mount d j:\oldgames mount a a:\ cd mightmag\mm2 loadfix mm2 […]
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mount d j:\oldgames
mount a a:\
cd mightmag\mm2
loadfix mm2

That seems rather incomplete as it lacks some "a:" or similar.
Anyways, for the first harddisk use "mount c j:\oldgames" and for
the floppy "mount a a:\ -t floppy". If it doesn't work check out the
imgmount command for floppy images.

Thanks for the quick reply. You're right, my command transcription from memory wasn't quite accurate; what I'd actually entered was:

mount d j:\oldgames
mount a a:\ -t floppy
d:
cd mightmag\mm2
loadfix mm2

which gives the "Original Disk 1 not found" error as described, even though an original M&M2 floppy is in drive A. (I use D for OLDGAMES, as all my DOS games are transfers from installations on my 486 PC, which are all on D, as most of C is partitioned for Unix.)

I tried using "Make floppy disk image" in Magic ISO, but it said the disk format was invalid and wouldn't do it. (The game master disk is a 720k floppy.) The other disk image tools I have only work with CDs/DVDs.

I'm not optimistic that mounting a floppy disk image as opposed to the real floppy would make any difference. The "mount a a:\ -t floppy" works insofar that DOSbox can read all the files on the disk, but I presume that the M&M2 copy protection is doing a low-level access to check something on a sector which is not part of the DOS file system. Whatever it's attempting to do is not recognised by XP or DOSbox as there's no actual attempt to read the master disk in A at that point when running on the XP PC (there's no click-swoosh sound of the gate sliding back) whereas there is on the 486 PC.

This type of copy protection would not have been unusual at the time, and it would be nice for people who still have original release game disks of that sort to be able to run them under emulation on a modern computer, but I guess it's going to be easier to play M&M2 again on my 15-year old 486 for now.

I'm not optimistic that mounting a floppy disk image as opposed to the real floppy would make any difference.

It provides sector-based access, which is otherwise not possible.
Maybe somebody can tell you an easy to use program that creates
floppy images that work with dosbox.

The problem may be that you don't have a c: drive. Instead of mounting your "j:\oldgames" directory as d:\, try mounting it as c:, or mount a dummy folder as c:. I think it's not possible to run a real DOS system without a c: drive, so games may react strangely if they can't find a c: drive. There might still be some kind of floppy-based copy protection, though, but that kind of protection was not very common on PC's - at least not as common as on the Amiga. For creating floppy images, use "WinImage". You have to pay attention when saving the image - WinImage will save to a zipped format (IMZ) per default, if i remember correctly. DOSBox can't read that format, so just use the standard "IMG" format.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Adding a virtual C drive didn't help.

WinImage can't create an image as the disk is copy protected. This is probably why the instructions say to take a backup working copy using COPY and not DISKCOPY, as DISKCOPY won't copy it either. I have two original M&M2 DOS disks and WinImage gives the same error on both: "Disk error on track 39, head 0. Address mark not found. The disk cannot find the sector required.".

I think perhaps the M&M2 entry on the DOSbox site should be updated, as it would seem that whomsoever made the entry was either playing a re-release without copy protection, or a hacked version of the original - as it appears not to be possible to play from an original disk on a modern PC (that is, with the "Save Roster" option enabled).

I was going to check M&M1 as well, but I can't find the box any longer. I still have M&M2-M&M8, and I know I had the first one as well, but I've no idea what's happened to it. I have a feeling it may have been a Mac version anyway, as I have both Mac & DOS versions of M&M2.