Running games in MS-DOS is always more compatible than running them in a virtual machines.

"Command Prompt" in Windows 3.x,9x and NT are all virtual machines and less compatible than MS-DOS.

That much I understand, but my question doesn't relate to the Command Prompt (DOS Box within Windows), my question is about MS-DOS Mode, where you need to Exit Windows in order to start DOS Mode.

i.e Start - Shut Down - Restart in MS-DOS Mode

My question is really just: What does MS-DOS have that MS-DOS MODE doesn't, in terms of Retro-Gaming?

Not much except for the dos version

In terms of compatibility we would have to test a LOT of games to find one that causes issues with MS-DOS mode.

One benefit of pure DOS for me is that I only deal with DOS drivers and not a set of drivers for windows and then another one for DOS.

DOS mode has a huge benefit though, FAT 32 support for partitions larger than 2GB.

I still stick with DOS 6.22 because when it comes to testing an issue for a VOGONS user I want to make sure I'm as compatible as possible.

pc speaker zaniness work better

Windows 9x MSDOS command prompt vs native MSDOS or which also same as Restart in MSDOS mode by set parameters for a DOS program PIF shortcut where custom config and autoexec settings (similar to using a custom boot disk), click on the Advanced button in short cut, and choose to run the program in MSDOS Mode which dosen't alway work rigth with some dos driver and way work is diff then pure dos boot.
Has do with sound, mouse, keyboard, networking sometime Video which have there own protected mode or real mode engine look up DPMI and DOS extender such as in DOS/4GW or DOS/32A, or separate, like CWSDPMI or HDPMI which why DirectX put end to this how ever as you can see that didn't last long we now rigth back where start with application programming is so poorly done never make past one ver OS with all kind of problem and most them developer are so lazy in fix them or can't give us the codes so we the world wide web can do some about

AFAIK, MS-DOS mode is the same as native MS-DOS. MS-DOS mode is when you exit Windows 9x and return to MS-DOS, like when you exit from Windows 3.x and return to MS-DOS. Windows 9.x runs on top of MS-DOS 7.x, much like Windows 3.x runs on top of MS-DOS 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x, or even 7.x.

You may not realise it, but I suspect what you're really asking is, "which is better, DOS 5/6.x or DOS 7.x?".

I'm not aware (yet) of any games that run on DOS versions prior to 7.0 but not on 7.0 or 7.1, though some games may run better on some versions.

My Current Retro-PC (P2 400MHz) has 2x 80GB hard Drives spit into 2x 37GB Partitions and a 500GB split into 4x 115GB Partitions, so I don't think True DOS will work out very well for me. 🙁

The reason why it's set up this way is that I don't like CD Swopping, and I store my entire game archive on the machine. So the 500GB is for my CD and Floppy Images, and the 2x 80GB's are for Dual-Boot Windows 98SE Installations.

I got my first PC back in 1997 (I was 7), so anything before Pentium was essentially before my time. I still love the old DOS Games though. 😀

"True" DOS should work fine, as long as it's version 7.1. 7.0 and earlier don't support FAT32. There are some standalone versions of 7.1 out there. It's the same version of DOS Windows 98 and the later versions of 95 use. DOS 7.1 also supports every version of Windows except ME and possibly the earlier versions of 95.

But would there be any benefits of Native MS-DOS 7.1 over the MS-DOS Included with Windows 98?

... Other than faster boot times. 😀

I doubt it.

And there is a way to stop Windows 98 from booting automatically, essentially turning your DOS 7.1 "native".

swaaye wrote:

One bit of bizarre that I discovered years ago is that the horribly buggy Terminator Skynet is more stable being run from a 98 DOS box than straight up DOS 7. I tried all sorts of tricks from different boot configs to varying hardware but the game wouldn't stop freezing in straight DOS.

An isolated and curious incident though. Straight DOS is usually best.

Not sure why you deleted this post, but I also think it's worth mentioning that some things in certain circumstances don't work in pure DOS, only in a DOS box. E.G. Sound Blaster AWE32/64 MPU-401 emulation only works for protected mode games in a Windows dos box. It doesn't work for them in DOS mode.

I didn't mention it earlier, but I think Little Big Adventure may not work on Dos 7.1. It keeps crashing at a certain point. I haven't confirmed DOS 7.1 being the cause though. It also refuses point blank to work in a Windows Dos box. Solar Winds (which is meant older DOS versions) on some computers works in a Windows Dos box, but not in DOS mode. It always gives me trouble on my computer with an AWE64 Gold regardless.

I'm normally a DOS purist because that's what I grew up with any enjoy fiddling with, but recently when I played Tie Fighter my only Gameport joystick was broken, and all I had was a USB joystick. Rather than trying to find some way of making a USB joystick work under DOS, I installed the game on a Win98 machine and played in a DOS window. This let me use the USB joystick, plus digital sound and hardware MIDI. Worked quite well really.

AdamP wrote:

There are some standalone versions of 7.1 out there.

There's also some fraudy, illegal "GPL" "MS-DOS 7.1"'s as well

leileilol wrote:

AdamP wrote:

There are some standalone versions of 7.1 out there.

There's also some fraudy, illegal "GPL" "MS-DOS 7.1"'s as well

I wouldn't waste my time on it
If want Real Dos mode all you need is few things like Disk partitioning "GParted, Partition Logic, Partition Wizard or Wikipedia List of disk partitioning software" and Boot Manger or Boot Loader "GAG or Wikipedia Comparison of boot loaders" make a 2gb partition for MSDos 6.22
Recovery Tool CD which must have (I perf Hiren's)
Hiren's Boot CD (www.hirensbootcd.org), Ultimate Boot CD (www.ultimatebootcd.com)

Your posts are very difficult to read, Mr. Shspvr. Please pay attention to your punctuation.

Anyway, I recall Electronoid, by Pixel Painters (and possibly the other Pixel Painters games as well) has a dire warning in its readme about potentially causing drastic system corruption if you try to run it in an MS-DOS Prompt instead of restarting in MS-DOS Mode. It sounds very weird.

I have the impression that if you're low on extended RAM, an MS-DOS Prompt will allow you to access more expanded memory (via virtual memory) than you can normally get via MS-DOS mode, but there's hardly any need to resort to such things these days.

Totempole wrote:

Are there any games which won't work in Windows 9x MS-DOS Mode that will work on native MS-DOS?

I will say that, back in the day, I was never able to get Epic Pinball to run properly in DOS mode under Win95 or Win98. Even on a fast machine, it would stutter to the point of being unplayable. At the time, I didn't have the luxury of multiple computers, so I left the game behind in favor of being able to do awesome Internetty things in Windows.

I recently finished putting together a machine with straight MS-DOS 6.22, a Sound Blaster 16, and a Gravis UltraSound, and Epic Pinball runs absolutely perfectly on it. Smooth as butter, and gorgeous Gravis sound.

Wait, do you mean "DOS mode", or an MS-DOS prompt with Win9x still loaded?

As I recall, the readme for Epic Pinball suggests the developers went out of their way to make the program run properly under Windows 3.1. (Maybe it's a PIT timer thing, or something?)

Jorpho wrote:

Wait, do you mean "DOS mode", or an MS-DOS prompt with Win9x still loaded?

Exiting out of Windows and into DOS.

For all I know, it worked fine under 3.1 - I never tested with that, only with Win95/98. *shrug*