
Since I started this website quite a few people have asked me how to run a legacy DOS program on a modern OS. My answer has always been to run it on the original and compatible OS and hardware. 486 PC's are still easy and cheap to get hold of. I still stand by this but there is a program called DOSBox which seems to do a very good job of it (Screen shot above). I have tested it with 2000 and XP. As expected it supports SoundBlaster. Also supports AdLib Sound. Remember AdLib? Nearly became the standard before SoundBlaster came along. As a result there are quite a number of old DOS programs that ONLY work with AdLib.
It can be downloaded for FREE from http://dosbox.sourceforge.net
Do read the readme file as it contains info that you will need but if you are to eager to get started do not be discouraged if it does not fill the screen or appears squashed.
ALT-ENTER Switches to full screen and back.
Getting Started
On starting you
will see a Z:\>
type "mount c" followed by the path to the DOS programs( see
screenshot).
Log onto the newly created virtual C drive in the usual way
and that's it.
Use the DIR command to find Directories and type CD to move
to them. DIR again to find the EXE to run the program required. Better still
install a menu program. COUNTERPOINT
works fine. Set up a BAT file with the commands:
CD CP
CP
Call it CP.BAT then just type CP at the C:\> prompt to set up and run all your DOS programs. You will still have to type the "mount C D:\PROGRAMS" (or whatever your path might happen to be) at the Z:\> prompt each time you start DosBox.