Topic: DOS games giving me a headache

[PunkMartyr]

I am having trouble getting the following DOS based games to run (win 98 os):

Ravenloft Strahd's Possession
Darksun
Darksun 2
Master of Magic

I have tried numerous things including altering my autoexec.bat and config.sys files.  Entries for these are listed at the bottom of the post.  

At this point I am wondering about "Dual Boot"? I have partitioned 4 drives: a 9 gig drive, and 1.3, 1.3, 1.3

Could I set up my computer in such a way as to make one of the partitioned drives act completely independent and have DOS installed on it? I have seen some programs at cnet.com that could assist, I am just having trouble understanding the whole concept.  Until a few days ago I did not know how to do many things like format a computer or partition a drive.  

Any information on this would be appreciated.  


About the Ravenloft game, I can get it to run but no matter how I configure the sound settings it will only play either music or sound.  My soundblaster is at irq 11 but the game only allows settings below that irq such as 5, 7, 10.  Perhaps I could change the irq on my soundblaster? I can run either the game music with a Roland something at 330 address, or with the soundblaster at 220 address and 5 irq.  


Below I have detailed my efforts to make the games work:

Made boot disk, boot to dos
Run in windows out of DOS window
Toggle Memory settings in properties of program icon in windows
Loaded DOS mouse drivers
   Altered autoexec.bat file for mouse drivers with following lines:
   AMOUSE/1
   LH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.COM

Full readout of my Config.sys:
   DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
   DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM D=64 H=255
   FILES=100
   PRIORITY_DISK_IO=NO
   DOS_HIGH=ON
   DOS_RMSIZE=640
   DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT=0
   DOS=HIGH,UMB
   BUFFERS=20

 >

[Adept]

Hi PunkMartyr

It's been a while since I've had to setup a DOS game, so forgive me if my memory is a little rusty

If should be possible to dual boot so that you can play those games. Dual Boot works by installing a small program on your startup drive which allows you to choose, when you start the PC, which operating system to use.

With regard to the Ravenloft game; if it only supports IRQs of 5,7 and 10 you will need to change your soundblaster's IRQ to match. I think there is a utility which will allow you to do this provided by Creative.

[PunkMartyr]

Thank you Adept, I have spent many hours working on this delemma.  I love everything about my computer except for the DOS issue Much appreciation.  I will report back later

[Sandra]

A bit out of my depth here re DOS games but I had a DOS based game I used to play occassionally when I was on 98SE.
I am sure I just clicked on the DOS shortcut and it ran in that window without needing to reboot my PC into DOS  
I do remember at first that the window wasnt full screen but I was told how to make it full screen but cant even begin to think how I did that now.
So is it necessary to boot into DOS at all  

[PunkMartyr]

Still not working I have two more options of course, try dual boot or use an older computer.  

I was unable to get the emulator DOSbox to correct my problems even though it has worked for other people, there is something very strange about my system.  
Game and corresponding error message:

Master of Magic w/ Emulator      
File-> findcd.c, Line-> 56 Could not locate CD

Master of Magic normal DOS      
You need 2700 (unit) conventional memory

Darksun             
Loads a black screen with large gray numbers then cuts out

Darksun2
Mel Fatal Error #: 26 Trap #: 16
Mel Real Mode
Version 2.2.5, 4/28/94
Error Message: DSP Detect Fail


Ravenloft w/ Emulator      
Protected mode not supported (understood)   

Ravenloft w/ DOS         
Sound issues

[Adept]

If memory serves correctly, I think this may be something to do with a program called EMM386.EXE.

For the life of me, I can't remember the commandline options you'll need to go with it.

I'll get back to you soon PunkMartyr ...

[Adept]

OK found it

I think you'll need the following line in your config.sys (preferably after the device=himem.sys line)

Code: [Select]

DEVICE=c:\windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

Check that the emm386.exe file is actually in the c:\windows folder before you start and change the path if it in a different folder.

Give it a try anyway. If it doesn't work, don't forget to take the line out of config.sys again
 

[PunkMartyr]

Hey Adept thanks again  , I have seen that line before.. a couple of years ago I had my config.sys set up differently and these games did run (but since I reformatted now they don't).  I suspect it could help.  I will give it a try and get back to you.  

Now about that dual boot thing..

I am planning on installing masterbooter so I can run windows 98 SE on one drive and MS-DOS by itself on another drive.  

Last time I tried to partition I could only set up one Primary Partition (Active) and an Extended Partition with Logical drives.  I am not sure if MrBooter will let me use the Extended Partition for its own operating system.  

I am reading the Masterbooter documentation and it is very interesting in a way, but does anyone know why I am having trouble making more than 1 primary partition? And also can I format the Extended Partition space without effecting the Primary Partition which I already have windows 98 on?

[Sandra]

If you use Fdisk you can set any partition as an active one.
I did that when I was thinking of dual booting my 98se and having XP on another partition.

Incidentally why did you create 3 x 1.3 gig partitions?
With partitions that small you could end up having 120 mbs or so spare on each and wanting to put a 200mb file somewhere where it wont fit  

[PunkMartyr]

If you use Fdisk you can set any partition as an active one.
I did that when I was thinking of dual booting my 98se and having XP on another partition.

Incidentally why did you create 3 x 1.3 gig partitions?
With partitions that small you could end up having 120 mbs or so spare on each and wanting to put a 200mb file somewhere where it wont fit  

This is going to sound wierd, but I have never reformatted a drive, and when I went to do it I came across three different sets of instructions on the internet.

The first set was very basic and did not seem to have all the info I needed.

The second set was good but it just seemed wierd having a 100% partition, especially since I don't know what extended partition means (I thought extended could be needed for games to run)

The third set of instructions looked very professional but described how to create 4 partitions, each with 25% of the available memory.  I decided to go 70%/10/10/10

I changed my config.sys and the sound + music work great on Ravenloft now! Thank you Sandra and Adept for helping me.  I found this site to be the most useful along with www.dosgames.com (they know a lot about dos games as well).  

There is one other problem which I am posting on a couple of other forums about as well, the Darksun game can't figure out how much Extended Memory I have, and when I go to dos and c: type mem, I have a "?" in the Used column for Extended Memory.  I am not sure why.  

[Sandra]

Glad youre finding us helpful and that you got the sound sorted.

A lot of the stuff about formatting and partitioning drives is quite old now in fact I posted a detailed instructional guide on using Fdisk on Pals ,I will have to see if I can find the thread for you,and that was talking about partitioning something like a 1.2 gig drive into a 400mb,and a 300mb and a 500mb partition  

Most people these days would only partition even a large drive into 2 unless they were multiple booting then it would be a partition for each boot and another for non OS information.
That way you can format and reinstall your OS without losing programs and documents and pictures etc.

The extended memory may be referring to the swap files or paging files,but I am not 100% certain on that.
If it is then it may be that it wants more disk space available on the partition its using(as I said before you may have sufficient total space available but not in a big enough piece to make use of it)  

[Sandra]

Have a look here PM it discusses a few bits on using Fdisk and the whys and wherefores of partitioning  

http://pc-pals.com/index.php?board=28;action=display;threadid=1253;start=0

Microsofts guide to Fdisk is here :

http://pc-pals.com/index.php?board=28;action=display;threadid=1253;start=0

[PunkMartyr]

All games working now  

[Adept]

Good news PunkMartyr! Thanks for letting us know