Basically DOSBox perfectly emulates MS-DOS - so you should be perfectly comfortable with it.

Here's what I did and it works just like my old 386 with MS-DOS 5.0 & Win 3.11e (only much much smoother).

Once you download and install DOSBox just add these lines at the end of it's config file (it's found with the link to run DOSBox):
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
mount c d:\games
mount d e:\ -t cdrom
c:

This is simular to editing the autoexec.bat in old DOS. Now the computer thinks that drive D: is your CD-ROM drive and whatever you had in folder games is on your harddisk marked as C: (if your HD isn't drive D or if you have your game folders anywhere else then d:\games just change the path accordingly - the same applies if your CD-ROM is a drive other then E).

OK and there you have it. Run DOSBox and you're in good old DOS - which works normally under WinXP. If you need to speed up use ctrl+F12 if you need to slow down use ctrl+F11. If you want the full screen option use alt+enter. If you want to exit either go out the full screen (alt+enter again) and close the DOSBox window - or exit the game and type EXIT.

Enjoy!

Hello, Grand Dad.
I'm Stroggy, the nicest and most helpful member on abandonia.com!

enjoy your stay!

well as long as there's someone new to talk to Im happy ^_^
so welcome one, welcome all.

what makes you think anybody wants to talk to you :sneaky:

uhm.. ok, so really i mean reply to their posts and get a higher postcount, but they're ususally original people.
like grand dad ^_^

...
I think that says it all... Please don't start spamming here!

...
I think that says it all [/b][/quote]
Indeed, I prevent people from thinking they're more important than others, i'm really THAT good and considerate.

true, respect to the new guy! may his ship never run out of dilithium!

what makes you think anybody wants to talk to you :sneaky: [/b][/quote]
which was preceded by

Heh, I like the way that one worked out.....

Welcome to you who have come to Abandonia. Anything is possible at Abandonia, anything at all. The only limit is.... yourself!

One free unspecified object to whoever can determine what I'm clumsily attempting to parody.

Well, let me say that DosBox is much, much better for running old stuff - none of these speed issues that can be encountered so often.

As Sebastianos already said, the DosBox works all the way round like Ms-Dos, up to and including the commands (standard Dos set plus a few others specific only for DB). It's more like Dos 6.x then Dos 7.x, though, so there is no LFN support. You can use a dedicated directory on your hard drive and through the MOUNT command make DosBox read this directory as its C:\ drive (or any other letter you prefer). There is a part on the very end of DosBox.conf labeled "Autoexec", which in all respect works like the Dos Autoexec.bat. You can pre-define there drives and directories mounted at the startup, as well as the standard set like going to a specific drive, opening a certain directory and so on. DB even supports Norton Commander, I checked! :cheers:

Also, DosBox offers you a slew of options concerning the emulated hardware itself. From a wide array of graphics cards (EGA, CGA, VGA, SVGA) to sound cards (Adlib, several breeds of Sound Blaster and many more) to RAM (you can set a specific number of MB's the emulator has - good since certain games act oddly on higher values and you can adjust this feature to counter that) plus also it can emulate network cards and/or modems. Basically, if the default set of values does not work for you, you can always alter it until you are satisfied.
Word of advice - as soon as you install DosBox, change the soundcard emulation setting to sb1 (Sound Blaster 1), as the default Sound Blaster Pro 2 does not work for some old titles.

Now pleas excuse me, I have to return to Space Hulk. :Brain: