Dosbox

[Shakadi]

Alright, I recently got my hands on a copy of X-com Apocolypse, only to find out that when running under Windows XP, the sounds and frame rate run very choppy. Also, when trying to skip the opening video, the game boots me back to windows. So, After reading the readme, I figured that Dosbox would solve my problem.

So, I download it, install it, and read the readme and INTRO thing once its running. So, here is EXACTLY what I type:

mount c C:\

C:\Games\XCOM\XCOMAPOC.exe
(And, after finding out that it says L:\xcom3\xcom3.cfg not found, I did this:)

mount l C:\Xcom
(which inside is xcom3\xcom.cfg)

So, I then type:

C:\Games\XCOM\XCOMAPOC.exe
Which then gives no error at all, but just gives the oh-so-familiar:

<Z:\>

I read through the readme twice, and can't figure out what I did wrong. Can anyone help me?

[Planky]

Try using a boot disk - although you might not be able to get sound working.

As for dosbox, i haven't heard of it till now.

[Shakadi]

I was thinking about using a boot disk, but for some reason my father thinks that it wont work under Windows XP. But I shall try to persuade him to try it.

EDIT: HAte to ask it, but how do I change the drive to C: when it IS booted? I inserted boot disk and it works, but I can't get acsess C:.

[The Undertaker]

C:

[Planky]

I should have mentioned that if the drive is NTFS, using a bootdisk won't work - it can only read fat partitions.

[ToXiCFLUFF]

C:\Games\XCOM\XCOMAPOC.exe
(And, after finding out that it says L:\xcom3\xcom3.cfg not found, I did this:)

If C:\games\XCOM is the folder, then just

mount c c:\games\Xcom should do it.

[DooMAD]

Heh, NTFS claims another victim. :D

[Shakadi]

C:

That works in Dosbox, but I should have added earlier that that was in Booting up Dos, which gives me a Invalid Drive Specification error. I'm assuming that the boot disk has mounted A: as my C drive.

Also, I manged to get DosBox to give me the Dos/4gw Prfessional Protected Mose Run-time thing it gives you before it starts up the program, but then after a few seconds, instead of starting the game, it just gave me another C:\> to type something in. I do remeber seeing something in teh readme about protected mode games though, and am reading up on it now.

I should have mentioned that if the drive is NTFS, using a bootdisk won't work - it can only read fat partitions.

I just saw this. and I realized that my drive is NTFS, but the boot disk does work. It loads up DOS just fine, but, as I stated above, it mounted A: as my C drive.
EDIT: According to something I read, it said that if it read Type: Local Disk, that means it's a FAT16 drive. But then right below that, it says File System: NTFS. I am now officially confused.

Also, when re-installing it, it said that I did not have enough "Buffers" and that I should change my CONFIG.SYS file so that it will look something like this:

Files=x (x being 20 or higher)
Buffers=x (x being 20 or higher, and according to the install program, I don;t have ANY of)

I searched my whole computer (including hidden files) for a CONFIG.SYS, and found none. Does Windows XP even use "Buffers" anymore, or is the info stored in a file with a new name? Can anyone tell me? I really want to play X-Com. *cry*

[The Undertaker]

Here (http://www.ntfs.com/products.htm) and here (http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFSDOS.shtml) are some NTFS readers (not writers though so you probably won't be able to save) for DOS. And you need to edit the config.sys on the bootdisk (you may need to disable hide protected operating system files).

[Tylenol]

Uh, just get VDMSound. It's tons better. OMF used to have the same problem, until I got VDMSound. DOSBox was just crap. And there's no command prompt stuff. Just right-click on the executable, and select the VDMSound option and it'll run! Of course, after installation.

[Shakadi]

Argh! I downloaded VDMsound, I ran it by doing what you said, and it gave me a blank screen for a few seconds (got my hopes up) and then it gave me a blank dos prompt.

I know that it cannot be the games fauly, as a friend with an old computer (133 MHZ baby!) brought it over and I indtalled it on there, and it ran perfectly fine. It was windows 98, and ran perfectly IN windows.

Argh, how I hate Microsoft for getting rid of some of the features of older windows versions! *angry*

[Looney]

I personaly would rather just duel boot the system with a copy of 2000/XP and Win98. This way I can have better stability in my main O/S, and still play the old DOS games with ease. Getting rid of DOS was good because they can write a faster better working O/S without it.

[ToXiCFLUFF]

I personaly would rather just duel boot the system with a copy of 2000/XP and Win98. This way I can have better stability in my main O/S, and still play the old DOS games with ease. Getting rid of DOS was good because they can write a faster better working O/S without it.

Many modern cards don't even have legacy support though AFAIK, and then won't run in DOS or Win9x. I'm on one such card (integrated chip actually), and therefore VDMSound, SoundFX2000 and DOSbox are my only choices.

[Shakadi]

I personaly would rather just duel boot the system with a copy of 2000/XP and Win98. This way I can have better stability in my main O/S, and still play the old DOS games with ease. Getting rid of DOS was good because they can write a faster better working O/S without it.

The computer guy at the airforce base said that it was impossible to have two operating systems on the same computer, but this computer guy has also been wrong about 20% of the time. Can someone here point me to a good guide for duel-booting a P.C.?

[Looney]

The computer guy at the airforce base said that it was impossible to have two operating systems on the same computer, but this computer guy has also been wrong about 20% of the time. Can someone here point me to a good guide for duel-booting a P.C.?

Bwahahahahahahahahhah he is wrong, Again! ;) You can dual boot Linux, all of the 2000 Family and XP family. It's not hard to dual boot but it takes a little pre planning.

Breifly:
First
Partition your HDD for how ever may O/S's you plan to load.
Also when you format, 9x/ME must be loaded on a FAT32/16 partition. All other Winodws O/S run under NTFS or FAT32. If you format the second drive/s to NTFS you will not be able to access it with 9x/ME. So if you want use of that volume on the drive, format the drive as a FAT32. If it don't matter, then use the NTFS for your 2000/XP O/S.

Second
If you Dualboot Win98/ME with any other windows O/S load 98/Me FIRST to the C: partition.

Then Load the second O/S / O/S's on the the other patition/s

Special Note
XP don't like Dual booting with any older O/S. It's best to load your older O/S first then XP. There are ways around this but not sure how.

Third
After you have done this you can adjust which one will start firt in the boot.INI

Here is a link to more detailed instrutions
http://www.techspot.com/articles/dualboot/index.shtml

[Shakadi]

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'll see what my dad can do, and I'll finally get to play X-com on my own computer. *flip* For now on, I think I'm going to have a 5 minute worship-period for you Looney. :p

[Doom_Dude]

Yeah if I can figure out how to set up a dual boot so can you. ;) Thanks to Looney of course. :D Whenever I set up my new machine I'm definitely going to set up the dual boot dealie again with Win98se and Win2k.

[Looney]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAh I only require an Imp sacraficed in my name for the assistance. *diablo*
Your both welcome. :D

[The Undertaker]

ToXicFluff, it just may be me but I can find a SB16 PCI for sale at most major retailers. Hell, I even saw an ISA 56k modem at a Circuit City.

[Looney]

And CHEAP, you get them for less than $15. Hell, I have seen them as low as $9.99. ;)

[ToXiCFLUFF]

ToXicFluff, it just may be me but I can find a SB16 PCI for sale at most major retailers. Hell, I even saw an ISA 56k modem at a Circuit City. Nevertheless, my post still stands, because not all modern cards DO have legacy support. The guy downstairs has one such soundcard, and thus the boot setup looney originally suggested wouldn't do much for him.

[Nephil]

If you are planning to run games under pure DOS you should consider getting the old ISA version of the SB16! The PCI version didn't word under very good under DOS, the drivers were shitty! I got one from ebay for my DOS-PC, works like a charm!