Configuring your computer for use in MS-DOS in Windows 95

DOS Mode. It's a bit confusing to configure that icon so you can run DOOM or any other DOS-based games, but it's not impossible. All you have to do is make an icon with the appropriate drivers for your CDROM, sound card, and any other drivers you need. If you have a newer system, you already have this icon. In this case, skip the first part. If you don't have this icon, follow the instructions below:

1. Right click on the desktop, select New and choose Shortcut.
2. Type Command.com in the Command Line box.
3. Click Next and Finish.
4. Right click on the new icon and choose Properties.
5. Click the Program tab and choose Advanced.
6. Place a check mark in the MS-DOS Mode box and place the dot in the Specify a New MS-DOS Configuration option.
7. In the Config.sys for MS-DOS Mode, enter the following line. DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM I=B000-B7FF I=E000-EFFF
8. Click OK.
9. Take Windows out of the Working box and click OK.

You are now ready to install CD-ROM drivers. For those of you that already had the icon present, this is where you start.

1. Double click on the icon to boot up in DOS Mode.
2. Put the system or CD-ROM driver diskette into the A:\ drive, type A: and press Enter.
3. Type DIR and press Enter. Look for Install.exe or Setup.exe. Type Setup or Install and press Enter.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the CDROM drivers. When finished, take the diskette out and reboot.
5. Re-enter Dos mode. At the C:\ prompt, type Edit Autoexec.bat and press Enter.

The next step depends on what type of cdrom drive you have in the system. Your cdrom driver diskette or invoice will tell you what you have. You may have had your CDROM replaced or you may have upgraded the drive, so you must make sure that you use the correct driver for your particular drive. The following are the different types of drives Gateway 2000 has sold, followed by the line to look for, followed by the line change you need to make in order to have the drive work in DOS Mode.

SONY 31A
\BIN\MSCDEX.EXE /D:SONY_000
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:SONY_000

SONY 2X(IDE)
MSCDEX.EXE /D:SONY_000
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:SONY_000

EPSON 2X & 4X
C:\CDD\MSCDEX.EXE /D:WP_CD-ROM /M:20
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:WP_CD-ROM /M:20

NEC 2X
C:\CDROM\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:10
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:10

HITACHI 4X
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD005 /M:10
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD005 /M:10

SANYO 4X & 6X
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:TSYCD1 /M:10
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:TSYCD1 /M:10

MITSUMI 4X, 12X, & 12/16X
MSCDEX.EXE /D:MTMIDE01 /M:10
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MTMIDE01 /M:10

WEARNES 6X & 8X
C:\CDD\MSCDEX.EXE /D:WP_CDROM
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:WP_CDROM /M:10

TOSHIBA 8X, 12X, & 12/16X
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

PANASONIC 8X
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:10
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:10

Regarding the sound card

If you have an Ensoniq VIVO 90, add the following line towards the bottom of the file:

CALL C:\SNDSCAPE\INITSS.BAT

If you have a Vibra 16 Plug and Play card:

1. Load the ICU (Intel Configuration Utility) from diskettes or your Gateway 2000 system cd. To do this, type Install from the ICU directory. Follow the instructions and reboot when finished.
2. The DOS drivers for the sound card are also on diskette or system cd. Depending on the version of the system CD, the directory name may vary. Generally, you should be looking for the Vibra subdirectory under the drivers directory. Just remember to load the Windows for Workgroups drivers in DOS Mode.
3. Type Install to begin the installation. Complete the installation and reboot when finished.

Mouse drivers

These also are on the system cd in the MOUSE directory. Type Setup and press Enter at the Disk1 prompt. Choose express setup and say NO to the Intellipoint Configuration when prompted. Reboot when finished.

You should now be ready to load your DOS games. Always remember to type in EXIT when finished in DOS Mode. If you do not, the system will continue to boot up in DOS Mode.

Back to the Newsletter
Back to the Support Page