The Gang of Five

Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => Hobbies and Recreation => Computer and Electronics => Topic started by: F-14 Ace on December 14, 2010, 11:53:39 PM

Title: Problem I'm having with an old DOS game.
Post by: F-14 Ace on December 14, 2010, 11:53:39 PM
Ok, I recently downloaded a couple of old DOS games and started playing them on my laptop suing the DOSbox emulator.  The first game I downloaded was the original Oregon Trail, which runs just fine.  The second game I downloaded was an old flight simulator called US Navy Fighters.  This game kinda works.  I can create custom missions and play quick missions but when I try to start a campaign, I get a message saying that it can't find the CD.  

Let me clarify that I DO NOT have the CD for this game anymore.  I used to have it years ago but I got rid of it along with my old Windows 95 computer.  I had to download this copy off one of the many abandonware sites on the internet.

Anyway, according to Dosbox's help file, you can emulate a virtual CD ROM drive by adding "-t cdrom" to the name of the drive when mounting it.

I did this and I still got the game to load.   Once again, I can do quick missions and custom missions.  However, this time when I tried to start campaign mode, I got a message telling me that there wasn't enough space on the disk to start a campaign.  

I downloaded a second copy of the game from a different website and I am still having the same problem so I know it isn't just damaged files.

Does anybody know what the problem might be and how to fix it?  

I found a copy of the game for sale on Ebay but before I go and buy it, I want to see if I can get the copy I already have to work right.
Title: Problem I'm having with an old DOS game.
Post by: Mumbling on December 15, 2010, 02:11:40 AM
If you run the game, does it make you install it in a directory? If so, you also have to mount a certain directory. I myself for example have got a folder named 'C:\oldgames' in which I put all save files from dos games.

All you have to do then is mount the CD, like Dosbox told you on any drive, for example D:

Then go like

Mount C C:\oldgames

Then if you switch back to D: and run the setup (if it's there) make sure to install in the C: folder (C:\oldgames). Dosbox itself does not create any space, so you had to mount it yourself.

http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Basic_Setup_and...#Running_a_game (http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Basic_Setup_and_Installation_of_DosBox#Running_a_game)

That might be useful too :)
Title: Problem I'm having with an old DOS game.
Post by: landbeforetimelover on December 15, 2010, 03:28:33 AM
If you're not using XP then either dual boot with XP or run XP in a virtual machine.  Windows XP can still play most MSDOS based games and it's stable.  DOSbox absolutely sucks.  It's unstable and overall just a huge pain in the ass.
Title: Problem I'm having with an old DOS game.
Post by: Mumbling on December 15, 2010, 03:24:34 PM
Quote from: landbeforetimelover,Dec 15 2010 on  09:28 AM
If you're not using XP then either dual boot with XP or run XP in a virtual machine.  Windows XP can still play most MSDOS based games and it's stable.  DOSbox absolutely sucks.  It's unstable and overall just a huge pain in the ass.
No idea where you got that information from. No DOS game has ever worked on any XP computer of mine.
Title: Problem I'm having with an old DOS game.
Post by: landbeforetimelover on December 15, 2010, 05:35:44 PM
The only MSDOS games I haven't been able to run were the really old ones on the 5.25" disks.  I was even able to run this one:

(http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1207924085-00.jpg)

I don't know what the problem could be on your end.  I've never had a real problem.  Just pop it in and go.  Now Vista/7 can't run those older games like that.  And if you're running a 64 bit copy of XP you'd probably have some problems too.  But a normal copy of XP Pro 32 bit should be able to play almost any MSDOS game just fine.