Any DOS genius around?

killerkebab · 10-09-2008, 13:52

I'm having a bit of trouble configuring my sound card in my other computer to work with most DOS games. It is an ESS Audiodrive 1869 which should have sound blaster emulation.

I opened autoexec.bat in notepad and added the line:

Code:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

To emulate Sound Blaster Pro, on port 220, IRQ5 and DMA1 (I think it is supposed to emulate SBPro, I've tried other numbers next to 'T' to no avail)

Note I am using Win98 on that computer, and whilst some DOS games do work fine, most are soundless (any win98 games work with sound by default). It really is dependant on the game. Any ideas for anything else I should do? If not, any ideas for a place to buy an old Sound Blaster card that is guaranteed to work with DOS?

CaptRugWash · 10-09-2008, 14:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by killerkebab

I'm having a bit of trouble configuring my sound card in my other computer to work with most DOS games. It is an ESS Audiodrive 1869 which should have sound blaster emulation.

I opened autoexec.bat in notepad and added the line:

Code:

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

To emulate Sound Blaster Pro, on port 220, IRQ5 and DMA1 (I think it is supposed to emulate SBPro, I've tried other numbers next to 'T' to no avail)

Note I am using Win98 on that computer, and whilst some DOS games do work fine, most are soundless (any win98 games work with sound by default). It really is dependant on the game. Any ideas for anything else I should do? If not, any ideas for a place to buy an old Sound Blaster card that is guaranteed to work with DOS?

What is it, some old ISA card? Have you not just tried Googling for drivers?

All that SET does is set a global variable...

Feek · 10-09-2008, 14:08

That's true, but DOS did use that variable to know where it should be looking for the sound blaster card and games will read it to know the same. If your card isn't using that port, dma and irq then the game won't work. I don't know what the T switch is for.

CaptRugWash · 10-09-2008, 14:34

Googling around

A= card's hex address
I= card's IRQ# (interrupt)
D= DMA channel
T= Type of Soundblaster (or emulation)
(I can't recall H - possibly High DMA setting?)

http://www.esstech.com/techsupp/drivers.shtm <<~~~ Official drivers for said card.

Is your sound card onboard, or a ISA one? Does it mention anything about it's IRQ within the BIOS?

killerkebab · 10-09-2008, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptRugWash

Is your sound card onboard, or a ISA one? Does it mention anything about it's IRQ within the BIOS?

Those drivers look like the deal I'm looking for (especially the DOS Setup utility) but I can't download them

I think the sound card is an onboard one. I found the IRQ/DMA and Port by going into device manager and seeing what the default settings are, and I just wrote those into autoexec.bat using the set BLASTER variable. The T switch is to tell it what kind of SB it is. T1 is the basic 100% compatible, up to T4 for SBPro. Since I read somewhere that AudioDrive emulates SB Pro I went for T4 (but I've tried T1)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garp

I would strongly recommend dosbox if you're wanting to play DOS games and stuff:
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
there are a few versions of it with a GUI as well. It'll handle the interaction between DOS sound cards and your windows one.

I use DosBOX on my main machine but I'd like to get the games working on a real DOS environment on this other computer. DosBOX isn't great with framerates on fullscreen, either :/

Garp · 10-09-2008, 14:48

I would strongly recommend dosbox if you're wanting to play DOS games and stuff:
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
there are a few versions of it with a GUI as well. It'll handle the interaction between DOS sound cards and your windows one.

CaptRugWash · 10-09-2008, 15:26

Google the filename then man!

Google this >>> 1869_v1317.zip

Found plenty of sources

killerkebab · 10-09-2008, 15:28

Cancel that, I had a genius idea of using an FTP program which actually works

Will try the drivers and get back to you.

killerkebab · 10-09-2008, 16:41

Disaster! Installed new drivers and whilst the devices appear in device manager, sound manager says 'no playback devices found'. Now even Win98 has no sound

killerkebab · 10-09-2008, 19:00

Sod this, I give up - anyone know where the best place to get an old style Sound Blaster board would be?

10-09-2008, 13:52	#1
killerkebab Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bristol/Reading Posts: 656	Any DOS genius around? I'm having a bit of trouble configuring my sound card in my other computer to work with most DOS games. It is an ESS Audiodrive 1869 which should have sound blaster emulation. I opened autoexec.bat in notepad and added the line: Code: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4 To emulate Sound Blaster Pro, on port 220, IRQ5 and DMA1 (I think it is supposed to emulate SBPro, I've tried other numbers next to 'T' to no avail) Note I am using Win98 on that computer, and whilst some DOS games do work fine, most are soundless (any win98 games work with sound by default). It really is dependant on the game. Any ideas for anything else I should do? If not, any ideas for a place to buy an old Sound Blaster card that is guaranteed to work with DOS? __________________

10-09-2008, 14:08	#3
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	That's true, but DOS did use that variable to know where it should be looking for the sound blaster card and games will read it to know the same. If your card isn't using that port, dma and irq then the game won't work. I don't know what the T switch is for. __________________

10-09-2008, 14:34	#4
CaptRugWash Columbian Coffee Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: On tour, washing rugs. Cumming to a rug near you! Posts: 61	Googling around A= card's hex address I= card's IRQ# (interrupt) D= DMA channel T= Type of Soundblaster (or emulation) (I can't recall H - possibly High DMA setting?) http://www.esstech.com/techsupp/drivers.shtm <<~~~ Official drivers for said card. Is your sound card onboard, or a ISA one? Does it mention anything about it's IRQ within the BIOS? __________________

10-09-2008, 14:48	#6
Garp Preparing more tumbleweed Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 6,038	I would strongly recommend dosbox if you're wanting to play DOS games and stuff: http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1 there are a few versions of it with a GUI as well. It'll handle the interaction between DOS sound cards and your windows one. __________________ Mal: Define "interesting"? Wash: "Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die"?

10-09-2008, 15:26	#7
CaptRugWash Columbian Coffee Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: On tour, washing rugs. Cumming to a rug near you! Posts: 61	Google the filename then man! Google this >>> 1869_v1317.zip Found plenty of sources __________________

10-09-2008, 15:28	#8
killerkebab Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bristol/Reading Posts: 656	Cancel that, I had a genius idea of using an FTP program which actually works Will try the drivers and get back to you. __________________

10-09-2008, 16:41	#9
killerkebab Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bristol/Reading Posts: 656	Disaster! Installed new drivers and whilst the devices appear in device manager, sound manager says 'no playback devices found'. Now even Win98 has no sound __________________

10-09-2008, 19:00	#10
killerkebab Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bristol/Reading Posts: 656	Sod this, I give up - anyone know where the best place to get an old style Sound Blaster board would be? __________________

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