Two games won't work (1830 and DBA Online)

[Guest]

I am using Windows XP Professional, Build 2600.xpsp2.030422-1633. I want to play a DOS game, 1830: Railroads and Robber Barons by SimTex. The game is installed on a separate partition, but will not run.

I did not get an error message, but running Sandra 2004 gave me this:

AUTOEXEC.BAT is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
AUTOEXEC.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.

Install CD ROM extensions
%SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
%SystemRoot%\system32\redir

Install DPMI support
%SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

Windows MS-DOS Startup File
CONFIG.SYS vs CONFIG.NT
CONFIG.SYS is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
CONFIG.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.

ECHOCONFIG
By default, no information is displayed when the MS-DOS environment
is initialized. To display CONFIG.NT/AUTOEXEC.NT information, add
the command echoconfig to CONFIG.NT or other startup file.

NTCMDPROMPT
When you return to the command prompt from a TSR or while running an
MS-DOS-based application, Windows runs COMMAND.COM. This allows the
TSR to remain active. To run CMD.EXE, the Windows command prompt,
rather than COMMAND.COM, add the command ntcmdprompt to CONFIG.NT or
other startup file.

DOSONLY
By default, you can start any type of application when running
COMMAND.COM. If you start an application other than an MS-DOS-based
application, any running TSR may be disrupted. To ensure that only
MS-DOS-based applications can be started, add the command dosonly to
CONFIG.NT or other startup file.

EMM
You can use EMM command line to configure EMM(Expanded Memory Manager).
The syntax is:

EMM = [A=AltRegSets] [B=BaseSegment] [RAM]

AltRegSets
specifies the total Alternative Mapping Register Sets you
want the system to support. 1 <= AltRegSets <= 255. The
default value is 8.
BaseSegment
specifies the starting segment address in the Dos conventional
memory you want the system to allocate for EMM page frames.
The value must be given in Hexdecimal.
0x1000 <= BaseSegment <= 0x4000. The value is rounded down to
16KB boundary. The default value is 0x4000
RAM
specifies that the system should only allocate 64Kb address
space from the Upper Memory Block(UMB) area for EMM page frames
and leave the rests(if available) to be used by DOS to support
loadhigh and devicehigh commands. The system, by default, would
allocate all possible and available UMB for page frames.

The EMM size is determined by pif file(either the one associated
with your application or _default.pif). If the size from PIF file
is zero, EMM will be disabled and the EMM line will be ignored.

dos=high, umb
device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
files=40

How do I use CONFIG.NT/AUTOEXEC.NT?

The real question is: How do I play 1830 on Windows XP?

DBA Online 1.12, downloaded from www.dbaol.com, is NOT a DOS game, but freezes at different points during each game. Is anyone familiar with this problem?

 

[Jimmy S.]

Hi Mike,

DBA Online might work best using Compatibility Mode. Here's more...

When a game is a DOS game, it could work using compatibility mode:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=292533 or by using the Multiboot
bootdisk from: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~lpcd/downloads.html
and always check at fileplanet.com to see if there's a patch available,
or search at: http://www.avault.com/pcrl/patches_list.asp?letter=a

With DOSBOX you can emulate a DOS computer on your XP desktop:
http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/information.php Or try MS Virtual PC:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/downloads/trial.asp
which allows you to install DOS or to run any operating system inside XP.

If you prefer to explore other advanced methods, here are two excellent
tutorials I've found on the subject: http://www.dosgames.com/xphints.php
and http://home.earthlink.net/~angeldancer27/XpGameList.htm For sound
issues use: http://www.ece.mcgill.ca/~vromas/vdmsound Good Luck!

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com


Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

|I am using Windows XP Professional, Build 2600.xpsp2.030422-1633. I want to play a DOS game, 1830: Railroads and Robber Barons by
SimTex. The game is installed on a separate partition, but will not run.
|
| I did not get an error message, but running Sandra 2004 gave me this:
|
| AUTOEXEC.BAT is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
| AUTOEXEC.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
| different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.
|
| Install CD ROM extensions
| %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
|
| Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
| %SystemRoot%\system32\redir
|
| Install DPMI support
| %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx
|
| Windows MS-DOS Startup File
| CONFIG.SYS vs CONFIG.NT
| CONFIG.SYS is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
| CONFIG.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
| different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.
|
| ECHOCONFIG
| By default, no information is displayed when the MS-DOS environment
| is initialized. To display CONFIG.NT/AUTOEXEC.NT information, add
| the command echoconfig to CONFIG.NT or other startup file.
|
| NTCMDPROMPT
| When you return to the command prompt from a TSR or while running an
| MS-DOS-based application, Windows runs COMMAND.COM. This allows the
| TSR to remain active. To run CMD.EXE, the Windows command prompt,
| rather than COMMAND.COM, add the command ntcmdprompt to CONFIG.NT or
| other startup file.
|
| DOSONLY
| By default, you can start any type of application when running
| COMMAND.COM. If you start an application other than an MS-DOS-based
| application, any running TSR may be disrupted. To ensure that only
| MS-DOS-based applications can be started, add the command dosonly to
| CONFIG.NT or other startup file.
|
| EMM
| You can use EMM command line to configure EMM(Expanded Memory Manager).
| The syntax is:
|
| EMM = [A=AltRegSets] [B=BaseSegment] [RAM]
|
| AltRegSets
| specifies the total Alternative Mapping Register Sets you
| want the system to support. 1 <= AltRegSets <= 255. The
| default value is 8.
| BaseSegment
| specifies the starting segment address in the Dos conventional
| memory you want the system to allocate for EMM page frames.
| The value must be given in Hexdecimal.
| 0x1000 <= BaseSegment <= 0x4000. The value is rounded down to
| 16KB boundary. The default value is 0x4000
| RAM
| specifies that the system should only allocate 64Kb address
| space from the Upper Memory Block(UMB) area for EMM page frames
| and leave the rests(if available) to be used by DOS to support
| loadhigh and devicehigh commands. The system, by default, would
| allocate all possible and available UMB for page frames.
|
| The EMM size is determined by pif file(either the one associated
| with your application or _default.pif). If the size from PIF file
| is zero, EMM will be disabled and the EMM line will be ignored.
|
| dos=high, umb
| device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
| files=40
|
| How do I use CONFIG.NT/AUTOEXEC.NT?
|
| The real question is: How do I play 1830 on Windows XP?
|
| DBA Online 1.12, downloaded from www.dbaol.com, is NOT a DOS game, but freezes at different points during each game. Is anyone
familiar with this problem?