eeHHH? That makes zero sense.

This sounds like it needs the three Rs:

• Retry
• Reboot
• Reinstall

Done, done, and done. Same problems. I've only had this computer a week, so there's not much software on it.

Windows XP Service Pack 1.0a
Gigabyte SINXP1394 Motherboard
Onboard sound
Pentium 4 2.4GHz processor

Maybe I got a bad distribution? My DOSDRV.EXE is 30,612 bytes when I check the properties.

Have a look.

http://64.83.14.64/VDMSound.jpg

Cush

Well where did you get your version of VDMSound? I'd recommend getting it from the official website or the "how to update vdmsound to its latest components" thread here on the board.

HunterZ wrote:

Well where did you get your version of VDMSound? I'd recommend getting it from the official website or the "how to update vdmsound to its latest components" thread here on the board.

I doubt it's a "corrupt DOSDRV.EXE" issue. Can you run *any* DOS programs at all from the command prompt?

V.

I got VDMSound off a link to a mirror from the main site. And what do you mean can I run any DOS programs? Sure I can do like "dir" and all the various DOS commands. As for programs, some games miraculously make it to the title screen without freezing. Most of my old DOS games just go to fullscreen and hang. I figured that was what they'd normally do under Windows XP. Does it matter that my drive is NTFS? I'm running out of ideas...very strange error indeed.

Cush

Under NT "dir" and the like are built-in NT "cmd.exe" commands, i.e. not DOS programs (I defy you to find dir.exe or dir.com... even on a real DOS system 😀 ).

Try opening up a DOS box, and paste the following in:

1%systemroot%\system32\command.com

what happens?!

Cheers,
V.

It loads.

Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
(C)Copyright Microsoft Crop 1900-2001.

Then my command prompt is in 8.3 format of course:
C:\DOCUME~1\MWBISHOP

I imagine that means I can run DOS programs?

Cush

Unregistered wrote:

I imagine that means I can run DOS programs?

Apparently yes.

What size is DOSDRV.EXE (in bytes) on your system?

V.

30,612 bytes

Cush

Looks good!
Any antivirus program running on your computer?
Cheers,
V.

Unregistered wrote:

30,612 bytes

Cush

Nope...nothing really running in the background at all. No startup programs, etc. It's a brand new system and fairly clean. I even got a couple DOS games running under it, but obviously with no sound.

Cush

Silly test:
rename DOSDRV.EXE to BLA.EXE and try to run BLA.EXE.
V.

Unregistered wrote:

Nope...nothing really running in the background at all. No startup programs, etc. It's a brand new system and fairly clean. I even got a couple DOS games running under it, but obviously with no sound.

Cush

Originally posted by Unregistered If I try it through the .bat file or from the command-prompt, all I get is this message:

"Cannot execute D:\PROGRAM FILES\VDMSOUND\DOSDRV.EXE"

You say if you try it "through the .bat file or from the command-prompt"...you get the error. What if you use "Run with VDMS" while right-clicking on the game's batch file or executable?

Do you even get the "Run with VDMS" options (one with, and one without a musical note) when you right-click on a .BAT or .EXE file?

Also, just to check...try Ms.Pac-Em from here. Try running it natively and with VDMSound and give us your results.

OK, here we go. When I right-click anything and tell it to Run with VDMS I get a DOS window with an error "Batch file missing". That's what originally led me to explore the VDMSound directory and see what's what. When I run the Ms. Pacman game, it detects my soundcard as a Soundblaster and the sounds are there albeit scratchy. I can't run it with VDMSound due to the above error.

Cush

Scratchy sounds are indicative of Windows XP's default emulation, not VDMSound. Make sure you set it to use IRQ7.

I figured it was just a poor Ms. Pacman sample. How do I configure VDMSound? I guess it doesn't matter much if I can't get it working in the first place.

Cush

Do you use the VDMS Launchpad ? It the best way to configure your programs. Normally, you're able to launch it with the "Run with VDMS" option (when you right click on a DOS program), and this one have a little music icon near it.

If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, if your classical "Run with VDMS", perhaps you should :
[*] Uninstall your actual copy of VDMS
[*] Install a fresh new one from the MSI package in order to restore the menus.
[*] Take a look at the "Update VDMS to it latest components" - then install the latest components - this will include the launchpad.

Perhaps your problem with DOSDRV.EXE will be gone that way - If not, well, the launchpad should be now present in your menu, that will be already something usefull.

Originally posted by Unregistered When I right-click anything and tell it to Run with VDMS I get a DOS window with an error "Batch file missing". That's what originally led me to explore the VDMSound directory and see what's what.

Ok, so you DO have a "Run with VDMS" option when you right-click. Just 1? or 2? (the 2nd should have a musical note)

When I run the Ms. Pacman game, it detects my soundcard as a Soundblaster and the sounds are there albeit scratchy. I can't run it with VDMSound due to the above error.

Ok, then it's not a GIVEIO.SYS-type of problem. Programs that direct-hardware access like that will break VDMSound. Doesn't fix the problem, just eliminates a suspect.

Originally posted by Snover Scratchy sounds are indicative of Windows XP's default emulation, not VDMSound.

Correct. His VDMSound is broken. I was asking him to try both ways to confirm if he could ANY audio from a DOS program.

Make sure you set it to use IRQ7.

One of the points of using Ms.PacEm to test, is that it auto-configures. There is no way to manually change the IRQ/DMA/Port settings of the game.

Originally posted by Unregistered I figured it was just a poor Ms. Pacman sample.

No, that's just the rather poor level of SoundBlaster emulation built into XP.

I guess it doesn't matter much if I can't get it working in the first place.

At this point, I would recommend starting over from scratch. Uninstall everything. Start a new install (from the VDMSound-2.0.4-WinNT-i386.msi file) and this time make it's home a directory with a nice, "8+3 compliant" name like:
C:\UTILS\SOUND\VDMSOUND
and make sure you are installing it with "Administrator" level privileges. After completion, shut down and restart.

Don't add the GUI Launchpad or any updates yet...Open a command prompt and type DOSDRV

Does it still come up with that error message?

Hey, first of all, I want to thank everyone for helping out. I didn't expect to get answers come the 18th plus post. Great support on this board.

Second, I installed VDMSound with no updates to D:\VDMSOUND. Sure enough, it loaded. Popped up a "Tip of the Day" and successfully loaded VDDLoader.dll.

Where should I be going from here? Updates? Run a particular piece of software?

Cush