Making a DOS Based Program Work on a New Computer

Software manufacturers produced a vast number of DOS based programs during the 1980s and 1990s, and some individual programmers continue to create new software of this type. DOS computer software is usually less expensive to acquire than new Windows software, and some programs can perform functions not offered by newer applications. Making a DOS based game or application program work properly on a new computer is sometimes difficult or impossible, but can often be achieved. Here are some steps to try for doing this on a Windows 2000, XP, or Vista computer...

1. Simply try making the DOS program run in Command Prompt (or "Run" in the "Start" menu); it may work properly without any changes, especially if it is a text-only application.

2. If it doesn't work, try right clicking on the program (in "My Computer" or the "Start" menu, if it is listed there) and selecting "Properties." Then click the "Compatibility" tab, check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for..." box, and select "Windows 95." If the DOS based program still won't work, try checking one or more of the boxes below (Display, Input settings) and making it run again.

3. Sometimes using one or more command switches can make it possible to run a DOS based program on a new computer. These are added by typing the program name (as usual), then the switch (using the /? switch or consulting the "README" file often provides a list of switches which can be used), at the command prompt.

4. If the program runs too fast (a problem many older games have), check to see if it has a speed control in any of its menus. A piece of software available online, called "Mo'Slo", may be able to fix this problem. You can also try running one or more new applications in the background (such as playing music or a video) to slow the computer down while you use the DOS based program.

5. If you have a DOS boot disk, insert it and restart the computer; then try running the program within DOS. If you don't have such a disk, you can purchase one on eBay or download FreeDOS (a free alternative to DOS). Many graphical DOS based programs work fine on a new computer running DOS or Windows 95/98, but not in Windows XP (and probably Vista).

6. When trying to run a program from an old floppy disk (esp. if it hasn't been stored or handled properly), data could be corrupted, thus making it freeze unexpectedly or produce various errors. Run "chkdsk a:" at the command prompt to check the disk for corrupt data.

7. If you have a new USB based keyboard, printer, joystick, and/or mouse, you may need to find a DOS driver for it (if possible) to use it in DOS, or switch to an equivalent PS/2, game port, parallel, or serial device. NUM LOCK might have to be either on or off to use the numeric keypad arrows for direction control.

8. Try using a free DOS emulator, like DOSBox. Emulators are a type of program for making your computer act (roughly) the same as if it had different hardware and/or operating systems. Some of these allow different processor speeds and graphics adapters/cards to be simulated. DOSBox is available for non-Windows operating systems as well.

9. If sound doesn't work, making the program use the PC Internal Speaker (either in its install program or with a command switch) will probably enable sound (relatively poor quality, partially depending upon the size of the computer's internal speaker).

If none of these steps will work, you may have to find a DOS based or Windows 95/98 computer to be successful at making the program work; for various reasons, some programs just won't work on computers with high-speed processors or new operating systems. If you want to use a lot of DOS software from the 1980s, an 8086 or 286 computer is probably the best choice, while a 486 or early Pentium is good for running many 1990s applications and games.