Dos Games in Win98

[DickiePotter]

I have an odd problem,
I have an old Dos Style game which won't run in a Dos sesion. It runs out of memory even though I know that the computer has more than enough. I have tried puting everything in 'high' to no avail. I have also tried every combination of drivers in high and standard memory possible.
The odd thing is that in Win98 the game will work but only every once in a while. Most of the time it will give me a runtime error but sometimes it has no problem once started.
On other occasions it will repeat 'runtime error' hundreds of times untill finaly starting.
Another strange circumstance is that it refuses to load in the sound Blaster. I have used the settings hundreds of times.
I am sure that all these problems are memory related.
I have tried changing the memory allocation properties aswell.
Please help...

 

[rfeenie]

have you tried running the game ( what game is it?) in full DOS mode ( press f8 at startup and choose DOS prompt). you might have to setup CD-ROM drivers if the game requires it. sound drivers will also be required in config.sys and autoexec.bat if not already in place.

cdrom setup should look thus :

config.sys

device=c:\cdrom.sys /d:mscd001

autoexec.bat

c:\windows\command\mscdex /d:mscd001

**cdrom.sys is your cd-rom driver, this will be different depending on your drive make. remember to copy the file to c:\ ** If in doubt get the Ball Pein Hammer out

 

[Zelandakh]

In one version of Win98 there is a gamers mode at startup (F8 boot). If not, there is an article on the Net on how to optimise your computers base memory. Check out

http://www.pcguide.com/opt/opt/ram.htm

 

[DickiePotter]

The game is Halloween Harry\Alien carnage: It's old but it's a classic.

I have been using the Windows, shutdown, shutdown into MSDos command.
Will F8 help and is this because Windows leaves loads of stuff in the memory.

I have also used the games windows properties to run it in a Dos session of it's own.

I have made hundreds of games work in dos in the past but this is the first time I have tried it on a Laptop:
It's a Toshiba Satellite
I have taken all of the power management etc. boot commands out of the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys but could it still be loading them somehow.

I will try F8 and get back to you:

Thank you,

 

[gunthnp]

its the sound card do you have a pci sound blaster if you do the dos driver does not work well with games rty truning it off and see if it still happens.

 

[DickiePotter]

Cheers Gunthnp,
I'll give it a go...

I have tried F8 and it dousn't help...
The following runtime error id displayed when I use a windows session and when I go into Dos with F8:
'Runtime Error 200 at 00C0:0091'
This seems to be from the game rather than from the OS being asked to do something it can't.

In Windows the following Runtime Error is displayed with the default properties being used:
'Runtime Error 200 at 00C0:0091'

I have tried to set the games Windows properties to:
Conventional memory = 600
Initial enviroment = 768
EMS = none
XMS = none
DPMI = Auto
I then get the error:
'The Conventional Memory requirements cannot be met buy this configuration'

I know that I need to free some conventional memory in Windows but I don't know how,
Again I'm on a laptop so I probably have many power management drivers running but I don't know in what type of memory.

The following configurations I have tried:

1:
Autoexec.bat

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

Config.sys

Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.Exe NOEMS I=B000-B7FF
Files=100
Buffers=40
Lastdrive=Z

2:
Autoexec.bat

echo off
mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb uk,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\keyboard.sys

LH C:\windows\command\mscdex /d:TOSCD001 /M:10

if not exist c:\toshiber.dat c:\windows\halloc.exe /c
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

Rem (sound card driver for laptop internal)
LH C:\Maestro.com

Config.sys

Device=C:\windows\himem.sys
Device=c:\windows\emm386.exe
Dos=high,umb

devicehigh=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\country.sys

devicehigh=C:\cddrv\toscdrom.sys /D:toscd001

REM (some driver needed by windows for the laptop)
devicehigh=c:\windows\command\panning.sys

I have also tried various variations...

I realy don't know what to do next.

 

[Comtech]

Every line you have that says Device= change to read DeviceHigh=
Edit the dosstart.bat file and put DeviceHigh= in place of Device= as well.
Rem out any other lines in dosstart.bat that you absolutely don't need.
Rename the autoexec and config so they're not loading anything at startup, then restart in DOS mode, and see if it runs. Cheers,
Jim
reboot@pcmech.com

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

Moderator at

http://www.56k.com

Staff at

http://www.pcmech.com

Windows 9x/ME instructor.
Jim's Modems:

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/modems/

 

[DickiePotter]

This still hasn't done it!!!

 

[CitrixEngineer]

You can also use the lines FilesHigh= and BuffersHigh= in your config.sys, use LastDriveHigh=H (you only need Z if you're on a network, particularly a Novell network - each additional drive letter over H uses extra memory).

Try the HIGHSCAN option with EMM386.EXE, eg

DEVICE=EMM386.EXE NOEMS HIGHSCAN

(EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS will not load high).

Use the MEM command to ascertain how much memory you have freed up:

C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MEM.EXE /C/P

I hope this helps

 

[tignasse]

If you get a 'Runtime error 200 at .......' you are dealing with a program that has been written in Turbo Pascal. When your computer is faster than 200 Mhz, old Turbo Pascal pograms give this error.
You need a patch to fix it.
When your computer is faster than 200 Mhz, but less fast then 600 Mhz this patches will work. If your computer is faster than 600 Mhz I don't know the solution. Is there anyone out there who knows the answer?

The patch:
You will find patches and explanation on the following adress:

http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/pas-r200.htm

There are other places to find information: search "Runtime error 200" at

http://www.google.com

Good Luck
Tignasse