VOGONS

Middle mouse button in ms-dos 5.0?

Topic actions

First post, by John Allen Mills

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I am running an image of ms-dos 5.0, inside of dosbox 0.74, and I cannot seem to find a driver that will let me use the middle mouse button (tested with duke3d and doom). I am using a somewhat modern logitech mouse, so does dosbox's default driver convert a scroll button click into a middle button click, and that's why it won't work?

The drivers I've tried still function the same as the dos microsoft mouse drivers, I've tried multiple drivers, such as ms mouse, logitech's, pmouse, sigmaqm and ctmouse. But none of them will read the middle mouse button being clicked. As far as I'm aware dosbox emulates a 3-button, PS/2, mouse. Wolfenstein 3D came out in 1992 and supported the middle button, and ms-dos 6.00 was released in 1993, so I don't think it's a problem with my using MS-DOS 5.0.

Reply 1 of 1, by capitaine

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

3 buttons support does exist in MS-Dos, but it seems like an obscur puzzle which may turn into an headache.
One example is : "When the mouse first gets power, if the left button is held down it switches into Mouse Systems mode. A simple fact, but not always publicised."
Here : Switching a Mouse to 3-Button Mode

Other example is Msinput.ini configuration.
Check this : MS-DOS Mouse Driver Does Not Use Primary Mouse Button Setting

• x=1 sets the left mouse button
• x=2 sets the middle (wheel) button
• x=3 sets the right mouse button

I can hardly believe it, I could never get Microsoft's drivers supports those 3 buttons.
Only CTmouse.exe and Logitech mouse.exe were good.

John Allen Mills wrote on 2025-04-10, 17:04:

As far as I'm aware dosbox emulates a 3-button, PS/2, mouse.

Sure about this ?

My experience is : with some mices, some drivers, some protocol you can get 3 buttons workings in games on a DOS 6.22 real machine.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to DOSBox General
Close window
Close window