This happens on Vista (or Windows 7) with output set to surface. Edit the config file (there's a shortcut in your start menu) to set output=ddraw and it should be fine.

If you don't want to change the renderer (I recommend that you do, though) you can also kill explorer.exe to prevent it from corrupting the palette.

The Windows port of DOSBox is probably going to need an internal workaround or a different default setting in the near future, or else VOGONS is going to be flooded with this question.

Well we already know the fix:

set SDL to WINDIB instead of DirectX for Vista+.
and/or include D3D renderer and set D3D as default for Windows OS's.

DosFreak wrote:

Well we already know the fix:

set SDL to WINDIB instead of DirectX for Vista+.
and/or include D3D renderer and set D3D as default for Windows OS's.

The WINDIB fix doesn't help unless DOSBox can somehow set it up automatically. The goal should be for it to work out of the box without major issues like this.

The D3D renderer is probably a good idea.

The v1.2 SDL that DOSBox uses has DirectX by default IIRC. This could be changed for DOSBox to WINDIB but won't be due to speed issues.

The v1.3 has windib as default I think but DOSBox crew doesn't like it.

It's said that 1.3 is not really stable. I guess 1.3 would also have speed issues because of using windip.

There is another option: translate the 8bpp mode to 16bpp.

Kippesoep wrote:

This happens on Vista (or Windows 7) with output set to surface.

Does it happen only in 64-bit vista? Cause my 32-bit vista doesn't have this problem.

What video drivers are you using? and are you using Aero?

Describes in more detail:
http://blogs.msdn.com/kamvedbrat/archive/2006 … /02/566788.aspx

I don't use Aero so I guess that is the reason. (latest nvidia drivers)

DosFreak wrote:

Well we already know the fix:
include D3D renderer and set D3D as default for Windows OS's.

wouldn't ddraw be enough for this?

microsoft depriciated ddraw or something like that.

Fullscreen ddraw in Vista causes Aero to switch off. WinDIB+D3D seems the best option 😉. I've hear that Win7 added back some 2D accelerations (overlay, maybe ddraw as well?) and might be better in this regard. Although I don't know how it compares to XP...