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Need help playing some old dos games

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Needitcooler

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2002
Location
Seattle
I am feeling nostalgic, and am trying to get some old dos-based games like Space Quest, and Hero's Quest to work on my system. I have tried to make a dos bootdisk, but once I reboot and am sitting at the A prompt, it won't let me change directory to my harddrive. I am running Windows XP, and none of the games would run straight through it. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get these classics to run?
 
Could you do the good ol' "run program in compatibility mode for: Win9X"?

Well if it's DOS right click and go into memory. Set all those to auto. If a readme comes with it read it and set the memory according to that.

There will also be a compatibility timer or sumpthin like that somewhere. You could check that if the game is running hyper.
 
What about installing games? I have X-COM: UFO Defense and X-COM: Terror from the Deep, the old original games (not the remastered ones that don't work with GeForces!), but I can't get it to install. It just gives me an error about some goto failing. Other than that, it runs off the CD, but I can't save it.
 
Wa11y, im not really sure about that you mean but there is something here about errors when trying to install the games. there are quite big information in the page for anyone trying to run dos games.
 
Well, the main reason you cannot run DOS games in WinXP is that XP/2000 does not come with a true copy of DOS! :D

You will need Win98 or a DOS boot diskette. Also, probably a copy of MoSlo, to slow down games designed for a 486.
 
You could use VMware but its way expensive. Has a 30 day trial. Install win9x, dos or whatever inside it and it makes everything all peachy.

What I'd do is get an older computer just for those games, if they mean that much to ya, and a kvm switch. I'm actually planning a LAN party with a couple of friends with a bunch of 486s and Pentium 100s. But most people don't have such easy access to older hardware.
 
I dont know guys, I run 98se. I play tons of older games Xcom 1 + 2, or some old "gold box SSI games", or even old ultima games. I dont remember what I do, but I've never had problems runnign them. I love old games, some of the best games I have ever played are almost as old as I am. ahhhh nostalgia...
 
You shouldn't have any problems with 98. The problems are with 2000 and XP where there is no real dos.
 
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