DOS Games Discussion

[dr_st]

Look, if you want to run a dual-boot, or even triple-boot, that's fine, but don't badmouth the OS when it doesn't deserve it. Setting up proper Config/Autoexec for DOS games using Win98's DOS doesn't screw anything, and everything runs.

However, I think I might understand the problem you're talking about with sound detection (only applies to Creative cards) - it's caused by a bug in CTCM, making it think that you're inside Windows, while you're not. Easily fixed by a simple change of two bytes inside the executable (CTCM.EXE and CTCW.EXE) using a hex editor.

[3headedmonkey]

I wasn't badmouthing the OS. I was being completely indifferent. In fact, I like 98SE. I've used it for years and it's certainly the best of the 9xs. I do assume that you're talking about SE and not plain 98, because that really was a bad OS.

I did NOT say that setting up autoexec/config in windows screws things up, but that it is inconvenient, which it is. Booting up into 98, then clicking a program shortcut, then waiting for the system to reboot into DOS is a pain. I'd rather use a boot disk or a separate partition. What I DID say screws things up is running apps in a DOS window inside 98 or ANY version of windows, which is a completely different thing. Although DOS windows in 9x are true dos, it's generally a bad idea to run DOS games with a load of crap running in the background. They were not desgined to be run that way any problems DO arise, usually in installation and/or sound detection.

Thanks for the advice on CTCM though. I think you may be onto something and I'll check it out when I get home

[dr_st]

You're not doing it right, then.

The way to do it is to set your main (on C:\) Config/Autoexec properly for DOS games, then put BootGUI=0 in MSDOS.SYS, and Windows will not load on startup - you're in PURE DOS, play all the game you want. Then to load Windows, you just type WIN. And if you want to play a DOS game after being in Windows, you just reboot, without any special configurations, bootdisks, boot managers or crap like that.

This is the shortest and most convenient way to do it, because no matter how many operating systems you install and how many of these are pure DOS, once you're inside Windows, the only way to get out of it is reboot.

A while ago I posted my startup files on Abandonia - here they are:

MSDOS.SYS

[Paths]
WinDir=G:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=G:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=G

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=0
BootMenu=0
DoubleBuffer=0
Logo=0
AutoScan=0
WinVer=4.10.2222

This way Windows doesn't load on startup (and I don't even see its logo).

CONFIG.SYS

DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOSW\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOSW\EMM386.EXE RAM I=B400-B7FF I=CA00-CBFF AUTO
BUFFERS=20
FILES=60
LASTDRIVE=Z
STACKS=9,128
BREAK=ON
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:512 /P
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\VIDECDD.SYS /D:IDECDROM

The extra EMM switches give me EMS loads of free upper memory. The CDROM driver I use takes only 5K of RAM.

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@ECHO OFF
LH C:\DOSW\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECDROM /E
LH C:\DOSW\SMARTDRV.EXE /X /B:1024
LH C:\DOSW\DOSKEY.COM /INSERT
LH C:\MOUSE\CTMOUSE.EXE /R33 /3
LH C:\NAV\NAVTSR30.EXE
SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
SET COPYCMD=/-Y
SET DIRCMD=/P/O:GEN/A
SET PATH=C:\BATCH;C:\DOSW;G:\WINDOWS;G:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;
C:\NC5;C:\NAV;C:\XTG;C:\CDROM;C:\PV;C:\ARCHIVE;C:\MOUSE;
C:\DOSUTIL;C:\SB16;C:\NETDRV
SET PROMPT=$P$G
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
C:\SB16\CTCME.EXE
C:\SB16\MIXERSET.EXE /P /Q
C:\DOSUTIL\FASTKEYS.COM
C:
CD\
CLS

Loads all the drivers I need, initializes everything I need, and I still end up with around 620K of free conventional memory.

Note that I load CTCME, not CTCM - which is my own special "hacked" version that works properly under Win98's DOS. If CTCM refuses to run in pure Win98 DOS, claiming that you're inside Windows - that's the solution.

Very few games have problem with the above configuration. When a certain DOS game doesn't run on that machine of mine, in 99% it's hardware-related (fast CPU - K6-475 or new video card - Voodoo 3000).

[3headedmonkey]

[dr_st]

Even if you use Windows more than DOS (hey, I do to!) it still make sense, because to load Windows all you need to do is type three letters and hit Enter. On the other hand, should you want to play a DOS game, you already have got everything configured and you only need to reboot from Windows.

Do note, that the EMM switches are a bit tricky. They don't work on all machines properly, they don't work with all games properly (can lead to crashes) and they don't always provide the same amount of upper memory.

Through trial and error and some help from others I found that these two switches work perfectly on my machine and don't have problems with any games I play regularly.

Most people would put I=B000-B7FF there, but I found it causes crashes in more games that I=B400-B7FF, and although it leaves you with less upper memory free, I still get enough to load every device driver and TSR I need there and stay with 620K+ of conventional free.

[kreats]

I think you should run CTCM.exe and see how you go - it should hopefully autoconfigure around the onboard sound. If you don't get it working I remember the awe32 not sounding all that good with duke3d anyway (personally I thought the guitar sounded a bit 'funny'), so not a huge loss if that is what you are primarily using it for.

RE: multiconfigs

I've got 4 configs in a menu in my startup - two of them go to http://surf.to/AccessDosMenu (a nice graphical menu app). One for demos and another for games (I leave off cdrom and emm386 in the demos config).

One is a minimal config with nothing loaded, and the remaining one loads cdrom, 4dos and sets up a few aliases. It's good to have a bit of flexibility in your startup I feel - as a lot of games/demos don't like having certain things loaded.

RE: Win98

Actually I've recently found one good reason why win98 is handy.. I was trying to get the 3dfx versions of blood & shadow warrior going (these only work on the original 3dfx) and it requires windows to be running (they want to load a glide dll).

Dual booting is a pain however - haven't been able to bring myself to do it (I hear 3dfx blood isn't all that great anyway) - but I suppose I might one day.