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Willy Beamish CD-ROM

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Reply 20 of 52, by meowmix_in_da_hood

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Thanks for your help.

I downloaded the disk version off of an abandonware site. If I run it w/ VDMS, I get sound and all. But the DOS app keeps minimizing itself after 5 seconds, if I restore it, it minimizes again after 5 seconds. What's that about? I'm running WinXP Home Edition.

Do you have any idea what the problem is?

Thanks,
Chris

Reply 21 of 52, by Nicht Sehr Gut

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Just so you know, I deleted your duplicate thread on this in the "Windows" forum because 1) it's a duplicate thread and 2) WB is not a Windows game, so it was in the wrong forum anyway.

I don't know about this behavior, do any other DOS+VDMSound titles behave like this?

Reply 29 of 52, by meowmix_in_da_hood

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I've had an epiphony:

Anytime I try to run dos in full screen (including the C-Prompt), it minimizes it after about 5 seconds. HOWEVER, with C-Prompt, and an old text game called Amnesia, they can run in a window (they don't need to be fullscreen b/c they can just adjust their font size). When they auto minimize (Like WB), they auto restore in a window (UNlike WB). If I restore it (back to fullscreen), it stays open for 5 secs, then it minimizes and restores in a window again.

With WB: it's graphics, it MUST be fullscreen to run. Since the computer can't restore it in a window, it just stays minimized.

As far as SC: StarCraft was written for Win95/98/ME. Win95/98/ME are not operating systems. They're operating ENVIRONMENTS that run over MS-DOS (the actual "OS"). WinNT/2000/XP are ACTUAL operating systems with DOS emulators (C-Prompt). That's why SC follows the same behavior as WB (and every other DOS program I run).

I have to figure out a way to keep the damn thing in fullscreen when I tell it too.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Chris

Reply 30 of 52, by DosFreak

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Only thing I can figure is that another program is taking the focus, switching you back to desktop. It's hard to identify the problem from way over here. You sure that your not pressing any "switch back to desktop" keys, using Accessibility options, or have any weird programs in your system tray?

Tribek: "A computer enthusiast who uses the CLI of *nix is referred to as this type of person".

Contestant #1: "What is a DosFreak".

Tribek: "That is incorrect! They are wannabes of the great DosFreak! Contestant #2, Next category."

Contestant #2: "I'll take $500, The Pen Is Mightier".

😉

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Make your games work offline

Reply 32 of 52, by meowmix_in_da_hood

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Ok, update.

I figured it out.

I've been on 20,000 websites; and I swear I've read the ENTIRE Microsoft Knowledge Base. It IS a problem w/ the MS DosVM. It's only made to emulate a simple (very simple) DOS experience. They won't upgrade me either w/o making me pay for it.

I found a DOS emulator (DOSbox) that will run the program WITH sound (built in VDMS), and no graphics errors. Here's the webpage: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/

Thanks for all the help you guys gave me. =)

I really appreciate it!

Thanks again,
Chris

Reply 33 of 52, by Nicht Sehr Gut

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Originally posted by meowmix_in_da_hood I found a DOS emulator (DOSbox) that will run the program WITH sound (built in VDMS), and no graphics errors.

Ermm... We knew about that. If you had done a little reading on the board you should've come across it.

What's odd is that you shouldn’t need it as Vlad says the floppy version will work. Don't know if the CD-ROM version would work with it though... (DosBox doesn't support MSCDEX right now...).

Reply 34 of 52, by meowmix_in_da_hood

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Really? Unfortunately I didn't even know that I needed it until yesterday.

Well, the disk version will run w/ sound; but then the minimizing thing starts. Some people have this problem, some people don't. I think I just have the special computer.

Microsoft's website offers an upgrade (for a price) that will probably fix the problem; but I'm not going to pay for it. So I just checked out DosBox. It runs my programs w/o stalling. =)

Chris

Reply 36 of 52, by meowmix_in_da_hood

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Not really an update as much as bug fixes. I have a beta test version of XP, and I haven't updated w/ all of the WinUpdate stuff (it gives me problems w/ my internet). If you have the retail XP, you don't need the bug fix. Sorry.

Chris