IBM Aptiva
(25-0440/1/2/3/4/5)  Using Dos Games On The Aptiva    Faxback Doc. # 17617

Getting large dos games to work on the Aptiva is relatively simple.  The
simplest way is to boot up into PC DOS.  If you are in OS/2 there will be 
an icon on the desktop to Boot to DOS/Windows.  After double clicking the 
icon, the machine will reboot into Pc Dos and Windows. When you exit 
windows it takes you to a small menu screen.  Choose the option to go to a 
DOS prompt.  At this point simply change directories to the game and run 
the file that starts the program. 

One peculiarity about the system is during the installation of the games 
it will identify the 32 bit wave table sound card as a Sound Blaster PRO
2.0. (tested games were Tie Fighter and Doom II).  This is a multipurpose
card.  It is a sound card and speaker phone built into one and these games
don't quite know to ID them.  I tried manually telling the install programs
that I had a AWE32 sound card and got some very eradicate responses from
the programs.

During the install of the average DOS game it will give you the option of 
making a boot disk.  This doesn't work.  The boot disk will configure your
memory correctly, but it won't be able to find all the drivers for your 
sound card.  The game will work but there will be no sound.  The drivers 
for the wave table load in both the CONFIG.SYS and the AUTOEXEC.BAT and 
they all have to be loaded before the card will work.  The simple solution 
is to edit their AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to configure the memory.  The
command to edit a file on PC-Dos is:

E <filename> Enter

The commands to configure your memory are the same PC-DOC as they are in 
MS-Dos.  The only differences you may see are what directory the programs 
and drivers load from.

By default the system has 548k of conventional memory and no expanded 
memory.

Below is a modified AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS that give 614k of 
conventional memory and expanded memory.

Autoexec.bat
The indented lines have been remarked out from the default configuration.

@Copy C:\WINDOWS\WINDOS.COM C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM /Y
@ERASE C:\NOGUI.DAT > NULL
@ECHO OFF
PATH C:\WINDOWS;C:\DOS;C:\PS1TOOLS;C:\;C:\TCPDOS\BIN;C:\MWW\DLL;C:\MWD\MANAGER
SET COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
GOTO %config%
:APTIVA
REM RESUME is necessary for Rapid Resume to work properly.
C:\PS1TOOLS\RESUME
SET TMP=C:\DOS
SET WIN$=C:\WINDOWS
SET IBMAV=C:\DOS
LH C:\DOS\MOUSE
REM PS1PFILE allocates a save area necessary for the Rapid Resume function.
C:\PS1TOOLS\PS1PFILE.EXE
LH C:\DOS\DOSKEY
     rem C:\LAUNCHPD\KIDSTSR.COM
     rem CALL IICSTART
CALL C:\DOS\IBMAVDR.BAT C:\DOS\
CALL MWAVE START
REM HWCHECK checks your hardware for the System Information program in
REM Custom Tools.
C:\PS1TOOLS\HWCHECK
C:\PS1TOOLS\PS1START.BAT
:DOS
CALL MWAVE START

Config.sys
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /FASTA20
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE HIGHSCAN ram I=E000-F3FF X=F400-FEFF
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
     rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE ADV:MIN
LASTDRIVE=G
DOS=HIGH,UMB
BUFFERS=15,0
FILES=40
FCBS=4,0
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS /P /E:512
STACKS=9,256
DEVICEHIGH=C:\TCPDOS\BIN\DOSTCP.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\IBMIDECD.SYS /D:MSCD001
DEVICEHIGH=C:\MWAVE_C\VHDD0420.EXE

SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\MWW\DLL;C:\MWD\MANAGER
SET MWROOT=C:\MWD
SET LIBPATH=C:\MWD\MANAGER
SET MWPATH=C:\MWD\MANAGER;C:\MWD\MWGAMES
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1
SET ETC=C:\TCPDOS\ETC
INSTALLHIGH=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE 512 512 C+ /u
INSTALLHIGH=C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:15 /V /L:D
INSTALLHIGH=C:\MWD\MANAGER\DOSMGR.EXE SBPROQR.SCR /Q

[menu]
menuitem=APTIVA, Aptiva
menuitem=DOS, DOS
menucolor=15,1
menudefault=Aptiva,0

[APTIVA]

[DOS]


Be aware that with these AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS the Rapid Resume does 
not work nor does the Internet connection in the IBM Information
Superhighway group.

The rem on the DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE ADV:MIN line in the CONFIG.SYS 
is necessary for the Rapid Resume.

The rem on the  CALL IICSTART  line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT needs to be loaded 
in order to have the Internet access work properly.


(DD/tmc-11/08/95)

Privacy Policy