How to run Doom under Windows ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 2nd Edition 23/3/94 Windows version tested with: Windows v3.1. Machine tested with: Zenith 425Ln laptop with 12MB of RAM. (The above applies to 'SECTION I' help only) Introduction. ------------- Q: Why would I want to run Doomunder Windows? A: For some people, this appears to be one way of curing the PS/2 'psycho mouse' problem. For others, it may just be convenience. And then again, maybe some people actually _like_ Windoze... :) As far as complete instructions go, this file is in test-mode! Please report any innacuracies, additions, clearer explanations, etc. to me. I personally take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information, as I don't even have a pc of my own to test it on. But as far as I know, it's pretty comprehensive. The PIF file may, or may not, work on your system (the above 'tested-with' specification refers to 'SECTION I' help only). Contents: SECTION I: How to run Doom under windows. SECTION II: An example PIF file. SECTION III: How to get sound under windows as well. SECTION IV: An answer to those who may encounter memory problems. Acknowledgements. Thanks to:- Adam Brown (brouna@world.std.com) - for writing the how-to-create-the-doom-pif-file information given in SECTION I. Ethan G. Henry (eghenry@sunee.uwaterloo.ca) - for the example PIF file given in SECTION II. Steve Loughran (slo@hplb.hpl.hp.com) - for the 'how to get sound under windows' information. Adam Brown (brouna@world.std.com) - for the memory help. Basically, someone emailed me asking for help concerning memory allocation. I forwarded the query to Adam and this is his response. The idea behind this help file is to get it perfected so that it could perhaps be included in the Doom FAQ sometime in the future. Who knows - it depends on how much people want to know about how to run Doom under windows. Much of the necessity will probably vanish once the PS/2 mouse problem is fixed. BTW, do NOT email/pester/harrass/bug Adam, Ethan or Steve with questions, etc. Email ME! I'll act as a filter if there's anything that people want to know. That way, they won't get mailed with 50 copies of the same question or something. :) Windows experts please feel free to email me with descriptions of greater detail and clarity if you think that a TOTAL novice would find such added detail more useful (just imagine you'd never used windows before. Would this help file be clear enough?). Anyway, here goes!... SECTION I: Getting DOOM to run under Windows 3.1 ===================================== In order to make DOOM run under Windows, you need to create a .PIF file, which tells Windows where to find the DOOM files, how much memory to allocate, and how to deal with other tasks that might be going on at the same time. ----- Step 1 - Open your .PIF Editor ----- If the PIF editor icon is on your Program Manager desktop, double-click on it to open the editor. If there is no PIF editor icon, then from the Program Manager: Type ALT-F R, and enter "PIFEDIT" in the box that appears. ----- Step 2 - Enter the values required in the editor, as below: ----- Program Filename: DOOM.EXE Window Title: (leave blank) Optional Parameters: (leave blank, or place any DOS command line parameters you normally use here) Start-up Directory: C:\DOOM (or the directory containing your DOOM program) Video Memory: High Graphics Memory Requirements: KB Required: 512 Desired: -1 EMS Memory: KB Required: 1024 KB Limit: -1 XMS Memory: KB Required: 1024 KB Limit: -1 Display Usage : Full Screen Execution : Check "Exclusive" but not "Background" Close Window on Exit: Checked Now click on the "Advanced" button, and fill in the options as follows: Background Priority: 50 Foreground Priority: 100 Detect Idle Time: Checked EMS Memory Locked: Not Checked XMS Memory Locked: Not Checked Uses High Memory Area: Checked Lock Application Memory: Not Checked Monitor Ports: Text: Checked Low Graphics: Checked High Graphics: Checked Emulate Text Mode: Checked Retain Video Memory: Checked Other Options: Alt+Space: Checked All others: Not Checked Now click on the "OK" button. ----- Step 3 - Save your PIF file ----- Type ALT-F S (File Save) Select your DOOM directory, and save the file as "DOOM.PIF" Type ALT-F X (File eXit) to leave the PIF editor. ----- Step 4 - Put a DOOM icon on your desktop ----- Go back to the program manager, and click on a group that you want the DOOM program to appear in. Type ALT-F N (File New) Ensure Program Item is checked, and then click on "OK" Fill in the dialog box as follows: Description: DOOM Command Line: C:\DOOM\DOOM.PIF (or wherever you saved the PIF file). Working Directory: C:\DOOM (or whatever) Shortcut Key: None Run Minimized: Not Checked Now click on "OK". The box will disappear, and you should see an icon for DOOM appear on your desktop. If anyone more artistically inclined than I feels like producing a slick DOOM icon - let's see it! ----- Step 5 - Try it out! ---- Double click on your DOOM icon to see if it works! **************************************************************************** SECTIION II: An example PIF file. Cut this out, save it and uudecode it. ---- cut here ---- begin 600 doom.pif M ")$;V]M(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @("" ( 1$]/32Y%6$4 M(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @ M(" @(" @(" @$ !<1T%-15-<1$]/30 @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @ M(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @(" @ M M ! /\94 !P M M M . @34E#4D]33T94(%!)1D58 ( I created the pif file as per your example, however when I attempt to > run it, the I receive an error requested that I reduce the > maximum kilobyte value. I played around with the values, reduced > to a very low figure, but then it proceeded to lock up on me. > > I am running Windows 3.11, and I am not sure if the config.sys > files are equal. Can you email me a copy of your config file? > > Also, I am running a 486DX2 with 16megs of Ram, so I don't think that > ram is the problem :^) > > Thanks much! He didn't say _which_ kilobyte value to reduce. It was probably the conventional memory one, which means that there wasn't enough available conventional memory in Windows to run Doom. To increase the amount of conventional memory under Windows, he has to increase the amount available in DOS - before running Windows. The first thing to do is look for TSR's in his Autoexec and Config files, and strip out anything unnecessary. If that fails, try tuning DOS to give more memory. The way to do this depends on the version of DOS he's using. I use DOS 5.0, and my config.sys file looks like: 1 DOS=UMB,HIGH 2 DEVICE=C:\HIMEM.SYS 3 DEVICE=C:\EMM386.EXE NOEMS 4 FILES=30 5 BUFFERS=3 6 STACKS=9,256 7 LASTDRIVE=D 8 SWITCHES=/W 9 DEVICEHIGH=C:\UTIL\NU\NCACHE.EXE /INSTALL 10 DEVICEHIGH=C:\NDW\NAV&.SYS 11 DEVICEHIGH=C:\UTIL\STACKER\STACKER.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK /P=1 12 DEVICEHIGH=C:\UTIL\STACKER\SSWAP.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK /SYNC 13 DEVICEHIGH=C:\UTIL\DOS\POWER.EXE 14 SHELL=C:\NDOS.COM /P /S:X /U Line 1-3 relocte DOS into high memory, freeing up considerable amounts of RAM below 640k. Making the number of buffers in line 5 small helps, too. Lines 9-13 load up various utilities (Norton Cache, Anti-Virus, Stacker, and a power manager [this runs on a laptop]) If you're using DOS 6.x, I don't know what the commands are to get maximum conventional memory, but I do know it's possible to do more than under DOS 5.0. Hope that helps. Adam. End of 'Doom Under Windows' Help Text --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This help brought to you by: Ian C. R. Mapleson, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Riccarton Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. email to: mapleson@cee.hw.ac.uk