Windows Xp -- how to play MOO 1 ?

[pharmer]

Since I have the old game-challenged product from Microsoft as my OS, I can not play these older versions that required DOS. The solution as I have been able to determine will come in two ways:

1. Determine how to write the autoexec.bat and config.sys files as XP's help recomends

or

2. Do the same for a DOS startup disk, but with added directions for running the CD-ROM (as some of my games originate from).

I once knew how to write these programs, but that skill has long been forgotten.

[vmxa1]

You just copy the autoexec.nt or config.nt from windows directory into the directory of the app to use them. Edit them to execute whatever commands is appropriate.

MOO works just fine in all three XP systems that I have had. Does not even require any changing or compat stuff.

You need to set the mem to use 2k of ems.

[Factoid]

Hi,

vmxa1's suggestion is hopefully enough to get you running. Even following exactly what vmxa1 says Moo 1 had sound problems on my XP system, and these made Moo 1 crash.

What works for me is DOSBox - DOSBox home page. An alternative fix for sound problems is VDMSound - VDMSound home page. Moo 1 as a last resort can be run with sound completely turned off (run the Moo INSTALL.EXE program), though that is a shame.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
Factoid.

[vmxa1]

I didn't mention sound as it works for me as well, but it rarely worked in Win98 system for me. I played it without sound for years and I seldom turn on my speakers now.

I tend to use sound on RTS and RPG games, but not TBS after a few plays of each game.

[Jude]

How exactly do you edit autoexec.nt? Is there some program contained in WinXP for this purpose?

[vmxa1]

Notepad works fine. You should be able to DB click it and it wil either use a default or ask you what tool to use.

Right click it and you get edit or open with in a long list of choices. Edit should use notepad.

[pharmer]

I have tried both the config/autoexec.nt and the dosbox solutions with minor results.

The *.nt method got me to a message saying "syntax and/or ? errors in EMM". I have tried every combination of edits to the line that I can think of. (Microsoft's help is not very helpful) Suggestions ?

The DosBox method refused to recognise the pathway to the MOO1 directory. Since I was able to get another game operating with DosBox (XCOM-Enemy Unknown), I know DosBox works (to an extent: XCOM is crashing and has no sound). I might add that I partitioned my disk using Microsoft's program. Would that have an effect on DosBox ?

Thanks for your help, VMXA1 and Factoid.

Harry

[Jude]

OK....I kind of figured I might use Notepad for editing the files, but what changes do I make to them? I all see is techno-gibberish and a lot of rapid eye movement.

I am using DosBox but I'm convinced there has to be a better way. The sound works, but only when I have the CPU cycles down so low that the game is barely responding. Also, it freezes up a LOT, meaning I have to restart my computer all the time and the only solution is to save every turn. Hopefully I'll be able to do better than this.

[vmxa1]

REM stands for Remark and acts like a comment, so the line is not executed as a command.

So if you wanted to support a sound card in DOS you would use a SET command to set the appilcation to control it and pass on parameters as you see in this example. A220 and P330 are the address for the sounds.

lh is loadhigh an old DOS command that allows DOS to load aps in high mem. This leaves the 640K of conventional address for the program.

@echo off

REM AUTOEXEC.BAT is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
REM AUTOEXEC.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
REM different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.

REM Install CD ROM extensions
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

REM The following line enables Sound Blaster 2.0 support on NTVDM.
REM The command for setting the BLASTER environment is as follows:
REM SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330
REM where:
REM A specifies the sound blaster's base I/O port
REM I specifies the interrupt request line
REM D specifies the 8-bit DMA channel
REM P specifies the MPU-401 base I/O port
REM T specifies the type of sound blaster card
REM 1 - Sound Blaster 1.5
REM 2 - Sound Blaster Pro I
REM 3 - Sound Blaster 2.0
REM 4 - Sound Blaster Pro II
REM 6 - SOund Blaster 16/AWE 32/32/64
REM
REM The default value is A220 I5 D1 T3 and P330. If any of the switches is
REM left unspecified, the default value will be used. (NOTE, since all the
REM ports are virtualized, the information provided here does not have to
REM match the real hardware setting.) NTVDM supports Sound Blaster 2.0 only.
REM The T switch must be set to 3, if specified.
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

REM To disable the sound blaster 2.0 support on NTVDM, specify an invalid
REM SB base I/O port address. For example:
REM SET BLASTER=A0


Anyway autoexec is used to override any hardware settign made by CONFIG.SYS or NT in XP.

dos=high, umb
device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
files=40

In the config the high, umb are used to tell DOS to use upper memory. Device is locating the path for himem.
Files is a memoiry buffer and for games that need conventional memory I would lower it to 20.

Here is where you would tell DOS to load EMM via EMM386.exe.
This is an emulator for Extended Memory Manager. Really old games like Moo1 use EMM (2k), so DOS would emulate it, but it need to use the app and reserve memory for it.

It has been a lot of years since I use DOS so forgive me for any rust.

[pharmer]

VMXA1:

Know what you mean about rusty skills. Still can't get the EMM syntax errors fixed.

Another alternative to this is to have a DOS boot disk. But, same problem: how to write the appropriate autoexec and config files. Is there a DOS web site for tyros like myself ? CAPTREMF

[vmxa1]

I seem to remember one, but can't think off it. I do not think you can get EMM386 to work under XP. I never had any problem with the XP emulation, just select 2048 and it works.

I have had three ssytems all worked, but I know some people have posted here and could not get their system to work.

[pharmer]

Again, thanks for your help.

That error message about syntax was kind of a red herring. A review of Microsoft's knowledge base had me rearranging the placement of the config.nt file. That done, the error message changed. Same issue, but different manner.

To add insult to injury, what Microsoft said I should do was what I had all along. Still doesn't work, and there is no earthly reason. This belongs to the realm of the metaphysical as far as I am concerned. Captramf

[vmxa1]

Too bad it is not working. I guess here is some issues with hardware, as I had played Moo on every system I had owned and all PC OS's, except Win2000. I never had that one. It even worked on OS/2.

[pharmer]

Out of curiosity, where any of those systems multi-processor mainboards ? I am told that the failure of RoN on my system was because of my dual-processor AMD chipset main board (according to the shop that sold it to me). I figure that could be a factor in my difficulties.

Mind you, every time I sit down to fuss with this problem, I learn something new.

[vmxa1]

I am using a hyperthread P4, so it appears as an MP. I keep an old 1.7GH Pent running Win98Se for games that no longer work on XP such as MM6/7/8. It is funny, but all my old DOS games work, but some of the ones that came out after Win95/98 do not.

Actually MM6 was on the borderline and MM7/8 use the same engine with some tweaks.

My WSOP will not even execute the loader on this box, but did on my previous XP system.