DOS memory in Win 2000 ...

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 9:51 am

OK, my simple idea is to play Master of Magic under Windows 2000. I've always loved MoM and I've spent lots of time to get it to work with W2K but it just won't work properly.

Btw, I also have a true DOS 6 partition on my computer, but using it to play MoM leads to several other problems concerning modern hardware components and required drivers.

So far I managed to run the game without sound. I also managed to find a tool that enables sound for DOS-Games under Win2000 (VDM Sound).

What doesn't work is running the game with sound because it keeps telling me that I lack memory ("you need 579 KB of free memory") and EMS ("you need 2700 KB of EMS").

I've been trying to change the memory settings in the properties dialogue for the exe-file (creating a PIF in the process) but it didn't help.

Does one of the experts here have any ideas?

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 12:36 am

Microsoft has been trying to do away with DOS for years. Your best bet is to boot your computer with a bootable floppy disk and play your game from there. Another option is to cobble together an old (and I mean old) machine that will boot to either Windows 3.1 or DOS. I happen to have an old 80486 machine sitting around my house, but that doesn't do you any good.

If you don't hear from either Ned Flanders, Mr Sleep or Mr Flibble in the next day or so, send them a PM; they know much more about Windows 2000 that I do (I'm not even sure you can get a DOS prompt in Windows 2K).

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 1:44 am

Well, I can boot my actual computer with DOS. I could also build a machine from spare parts lying around (eg a K6-350). Unfortunately my DOS knowledge has mostly vanished during the last years and finding the right DOS drivers for everything is probably as problematic as finding a solution for Win 2000.

W2K has a DOS mode which can be configured like real DOS (there is a config.nt and a autoexec.nt, both equal the DOS config.sys and autoexec.bat) and in theory there is a possibility to adress extended and expanded RAM to single applications via a PIF file. So I tried some options but unfortunately mem /c states that I have 600+ base memory and MoM tells me that I have less than 589.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 4:35 am

@Phantom Lord, the problem you're hitting with the Windows 2000 DOS mode is that it is actually an application called cmd.exe. This cannot be loaded into the high memory area, so you'll never be able to get much more base memory than what you're getting already.

HLD's suggestion may be the best course of action. That way, you don't have to configure each program you want to use in DOS mode. You also won't need any drivers. All programs designed to run in DOS will have their own video or sound drivers (within reason, it's a 20 year old OS).

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 7:24 am

Originally posted by Mr Flibble
HLD's suggestion may be the best course of action. That way, you don't have to configure each program you want to use in DOS mode. You also won't need any drivers. All programs designed to run in DOS will have their own video or sound drivers (within reason, it's a 20 year old OS).

I would agree, the only issue will depend on if you wish to do anything else with the machine. I think you still need to set up things like autoexec.bat and config.sys to initialise your sound card, you will need to set them up with 220 and all that crap, it has been ages since i have had to do any of that.

My knowledge of 2k isn't great, what i do know is that they practically outlawed DOS altogether, in pre-build talks they were debating removing it all together, not even have it as an option.

Dos mode in 98 is also a program IIRC, i might be wrong though.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 1:57 pm

@Sleep, 98 still uses DOS. It's version 7.1 I think. Actually ME still uses DOS too, but Microsoft have removed the option of booting straight to it.

Phantom Lord · Post by **Phantom Lord** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 12:29 am

Yes, 9x has DOS and the NT-based systems have the cmd.exe. The final thing I'll try is using a NT 4.0 cmd.exe with 2000, I think it uses a little less memory. If this doesn't work I'm gonna dig for my DOS books and use real DOS.

Thanks for your replies!