Slowing down DOS games in Windows XP Pro?

[-N-]

Apparently DOS games are based on processor speed or something. DOS games run fine on my old 486 computer, but on my P2-333 and my P4M-1.8 they go by SUPER fast! I can't even play right! In addition, with my XP Pro computer there's no way for me to go solely into MS-DOS mode. Is there anyway to slow the games down somehow?

edit:

Emulators such as Nesticle and ZSNESW run fine. It's DOS-based games such as One Must Fall and the such that have the aformentioned problem.

[ZeZipster]

Yeah, in zsnes you can adjust the frame rate. As for DOS games, either look for some thing in-game or check around on DOS game websites. I've got nothing that can help you. Their has to be some thing, I'm sure your problem isn't uncommon.

[Citizen Bleys]

You have to use MoSlo or some such utility, which are notorious for not working worth crap.

If you really want to play DOS games, it's probably best to actually go out and buy a used 486 and install DOS 6.11 on it.

EDIT: As opposed to those brand spanking new 486 machines that are being pumped out of the factories every day. *smacks self in the head with a hammer*

[Dr Unne]

There are programs that try to artificially slow your processor down enough for DOS games to play. One is called moslo I think. Generally they don't work very well. It's hard to slow down something enough that's a couple hundred or thousand times faster than the original programmers of the game expected. Even if the slowing program works, chances are your sound or video card isn't going to work quite right in an old DOS game. Programmers made assumptions about where in memory your hardware lived and such, and often it doesn't live in the same place as it used to. XP doesn't support DOS very well anyways. It has some crappy DOS emulation that it uses instead of real DOS. You'd almost have to have Windows 98 or earlier to play a DOS game well I'd say.

Best advice is to use an old computer. Or buy one if you don't have one. You can get a 486 for less than $100 in various places. EBay for example.

EDIT yeah Bleys posted while I was etc.

[Yamaneko]

Yeah, getting an old computer with a 20mhz CPU is your best bet. My dad's work throws that stuff away. You can find easily, fifty 486's in the dumpster.

[Citizen Bleys]

Unne thinks what I tell him to think.

[-N-]

Yeah, I tried using CPUKiller, but the sound card I have didn't gel very well with what was going on. In addition, the game still crashes at random intervals. I do have an old 486 at home, but it's going to be scrapped pretty soon and I was hoping there would be some way to keep the game going on my P4M-1.8 laptop as I took it to college.

On a second thought, since Unne said XP doesn't support DOS very well, what about a dual platform? Could I install Linux or UNIX or hell, even DOS on here and try and work a dual-platform thingy? (Note: I don't know much about how to get dual-platform computers up and running; I only know they exist.)

[Dr Unne]

Linux DOS emulation is as bad as Windows DOS emulation, if not worse. It'd be pointless. I used to play DOS games a ton, but the only time it ever really worked right was on an old 486, 10 years ago. It's just gotten worse and worse as computers have gotten faster and faster. I've given up most of my games as unplayable at this point. until I buy an old 486 or something. I wouldn't even bother wasting the time trying to get an old DOS game to work on a new computer if I were you.

[Citizen Bleys]

Originally posted by Dr Unne
until I buy an old 486 or something.

Buy a new 486 instead. I hear Dell's coming out with an awesome new 486 line next month.

[-N-]

Didn't you already use that joke, Bleys?

Thanks for the scoop, Unne - unfortunately a glum scoop, but a scoop nonetheless.

[Citizen Bleys]

Originally posted by princeofdarknez
Didn't you already use that joke, Bleys?

Silence mortal /Wyll

[Yamaneko]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/

You may want to try that out.

[Endless]

http://www.flashback-aw.net/utilities.php might have something that will work for you.

[PhoenixAsh]

*shudders at the thought of using a program called CPUKiller*

Weren't there Windows or old console updates of DOS games when they started to fade? I actually have no idea it just seems like there should be.

[Spatvark]

*huggles his Abandon Loader*