DOS Emulator for Windows 7? Doxbox Multiple Config Files?

[essential]

I did a search first, and most people recommended Dosbox for Windows XP. There haven't been any threads yet on DOS emulators for Windows 7 (at least based on title search).

After seeing the name Doxbox, I did some research on it, and while it seems more geared towards games, it might work for my purpose (two old DOS programs, an estimating wizard and timeslip program).

However, it seems a little more complicated than I had hoped (I have to teach a friends father how to use this after I learn it, and he is not tech savvy). The youtube video I watched briefly was mounting a drive and was using DOS commands to set it up. I wasn't able to focus on it since I'm at work.

When I get home from work I'm going to follow the youtube video step by step to setup a Dosbox on my home computer to see if it's easier than it looks. However, when I heard I'd need a DOS emulator for Windows 7 since 7 totally cut out DOS, in my mind I was thinking it would something similar to JNES Emulator.

Double click on the JNES icon, the program opens, select "File --> Open" and select the Rom you want, and it just opens and you play.

Is there a DOS emuator that is that easy? Just a normal install, program icon that you open. Then "File --> Open" to the DOS .exe and it just opens and works within the emulator?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Nothinman]

DOS was never included in any branch of NT, all the way back to 3.1. Maybe you mean support for 16-bit apps in the Windows NTVDM, but that only applies to 64-bit Win7. I just checked my 32-bit install and command.com is there and reports DOS ver 6.1.7600.

All you probably need to do is setup a shortcut to start DOSbox with the appropriate disk image and have autoexec.bat startup whatever ancient app he needs.

 

[essential]

DOS was never included in any branch of NT, all the way back to 3.1. Maybe you mean support for 16-bit apps in the Windows NTVDM, but that only applies to 64-bit Win7. I just checked my 32-bit install and command.com is there and reports DOS ver 6.1.7600.

All you probably need to do is setup a shortcut to start DOSbox with the appropriate disk image and have autoexec.bat startup whatever ancient app he needs.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the OS is Windows 7 Home Edition (64-bit). Okay, I will try that.

 

[essential]

I got DOSbox working. I am using the DOSbox.config to automatically load one of his two programs. Anyone know how you run multiple .config files? Do you just install Doxbox several times? I tried to copy and paste the config files with different DOSboxes and that didn't work.

 

[Nothinman]

Can you specify a config file on the command-line?

 

[essential]

Can you specify a config file on the command-line?

Not that i'm aware of. Looking at the config target:

"C:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73\dosbox.exe" -editconf notepad.exe -editconf "%SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe" -editconf "%WINDIR%\notepad.exe"

It looks like the config shortcut is actually opening the Dosbox.exe itself in notepad and allowing me to add my config at the bottom, which auto mounts his program.

I think when I get home from work tonight I'll just install Dosbox again to say, "C:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.73 (Second)\" that see if that works. It should give me a second properly installed program and configurable Dosbox.

I searched this plenty before posting. Apparently prior to version 0.73 (the newest) the config was it's own file, and there could be multiples. Now it just seems to be a link which edits the actual program.

I could be way off though, I don't know too much about this in general, just what i've been reading the last few days.

 

[essential]

Figured it out. Turns out the .conf file is stored in the Application Data folder. You can setup a second one there, and then edit the shortcut to use the second conf.

 

[Nothinman]

Glad to hear it, I figured they had to be hiding it somewhere. =)

 

[Lorthreth]

You could also use one of the frontends available at the dosbox site.
http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
one could be http://dfendreloaded.sourceforge.net/

 

[MStele]

There are three ways to approach this. All involve editing the autoexec.bat portion of Dosbox.config

1. To use one Dosbox shortcut with multiple dos applications, create a batch menu environment within the Dosbox.config autoexec.bat. That way, when you boot dosbox it will give you a list of software options and you can just select which you want a go. Everything is automated short of choosing your software.

2. Create a batch file that will copy and replace the dosbox.config with the autoexec configured to go directly to the software of choice. You can make multple batch files to do this. I don't prefer this method because its sloppy since it requires copy/replace actions everytime you run it, but it will work fine. You can then make as many shortcuts as you need to go your various software, as long as you have the requisite Dosbox.config files.

3. Create a batch file with a menu system. Same as 2, except you have menu choices instead of seperate short cuts. You still require seperate configs though. This way is silly imo, since its basically the same as 1 except your shortcut is more complex for no reason.

In my opinion, use option 1, but 2 is viable if you like multiple shortcuts.

 

[Modelworks]

Here is what I use for dos.
Install virtualbox:
http://www.virtualbox.org/

The image I use already is configured for networking, cdrom, and has most of the open source dos software included, even has doom
Download the image:
http://virtualboxes.org/2008/01/19/freedos-10-image-released/

Load the .vdi image file in virtual box and you now have dos.