🚀 go-pugleaf

Graham Goring <graham@dukeVOMITtastrophy.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Windows 95 & 98 are loathe to give up any of the base memory and you'll
>find this is a real problem with older games, your best bet is to either

HUH? It is very easy in Win98 (and probably 95) to set the machine so
that you have over 600kB of conventional memory free in a DOS prompt
window! I play 99% percent of my old DOS games fine through Win98.

The only problem is that Win98 always has a memory manager similar to
EMM386 active, so those old DOS games that simply refuse to work with
EMM386 loaded, won't work with Win98 either. For example Ultima 7 and
Crusader: No Remorse. In that case you have to boot into DOS mode (the
DOS that Win98 comes with, you _don't_ need dual boot to DOS 6.22 for
example).

If you do have to boot into DOS mode for a game, in my opinion the
best option is to make a shortcut to COMMAND.COM, and in the Advanced
options set up your own config.sys and autoexec.bat for that shortcut.
You can have as many MS-DOS boot ups (with EMS, without EMS, with
CD-ROM drivers, without CD-ROM drivers, even very own boot ups for
single games like I have for Ultima 7 and Dreamweb etc. etc. etc.
etc.) as you want. Neither do you have to set up any boot up menu with
limited number of options.

>However, back to the subject of dual-boots. I'm not sure how easy it
>is with Windows 98, tbh, but version B of W95 was a right bastard to
>try it on (hence my purchase of a 486).

You don't need dual boot at all. In both Win95 and Win98 simply make a
shortcut to C:\COMMAND.COM (if you are going to use it with several
games) or directly to the game executable (if you are going to use it
with one certain game only), and set up the options for it like
config.sys etc. Very easy after you realize it can be done like this.
;-)