How To Run DOS Games - A New Method - No DOSBOX required

Post problems with getting games installed and running properly here.
Post Reply

Now that i know this method, would you still use DOSBOX

Yes
3
100%
no
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 3

howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

How To Run DOS Games - A New Method - No DOSBOX required

Post by howtorundosgames »

This method requires a flash drive, or you can create a partition on your Hard Drive (you will need a tool that rewrites the MBR)

You will need WinFlash , but there are free utilities out there that do the same thing.
THIS IS INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FLASH DRIVE
1.Get a copy of DOS 7.1 iso from the Internet.
2. In the DOS 7.1 ISO, go to boot NOT [BOOT] and then copy the contents of DOS71INS.IMG and copy that into a folder.
3. Copy Everything from the root of DOS 7.1 iso and place it in the same folder (overwrite if needed)
4.Use WinFlash "Copy DOS to flash drive" option and select the folder and the flash drive
5. If you have Winflash use the USB booter thing on the bottom left. You will know what i am talking about if you have been to the DOS to flash drive section.
6. If you are not using WinFlash, boot your computer from the Flash Drive.
7. While Installing, overwrite the MBR (if too scared it will overwrite your Hard Drive MBR, then use the WinFlash Booter). And instead of A: on the "Where are installation files part", enter C:\DOS71.
8. Addons are bugged (for me) Cant install them yet. Click cancel when it asks you for the addon disk location.
9. You are done.
10. Put your abandon ware games on the Flash Drive
11. Reboot and boot from Flash Drive and play your games
IF you get "UNABLE TO CONTROL A20 LINE"
Add /M:16 to the HIMEM.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS
Windows 3.1 can run in Standard mode for me.
Windows 95 does not work for me.
"DOSBOX is easier"
This works better because it is running on real hardware
"I have a computer with a ARM processor, will it work"
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ue.jpg[img]
LIKE DOSBOX, NOT ALL GAMES WORK
"I got a Insufficient Memory Error."
Experiment with the HIMEM.sys option. I have not fixed this yet.

If you have a lucky computer, you may have Sound Blaster Compatablity.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msu ... .329507000
You can hear Test Drive Sounds with this computer. Unable to get it working anywhere else though.

HOW TO USE FREEDOS - Because some think DOS 7.1 is warez

1. Download Rufus from https://rufus.akeo.ie/
2.Run it.
3.There is a option saying "Create a bootable disk using" Click on the box and select FreeDOS.
4.Format should be FAT32
5. GOTO 10 in DOS 7.1 tutorial

Yes, this is the worst guide ever, i will maybe write a better one
Last edited by howtorundosgames on Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
MrFlibble
Demoniac Demo maniac
Demoniac Demo maniac
Posts: 3733
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:39 am

Re: How To Run DOS Games - A New Method - No DOSBOX required

Post by MrFlibble »

howtorundosgames wrote: 1.Get a copy of DOS 7.1 iso from the Internet.
<...>
10. Put your abandon ware games on the Flash Drive
I'm sorry but this site and forums do not endorse or promote illegal distribution of software.
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Re: How To Run DOS Games - A New Method - No DOSBOX required

Post by howtorundosgames »

MrFlibble wrote:
howtorundosgames wrote: 1.Get a copy of DOS 7.1 iso from the Internet.
<...>
10. Put your abandon ware games on the Flash Drive
I'm sorry but this site and forums do not endorse or promote illegal distribution of software.
I CAN READ the warning on the top of the page.

Dos 7.1 is not illegal. You can use your LEGAL copy of DOS 6.22, but i dont know how to use that.

This is the same discussion people are having with Hirens Boot CD. Some say its warez, but it is not.

[Edit] And you can copy the abandon ware games from your floppy disks or cds onto the Flash Drive (you own it so it is not illegal) , or spend hours learning your CD Drives documentation,buying a USB floppy disk reader (that will not work, so open up your computer and insert it (DOES NOT WORK with laptops) then spend even more DAYS learning assembly language.
User avatar
Rwolf
Gaming Demi-god
Gaming Demi-god
Posts: 1535
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:19 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by Rwolf »

What of FreeDOS then? Useful for most DOS commands, though some are missing - just as the DOS:s included from XP and up are missing stuff from older DOS 6.22
User avatar
MrFlibble
Demoniac Demo maniac
Demoniac Demo maniac
Posts: 3733
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:39 am

Re: How To Run DOS Games - A New Method - No DOSBOX required

Post by MrFlibble »

howtorundosgames wrote:Dos 7.1 is not illegal.
I have never heard of any version of DOS being officially freeware from Microsoft.

Also, please do not double post. I have merged your posts now, but please use the edit button to add text to your existing posts, rather than making two or more consecutive posts in a row.
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Post by howtorundosgames »

FreeDOS can work, but DOS 7.1 has max compatibility


https://winworldpc.com/product/ms-dos/7x

"Please be aware that this compilation is not a Microsoft release"
so where is your proof its a Microsoft Release.

If it is warez, i will edit it for FREEDOS instead
User avatar
dr_st
Way too much free time
Way too much free time
Posts: 381
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:49 pm
Location: Absorbed into Clayface

Post by dr_st »

Seriously, this is pointless. Why would anyone bother rebooting the system every time to play a game, when one can use DOSBox (or other emulators, if one insists)? Not to mention the audio compatibility issues you will have this way.

On any reasonably modern PC (that is, something less than a decade old), DOSBox will perform well enough for almost all DOS games (and for anything less than 6 years old - for 100% of the games), so the speed advantage you get by bypassing the emulation is not practically meaningful.
User avatar
Rwolf
Gaming Demi-god
Gaming Demi-god
Posts: 1535
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:19 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by Rwolf »

Ah, howtorundosgames, your DOS 7.1 is a clone then I think, it's not MS-DOS, but made by some chinese group called CDU? - This one is yet unknown to me.

Anyway there are only some special cases where an emulation like DOSbox does not work, and although I've run into a few of those, my preferred method is still Dosbox, as it lets me capture screenshots etc. under windows.
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Post by howtorundosgames »

dr_st wrote:Not to mention the audio compatibility issues you will have this way.
Most sound cards have Sound Blaster compatibility. If you don't like it, than do not use it. DOSBOX is great for some games, if that does not work, than use this method. DOSBOX is still in beta. this is long out of beta. . You can not screen capture, but do you make YouTube videos
User avatar
dr_st
Way too much free time
Way too much free time
Posts: 381
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:49 pm
Location: Absorbed into Clayface

Post by dr_st »

Most sound cards have only limited Sound Blaster capability, and even that frequently does not work.

On a modern PC, DOSBOX will probably be way more compatible than this method. This method is more appropriate for an ancient PC which has true DOS-compatible hardware, and does not have the performance needed for a good DOSBOX experience.

DOSBOX will be in "beta" forever, but it has no practical meaning. It is a mature and stable application.
User avatar
Quadko
Darklander
Darklander
Posts: 2092
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:07 am

Post by Quadko »

That's what I have real dos computers for, when I want to put up with config headaches. Dosbox fixes all (well, most) of those issues. And gives you best sound, best speed, best time-to-start-playing, best joystick, key remapping...

And compatibility will be a real problem, I think, especially for truly classic pre-Pentium games.

You say "runs on real hardware", but it's not the right real hardware, and you're in backwards compatibility mode on the chip - i.e. a form of emulation. And no floppies or ISA bus and memory works differently... you are still emulating, just with less control and in general emu rather than game-specific fine tuned emu! It's maybe a good first step if you want to play with dos on a machine, but a long way to go to be back at Dos on the real hardware without helper/shim/emu layers!

Yes, we can get snobby and nit picky about our hobby around here!


But congrats on making an exciting thread. Nifty use and explanation of the USB boot floppy/cd capabilities for Dos instead of the usual Linux or other livecd. Was this because you had fun figuring it out, or because you wanted something else from it?

Poll: :blah: not even once - but I did know the trick existed already from bios upgrades when they still expected floppies - they ran dos based USB-> floppy emu live disk images for a while. I forget if I ever put Rogue on one, but the thought definitely crossed my mind.
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Post by howtorundosgames »

dr_st wrote:Most sound cards have only limited Sound Blaster capability, and even that frequently does not work.

On a modern PC, DOSBOX will probably be way more compatible than this method. This method is more appropriate for an ancient PC which has true DOS-compatible hardware, and does not have the performance needed for a good DOSBOX experience.

DOSBOX will be in "beta" forever, but it has no practical meaning. It is a mature and stable application.

agreed.
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Post by howtorundosgames »

I did it to see if my Mac can run MS-DOS. It does, but there is no mouse support and it bugs out at EDIT and anything with graphics. You cannot type
User avatar
MrFlibble
Demoniac Demo maniac
Demoniac Demo maniac
Posts: 3733
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:39 am

Post by MrFlibble »

AFAIK modern Macs use the regular Intel x86 architecture (probably with lots of custom components though). I wonder if FreeDOS actually would be more compatible, being a modern system.
User avatar
Quadko
Darklander
Darklander
Posts: 2092
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:07 am

Post by Quadko »

Interesting, trying it on a Mac. You got farther than I expected. :) I imagine the chip is right so code will run, but all the back compatibility layers don't exist, the bios is different, and things Dos expects like hardware interrupts are on the wrong values (i.e. maybe int 10 isn't video on Macs, and the keyboard interrupt just doesn't work the same at all).
howtorundosgames
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 12:31 pm

Post by howtorundosgames »

I got myself a real PC desktop tower computer. should be able to run real dos.
Post Reply