DOS programs off of CD ROM

[qz9090]

I have a business simulation game that was written for DOS and I was wondering if I could run it off my CD. I don't want to install it on my HD, because of all the other files(config.sys, etc.) it will install on my Win 98 machine.

Basically, I would like to install and run the program off of a CDR or CDRW. Is this easily done?

[AlaricD]

If the program needs to modify CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, you can specify an alternate MS-DOS configuration for the shortcut to include those lines it needs to add. Are you sure it needs to make those modifications in the first place? Perhaps it just needs simple additions like FILES= or BUFFERS= lines.

If you just installed the software to a CD or CDRW, it would still need to modify those files, anyway, regardless of the disk you install it to. Also, there's a chance that while the program is running, it would need to modify files within its directory, so a CD or CDRW option might not be the best (for example, in DOS you can read from CD and CDRW, but writing to them requires very special software.)

The best bet is just installing to the hard drive, having backed up your present CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT (and if the software is specifically for DOS, then it shouldn't even modify WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI.) You should probably be able to run it as a DOS program within Windows 98. Win98 is better at running those DOS games than you think.

[Eeyore]

Making a bootable CD or a Companion boot disk should work for most computers. Since you are talking DOS, I presume the computer would be working in DOS mode.

If the program cannot work from the CD because it needs to modify files as it goes, you could have the boot disk create a Ramdrive so the CD can put the files there without touching the hard drive of the host computer.

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[qz9090]

Thanks AlaricD and Eeymore for your feedback.
Just a little more information.

One of the reasons I don't want to install this software on the harddrive is because I use it infrequently. Not only that, as I change OSs(XP, 2000, linux) on my PC, I don't want to have to deal with the ability or inability to run this simulation.

Unfortunately, the software developer is nowhere to be found so
I thought I would try my own solution.

Eeymore's solution of setting up a RAMDRIVE sounds like it might have some promise. When I run this program, I would be perfectly happy running it in DOS only. Meaning, when I boot, I would boot directly to DOS and begin running my program(no win 98, 2000, or any other OS).

Yes, it is not multi-tasking, but I can be assured that it is running correctly. Not only that, when I am in the middle of the simulation the probablility that I would switch tasks is minimal.

So, getting back to the RAMDRIVE scenario, can I get some help with that? I understand that I need a bootable disk(I think my bios will handle booting from the CD). If I have to, I will boot to my floppy.

I also know that I need to be able to access the CDR via the CD drive, but I need CD support, right? From there, hopefully my Autoexe.bat and config.sys have the correct info. to setup the Ramdrive, etc. Can you help me out here?

Also, how do I install the software onto my CDR? Remember, it is a DOS based program.

Thanks in advance.

[Eeyore]

If your program doesn't care what version of DOS you use you could use DOS 5.0 through Windows 98. The easiest would be to start with a copy of a Windows 98 Startup disk. This comes with CDROM support for most brands of CDROM's you would run into.
You can delete:
drvspace.bin
ebd.cab
ebd.sys
extract.exe
fdisk.exe
readme.txt

You should add:
emm386.exe
which should be in your C:\WINDOWS\ directory, and
mscdex.exe
which should be in your C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ directory, and
pkunzip.exe
which you can get from Free DOS utilities at www.pkware.com .

I would replace
findramd.exe
ramdrive.sys
setramd.bat
with
xmsdsk.exe
This allows you to assign a permanent drive letter which makes it far easier to design a program for. Do a search on the internet for fu_rd19i.zip. Using this your config.sys file could be modified to:
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=emm386.exe noems
files=40
buffers=40
dos=high,umb
stacks=9,256
lastdrive=z
devicehigh=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
devicehigh=btdosm.sys
devicehigh=flashpt.sys
devicehigh=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
devicehigh=aspi2dos.sys
devicehigh=aspi8dos.sys
devicehigh=aspi4dos.sys
devicehigh=aspi8u2.sys
devicehigh=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001

The AUTOEXEC.BAT would need:
echo off
xmsdsk 10000 r: /y
lh mscdex /d:mscd001 /v /L:Z
Z:
pkunzip program r:\
r:
run

This assumes that the program is in a ZIP file named program.zip on the cd and that run.exe is the execution file for the program. PKUNZIP can also store a directory/subdirectory structure if the program requires that. This should run the program on a RAMDISK assigned as letter R. The 10000 on the xmsdsk line will create a 10mb ramdisk. Change this for program needs. Most computers will have far more than this amount of RAM. But if RAM is limited, you want enough unused so your program will run.

If the program can be run directly from the CDROM, you would have:
echo off
lh mscdex /d:mscd001 /v /L:Z
Z:
run
This boot disk can be then used to make a bootable CD. Then you can use only the CDROM if the computer can boot from a CD, or use this boot disk with the CDROM if the computer can't boot from a CDROM.
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[qz9090]

Thanks for all your help.
So far, so good. I know I can run DOS off of a startup disk
and have CDROM support.

Unfortunately, (and this is where I am having difficulty) I have not figured out a way to install the DOS based program onto the CD.

Using :
lh mscdex /d:mscd001 /v /L:Z

To get CDROM support in DOS is fine for reading, but what about writing to the disk?

[Eeyore]

There are three methods I use:
1.
If you have a ZIP drive, you can substitute its drive letter for the one you want the CDROM to be and install the program to a ZIP disk. If that works, copy the files to a CD Disk.

2.
Assign your CDROM a different letter and create a Uberto RAMDISK you can assign the same drive letter that you will have for the CDROM (Z). Some programs will not install to a virtual drive. But if they will install and you can create a large enough ramdrive, this is the easiest method. Once the program is installed, copy all the files to a directory on a hard drive before you shut down or restart, or you will lose it all. Now, you can restart and copy those files to the CDROM.

3.
Doublespace/Drivespace. Assign you CDROM a different letter and create a Compressed drive using Z as the drive letter. Since this will respond like a physical hard drive, most programs will install to it. If you have limited memory, you can make a much larger drive than with RAMDISK. It is a little more complicated to set up. If you have only FAT32 drives, you could only set it up on a RAMDISK. While you can store a compressed file on a fat 32 partition, you can only open it and use it if it is on a FAT16, or less, partition. Once you have the program installed and working, you can write them to the CDROM.

I prefer to use a letter down from the end, such as R for Ramdrive or V for Virtual Drive. I origionally used Z. But then I added a second CDROM and had the letter shift. I already had a ZIP drive assigned as Y, the highest it would go in DOS. So I ended up with W and Z for my CDROM's. Since then I have stuck with W so I have the room for expansion.

If you need more specifics, let me know and I will try to put up a step-by-step.
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[AlaricD]

Originally posted by qz9090
To get CDROM support in DOS is fine for reading, but what about writing to the disk?

There aren't that many tools for writing CD's in DOS, and those tools that exist support only a small number of CD-R drives.

Norton Ghost can write to some CD-R drives in DOS mode, however, Ghost images are not exactly usable when not being restored from.

You might try GoldenHawk's DOS software, downloadable here, however, it would be much easier just creating a new .PIF for the software that allows restarting in DOS mode so that you can install the software and let it modify the CONFIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT specific to that .PIF.

Or, you can boot from a floppy, and install the software after backing up the original CONFIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT. You could even make a simple batch file that would switch those startup files around.

It occurs to me you're making this much more complicated than it has to be, perhaps through your lack of understanding of the many workarounds and compatibility options are available to you in Windows, or the power of a standard DOS boot disk.

[Eeyore]

In the methods I described, once you have the program operational at DOS, you can fire up Windows to write the files to the CD. You wouldn't be running the program while you write the CD. So you can handle the files in Windows.

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