Running Old Games On Windows 98

I have a IBM THINKPAD 2378 laptop trying to run Tex Murphy Under a Killing Moon game on Windows 98. The game will not run under Windows, only MS-DOS.

At the DOS prompt C:\WINDOWS>, I entered the required MOON command and got the error message BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME.

I tried to change the prompt by typing cd at the prompt but it still has Windows in the prompt.
How can I change the prompt so I don't have Windows running in the background?

Maybe if the Windows prompt is not running, the MOON command can find the file to open the game.

Any suggestions?

Red

 

At the dos prompt, change directory to where the game's programs are located using the full path.

 

Have a look over here and bookmark the links.
https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000587.htm
http://www.dosgames.com/forum/

 

I don't know where your file/ folder is, but assuming it's in a folder named "Tex Murphy". And in Win 98 it might look like "Tex M~1".

Then when you get your dos prompt you'd type in "cd\Tex Murphy" or "cd\Tex M~1" depending on where it is and how it's listed.

 

Thanks lmandy Mann.

I finally found the right path but when I attempt to run the game, it freezes up. One time an error message said that a mouse wasn't detected and another time it just froze up. I'm at a loss at what else I can do to get the game running.

Thanks to all for your help.

Red

 

Thanks IMANDY MANN for showing me how to use the cd command to change directories. Now when I try to open the file to play the game, I get this error message:

This program is set to run in MS-DOS mode only and cannot run while other programs are running. All other programs will close if you choose to continue.

When I click the yes button, I get a black screen when it try's to load up.

Do you know of anything else I should try to get this game running? It was fine years ago when I had a different machine. I just purchased a refurbished machine for these old games and would like to see this one running again.

Red

 

I said that the game ran fine years ago was after I got help from a technician. He got it running by putting a shortcut on the desk. Does anyone know how to put a shortcut on the desk from the MS-DOS prompt?

 

In post #3, the first link, Eldon provided, mentioned a way to go for old applications ... DOSBox. The problem is the current version was never compiled for Win98 and maybe wasn't needed.

Clues to solving your dilemma might be found is here:
https://www.computing.net/answers/windows-95/dosbox-in-win98/170716.html

Possibly the shortcut, you refer to, was related to a PIF to shell it.
Unfortunately, my memory is to rusty now to help you with this.
Yet someone else, seeing this, may get a memory jog and be able to pick up on this.

 

Here something that might help with my previous post.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/188157/windows-98-sample-program-information--pif-files

 

You both are on to something here. It probably needs the .pif file. Just from memory I think if you right click on the main file, and select 'create a shortcut' it will pop up a box and in advanced there is an option to use or create a .pif file. There may also already be one in the directory you found. In that file there are lines like HIMEM=Himem.sys ,Mouse =C:\mouse\mouse.sys ...Dos=High. You might see lines like Files=40.
It might be in the directory already but has the .pif extension hidden. Look for a file with the same name as the main file except it is a txt file. You can open it with editor or click on it in windows to read what's in it. (I sound like Nancy Peloski -ha!) I may have a few on a backup from an old system to get a deeper look.

Here are a few links to get an idea of what that shortcut the tech put on your desktop was about.

http://www.philscomputerlab.com/ms-dos-mode-super-easy.html


and this one

http://www.bootdisk.com/readme.htm

- scroll down to the mouse section for more on why you couldn't see a mouse you said.

I believe you can find this folder in windows now that you know where it is and right click it there to get to make a shortcut which will offer to make the .pif shortcut and while still in windows copy or send it to your desktop.

I'll try to find one of mine to show what's in there.

 

The URL philscomputertab.com looks very interesting.

They have a restart in pif. Download that might work. The trouble is the Windows 98 machine that has the game in question is too old to get onto the Internet.

I'll try to get the download on my Windows 7 machine and copy it to a flash drive. Maybe that will work???

 

I installed the download and got the prompt OK but now I get the error message,
NO MOUSE DETECTED.

Where do I go from here?

 

Have a look at this.
http://www.zensoft.com/support_zntd_prg_mouse.html

 

Thank you for your reply ELDON.

logitemp had a download that I attempted to install on my Windows 98 Via my Windows 7 that didn't work.

Thanks for your interest.

Red

 

What kind of mouse are you using,? Serial, ps2 or usb? And do you have a 'Mouse' directory on the C: drive?

 

I have two mice, one that I use is a USB Optical and one onboard mouse. The Onboard mouse is a HID-compliant mouse. There isn't a mouse directory on the C: drive.

In Device Manager/mouse = HID-compliant mouse & PS/2 Compatible Ports are listed.

 

I looked in the restartin dos download on the page you saw. I loaded the file in pilotedit lite (here on MG's). One of the last lines loads a mouse driver from "C:\Drivers\ctmouse.exe. Do you have this directory? and do you have that file? If you look in control panel and find the mouse driver your using and change that line to match what you have on your system and try to run, the mouse should work.

 

Another option is to start Windows 98 in DOS mode.
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-03.html

To get back to Windows 98, at the DOS prompt, type win.

 

Would it be feasible to use VMWare Workstation for Windows 98 running on a newer PC? It may help with the mouse issue, i.e. PS/2 vs. USB.

 

Reply to IMANDY MANN.
I Tried to load the dos download in pilotedit lite but was unsuccessful.
How did you accomplish that at MG's?

 

After I downloaded the restartin dos file I went to the download location and right-clicked on the file and in the context menu that came up I clicked on PilotEdit. I tried a modification to the line mentioned and saved it, It did save my modification.

PilotEdit Lite might not work in '98. If memory serves me ,in Dos you can type Edit to open the 'Dos' editor.