Why do some games cause errors if booted through a shortcut/autoexec? \ VOGONS

Why do some games cause errors if booted through a shortcut/autoexec?

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First post, by VirtuaIceMan

Posted on 2004-03-06, 14:11

VirtuaIceMan Offline

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Posts: 1066
Joined: 2003-12-22, 00:57

I want to make straight shortcuts to games to run them, but whatever I try, some games just cause errors. Take World Rally Fever DEMO from www.team17.com:

Note: you start the game by running LOADER.EXE in the C:\rally\ folder

If I run DOSBox directly or through Boxer, the demo will run if you mount the C: drive, enter the games folder and type "loader", but I want to launch it using a Windows shortcut. The following methods all cause a stream of "Illegal write to ...":

Shortcut: "C:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.61\dosbox.exe" c:\rally\loader.exe

In Boxer, Auto Execute window:
mount c c:\
c:
cd rally
loader

The same errors occur when running using .conf files. I'm using WinXP Home if that matters.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Ice

Reply 1 of 8, by VirtuaIceMan

Posted on 2004-03-06, 17:50

VirtuaIceMan Offline

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Incidentally some games work fine doing the above methods (e.g. Turbo Outrun).

Ice

Last edited by VirtuaIceMan on 2004-03-08, 02:33. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 2 of 8, by Stiletto

Posted on 2004-03-06, 20:34

Stiletto Offline

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Ice, I have the demo at home and will see if I get the same thing happening tonight. 😁

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you
do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

Reply 3 of 8, by VirtuaIceMan

Posted on 2004-03-06, 23:56

VirtuaIceMan Offline

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It's not just World Rally Fever, Sega's Action Fighter seems to do the same. But most others are okay. Odd!

Ice

Reply 4 of 8, by VirtuaIceMan

Posted on 2004-03-08, 02:33

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And another one: Thunderhawk (my copy came from the Fly & Drive US Gold pack) - works fine if you open DOSBox then run it from the command line, but use a shortcut and it's "Illegal writes" all around!

Ice

Reply 5 of 8, by Stiletto

Posted on 2004-03-08, 10:43

Stiletto Offline

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Okay, I see the same thing with World Rally Fever Demo.

Loading the game step by step manually, there are no notable errors.
Error log is the following:

1         0: MIDI:Opened device:win32
2         0: SBLASTER:DSP:Reset
3         0: INT10:Set Video Mode 3
4         0: FILES:Special file open command 80 file AUTOEXEC.BAT
5         0: Created block size 90 type 1
6         0: Created block size 70 type 1
7         0: EXEC:Execute mount.COM 0
8         0: FILES:file open command 0 file mount.COM
9         0: Created block size 90 type 4
10         0: Created block size c0 type 1
11         0: Created block size 50 type 1
12         0: Created block size a0 type 1
13         0: Created block size 50 type 1
14         0: Created block size 90 type 1
15         0: Created block size 70 type 1
16         0: Created block size 50 type 1
17         0: VGA:H total 100, V Total 449
18         0: VGA:H D End 80, V D End 400
19         0: VGA:Width 640, Height 400, fps 70.000000
20         0: VGA:Scalew 1, Scaleh 1 aspect 1.000000
21         0: Created block size 50 type 1
22         0: Created block size 90 type 1
23         0: Created block size 50 type 1
24         0: Created block size 90 type 4
25         0: Created block size 50 type 1
26         0: Created block size 90 type 4
27         0: Created block size 50 type 1
28         0: Created block size 90 type 1
29         0: Created block size 50 type 1
30         0: Created block size 90 type 4
31         0: Created block size 50 type 1
32         0: Created block size 90 type 4
33         0: Created block size 90 type 4
34         0: Created block size 50 type 1
35         0: EXEC:Execute loader.EXE 0
36         0: FILES:file open command 0 file loader.EXE
37         0: Resetted block
38         0: Resetted block
39         0: Resetted block
40         0: Created block size 50 type 2
41         0: Created block size 130 type 2
42         0: Created block size 230 type 1
43         0: FILES:file open command 2 file roots.dir
44         0: Created block size 60 type 3
45         0: Created block size e0 type 1
46         0: Created block size 60 type 3
47         0: Created block size c0 type 1
48         0: Created block size c0 type 2
49         0: Dynamic unhandled opcode F2
50         0: Created block size e0 type 1
51         1: Dynamic unhandled opcode F2
52         1: Created block size b0 type 1
53         2: Created block size 60 type 3
54         2: Created block size e0 type 1
55         2: Created block size f0 type 2
56         4: Created block size 240 type 1
57         4: Created block size 60 type 3
58         4: Created block size d0 type 1
59         4: Created block size 50 type 1
60         4: Created block size 90 type 4

…Show last 11 lines

61         4: Created block size c0 type 1
62         4: INT10:Set Video Mode 13
63         4: Created block size f0 type 3
64         4: Created block size d0 type 1
65         4: Created block size 1c0 type 2
66         4: Created block size 100 type 3
67         4: Created block size a0 type 1
68         4: Created block size 100 type 1
69         4: Created block size 80 type 1
70         4: Created block size 80 type 2
71...

With a shortcut where the command is like so:
"C:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.61\dosbox-debugger.exe" -c "mount c c:\" -c "C:" -c "cd rally" -c "loader"
I get this error log:

1         0: MIDI:Opened device:win32
2         0: SBLASTER:DSP:Reset
3         0: INT10:Set Video Mode 3
4         0: FILES:Special file open command 80 file AUTOEXEC.BAT
5         0: Created block size 90 type 1
6         0: Created block size 70 type 1
7         0: EXEC:Execute mount.COM 0
8         0: FILES:file open command 0 file mount.COM
9         0: Created block size 90 type 4
10         0: Created block size c0 type 1
11         0: Created block size 50 type 1
12         0: Created block size a0 type 1
13         0: Created block size 50 type 1
14         0: EXEC:Execute loader.EXE 0
15         0: FILES:file open command 0 file loader.EXE
16         0: Resetted block
17         0: Resetted block
18         0: Resetted block
19         0: Created block size 50 type 2
20         0: Created block size 130 type 2
21         0: Created block size 230 type 1
22         0: FILES:file open command 2 file roots.dir
23         0: Created block size 60 type 3
24         0: Created block size e0 type 1
25         0: Created block size 60 type 3
26         0: Created block size c0 type 1
27         0: Created block size c0 type 2
28         0: Dynamic unhandled opcode F2
29         0: Created block size e0 type 1
30         1: Dynamic unhandled opcode F2
31         1: Created block size b0 type 1
32         2: Created block size 60 type 3
33         2: Created block size e0 type 1
34         2: Created block size f0 type 2
35         4: Created block size 240 type 1
36         4: Created block size 60 type 3
37         4: Created block size d0 type 1
38         4: Created block size 50 type 1
39         4: Created block size 90 type 4
40         4: Created block size c0 type 1
41         4: INT10:Set Video Mode 13
42         4: Illegal write to c0000000
43         4: Illegal write to c0000001
44         4: Illegal write to c0000002
45         4: Illegal write to c0000003
46         4: Illegal write to c0000004
47         4: Illegal write to c0000005
48         4: Illegal write to c0000006
49         4: Illegal write to c0000007
50         4: Illegal write to c0000008
51         4: Illegal write to c0000009
52         4: Illegal write to c000000a
53...

... and no video.

Um, Qbix? What's going on here?

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you
do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

Reply 6 of 8, by Qbix

Posted on 2004-03-08, 12:06

Qbix Offline

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Posts: 11233
Joined: 2002-11-27, 14:50
Location: Fryslan

try with core_normal first.
as then the numbers in the log make more sense

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

Reply 7 of 8, by VirtuaIceMan

Posted on 2004-03-08, 20:49

VirtuaIceMan Offline

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Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 1066
Joined: 2003-12-22, 00:57

I just found that Thunderhawk will work fine booting using a conf file as long as the cpu cycles is below 1624! Weird but true. Luckily the game speed is about right then. Odd.

Note: the WRF demo works (as long as you don't use a shortcut/conf file and boot dosbox then use the command line) but the full game doesn't - it reports that you don't have MSCDEX 2.1, annoyingly given that the demo works!

Ice

Reply 8 of 8, by Stiletto

Posted on 2004-03-09, 05:10

Stiletto Offline

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Rank: l33t++
Posts: 5133
Joined: 2002-07-01, 21:57

Qbix wrote:
try with core_normal first.
as then the numbers in the log make more sense

I did, that's what it's set at in the CONF file. I think I'm just using an OLD DOSBOX debugger-enabled build. Funny, it says that your CVS build is corrupt. (See CVS thread in beta testing forum).

It's gonna be a bit until I can roll my own, I've got a new system! 😁

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you
do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

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