How To: Play OLD DOS Games on your XP, 2000, Linux, Free BSD and MAC with DOSBox
I still love the old DOS games that I played almost 5-6 years ago. Two of my favorites PC games were Stargunner and Digger. Those were in fact, the first ones that I had played. Last weekend I was searching for information and utilities which would let me play those games with complete sound and graphics, again. [Most of those old games were later released as Freewares with FULL episodes and that's why I was looking for such an application]. My search yielded positive results, and I found DOSBox, which not only lets you run old DOS computer games but any DOS application.
DOSBox emulates an Intel x86 PC, complete with sound, graphics, mouse, modem, etc., necessary for running many old DOS games that simply cannot be run on modern PCs and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux and FreeBSD. However, it is not restricted to running only games. In theory, any DOS application should run in DOSBox, but the emphasis has been on getting DOS computer games to run smoothly, which means that communication, networking and printer support are still in early development.
Installing DOSBox and running dos games
Here is a step by step guide to running your OLD DOS computer games using DOSBox.
First, download the DOSBox from [DOSBox on Sourceforge]. The current version has releases for Windows 2000, XP, Gentoo Linux, MAC OS X, Free BSD and Fedora.
The installation is very easy and finishes quickly. You don’t see any complicated setup and configuration screens during installation. The configuration after the installation is very easy. Here are the steps:
- Install DOSBox to a folder in your system.
- Create a folder to store/install all your DOS games
That’s it. We are ready to play! You expected more steps? Sorry to have disappointed you 
Now, it’s time to play our games. The steps to first start DOSBox and mount your games directory are:
- Goto command prompt, start->run->cmd and switch to DOSBox directory. [CD C:\dosbox]. Then run dosbox.exe
- Now let’s mount the folder which has your DOS games. In our case, oldgames. Type mount C C:\oldgames
- Your oldgames directory is mounted on C drive inside DOSBox, now switch to the games folder that you want to play. Command is CD C:\stargunner [Stargunner is a sub-folder in oldgames]
- Run the DOS executable of that game. In my case it’s stargunner.exe
Quick guide to increase, decrease frame rate and many other settings to suit the application according the game you are playing is available on [DOSBox Page]
Want more OLD Dos games?
Stargunner – Full version can be found here. Also, you might be interested in Wikipedia’s list of commercial games that have been released as freeware games.
46 Responses to “How To: Play OLD DOS Games on your XP, 2000, Linux, Free BSD and MAC with DOSBox”
hey its my first time doing this and i was trying to run stargunner. I mounted the old games folder but then when i went to switch to the game folder it said “unable to change to: C:\stargunner. Any ideas? thanks for your time
Hi Mitch,
Can you please list the directory structure you have. Mine is something like this..
A folder called ’stargunner’ in D:
I run dosbox and then type ‘mount C d:\stargunner’
then I type ’stargun.exe’ as my current directory is already stargunner.
If you have stargunner in oldgames folder (c:\oldgames\stargunner), try this:
mount C C:\oldgames
CD C:\stargunner
stargun.exe
sry i took so long replying but i went on vacation
ya i have mine in C then a folder named oldgames then stargunner so ill try what you said
i was wondering where you got your stargunner file from because I made it to the stargunner folder but when i try to run the game it says its an illegal command
Mitch,
Could you please put down steps that you have been following to run the game in dosbox?
In dosbox i tried everybutton but i cant get \\\\\\\\\\ to work
what shall i do
Eddy, Can you please elaborate the problem that you have with dosbox?
I’m trying to play a dos game that needs a cd to run. It tells me it cant find a cd drive???
Have you tried to mount the CD drive in Dosbox? You’ll first need to mount the drive/folder as a drive letter within Dosbox to be able to play the games.
I have installed Dosbox and it works great however, when trying to run Wolfenstein 3D in full screen mode a box pops up telling me screen resolution not supported. Is there a workaround to this please?
Don,
The graphics card that you are using, is it pretty old? What screen resolution are you trying to run the program in?
Hi Raj,
Thanks for your reply my graphics card is ATI Radeon X300SE however, the problem appears to have corrected it as I have re-installed Dosbox. I can now run all Dos apps full screen with no error command. A mystery really, but thanks for your prompt reply.
Warm regards, Don
Hey Don,
Nice to know that you are all set. Happy playing
Thanks Raj,
It’s brillliant, after increasing cycles to 6000 and config to full screen I am well pleased, playing Wolfie, Jill of the Jungle, Gobman, I had better stop I am showing my age. Fantastic app though Dosbox, only found it yesterday. Also set up Dosshell for my children to use, it’s easier for them.
Thanks again Raj,
Warm regards, Don
Hey Raj,
I really odnt understand this program. I cant get my head around it.
I have a game “The 3 SKulls of the Toltecs” that I downloaded. With it came the DOSBox setup and a DOSBox RAR file of the game. Im not sure what a RAR file is, but when i double-click it DOSBox comes up with this:
Z:\MOUNT C “C:\Skulls\SkullsDbx\”
Z:\>C:
C:\>SKULLS.RAR
Illegal command: SKULLS.RAR.
Do you have ANY idea on how i can get this game to work? I know theres other ways but i just dont know.
Also when i try follow your instructions of:
“Z:\>mount c C:\Skulls”
it goes -
Drive C is mounted as local directory C:\Skulls\
Then I do the:
“Z:\>cd C:\SkullsDbx”
it goes -
Unable to change to: C:\SkullsDbx
I also found the actual CD-ROM and when i try run IT in DOSBox it doesnt work either..
Hey Callum,
Going by your comments, you should be trying to execute C:\ and you should automatically be in c:\skulls directory. Then you shd switch to the sub directory.
- Raj
Hey Raj.
How do I execute C:\? and whats the skulls directory? do you reckon you could give a step-by-step if possible, going n my description of the problem?
It would be a great help if you could.
Hi,
I have been trying to play championship manager 97/98 on xp. I followed the instructions above, but when I entered mount C C:\oldgames it came up as an unrecognised command. Anyone know why?
Thanks
Well i tried this dosbox thing but well, tried playin gobman..Well the game runs but when you start playing it freezes and then goes back to the Dos prompt, how do i go about it…?
Hey Raj
I was one of the guys that wrote stargunner all thoses years ago, glad to hear of someone enjoying it still. Many thanks for sharing tips on how to get it running on the newer hardware.
Cheers
Pev
Heh, nice to see some old school developers! anyway, i experiece problems with stargunner, and i would love to get them solved… It simply doesn’t run smooth!
i can set the speed to 50%, and then for maybe 1 second i play normally, then it jumps like 5 seconds in the future, and i have lost a life. reducing framerate wont do, since the game is at its normal FPS, its just that it chops forward very often
I am trying to play Championship Manager 2 and have got on fine with dosbox (thanks) – however when I try and run the game (command cm2.exe) – it comes up with the Error message “Can not find *LASERLOCK* CD_ROM in any drive” … anyone got any ideas???
Jonathan,
Seems to me that the version of game that you are trying to run is looking for something from the championship manager CD. Did you install/dump the game from the CD and trying to play it in DOSBox?
I have been having troubles with getting my Fallout2 to work with dosbox.
I have gone with everyones great advice but I still get the message
“this is a windows NT windowed Executable.”
So I was guesing that there is something I have to configure.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dan,
That message is due to the fact that the executable of your game was not designed to run in DOS. I couldn’t find much useful information for you on net.
would there happen to be a windows emulator that could run Fallout2???
HI Dude
I have managed to do everything that you advise for running a game through
dosbox but after i have extracted the files for my game(sensible world of soccer)
It says C:\swos Done
how do i get to play the game .
Cheers shuggs
Hey, can someone please help! I just downloaded Full Throttle and DOSBox, i have managed to mount the drive and all the other stuff however when i try to run the game it asks me to insert the full throttle CD! As its a downloaded game i dont have a CD, how can i get around this??
Hey Raj,
ive mounted my game directory and i also mounted my e: drive as the DVD/cd rom. the game loads and i start going through the options…. (the game is Euro’96 btw… which is a soccer game)… but when i go to play a match it asks me to install the cd into the cd rom drive…. whats the deal? can you help me please? youcan email me at niall_garner@hotmail.com
niall,
Is there an option/setup screen in your game which lets you select/mention the CDROM drive for your game? If yes, that should take care of your problem. If not, can you run the game directly from CD from inside DOSBox? Here is what you should do
type the following:-
mount D “E:\” -t cdrom
Then switch to D and try to run your game.
that didnt work… e: is my dvd drive and d: is my hard disk. incase it makes a diference to what i must type. when i do what u say tho, its says
mscdex install.
drive d is mount as cd rom e:
so now do i play it from its e: directory? direct from the cd?
hi Raj
what i wanna know is does this emulator run on windows vista i’m mean when you are actually playing it because i’m trying to play wolfenstien 3D (i really love that game, it was the first game i ever played in my life) and it won’t let me start it…do i have to change the name of some of the files so it can make emulator easier to read it?
KNUCKL3Z,
Can you tell me what is the error message you see on your system?
i am having the some problem markus is with stargunner not running smoothly. is there a solution?
Steve,
This seems to be a common problem with running old dos games on newer systems using dosbox. It was the first thing I noticed when I tried dosbox. I had to then increase the frame cycles to 4500+ and it was then smooth and also could run the game full screen.
Please increase the cycles to 4500+ and let me know if it works or not.
well i tried it. i tried the cycles at 4500, 10,000, 12,000, and 1000. none of them helped. i do notice however that when stargunner actually starts that the number next to cycles disappears and it says “max” no matteer what i set the cycles to beforehand. its weird because this the only game that is just unplayable, usually the worst problem ill have with a dos game is there isnt any sound but i can live with no sound
i wonder why of all the games My favourite Gobman cannot open, even though ilike Pacman, Gobman gives me Complete pLeasure. Kindly advise me the Site for Gobman, how to Down load or even just playing the Game. My one Gobman Ever No. one
so i followed all the directions on the dosbox website and tried to play primal rage on my xp
i ran the install.exe fine and when i pressed “save and play”, the dosbox window came up and said “illegal command prage.exe”
any suggestions?
Spencer,
That shows that the command that you are trying to execute is either not there or the dosbox is unable to run it. I will do a little bit of search on this and if I find something for you then I will send you an email with information.
hi, i have been trying to get conquest of the new world to work on my computer with xp. i have dosbox, and it does start to load up. part way through loading up a new game, it says that i need a cdrom to run the game and that it cannot find one. however i do have the original cdrom and it is in the drive as i load dosbox and the game up.
any ideas on how i can overcome this?
If u need cd check on full throttle or any other game , make an iso of the game and mount it with any virtual cd , and mount it again in dosbox , and start the game normaly
Thank you for the information Hakatak. I am sure it’s going to help our visitors.
I’m trying to run the old Dinotopia came on DOSbox and I mounted it to c:\dino (the file that the exe is in) and it says it has mounted. If I then try running dino.exe, it says illegal command, so I looked at dir and none of the files listed there are actually IN the c:\dino file. Any ideas?
i am tying to play an old dos game called police quest 3 and when i play it under dosbox it goes fast when i get into the police car and i can’t stop. Is there any way i can slow down the graphics? I think that is the problem i guess.
Never mind, I figured it out. After mounting, I never changed z:\> to c:\>