VOGONS


Dos Problems - Crashing

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First post, by foey

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Hi Guys,

I have the following machine :-

AMD K6-2 450mhz @ 400mhz (66x3=6)
256mb SD Ram
16mb 3Dfx Voodoo 3 2000 PCI Graphics Card
Creative AWE64 CT4500 Sound Card
Telesyn AT-2500GTX PCI 10/100 NIC
ISA LT Win Modem
IDE DVD-ROM Drive
40Gb WD IDE Hard Drive
Windows 98 SE / Unof. Service Pack

I can't seem to run anything in DOS. Either Shutdown to MS Dos Mode, Command Prompt from F8 or even the Windows 98 Startup Disc (Command prompt with CD-ROM Support)

I've even tried creating a bootable floppy with just the command prompt and still the same.

Although I don't think they are related my config files are as follows...

Autoexec.bat

SET SOUND=C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0
@ECHO OFF
LH /L:0;2 /S C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\SMARTDRV 2048 16 /V
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MODE CON RATE=32 DELAY=2


LH /L:2 C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DOSKEY /INSERT
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;
SET DIRCMD=/P /A
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6

Config.sys

NUMLOCK=ON
BREAK=ON
DOS=HIGH,UMB,NOAUTO
FILESHIGH=40
FCBSHIGH=1,0
BUFFERSHIGH=30,0
LASTDRIVEHIGH=J
STACKSHIGH=9,256
COUNTRY=045,865,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\COUNTRY.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /V
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM /MIN=0 I=B000-B7FF /V
DEVICEHIGH /L:2 =C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)

DEVICEHIGH /L:2 =C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICEHIGH /L:1 =C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
SHELL=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS\ /E:1024 /P

Mem reports (In MS DOS Mode)

Largest executable program size of : 620k
Largest free upper memory block is : 72k

The strange thing is, I can run everything in windows without any issues - apart from Games which need real DOS mode.

When I try to run a game, the machine seems to stop with my last command at dos still on the screen. It will let me Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot.

For instance, I'm trying to play NASCAR Racing, Reboot to DOS. I can access the setup program - no problems at all (Screamer 2, I can access the setup program as well, but not the game) Save my changes. Type in Nascar and press enter... and nothing. Just hangs there with the cursor flashing.

Screamer 2, I can run perfectly in Windows with Sound w/o glide - but not in DOS.

I've changed my sound card to a AWE64 from the O/B one and still the same.

Cyrix Instead Build, 6x86 166+ | 32mb SD | 4mb S3 Virge DX | Creative AWE64 | Win95
ATC-S PIII Tualatin Win9x Build :- ATC-S PIII Coppermine Win9x Build Log [WIP] **Photo Heavy**

Reply 1 of 5, by konc

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Try running something more primitive just to make sure that something IS working in DOS. When you say you can't run anything in DOS, you mean not even dos's editor for example?

Reply 2 of 5, by foey

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Yes sorry,

I can run things like EDIT and quite a few setup programs, such as setsound for various games. It's just when I try to load games.

Sam & Max Hit the Road - Works perfectly in Windows with sound, stops responding when I type sam.exe in DOS
Nascar Racing - Not a Window Games, I type Nascar at command prompt, from Bootable floppy or F8, Command Prompt and it stops with the cursor flashing
Screamer 2 - Works perfectly in Windows, reboot to DOS, can load setup which has a GUI but stops responding again when I type in screamer with the cursor flashing
Quake - Works perfectly in Windows, reboot to dos, goes to load then errors (Need to find the error, its quite long)

Thanks,
Mark

Cyrix Instead Build, 6x86 166+ | 32mb SD | 4mb S3 Virge DX | Creative AWE64 | Win95
ATC-S PIII Tualatin Win9x Build :- ATC-S PIII Coppermine Win9x Build Log [WIP] **Photo Heavy**

Reply 3 of 5, by vetz

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Probably some hardware conflict with PNP hardware that is resolved in Windows, but not in DOS.

Pull everything out that is not needed, set everything to default settings in BIOS. Also remember that alot of games will crash in DOS if you have sound parameters entered and no sound card/drivers loaded.

3D Accelerated Games List (Proprietary APIs - No 3DFX/Direct3D)
3D Acceleration Comparison Episodes

Reply 4 of 5, by Jolaes76

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What vetz said.
Some hardware issue you are having is negated in a dos box on Windows.

- Try stripping it down to a minimalistic DOS config, reducing (removing / replacing) RAM if you can - I know 32 Mb is practically the smallest and for some games even that is too much, but you can use eatxms or several RAMdisk drivers to reduce available RAM for DOS.

- not for late DOS4GW games like Screamer 2, but for earlier ones: use speed throttling utilities (SetMul by gerwin can at least enable/disable caches for your processor. If you upgrade to a K6-II+ or III+ then it can also lower the multiplier)

start with a standard, unoptimized autoexec.bat like below (adjust paths where necessary)

@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;
SET DIRCMD=/P /A
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
SET SOUND=C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0
rem LH /L:0;2 /S C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\SMARTDRV 2048 16 /V
rem C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MODE CON RATE=32 DELAY=2
rem LH /L:2 C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DOSKEY /INSERT
rem missing lines for the AWE64 to work in DOS. Adjust the paths to your directories !
SET CTCM=C:\CTCM
C:\CTCM\CTCU /S /W=C:\WINDOWS
C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\DIAGNOSE /S /W=C:\WINDOWS
C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\AWEUTIL /S
C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\MIXERSET /P /Q

and config.sys:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /V /testmem:off
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE 4096 RAM
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILESHIGH=40
BUFFERSHIGH=40
SHELL=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS\ /E:1024 /P

"Ita in vita ut in lusu alae pessima iactura arte corrigenda est."

Reply 5 of 5, by foey

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Just been playing around with this tonight and took out the Voodoo 3 2000 and Doom which previously crashed booted up instantly. I can now run Nascar & Screamer...

Edit - Now just started doing it with the o/b graphics card. I've yet to have sound in DOS. Might try a new install.

Cyrix Instead Build, 6x86 166+ | 32mb SD | 4mb S3 Virge DX | Creative AWE64 | Win95
ATC-S PIII Tualatin Win9x Build :- ATC-S PIII Coppermine Win9x Build Log [WIP] **Photo Heavy**