DOSBox: Use outdated software program & video games on a brand new PC

Who doesn’t bear in mind PC video games resembling Maniac Mansion, the King’s Quest collection and the doubtful adventures of Leisure Go well with Larry or software program resembling Microsoft Works and Lotus Sensible Suite?

These titles initially got here from the 80s and 90s, ran beneath MS-DOS or Home windows 3.1 and have been delivered on floppy discs or—very trendy again then!—CD-ROMs.

In our information, we need to breathe new life into these treasures from the previous and get them operating on a present PC with Home windows 11.

We describe two eventualities:

1. Firstly, we use the unique information carriers for MS-DOS or Home windows 3.1.
2. The second state of affairs describes the case the place set up media are now not obtainable. Even then, there’s a method so that you can delve again into all of your favorite video games and applications from again then.

Prerequisite: DOSBox as MS-DOS emulator

To run outdated functions and video games beneath Home windows 11, you want an emulator resembling DOSBox.

This command line software, which was primarily developed for video games, supplies the MS-DOS platform and simulates an IBM PC-compatible laptop with an x86 processor, the velocity of which you’ll be able to regulate.

Which means outdated 16-bit applications can be run beneath DOSBox, and you may even set up Home windows 3.1 after which run suitable software program on it.

DOSBox additionally supplies the required {hardware} setting: Along with mouse and keyboard, the software controls enter units resembling joysticks and gamepads, which is indispensable for video games.

It additionally helps (digital) CD-ROM drives and sound playing cards for audio output. The emulator works independently of the particular gear of the PC on which it’s operating.

The operation of DOSBox requires rudimentary information of command line instruments. Nonetheless, you may at all times name up a brief introduction and the assistance operate every time you begin it, and there are wonderful directions on the undertaking web site.

There’s additionally an alphabetically sorted checklist of supported video games at www.dosbox.com/comp_list.php.

Establishing DOSBox and mounting the required drives

For the sake of readability, set up DOSBox in a newly created listing referred to as Oldies in your onerous drive “C:” and create one other folder referred to as DOSSoft through which you’ll later retailer your video games and functions.

When naming folders, please observe that DOSBox, like MS-DOS itself, abbreviates all names which are longer than eight characters. As you’ll should sort the folder names into the command line later, you must subsequently keep away from names which are too lengthy.

For our article, we first need to run the MS-DOS recreation Shadowlands (1992), which we nonetheless have the unique 3.5-inch floppy disc for, beneath DOSBox.

Subsequent, set up Home windows 3.1 from the unique floppy discs and set up the graphics program Aldus Photostyler (1991) – obtainable on 4 3.5-inch floppy discs – and a picture of Microsoft Works (1988).

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To learn the media, use a USB floppy drive that’s mounted in DOSBox, i.e. make it obtainable to the emulator as a bodily drive. To do that, begin this system and kind for the USB floppy drive

mount A A: -t floppy

This preserves the drive’s letter A. The “-t” and the next designation stand for the drive sort that’s mounted. The drive letter is capitalized. In any other case, higher and decrease case isn’t necessary.

If the mount was profitable, a corresponding message seems. Please be affected person, nonetheless, as the method might take a couple of seconds.

Vital: Each time you exit DOSBox, it’s essential to remount your drives. As well as, the contents of the mounted drives and folders aren’t up to date. So when you copy new recordsdata right into a mounted listing, it’s essential to take away it with mount -u : after which remount it.

By the best way: For those who nonetheless have applications on 5.25-inch floppy discs, set up might be troublesome and even unimaginable. We didn’t discover any exterior drives for this in our analysis, and the present mainboards shouldn’t have the controllers for used inside units.

So if you wish to use a program that initially comes on 5.25-inch floppy discs, it’s a must to get the ISO from the Web. However extra on this later.

Operating video games from 3.5-inch discs beneath MS-DOS

The fantasy role-playing recreation Shadowlands was launched in 1992 for MS-DOS, Amiga and Atari, and we need to run it from the unique 3.5-inch floppy disc in DOSBox.

After mounting our floppy drive as described above, we should do the identical with our set up listing. So we sort

mount C C:OldiesDOSSoft 

– the folder now has the drive letter “C:” -, then change the drive letter with

A: 

to the floppy drive and set up Shadowlands utilizing the command

set up A: C: 

into our recreation folder.

A “SHADOW” folder is routinely created. The message “Set up Full” seems as affirmation, and we swap to the following folder with

C: 

to routinely swap to the SHADOW folder. With

dir

to show the contents and eventually begin our recreation with shadow.

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By the best way: If there are a number of subfolders, the cd command is used to alter the subfolder manually. You’ll be able to go one degree larger with cd . (two dots).

After beginning Shadowlands, choose the decision, i.e. whether or not we wish VGA with 640 x 480 pixels or EGA with 640 x 350 pixels. We want the “newer” VGA.

Shadowlands then begins with sound output and lets us create a hero for our epic journey.

Conveniently, we will use the mouse, as DOSBox can present this in addition to the keyboard. When you’re in an emulated recreation, the mouse and keyboard are disabled to your “actual” PC. You have to then exit the sport or briefly interrupt it with Ctrl-Alt-Del to revive performance.

For those who then need to swap again to the sport, merely click on with the mouse within the related window.

By the best way: If you wish to set up an outdated recreation from CD, mount the corresponding drive with

mount E E: -t cdrom

whereby the drive retains the letter E. Then swap to it with E:, show the contents with dir to seek out the setup file after which execute it.

Proceed in the identical method if a recreation might be began instantly from CD. Then run the beginning file as a substitute of the installer.

Putting in Home windows 3.1 from disc or picture on DOSBox

Subsequent, we need to set up Home windows 3.1 from our seven 3.5-inch floppy discs beneath DOSBox. To do that, mount our floppy drive and the set up folder as described above.

With

dir

to show the contents of the primary floppy disc after which begin the set up with

setup

The acquainted display seems and you may run by way of the set up. Change the discs when the set up wizard prompts you to take action. The info is routinely saved in your set up listing in a (new) folder referred to as WINDOWS. To start out the working system, mount this folder as drive F, for instance, with

mount F C:OldiesDOSSoftWindows 

mount, then change to the listing with F: and begin Home windows 3.1 with

win 

to start out it. To return to DOSBox, click on on “File” and “Exit Home windows” in Home windows 3.1.

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Warning: Older floppy discs specifically might now not be readable!

On this case, you may alternatively receive a picture of the specified program from the Web. Keep in mind, nonetheless, that you just can’t legally use the software program with out a legitimate serial quantity!

Within the case of Home windows 3.1, for instance, we discovered what we have been searching for at winworldpc.com. After downloading and unpacking the ZIP file, transfer the six disc pictures to a newly created folder referred to as Win31, which you then transfer to your set up listing.

Additionally unpack the IMG recordsdata so that every one set up recordsdata are in a single folder. Now mount the listing as drive E with

mount E C:OldiesDOSSoftWin31

then change to the listing with E: and perform the set up with setup. As with the set up through floppy discs, a folder “WINDOWS” is created, which it’s essential to mount with a purpose to set up from it with

win 

to start out the working system.

Operating functions in DOSBox beneath Home windows 3.1

To put in a program beneath Home windows 3.1, you’ll have to retailer the set up recordsdata in a folder to which we’ve entry beneath Home windows 3.1.

That is the case to your set up listing, so create a folder referred to as Aldus for Aldus Photostyler and duplicate the recordsdata from the Aldus discs into it.

Underneath DOSBox, change to the (newly) mounted drive “C:” and guarantee that the folder can be obtainable. Then begin Home windows 3.1 in DOSBox and open the “File Supervisor” within the “Foremost Group” folder.

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Discover your “Aldus” folder within the “C:” drive, after which open it. Begin the set up with the “pssetup.exe” file. Then shut the file supervisor utilizing the button of the identical title and discover Aldus Photostyler in its personal folder. Double-click on the icon to start out the applying.

Subsequent, to put in the Microsoft Works 2.0 picture proceed in the identical method as with the Home windows set up: Obtain the ZIP file from winworldpc.com, unzip it right into a beforehand created “Works” folder in your set up listing and unzip the eight disc pictures into it so that every one the recordsdata are within the Works folder.

Then remount the folder in DOSBox, begin Home windows 3.1 and open drive “C:” through the file supervisor as already described. Within the “Works” folder, begin the set up through the “setup.exe” file.

Create disc pictures

When you’ve got software program on authentic floppy discs and need to retailer their contents as securely as potential, you must create pictures of them. That is potential with the freeware Floppy Picture, which you merely run through the exe file with out set up. This system can create IMZ, IMG, and EXE recordsdata.

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Click on on “Browse” beneath “Learn Floppy” in this system, specify the title, the storage location and the specified picture format and click on on “Save”.

Now enter an outline and begin the method by clicking on “Begin”.