Source: http://www.dosgames.com/xphints.php
Have you done the following:
Get DOS games working in XP!
Table of Contents
Part 1: Preface
Part 2: Catch error messages
Part 3: Manage memory
Part 4: Custom configuration settings
Part 5: More customized tweaking
Part 6: Sound Blaster madness
Part 7: Slow DOWN your computer
Part 8: The famous "RUNTIME ERROR 200"
Part 9: Keyboard tweaking
Part 10: Smashy smashy! (Closing thoughts)
Part 1: Preface
First things first. There is no DOS in Windows XP! What is called the
"command prompt" is not really DOS ... it can be thought of as more of
a simulation of DOS. Windows XP (and Windows 2000), unlike Windows 95,
98, and ME, are NOT built on an MSDOS foundation. So, while this makes
for better speed and stability, it also makes for sometimes lousy
backwards compatibility.
However, have no fear! This page will hopefully help you to get the
majority of DOS games running under XP. Of course, it's important to
remember that some games just won't work on your modern computer, no
matter how hard you try, so don't be too disappointed. ;) Also please
keep in mind that these tips are for Windows XP only ... for more
general tips on getting games to run, please read the DOSGAMES.com
Frequently Asked Questions page. Thanks!
One more thing, the majority of this guide was paraphrased from an
article in the July 2002 issue of Computer Gaming Magazine, my
favorite gaming mag. Thanks for the tips guys! (Don't sue me!!!)
Part 2: Catch error messages
Sometimes when you run old games, the error message that results when
you run the game will pop up and disappear so quickly that it's
impossible to read it! Here's how to fix that problem:
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Program" tab, and uncheck the box marked "Close on exit".
# Click "Apply" and then click "OK" to close the box.
This will stop the DOS window from closing automatically when the game
ends, or when it refuses to start. The resulting error message(s) can
help you solve problems with the game.
Part 3: Manage memory
Waaaaaay back in the MSDOS days, we had to play with our computer's
memory to get games running. Stuff like conventional memory, EMS, XMS,
upper memory, loadhigh ... lots of yucky stuff like that. Windows
tries to manage memory for you automatically, but sometimes it doesn't
do a very good job. Try giving the game the maximum amount of memory
it could possibly want by:
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Memory" tab.
# Set all of the values in the drop boxes to the highest value available.
# Make sure that the "Protected" and "Uses HMA" boxes are checked.
# Click "Apply" and then click "OK" to close the box.
Part 4: Custom configuration settings
Sometimes using the maximum memory settings isn't enough! Sometimes
you need to create custom AUTOEXEC and CONFIG files for the game to
use. Luckily in XP this isn't too hard at all. Here's how:
# Open up Windows Explorer, and go to the C:\WINDOWS\System32 folder.
# Find the files "AUTOEXEC.NT" and "CONFIG.NT". Copy those files to
the same folder where the game's files are stored. (ex. if you were
trying to get DOOM working, and DOOM was installed in C:\DOOM, you'd
copy the files to C:\DOOM!)
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Program" tab. Click the "Advanced" button. Enter the full
paths to the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files you just copied. (ex.
C:\DOOM\AUTOEXEC.BAT ...)
# Also check the "Comaptible Timer Emulation" box, although it rarely
helps anything. ;)
# Now you can edit the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files to add whatever
specific settings the game needs to run. (Consult the game's manual if
you have it.) If you don't know what settings to add, try adding the
line "emm=ram" (without the quotes) somewhere after the line
"dos=high,umb".
# Click "Apply" and then click "OK" to close the dialog box(es) when
you're done editing.
This should take care of any memory problems you're having, and by
checking the "Compatible Timer Emulation" box, it may also fix speed
problems. (ie the game runs too fast ... or too slow!)
Part 5: More customized tweaking
There are a couple of other tweaks you can do to make games run and/or
make them run more smoothly:
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Program" tab, and check the "Maximized" checkbox in the Run box.
# Click the "Screen" tab, and click on the "Full-screen" radio button.
# Click the "Misc" tab, and turn the "Allow screensaver" option off.
Put the mouse in "Exclusive mode".
# Click the "Compatibility" tab, and check the box beside "Run in
compatibility mode", and choose "Windows 95" in the dropbox. (Although
this doesn't seem to do anything, it's worth a shot.) Check the three
other boxes: "Run in 256 colors" (most DOS games don't use more than
that), "Run in 640x480 screen resolution" (unless you know that the
game uses a higher resolution), and "Disable visual themes".
# Click "Apply" and then click "OK" to close the box.
Part 6: Sound Blaster madness
Getting sound to work properly in games can be one of the most
annoying problems in XP. Windows XP tries to emulate DOS sound
automatically, using the following settings: A220 I5 D1 T3 P330. If a
game (or its setup program) is asking for sound card info, that is
what you should enter.
However, I've found that this rarely works. A better solution is to
download VDMSound, a Sound Blaster emulator specifically made for
Windows XP/2000. (VDMSound will NOT work in Windows 9x or ME!)
Download and install the software found on that site. Then when you
want to play the game, either create a shortcut using VDMSound as
described in the game docs, or, just right click on a game, and choose
the option to run it with VDMS. Hopefully, you'll hear sound! :)
Note that sometimes the only way to get a game working is to turn off
sound. It can kinda suck to play a game without sound, but its better
than nothing. Often there is a "SETUP.EXE" or "CONFIG.EXE" (or
something similar) file that comes with a game that allows you to
select your sound options. Use this program to turn sound off and see
if that allows you to run the game.
Part 7: Slow DOWN your computer
If the game runs too fast, here's what to do:
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Program" tab. Click the "Advanced" button.
# Check the "Comaptible Timer Emulation" box. Click "OK", then
"Apply", then "OK" again. See if that fixes the games speed.
If that doesn't fix the problem:
# A utility called "Moslo" can help solve this problem. Read the FAQ
on Moslo here: DOSGAMES.com FAQ #3: Moslo.
Part 8: The famous "RUNTIME ERROR 200"
If you're getting an error which looks something like "RUNTIME ERROR
200" (possibly followed by "AT ADDRESS {blah blah blah}") or sometimes
just something like "DIVIDE BY ZERO", there are two things you can try
to do:
# Try using Moslo to slow down the game. The error is occuring because
your computer is running too fast! Read the FAQ on Moslo here:
DOSGAMES.com FAQ #3: Moslo.
# Try using the TPPatch program to "fix" the game. Read the FAQ on
Moslo here: DOSGAMES.com FAQ #9: Runtime Errors.
If neither works, skip to and read Part 10 ...
Part 9: Keyboard tweaking
If you find that you need to use some specific keyboard sequences
(like Alt-Enter, or Ctrl-Esc for example), there is a way to turn them
off for specific games:
# Find the game's executable file (the file you run, usually
{somename}.exe) using Windows Explorer. Right click on the file, and
choose "Properties".
# Click the "Misc" tab, and uncheck the box(es) that correspond to the
key(s) that you need to use for the game.
Part 10: Smashy smashy! (Closing thoughts)
Okay, smashing your computer probably won't do any good. Unless you're
rich. In which case, SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! Ahem. What I mean to say is
that, as I mentioned above, some games just will not work in XP. The
only solutions available to you then are:
# Dual-boot your PC to an older version of Windows (ex. Windows 98SE)
where you KNOW the game works. This can be a time-consuming and
possibly dangerous (to your data) task unless you know what you're
doing, so proceed with caution.
# If you still have an old 386/486/Pentium lying around, convert it
into a DOS-only box, and use it for all your DOS gaming goodness! If
you don't have an old box lying around, ask friends and one of them
will probably have an old computer they're willing to just give you,
or sell you for really cheap. |
