DOSBoxWiki - User contributions [en]

DOSBox FAQ

2008-09-09T21:51:52Z

Thux2828:

= Performance =

'''Q.''' My game runs fine at first then an error message pops up on dosbox saying that the video file format is wrong. How or what can I do to fix this, if there is anything known?

'''Q.''' My game/application runs slowly, how do I improve speed?

'''A.''' Increase cycles. Use core=dynamic. Try different output modes (e.g. output=overlay). Increase Frameskip. Disable unneeded components in the [[dosbox.conf]] such as [[Sound]], mouse or joystick emulation. A nice speedup can be achieved by using a [[Other compilers|different compiler]] than GCC. If all else fails, find a faster computer to run DOSBox on.
Also be sure to check the compatibility section of this FAQ as some game/applications are more trouble (or resource hogs) than others.

'''Q.''' The Sound/Music for my DOS game/application sounds terrible what can I do?

'''A.''' This is a complicated issue covered in the [[Sound]] section of the wiki. It's important to remember to install or setup game/applications correctly to use the correct sound devices (<tt>INSTALL.EXE</tt>, <tt>SOUNDSET.EXE</tt> and <tt>SETUP.EXE</tt> are popular program names to look for). The capabilities of the hardware as well as the preferences of the programmer vary: Therefore what may sound "best" on one particular game may not be the "best" for another. Sometimes changes need to be made to the [[dosbox.conf]] file (or a new conf file) to get the best results.
Also, game sound/music may have an impact on the speed at which the game/application runs and running DOSBox with limited resources may result in incomplete or 'choppy' sound being heard. (see previous question)

'''Q.'''How do I change the memory size so that I can run programs that require more than the default settings (eg. Windows 1.01 or some other demanding OS)?

= Usage =

'''Q.''' Using Mac OS X 10.5.3 without a problem (MOO) and when upgraded to 10.5.4 MOO started flashing rainbow colors instead of the normal background in full screen mode (works fine in windowed mode.) I have a warning about the quickdraw capability being deprecated in my console window. Any suggestions?

'''Q.''' My backslash key is mapped to ']' with DOSBox in Vista. Is there a workaround?

'''A.''' Press <tt>CTRL-F1</tt> to enter the [[keymapper]] and select the backslash with your mouse. Press the <tt>DELETE</tt> button that will show up on your screen. Then press <tt>ADD</tt> to bind backslash to another key. Simply press an unused key to bind it to this. Press <tt>SAVE</tt> and then <tt>EXIT</tt> to return to the main screen.

'''Q.''' My cursor is trapped within the DOSBox window when I click inside. How do I get the cursor out?

'''A.''' DOSBox will capture your mouse when you click inside the display window (and you have '''<tt>autolock=true</tt>''' set in the [[Dosbox.conf]]). Simply press '''<tt>CTRL-F10</tt>''' to release the mouse.

'''Q.''' I have set Gnome to load DOSBox when I click on .COM files. How do I script it to exit DOSBox when I quit from the game?

'''A.''' with -exit as commandline parameter for DOSBox.

'''Q.''' How do I access my hard drive/cdrom in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[MOUNT]] command, or type <tt>intro mount</tt> or <tt>intro cdrom</tt> in DOSBox for the basics.

'''Q.''' I have an ISO image I made of files for backup purposes. How do I access it in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[IMGMOUNT]] command

'''Q.''' How do I unmount or change images? I need to swap CD images in the drive.

'''A.''' You don't "unmount", you may assign more than one image file to [[IMGMOUNT]], to swap images use <tt>CTRL-F4</tt>.

'''Q.''' I have created an image from a CD that includes CD audio tracks, when I access it in DOSBox only the first (data) track is available.

'''A.''' Be sure to use the bin/cue format for mixed mode CDs (CDs with a data and audio tracks) and always pass the cue file to [[IMGMOUNT]].

'''Q.''' When I write '':'' it turns out ''>'' or when i write ''å'' ''ä'' ''ö'' or any other non standard us character. How can I fix this for my keyboard?

'''A.''' Use the [[KEYB]] command to change your [[Keyboard layout]].

'''Q.''' I can't find the ":" symbol anywhere in my dosbox. I am using Vista on a laptop. Please advice me how to fix the problem.

'''A.''' Use the left shift instead of the right shift. A number of keys are affected by this problem. For a workaround for other keys like "\", see the second answer.

'''Q.''' How do you/I scroll up to see text that is not visible in the DOSBox window? Certain apps will print a long string of text, and you can't see it all.

'''A''' Unlike the DOS window in Windows 2000, XP and Vista, DOSBox exactly emulates a full screen DOS session. Hence it doesn't support scrolling up and down. However, MS-DOS included a program to allow you to 'press any key' to scroll down called MORE.COM. This is how to do it on Windows:
# Try and find a copy of MORE.COM from MS-DOS 5.0 (good luck)
# Put it in C:\C
# Edit C:\Program Files\Dosbox\dosbox.conf in Notepad
# Go to the bottom of the file, where it reads <tt>[autoexec]</tt>. Add to it or change it to read: <tt>[autoexec] MOUNT C C:\C PATH=%PATH%;C:\</tt> 
# Save it, close DOSBox and then re-open DOSbox.
# Now, say you wanted to use this command: <tt>C:\> type readme.txt</tt> Instead type this: <tt>C:\> type readme.txt | more</tt>

DOSBox FAQ

2008-09-09T20:54:19Z

Thux2828: /* Usage */

= Performance =

'''Q.''' My game runs fine at first then an error message pops up on dosbox saying that the video file format is wrong. How or what can I do to fix this, if there is anything known?

'''Q.''' My game/application runs slowly, how do I improve speed?

'''A.''' Increase cycles. Use core=dynamic. Try different output modes (e.g. output=overlay). Increase Frameskip. Disable unneeded components in the [[dosbox.conf]] such as [[Sound]], mouse or joystick emulation. A nice speedup can be achieved by using a [[Other compilers|different compiler]] than GCC. If all else fails, find a faster computer to run DOSBox on.
Also be sure to check the compatibility section of this FAQ as some game/applications are more trouble (or resource hogs) than others.

'''Q.''' The Sound/Music for my DOS game/application sounds terrible what can I do?

'''A.''' This is a complicated issue covered in the [[Sound]] section of the wiki. It's important to remember to install or setup game/applications correctly to use the correct sound devices (<tt>INSTALL.EXE</tt>, <tt>SOUNDSET.EXE</tt> and <tt>SETUP.EXE</tt> are popular program names to look for). The capabilities of the hardware as well as the preferences of the programmer vary: Therefore what may sound "best" on one particular game may not be the "best" for another. Sometimes changes need to be made to the [[dosbox.conf]] file (or a new conf file) to get the best results.
Also, game sound/music may have an impact on the speed at which the game/application runs and running DOSBox with limited resources may result in incomplete or 'choppy' sound being heard. (see previous question)

'''Q.'''How do I change the memory size so that I can run programs that require more than the default settings (eg. Windows 1.01 or some other demanding OS)?

= Usage =

'''Q.''' Using Mac OS X 10.5.3 without a problem (MOO) and when upgraded to 10.5.4 MOO started flashing rainbow colors instead of the normal background in full screen mode (works fine in windowed mode.) I have a warning about the quickdraw capability being deprecated in my console window. Any suggestions?

'''Q.''' My backslash key is mapped to ']' with DOSBox in Vista. Is there a workaround?

'''A.''' Press <tt>CTRL-F1</tt> to enter the [[keymapper]] and select the backslash with your mouse. Press the <tt>DELETE</tt> button that will show up on your screen. Then press <tt>ADD</tt> to bind backslash to another key. Simply press an unused key to bind it to this. Press <tt>SAVE</tt> and then <tt>EXIT</tt> to return to the main screen.

'''Q.''' My cursor is trapped within the DOSBox window when I click inside. How do I get the cursor out?

'''A.''' DOSBox will capture your mouse when you click inside the display window (and you have '''<tt>autolock=true</tt>''' set in the [[Dosbox.conf]]). Simply press '''<tt>CTRL-F10</tt>''' to release the mouse.

'''Q.''' I have set Gnome to load DOSBox when I click on .COM files. How do I script it to exit DOSBox when I quit from the game?

'''A.''' with -exit as commandline parameter for DOSBox.

'''Q.''' How do I access my hard drive/cdrom in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[MOUNT]] command, or type <tt>intro mount</tt> or <tt>intro cdrom</tt> in DOSBox for the basics.

'''Q.''' I have an ISO image I made of files for backup purposes. How do I access it in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[IMGMOUNT]] command

'''Q.''' How do I unmount or change images? I need to swap CD images in the drive.

'''A.''' You don't "unmount", you may assign more than one image file to [[IMGMOUNT]], to swap images use <tt>CTRL-F4</tt>.

'''Q.''' I have created an image from a CD that includes CD audio tracks, when I access it in DOSBox only the first (data) track is available.

'''A.''' Be sure to use the bin/cue format for mixed mode CDs (CDs with a data and audio tracks) and always pass the cue file to [[IMGMOUNT]].

'''Q.''' When I write '':'' it turns out ''>'' or when i write ''å'' ''ä'' ''ö'' or any other non standard us character. How can I fix this for my keyboard?

'''A.''' Use the [[KEYB]] command to change your [[Keyboard layout]].

'''Q.''' I can't find the ":" symbol anywhere in my dosbox. I am using Vista on a laptop. Please advice me how to fix the problem.

'''A.''' Use the left shift instead of the right shift. A number of keys are affected by this problem. For a workaround for other keys like "\", see the second answer.

'''Q.''' How do you/I scroll up to see text that is not visible in the DOSBox window? Certain apps will print a long string of text, and you can't see it all.

'''A''' Unlike the DOS window in Windows 2000, XP and Vista, DOSBox exactly emulates a full screen DOS session. Hence it doesn't support scrolling up and down. However, MS-DOS included a program to allow you to 'press any key' to scroll down called MORE.COM. This is how to do it on Windows:
# Download DOS 5.0 from http://vetusware.com/.
# Extract the contents of the RAR file to C:\C\DOS
# Edit C:\Program Files\Dosbox\dosbox.conf in Notepad
# Go to the bottom of the file, where it says [autoexec]. Change it to say
[autoexec]
MOUNT C C:\C
PATH=%PATH%;C:\DOS
# Save it and open DOSbox.
# Now, say you wanted to use this command:
C:\> type readme.txt
Instead type this:
C:\> type readme.txt | more

DOSBox FAQ

2008-09-09T20:53:14Z

Thux2828:

= Performance =

'''Q.''' My game runs fine at first then an error message pops up on dosbox saying that the video file format is wrong. How or what can I do to fix this, if there is anything known?

'''Q.''' My game/application runs slowly, how do I improve speed?

'''A.''' Increase cycles. Use core=dynamic. Try different output modes (e.g. output=overlay). Increase Frameskip. Disable unneeded components in the [[dosbox.conf]] such as [[Sound]], mouse or joystick emulation. A nice speedup can be achieved by using a [[Other compilers|different compiler]] than GCC. If all else fails, find a faster computer to run DOSBox on.
Also be sure to check the compatibility section of this FAQ as some game/applications are more trouble (or resource hogs) than others.

'''Q.''' The Sound/Music for my DOS game/application sounds terrible what can I do?

'''A.''' This is a complicated issue covered in the [[Sound]] section of the wiki. It's important to remember to install or setup game/applications correctly to use the correct sound devices (<tt>INSTALL.EXE</tt>, <tt>SOUNDSET.EXE</tt> and <tt>SETUP.EXE</tt> are popular program names to look for). The capabilities of the hardware as well as the preferences of the programmer vary: Therefore what may sound "best" on one particular game may not be the "best" for another. Sometimes changes need to be made to the [[dosbox.conf]] file (or a new conf file) to get the best results.
Also, game sound/music may have an impact on the speed at which the game/application runs and running DOSBox with limited resources may result in incomplete or 'choppy' sound being heard. (see previous question)

'''Q.'''How do I change the memory size so that I can run programs that require more than the default settings (eg. Windows 1.01 or some other demanding OS)?

= Usage =

'''Q.''' Using Mac OS X 10.5.3 without a problem (MOO) and when upgraded to 10.5.4 MOO started flashing rainbow colors instead of the normal background in full screen mode (works fine in windowed mode.) I have a warning about the quickdraw capability being deprecated in my console window. Any suggestions?

'''Q.''' My backslash key is mapped to ']' with DOSBox in Vista. Is there a workaround?

'''A.''' Press <tt>CTRL-F1</tt> to enter the [[keymapper]] and select the backslash with your mouse. Press the <tt>DELETE</tt> button that will show up on your screen. Then press <tt>ADD</tt> to bind backslash to another key. Simply press an unused key to bind it to this. Press <tt>SAVE</tt> and then <tt>EXIT</tt> to return to the main screen.

'''Q.''' My cursor is trapped within the DOSBox window when I click inside. How do I get the cursor out?

'''A.''' DOSBox will capture your mouse when you click inside the display window (and you have '''<tt>autolock=true</tt>''' set in the [[Dosbox.conf]]). Simply press '''<tt>CTRL-F10</tt>''' to release the mouse.

'''Q.''' I have set Gnome to load DOSBox when I click on .COM files. How do I script it to exit DOSBox when I quit from the game?

'''A.''' with -exit as commandline parameter for DOSBox.

'''Q.''' How do I access my hard drive/cdrom in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[MOUNT]] command, or type <tt>intro mount</tt> or <tt>intro cdrom</tt> in DOSBox for the basics.

'''Q.''' I have an ISO image I made of files for backup purposes. How do I access it in DOSBox?

'''A.''' See the information on the [[IMGMOUNT]] command

'''Q.''' How do I unmount or change images? I need to swap CD images in the drive.

'''A.''' You don't "unmount", you may assign more than one image file to [[IMGMOUNT]], to swap images use <tt>CTRL-F4</tt>.

'''Q.''' I have created an image from a CD that includes CD audio tracks, when I access it in DOSBox only the first (data) track is available.

'''A.''' Be sure to use the bin/cue format for mixed mode CDs (CDs with a data and audio tracks) and always pass the cue file to [[IMGMOUNT]].

'''Q.''' When I write '':'' it turns out ''>'' or when i write ''å'' ''ä'' ''ö'' or any other non standard us character. How can I fix this for my keyboard?

'''A.''' Use the [[KEYB]] command to change your [[Keyboard layout]].

'''Q.''' I can't find the ":" symbol anywhere in my dosbox. I am using Vista on a laptop. Please advice me how to fix the problem.

'''A.''' Use the left shift instead of the right shift. A number of keys are affected by this problem. For a workaround for other keys like "\", see the second answer.

'''Q.''' How do you/I scroll up to see text that is not visible in the DOSBox window? Certain apps will print a long string of text, and you can't see it all.

'''A''' Unlike the DOS window in Windows 2000, XP and Vista, DOSBox exactly emulates a full screen DOS session. Hence it doesn't support scrolling up and down. However, MS-DOS included a program to allow you to 'press any key' to scroll down called MORE.COM. This is how to do it on Windows:
# Download DOS 5.0 from http://vetusware.com/.
# Extract the contents of the RAR file to C:\C\DOS
# Edit C:\Program Files\Dosbox\dosbox.conf in Notepad
# Go to the bottom of the file, where it says [autoexec]. Change it to say
[autoexec]
MOUNT C C:\C
PATH=%PATH%;C:\DOS

# Save it and open DOSbox.
# Now, say you wanted to use this command:
''C:\> type readme.txt''
Instead type this:
''C:\> type readme.txt | more''

DOSBox FAQ

2008-09-09T19:17:15Z

Thux2828: