Windows Vista does not support fullscreen for DOS games. You need to use DosBox http://dosbox.sourceforge.net

You actually need to load the game in DosBox. You cannot just download DosBox. Install DosBox and then just execute the game. Just executing the game without using DosBox as it should be used will result in the "unable to use fullscreen" error message.

You guys seriously need some better documentation.

I'd be happy to work on it when I get some free time, but this is such a gold classic example.

Maybe we need users with brains or something.

You guys seriously need some better documentation.

Stop whining about the current documentation, and start working on it! I guess you're welcome to improve the docs, or create your own FAQ/Documentation project.

Maybe we need users with brains or something.

That would definitely help (; After spending some time here, it's very obvious that a majority of the questions are from users that didn't read the docs/didn't search the forum, or don't understand some of the basics of emulation (like emulated drives, etc.), or the basics of DOS. Some people even seem to think that playing a game in DOS was like playing it on a SNES or Mega Drive (Genesis) console.

Better documentation might give smarter users. (wether they are smart enough to think of reading it is a different story.)

Well there exist already plenty of guides. But the initial poster didn't
bother to read any it looks.

yup, as always the problem lies with reading the actual available documentation and guides. As the main documentation maintainer of Exult I can safely state that documentation is mostly just not read before asking questions. 🙁

I'm thinking shell extension:

Right Click .exe, .com, .bat, etc

Extra option in menu: "Load in DOSBox".

Have it write a DOSBOX.BAT file in the game folder, and MOUNT drive, etc as required, then have the AUTOEXEC section (or equiv code) load the BAT file from the mounted location.

I'd suggest having it default to CYCLES=MAX, and CORE=DYNAMIC, maybe a pop-up window prompting [Dynamic / Fast] or [Normal / More Stable] to toggle the .conf file beforehand.

"It is technically possible to make DOSBox less technical to the end user" - 😁

Then less technical users won't feel so intimidated, nor require any DOS command line knowledge, just the knowledge to find a games executable within the Windows Explorer / File Manager (which a far higher percentage of users can do).

Going out and finding a [separate program] DOSBox loader GUI can be quite a complex step to the average Joe end user. [It really isn't as obvious as we might think it is].

The only 'difficult' issues:

(1) Having the DOSBOX.BAT call another .BAT file and return - and frankly I don't think that counts because it has likely already been solved (CALL anyone ?).

(2) Audio Configuration [That is a topic in itself, but quite possible].

I don't code, nor do I have intricate knowledge of the DOSBox code base, however I understand and appreciate that the above is possible (under Win32) and some people in these forums may have the skills to do it. [Despite being more Linux developer, than Win32 dev].

If DOSBox had a few cool things, like that, that hopefully wouldn't take emulation specialists too long to implement, it would be far more popular.

Imagine cracking 10 million downloads in SorceForge.Net within the next 1 or 2 years. 😎

You can drag'n'drop executables onto dosbox.exe

Gametap. We should start suggesting it more. We can also sound more offensive..."like mabye your the kind of user that would appreciate Gametap?" (That way if they get offended mabye they'll want to investigate DosBox)

User: "Hi! I can't my game to work! HELP ME!!"
Vogons: "What game?"
User: "ru kidding?"
Vogons: "No, what game are you trying to get working?"
User: "King Quiot 2....say's somethg 'bout resource?"
Vogons: "Go here: http://www.gametap.com/home/play/gameDetails/120063650"

heh.

Obviously enough, as Windows just passes the drive:/path/filename as a parameter to the executable being dragged onto, correct ?

The issue is the getting the [temporary / per folder] dosbox.conf correct for a given game, and the audio setup.

eg: If audio has not been setup [for a given game folder, on a per folder basis], then search for *SETUP*.EXE/COM/BAT, *SOUND*.EXE/COM/BAT, and execute.... or something like that.

I dunno, maybe trying to be too nice to the original poster dude, but for every person that asks surely many people did not bother, or couldn't figure it out.

I mean, "http://www.vogons.org" just screams 'DosBox Forums' to me - 🙄 - hehehe

Both the drag'n drop feature and the shell extension thingy Tabris:DarkPeace has described can't solve the basic problem of installation and configuration of a game, sadly (not to mention the whole mounting stuff). A person that never used DOS, and has "grown up" with windows, has to grasp a few basic concepts before it can be able to understand certain effects with DOS games. Just have a look at the forums of other emulators - be it for consoles, handhelds, home computer systems, or pretty much any other kind of system. You will find that there's always a small number of users that are willing to read documentation, and learn about the emulated system and the emulator itself. And then you have this large majority of "Let's play a game"-kiddies, asking more or less stupid questions, without trying to get answers by themselves first. I believe it's not about good documentation, or context-menus. It's about the nature of humans. Most human beings are rather lazy, and tend to give up early when facing a (technical) problem. That may sound quite arrogant, but it's my opinion, based on experiences i've made. It seems it's a fact that has to be accepted.

And then, there's another kind of users, and i'm afraid Tabris:DarkPeace falls into that category. People that claim to know everything better than everyone, even the developers of the emulator. People that rant about the current state of an emulator, and write long posts about how cool feature a or feature b would be, and how many more people would use the emulator if it had feature a or b implemented. Most of the time, these people do not contribute anything at all to the community. They just spill out ideas, thoughts and rants, instead of starting own projects, or actually helping other users, or the development. This may sound harsh, but i've read enough posts from Tabris:DarkPeace that are exactly like what i've described. For my part, i'm glad DOSBox exists, and has such talented and dedicated developers and contributors. I can live with the bugs (if there are any), and with the small imperfections DOSBox may have. If i want to have a feature implemented that's really missing in my opinion, i ask if it may be possible to implement it, and then try to help the devs implement it, as far as that's possible without coding myself. If it's not feasible to implement the feature, i just shut up, and live with it.

Tabris:DarkPeace, sorry for the harsh words, but for a newcomer in this community, you made some pretty bold statements in your posts. Show us that you are able to contribute anything else than just a bunch of ideas, and you will get much more love here, i'd say.

DOSBox is documented just fine for real DOS users. What is lacking is proper historical knowledge of DOS.

The only thing in that rant that I can support is to include a shell-extension thingy in the DOSBox installer for Windows. Writing shell-extensions is something any capable Windows developer should be able to do - and it requires absolutely no knowledge about the DOSBox code base, just the ability to read the DOSBox README and understand how to launch DOSBox.

So go ahead - code like crazy and come up with something similar to the VDMSound launcher extension. Don't go crazy in the extension an allow every little feature of DOSBox to be tweaked, because that will tie it closely to a specific DOSBox release. A check-box for EMS/XMS memory, switching the SoundBlaster IRQ from 7 to 5 - and that's it.

Now, if and when such a thing becomes available and is stable on Win98, WinME, WinXP, Win2K, Win2K3 and Vista, then I am sure that Qbix can be convinced to include the shell-extension in the DOSBox installer package.

Tsk, Tsk MiniMax, you forgot NT4.

Hi all! Thxs for the replies none where very helpful but still its the thought that counts right? Im sorry my post caused such a roar, i just wanted to ask a simple question. thxs and goodbye.

Well do you still want your game to work?
Have you read the dosbox documentation?

You need to execute DosBox.
Mount your drives.
Configure your game.
Run your game.

I got everything working. Done like dosfreak had said in his first reply and ran it thru dosbx. work like a charm thxs dosfreak.

Great!