After the reboot, go to the directory where your DOS program is located. You need to find the executable or batch file needed to start the game program. You need to also need to find the executable or batch file needed to configure the game program.

Executables will always end with .COM or .EXE
Batch files will end with .BAT

The names of these programs will frequently be different from other DOS programs, there is no single naming standard. You will need to consult your game's documentation to be sure which is which. Many times a game will combine the installer and the configuration programs together. Sometimes a game will place the configuration program inside the game program together. Some games will automatically configure themselves and have no program configuration option. As said before, there is no single standard.

Common names for INSTALLING programs are SETUP and INSTALL.
Common names for CONFIGURING programs are CONFIG and (also) SETUP and INSTALL.

You Right-click on the configuration program , choose the appropriate options, save the settings, then quit. You then right-click the program and choose "Run with VDMS" to start the game and play. When you quit, you will find that VDMSound has created a shortcut for your startup program
It will have a VLP extension on it's filename (which may or may not be visible) and it will have a "Command Prompt" icon like the one in this image:

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When you use that shortcut, it will automatically start the game and apply VDMSound settings to the game program. Not that each shortcut can be customized for each program.

Here is an example of a common game installation and how it would be run with VDMSound:
GAME.EXE is what is used to start the game.
GO.BAT is the customized batch file used to start the game with special settings.
INSTALL.EXE is what is used to install the game program.
SOUND.BAT is what is used to configure the game program.

If possible, run the INSTALL.EXE without using VDMSound first.
If it won't run without VDMSound, right-click on the installer (in this example: INSTALL.EXE) and choose "Run with VDMS"

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Click NEXT on the window that appears (you can create custom configurations after you become comfortable with this process).
If you are running the INSTALL program from a write-protected floppy or a CD-ROM, remove the checkmark by Remember my settings.

Click FINISH. The install program should start up. Install the program as normal.

I go to the directory where the DOS program is located. Right-click on the configuration program (in this example: SETUP.EXE) and choose "Run with VDMS"

First, I choose what to use for sound effects, since the "SoundBlaster 16" option is the highest quality option (and is supported by VDMSound), I choose the "SoundBlaster 16" ("SB16" for short). Next, I choose the default settings of VDMSound (In other words, I use the setup program to match the game's sound settings to match the VDMSound settings).

The default VDMSound settings are:

Address = 0x220 (Sometimes just displayed as "220")
The type of SoundBlaster (any SoundBlaster except the AWE cards)
IRQ = 7 (Also known as the "Interrupt")
8-bit DMA = 1 (Also known as the "Low DMA", or just plain "DMA")
(especially when there is no 16-bit setting being used)
16-bit DMA = 5 (Also known as the "High DMA")

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After I choose those settings, I choose my music options. I could choose AdLib, SoundBlaster, or General MIDI (when it comes to music, AdLib and SoundBlaster music are effectively the same thing).

Again, I choose the settings of which match the VDMSound settings.

For AdLib or SoundBlaster music:
Base port = 0x388 (...or sometimes just 388. NOTE: many configuration programs don't need this address)

For General MIDI music:
Base port = 0x330 (or sometimes just 330)
IRQ = 2 (Many configuration programs don't need this)

In this case, I choose General MIDI. I save my settings and quit.

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Now I want to start the game, so I Right-click on the game's startup program (in this example: GAME.EXE) and choose "Run with VDMS". The game starts up and should run with sound and music. When I quit, there is a VDMSound shortcut (GAME.VLP) I can use to start the game with VDMSound in the future.

These are the basic steps for general VDMSound operation. The next post is an example of using a custom batch file and the only "Advanced" option that will be explained here. It is to be used only as an example, and only when necessary.

An example where a BATCH file might be necessary.

Let's say I want to run the previous example game in a higher video resolution (only available in the games that support such a thing).
I choose 640x480 resolution, save the video settings and run it...only to find the game quits on me immediately. I post a detailed question with my system specifications (*cough*hint*cough*) and ask for help. I find out that my particular computer's configuration requires that I run a program called NOLFB.COM before starting the game program.

So I need to create a batch file. I right-click inside the game's directory (not on an icon, do it over an empty space in the directory), choose New, then choose New Text Document. I open the file (New Text Document.txt), I type in NOLFB's name and into the text file and press the Enter key. Then I type the name of the game's startup program and press the Enter key so it appears like this:

NOLFB.COM
GAME.EXE

I save the file and quit the Notepad program. I right-click the New Text Document.txt, choose Rename, then change it's name to GO.BAT. The OS will ask if I'm sure I want to change it and I click YES (OS doesn't like you changing file extensions). Now I treat this batch file as if it were the game's executable, so I right-click on the GO.BAT and choose "Run with VDMS". The batch file runs NOLFB.COM (which fixes my video problem) then starts up my game and applies the VDMSound settings to it. When I quit, there is a VDMSound shortcut (GO.VLP) I can use to start the game with VDMSound in the future.

This might sound complicated, but actually it's quite easy. After doing it a few times, it becomes second-nature. And if people ask you to create a step-by-step guide on how to use it, you might then understand why we feel like this is asking for a step-by-step guide on how to open a refrigerator, get a sandwich, and then explain how to eat it.