get the latest dosbox and read its manual

If you are still in Z:\ type C:
Without the slash.
If you are in C:\ try cd\

I'm in c:\games
I tried cd\ and I remained in c:\games.

read the guides
60 seconds guide to getting your game to run in DOSBox
The Newbie's Pictorial Guide To DOSBox

I really didn't see anythinbg there as to why I'm, unable to change to c:\.
Currently in the configuration file's autoexec section I have:
mount c c:\games.
The only way I have found that I'm able to get to c:\ is to change the line to:
mount c c:\
And then if I change directories I can't get back to c:\.
While in dosxbox I tried remounting by using:
mount c c:\ but it told me 'mounting c:\ is NOT recomended and I remain in the same directory.

...

I've tried that, too.
Then when I do directory listing (dir) it doesn't reflect the root directory contents only what the ...\games directory contains.

And why is that a problem?

If I change directories from c:\games to c:\ shouldn't dir show what's in c:\? But it's not. It lists what's in c:\games.

Put stuff that matters in a directory, for example c:\games.
NEVER mount your root directory, if you need something that for whatever
fucked up reason resides in your root directory, COPY it into the games
directory and it's accessible in dosbox.

And please read again the guides until you understand them.

where have you got dosbox from?

I understand. But I've notinced somthing else and wondered if it is by design.
If I have in the autoexec section mount c c:\games I am UNABLE to change to ANY other directory.
But, if I have in the autoexec section mount c c:\ I AM able to change to ANY and ALL directories.
Is this by design?
Let me tell you something else.
I got my first computer in 1988. I know what to and what not to fuck with.

JamesJoey123 wrote:

Is this by design?

Yes.

JamesJoey123 wrote:

I got my first computer in 1988. I know what to and what not to fuck with.

I got my first computer in 1984, but I still mount my C: using a dedicated subfolder. I guess that makes me a total idiot, then.

JamesJoey123 wrote:

I got my first computer in 1988. I know what to and what not to fuck with.

so i guess you know how subst worked in dos? cause mount works same way.

also check dosbox's manual why it is not recommended (there are at least 2 reasons)

My question here isn't if it is recommended to mount to c:\.
Why am I unable to change to any directory in the case I presented in my prior post?

robertmo wrote:

i guess you know how subst worked in dos? cause mount works same way.

If you mount c:\games to c: then you can "cd" to any subdirectory of the c:\games directory.

You CANNOT cd to any directory above the c:\games directory because you only mounted c:\games.

Got it.

Thanks,
James

In other words, as far as the software running inside DOSBox is concerned, the directory you mounted to C:\ IS your root directory.

The whole point of this is to set up a "cage" of sorts that the software cannot leave. Remember DOS is an unprotected operating system: Any program running in it is allowed to do anything at all with your system. So to prevent DOS programs from running amok with your whole (real) disk, DOSBox keeps them under lock, so to speak.

If you know about computers, you'll have heard of a "chroot jail". It's the same concept.