Because it is only based on your HD. If you type only "mount c c:\" the Dosbox will only know that you want to have the drive c: and the drive will begin on the real c:\ (root).

No, the mounted drive it's not a temporary replica.
Everything you modifiy in a mounted drive in dosbox is modified in the "real" drive. Let's say that inside dosbox mounted drives are just known with a different name.
So be careful about what you write in your tutorial 😀

One more thing: DOSBOX caches the information about used directories. When you then make new file/directory outside of DOSBOX, you will not see it in DOSBOX till it is restarted or cache renewed (command RESCAN in DOSBOX).

Mirek

So why does it need to mount a drive at all? Why can't that be done automatically and it works off it as it is? *Scratches head*

I think I understand, so you won't have to resort to the crowbar-and-head method that people use for me. 😜

magic:
well you can specify any directory as drive
so all actions are confined to that directory (
e.g e:\oldgames )
with mount c e:\oldgames

a second and important point is that some games want to be installed in a directory directly under c:\
(so with the above example the game would actually install to e:\oldgames. but the game thinks it installs to c:\ (both party happy)

Third point : What to mount at linux systems ?