Real re-boot
Old
Windows 95 had something called 'program information
file' (PIF) to tell the system what resources to allocate
for a DOS program. Windows 95 has something much simpler:
a special variety of shortcuts, which sends parameters to
command.com -- the command interpreter for DOS
character-mode programs. There's one such shortcut by
default in the Start menu (under Programs), and you can
create any number of copies in the same location or
elsewhere, such as on the desktop. Another, named
command.pif is located in the root folder of your boot
drive. Let's say we have created a copy of command.pif by right-dragging it from the Explorer on to the desktop and selecting Create Copy when the little menu pops up. Now rename it to 'Real games' or whatever seems suitable. This is how you set it up to suit the game you fancy: Right-click the 'Real games' icon and select Properties. This brings up a special properties window, with more tabs than usual (see Figure 1). These are all used to set up special memory and display configurations for DOS programs that run inside a DOS box, and are seldom required (but by all means experiment) except for the Program tab. Here, you enter the name and location of the DOS program you want to run, along with any command line switches. Try MEM.EXE /C/P just to get the feel of it; this will tell you what your memory is doing when you run it (the C asks for details, the P pauses the display after the screen is full, so you don't miss anything). For the real mode re-booting exercise, however, click on the Advanced button on the Program tab (see Figure 2). The default setting is Suggest MS-DOS Mode as Necessary, which is the setting that runs DOS programs in a box without re-booting. Now select MS-DOS Mode and Warn Before Entering MS-DOS Mode; note that the two text boxes are no longer greyed out. You'll see typical config.sys and autoexec.bat command lines there; add whatever you need for general memory management as well as the DOS drivers for mouse and your CD reader (see Figure 3). Don't know what to enter for the CD reader? This is the simplest way: Reboot in MS-DOS mode. Copy autoexec.bat to autoexec.old and config.sys to config.old. Run the DOS installation program for your CD reader. Copy autoexec.bat to autoexec.new and config.sys to config.new. Finally, copy autoexec.old to autoexec.bat and config.old to config.sys (yes, destroying the new CD reader installation -- it can make serious trouble if you leave it in. Reboot to normal Windows 95. Now use Notepad (start as many instances as you find convenient) to open and compare autoexec.old with autoexec.new and config.old with config.new. Isolate the differences and cut-and-paste them into the windows of the Advanced setting of your shortcut. This may seem a roundabout way, but because you use the DOS installation program and nothing but cut and paste, the chances of reading and typing errors are very small. by Jan Wikström |