Running a DOS game on Windows XP

Paul Tergat

I have just bought an old game that i used to love playing (Premier Manager 3) only to find out that it will not run on Windows XP. Apparently it will only run through DOS and on a system prior to Windows 2000.

Anyone any ideas on how i could get it workin?

Thanks.

Sam Vimes

try running it in compatibility mode. (right-click->properties->compatibility) try win95 and 98

Paul Tergat

Thanks for the reply commmander but that doesnt work either, jus gives me a stupid error message!!

theothernt

Hi,

Sadly Window XP's "Program Compatibility" has *nothing* to do with DOS programmes, just older Windows Apps.

What you need is DOSBox...

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/news.php?show_news=1

- Neil

djmarkus

Msdos boot disk, tho sound, cdrom drivers is going to be a problem.

Paul Tergat

Cheers mate, will give it a try now!

Paul Tergat

Still doesnt seem to work.... keep gettin that same error message, v annoyin!

theothernt

Hi,

Did you try DOSBox? What is the exact error you saw?

- Neil

SouperComputer

dosbox or bochs will do it. NT OS's dont have DOS, they have NTVDM (Virtual dos machine).

2k and XP dont allow direct access to hardware, so most games dont run.

Paul Tergat

When just putting in the Cd and waiting i get this error message:

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem

C:\DOCUME~\ALLUSE~1\STARTM~1\Programs\ZOODIG~1\PREMIE~1\PREMIE~1.PIF
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The System file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application

personally havnt a clue.


I have that DOS-BOX but how do i run the game through it then?

Cheers

Paul Tergat

I have that DOS-BOX but how do i run the game through it then?

theothernt

p_larkin99 wrote:

When just putting in the Cd and waiting i get this error message:

16 bit MS-DOS Subsystem

C:\DOCUME~\ALLUSE~1\STARTM~1\Programs\ZOODIG~1\PREMIE~1\PREMIE~1.PIF
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUTOEXEC.NT. The System file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application

personally havnt a clue.


I have that DOS-BOX but how do i run the game through it then?

Cheers

First off, the error you are getting is from Windows XP. It's trying to auto-run the game or its installer. Ignore this as we know that Windows XP cannot run this game on its own.

Everything you do from now on *must* be in DOSBox, it's the only way you will be able to install and run this old DOS game.

Below is a link telling you how to setup and run games under DOSBox...

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php?page=Basic+Setup+and+Installation+of+DosBox

- Neil

Paul Tergat

Cheers for the help Neil...but im gunna sound like a retard when i say them instructions seem dodgy to me. The drive for the cd i am trying to use is E and not D as in the example it gives, how would i run this game (premier manager 3) in DOS-BOX?

Mutant_Fruit

by writing "E" instead of "D".

CHange drivepaths and directories as required when following the instructions to match what you have on your system.

**Timbuk2**

In the instructions they just go with the default. e.g. D is the default for CD's, C is the default for hard drives, A is the default for floppies

Never mind that, you just put in what letters you have on each drive

singingstranger

Right, if it's the same edition of PM3 (and I don't think they did others...) then when you load DOSBox...

(Note: if E is your CD drive then that's accounted for here. I'm going to call your DOSBox drive 'X' for simplicity.)

1) type "mount X E:\ -t cdrom"
... this creates an X drive within DOSBox which it will use as your directory for games. the "-t cdrom" tells it that you're using a CD drive.

2) type "X:"
... this will give you a prompt working with your newly-made X drive and not Z.

3) type "pm3"
... on my version of the CD-ROM the programme is just pm3.exe on the base directory so typing "pm3" (or possibly "pm3.exe", I never checked) should do the trick.

Paul Tergat

Cheers "stranger", even tho i kno who u are. thanx 2 neil especially for the advice and ev1 else who chipped in !