. I'd probably burn the condo down. Did you try googling for "USB to Game Port adapter"? I found this one offered for $16.99 [image]local://upfiles/18776/BBD071C4496B4923AAB83554E9DD80DF.gif[/image]

Nikademus -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/9/2007 9:41:47 PM)
what about a classic atari joystick? I think thats what i meant now that i've collected my thoughts (without coffee)

rtrapasso -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/10/2007 12:06:03 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus what about a classic atari joystick? I think thats what i meant now that i've collected my thoughts (without coffee) Well, i've owned all kinds of computers, but never an Atari, nor a Coleco... [:'(]

wdolson -> RE: Running a DOS game in Windows XP (3/10/2007 4:50:57 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Nikademus what about a classic atari joystick? I think thats what i meant now that i've collected my thoughts (without coffee) Sounds like you need this: http://games.slashdot.org/games/04/03/07/0510218.shtml Bill

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