How to Play Old Games that require a Pc 486 with a Pent.XP machine

[scustalow]

Is there something I can use on my pent machine to play old games that required a 486 mach..or do I need just to find a old machine..?

[Jeremiah58]

Google for DOSBox.

[Krispy Kritter]

The problem is usually getting XP to run the games, not the fact that they were created for a "486" machine.

You can often get apps to run by adjusting the compatibillity settings in the properties.

[bigstusexy]

Get a copy of Vmware Server or VMware player if you can get an image to install Dos, Grap your copy of DOS or FreeDos if it will run your game and emulater inside there.

VMware software is much more mature than DosBox, true there is no throtaling but everything else should be supported.

[davewave]

What's you favourite old game?

Mine has to be Magic Carpet (I think it was by Bullfrog).
I'm surprised it hasn't been revamped for XP with better graphics,
as it was cutting edge in it's day.

I've got a P100 upstairs which I have been meaning to get going, so I can play it.


You could always install a small ide hard disk, format it as FAT and use that to
install your games on, you would need to boot off a dos floppy though.

(if it was bootable, could it be added to the XP boot.ini file?)
I don't have the time to try it though.

[rkgibbons]

Again, just Google for DOSBox. It's a DOS emulator that works very well. Will certainly play your old 486-based games.

And for those interested, here's an absolutely GREAT website for finding all your favourite old DOS-based games (many of which are available as FREE and LEGAL downloads...)

http://www.abandonia.com

[Cornucopia]

VirtualPC with a true DOS boot-disc-file might work also (if the game/shell is ok with VPC's small choice of sound & video drivers)

Scott

[scustalow]

I have the game named Phantasmagoria great game in it's time..

[MrTmar]

DOSBox supports CGA, EGA, and VESA modes better than VMWare. Some VESA modes are not supported at all in VMWare, Virtual PC, or Bochs. You do not need to dig up your DOS disks for DOXBox either - it will mount directories as drives in its own "DOS".

One downside of DOSBox that was not mentioned is LFN disk routines may return corrupted data in older games (like Earl Weaver 1.5 showing stats not found) but source is availabe and you may code around it with your own custom compile.

I would try DOSBox first since it is free, easy to setup and use, and there is a large compatibility listing on their site.