Hi, you can try installing/copying the supplied GEM 2 (or get GEM 3 elsewhere).
Or you can use GEM Paint/BASIC 2 on FreeGEM/OpenGEM.
FreeDOS comes with one of them, for example.
But you can also download it elsewhere, too.

step by step

Hi, I don’t know anymore how I did that. Sorry. 🙁
I think there was an HDD installer? A batch file?

hi thanks for the reply and suggestion but I'm pretty keen to use the original Amstrad 1512 files that I downloaded

jude1977 wrote on 2025-05-27, 10:02:

hi thanks for the reply and suggestion but I'm pretty keen to use the original Amstrad 1512 files

You're welcome.

If there's no HDD installer, you can try copying the GEM folders to C:\,
but also think of the GEM batch file in root folder (gemstart, gem or how it's called).
Disk images can be opened with WinImage, but I don't know if 1512 disk set had used normal FAT format.

Here are some screenshots (no files):
How to install DOS Plus (PC1512 version) ?

The PC1512 GEM has a CGA driver, though, I'm afraid.

GEM 2 could support EGA graphics, at best, unless being patched.
To use VGA, GEM 3 or higher is needed. OpenGEM/FreeGEM for example.

hi I've managed to download open gem 5 on internet archive I've burned the program to disk and installed it on
my windows 98 pc. I start it up in dos and it runs fine but the only issue I'm having is the mouse wont work
I can move the curser around using the key board but when I want to start a application I don't know
what key to press on the keyboard as I've tried the enter key but it doesn't do anything
just wondering if anyone knows what key on the keyboard would I press or how I can get the mouse to work in dos.

Hi and good morning, the mouse click is done using Pos1 or Ins key, I think.
One of the keys on the group right from Enter/Return.

Mouse. Did you load a DOS mouse driver, such as mouse.com?

thanks will git it a try no I haven't downloaded a dos mouse driver will give it a go as well many thanks

hi I noticed you said install the gem files on the c drive but when I do that and try starting gem up it seems to want to use the a drive witch is my floppy 5.25

Hi, I'm not 100% sure right now, but I think the A: drive can be changed to C: by editing the batch file with a text editor.
Or by editing the GEM startup files in general. There might be one or two more of them in the GEM folders, not sure.
Changing everything A: to C: should do it, I think.

hi I was wondering if any one knows how to setup the Amstrad 1512 system disks on a windows 98 computer using dos
I downloaded the Amstrad 1512 system disks from dos days website and I'm having trouble getting it to run
if someone knows could you explain step by step how to do it
ide really appreciate it

Hi, I think it's being described step-by-step in the Amstrad PC1512 User Instructions (Book 1).
I don’t have it, but it can be bought as an used item in places like eBay or Amazon.

thanks for your reply yes I've seen it on eBay i think ill try and get it as it look really interesting
and hopefully will explain about setting up the disks many thanks

You're welcome.

I can also try finding my old GEM installation, but it takes a day or two..

thanks that would be great

Okay, found them.

So far, I can say this,
according to my own installation of PC1512 GEM on my PC/XT..

There's GEM.BAT in C:

CD \GEMBOOT
GEMRUN

There are GEM folders in C:

GEMAPPS GEMBOOT GEMDESK GEMSYS […]
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GEMAPPS
GEMBOOT
GEMDESK
GEMSYS

In GEMBOOT folder, there's a GEMRUN.BAT that must be modified

SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM path c:\gemdesk;c:\gemapps;c:\gemsys;c:\;c:\gemboot cd \gemsys gemvdi […]
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SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
path c:\gemdesk;c:\gemapps;c:\gemsys;c:\;c:\gemboot
cd \gemsys
gemvdi

thanks for the info im having a bit of trouble finding the gemrun.bat file there doesent seem to be one in the gemboot folder from the software version i downloaded from dos days

Hi, I had a look at what you're refering to (I'm on thin ice now)
and I think it's because the ZIPs for disk 1 (ms dos) and 4 (dos+ 1.2 os, boot files, gem paint) do contain a disk image each.

There are further files in the .cfi images; and the content of inside these .cfi image must be written back to a physical floppy disk using that fdcopy program (on DOS).
Or maybe it's possible to extract them using WinImage, not sure.

Or maybe try pc1640 disk set instead? It uses an .cfi floppy image for disk 1 (ms dos) only.
The other disks (gem) are ZIPs with normal files, it seems.

(Disclaimer: To my defense, cp/m and gem have become open source by now.
So dos plus, as a cp/m-86 variant, might be included here.
The supplied dos 3.2 can be seen as more of a start-up disk, maybe, if we're generous.)

thanks for your help joe I really appreciate it thanks for the links and etc too
will give it all a go with the info and files you have sent me many thanks

in regards to the mouse I've manage to use and find the right key on keyboard I haven't tried downloading mouse dos drivers yet I will give it a try foreshore.

You're welcome, I'm glad the keyboard now works.
Btw, Windows does hide certain file types.
They can be made visible in the options (folder settings) of Windows Explorer..
Just saying, it might be one reason why certain files can't be seen.
DOS software often had files ending with .ini, .com, .cfg, .sys and so on, which makes Windows hide them by default.