Games (A-H) Requiring or Performing Better in MS-DOS Mode

• Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

This article lists games (A-H) that must be run in MS-DOS mode. Additional information is provided when available.

For information about running games in MS-DOS mode, please see the "Running an Application in MS-DOS Mode" section later in this article.

MORE INFORMATION

1942: The Pacific Air War by Microprose

Executables: 1942.BAT, 1942.EXE

1942: The Pacific Air War requires MS-DOS mode.

Aces of the Deep by Dynamix (Sierra Online)

Executables: AOD.BAT, AOD.EXE

If you run Aces of the Deep in Windows 95, it encounters internal assertion failures. Run it in MS-DOS mode to resolve these errors.

Aegis: Guardian of the Fleet

Executables: AEGIS.EXE, AEGISV.EXE

Aegis sets the timer rate to a speed faster than the game can handle. Running it in MS-DOS mode may alleviate some of the problem.

Archon Ultra by Free Fall Associates

Executable: ARCHON.EXE

Archon Ultra sets the timer rate to a speed too fast for Windows 95 to handle comfortably. Running it in MS-DOS mode allows the program to run at full speed.

Arctic Baron by Ready Soft

Executable: START.EXE

Arctic Baron requires MS-DOS mode to run in Windows 95.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Viacom

Executable: AFRAID.BAT

Are You Afraid of the Dark? uses virtual memory in a way that causes erratic sound and speech. Depending on your system configuration, it may also fail during sound and video playback. Run it in MS-DOS mode to resolve these problems.

Battle Chess 4000 by Interplay

Battle Chess requires MS-DOS mode.

Battledrome by Dynamix (Sierra Online)

Executable: BD.EXE

Battledrome is not compatible with VSHARE; therefore, it must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Beneath a Steel Sky

Executable: SKY.EXE

Beneath a Steel Sky uses a memory model not compatible with Windows 95. Run it in MS-DOS mode.

Bioforge by Origin

Executable: BIOFORGE.EXE

Bioforge makes incorrect assumptions about the system memory configuration when Windows 95 is running. This causes it to fail to detect most of the memory installed in the computer. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Bloodnet by Microprose

Bloodnet works only when the DMA channel is set to 7 if you are using the Pro Audio Spectrum sound card. The game tries to reconfigure the sound device to DMA 7 automatically. This is not tolerated by the virtual device driver (VxD).

To resolve this issue, you can use one of the following methods:

• Use Sound Blaster-compatible mode on your PAS.
• Reconfigure the PAS device to DMA 7.
• Use MS-DOS mode.

Brett Hull Hockey 95 by Accolade

Executable: HOCKEY.EXE

Brett Hull Hockey 95 requires MS-DOS mode and a properly set BLASTER environment variable in order to play sound.

Bridge Olympiad by Quantum Quality Products

Executable: BO.BAT

Bridge Olympiad directly accesses the hard disk ports resulting in a conflict with Windows 95 disk drivers. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Chessmaster 3000 by The Software Toolworks

Chessmaster 3000 requires MS-DOS mode. Even in MS-DOS mode, if digital sound is enabled, your computer may (stop responding) hang after sound effects.

Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Simulator,

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat by Electronic Arts

Executables: AFS.EXE, AFS.BAT

In order to play speech and sound effects through the computer's built-in speaker, these programs set the timer rate to a speed too fast for Windows 95 to handle comfortably. Running the programs in MS-DOS mode allows them to run at full speed.

Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Simulator may also encounter copy protection problems if not run in MS-DOS mode.

Club Dead by Viacom

Executable: DEAD.EXE

Club Dead contains timing-related problems that cause the program to fail. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Comanche Overkill by Nova Logic

Executables: C.BAT, COMANCHE.EXE

Comanche Overkill requires complete control of the computer and must be run in MS-DOS mode. Windows 95 should automatically run this program in MS-DOS mode. If it does not, remove all .PIF files associated with COMANCHE.EXE or C.BAT and restart the game.

Command Adventures Starship by Future Visionary, Inc. and Merit Software

Executable: STARSHIP.COM

Command Adventures Starship does not check whether memory allocations were successful and corrupts itself if a memory allocation subsequently fails. You may be able to run this game in Windows 95 by adding "/NUMHANDLES=40" (without the quotation marks) to the HIMEM.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file. This setting increases the number of XMS handles available. If this does not work, run Command Adventures Starship in MS-DOS mode.

Curse of the Catacombs by FroggMan

Curse of the Catacombs requires MS-DOS mode.

Cyber Race

Executable: CR.BAT

Cyber Race refuses to run in any protected-mode operating system. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

CyberWar by Sales Curve International

If you use an ESS ES688 and no MIDI, you must use IRQ 5. If you have problems, run CyberWar in MS-DOS mode.

Cyclones by Strategic Simulations (SSI)

Executable: CYCLONES.EXE

Cyclones makes incorrect assumptions about the system memory configuration when Windows 95 is running.

NOTE: Cyclones may fail to run even in MS-DOS mode if the computer has 64 megabytes (MB) of memory or more. Contact the manufacturer if you are encountering this problem.

Dark Forces by Lucas Arts

During the installation of Dark Forces, the sound detection must run twice to detect AWE 32. Furthermore, Dark Forces may fail to run in Windows 95 on some computers. If you encounter problems, run Dark Forces in MS-DOS mode.

Darkseed by Cyberdreams, Inc.

Executable: DS.BAT

Darkseed has a timing-related problem in its sound code that causes it to hang. The problem may be resolved when it is run in MS-DOS mode.

Death Gate by Legend Entertainment Company

Death Gate fails on some sound cards (such as ESS ES688 and Aztech WA cards). Run Death Gate in MS-DOS mode if you encounter problems.

Dino Park Tycoon 1.0 by MECC

Dino Park Tycoon runs in Windows 95 only if sound is disabled. To use sound, you must run this game in MS-DOS mode.

Dognapped by FroggMan

Dognapped sets the timer rate too fast for some computers. If you encounter problems with Dognapped in Windows 95, run it in MS-DOS mode.

Dracula Unleashed by Viacom

Executable: DRACULA.EXE

Dracula manipulates the interrupt flag register in a manner incompatible with Windows 95. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Dragon's Lair by Merit Software

Executables: DL.EXE, DRAGON.EXE

Although Dragon's Lair runs in Windows 95, the sound is erratic. It runs better in MS-DOS mode.

DreamForge

DreamForge requires MS-DOS mode.

Dungeon Master by Software Heaven

Dungeon Master requires MS-DOS mode.

Eight Ball Deluxe by Amtex

Eight Ball Deluxe requires MS-DOS mode.

Empire Deluxe

Empire Deluxe sets the timer rate to a speed too fast for Windows 95 to handle comfortably. It runs, although slowly. Running Empire Deluxe in MS-DOS mode allows it to run at full speed.

Falcon AT by Spectrum Holobyte

Falcon AT requires MS-DOS mode.

Fields of Glory by Spectrum Holobyte

Fields of Glory requires MS-DOS mode.

FIFA International Soccer by Electronic Arts

Executable: FIFA.EXE

FIFA International Soccer uses a memory model that is not compatible with Windows 95. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Fifth Fleet

Executable: FLEET.EXE

Fifth Fleet has a timing-related problem in its sound code that causes it not to recognize the sound card. The problem may be resolved when Fifth Fleet is run in MS-DOS mode.

Flight of the Intruder by Spectrum Holobyte

Flight of the Intruder requires MS-DOS mode.

Flight Simulator Tool Kit - World War II by Spectrum Holobyte

Executable: WWII.BAT

Flight Simulator Tool Kit requires MS-DOS mode to play sounds properly.

Freakin' Funky Fuzzballs by Sir-Tech

Freakin' Funky Fuzzballs requires MS-DOS mode.

Front Page Sports by Dynamix (Sierra Online)

Executable for Front Page Sports Football Pro!: HIKE.COM Executable for Front Page Sports Football Pro '95: HIKE.COM Executable for Front Page Sports Baseball '94: PLAYBALL.COM

If sound effects are enabled, the Front Page Sports programs use Virtual Direct Memory Access Services (VDS) incorrectly and must be run in MS-DOS mode.

FX Fighter by Argonaut Software

FX Fighter encounters memory problems (such as page faults) when run in Windows 95. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Gabriel Knight for MS-DOS by Sierra Online

Executable: GKCD.BAT

Gabriel Knight requires MS-DOS mode.

Game Pak III by The Software Toolworks

Game Pak III requires MS-DOS mode.

Goblins,

Goblins 2 by Sierra Online

Executables: GO.BAT, GOB.BAT

These programs set the timer rate to a speed too fast for Windows 95 to handle comfortably and must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Grand Prix by Road and Track

Grand Prix does not run well in an MS-DOS session when you are using the PC speaker as the designated sound output device. System performance slows considerably because of the increased timer load by the PC speaker. To boost performance with this game, run the game in MS-DOS mode, or turn off the PC speaker sound.

Great Naval Battles 1939-1942 by Strategic Simulations (SSI)

This version of Great Naval Battles requires MS-DOS mode, and you must use VINSTALL to detect the correct VESA driver. Great Naval Battles Vol. II 1942-1943 - Guadalcanal should run in Windows 95.

Harpoon 2 by 360 Pacific

Executable: HARPOON2.EXE

The MS-DOS extender used by Harpoon is not compatible with Windows 95. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

Helicopter Simulator by Sierra Online

Executable: HELO.COM

Helicopter Simulator must run in MS-DOS mode due to the way it implements copy-protection.

Hell - A Cyberpunk Thriller

Executables: HELL.*, HECK.*

Hell - A Cyberpunk Thriller requires MS-DOS mode to play sounds properly.

The Horde by Crystal Dynamics

Executable: HORDE.EXE

The Horde manipulates the interrupt flag register in a manner incompatible with Windows 95. It must be run in MS-DOS mode.

The Humans by GameTek

Executable: HUMANS.EXE

The Humans sets the timer rate to a speed too fast for Windows 95 to handle comfortably. It runs, although slowly. Running The Humans in MS-DOS mode allows it to run at full speed.

Running an Application in MS-DOS Mode

Windows 95 usually runs programs that require MS-DOS mode in MS-DOS mode automatically. If it does not, delete the corresponding .PIF file and double-click the program icon again. Note that .PIF files usually have the same name as the program file, but with a .PIF extension instead of the .BAT, .COM, or .EXE extension. The corresponding .PIF file can be found in one of the following locations:

• In the folder that contains the program file.
• In the hidden PIF folder in the Windows 95 folder.
• In a folder specified by your PATH statement.

If Windows 95 does not configure the program to run in MS-DOS mode automatically, follow these steps:

1. Click the executable file with the right mouse button, then click Properties on the menu that appears.

2. On the Program tab, click the Advanced button.

3. Click the MS-DOS Mode check box to select it.

4. You can usually use the Use Current MS-DOS Configuration option. However, some programs may require that you use the Specify A New Configuration option. Consult the program's documentation for sample CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

5. Click OK.

NOTE: You may have to double-click the program icon in Windows Explorer or My Computer, or type the program name in the Run dialog box, for the program's settings to take effect. Typing the program name at an MS-DOS prompt does not always cause the program's settings to be used.