how to get CSTAL DOS running under windows XP

[mclane]

i get the zaratustra music running, but then the screen is black.

which utility can help ?
how to configure it ?

wanted to play a little with the CSTal styles ...

[Werner]

Hm,
just started an old installation from extern HD under Windows XP 32 bit.
No problems - it works here.
I am sure, on the 64bit Windows I would have problems.

I remember some grafical problems with CS TAL and ati cards. But I have an ati card here....
But I think it was chesstal I. I started with chessexe /no_titles and I used
M64vbe.com and configered the card.

[LaurenceChen]

You can use this program to run any DOS program in Windows XP. It is called DOSBOX. You can download it from this URL: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/download.php?main=1

[mclane]

M64vbe.com
?
whats this ?

my Laptop has an S3 graphics adapter.
ok - whatever. i will try to download the dosbox.
i am not using xp64, i am using the normal 32 bit XP.


ok - tried out this DOSBOX program. seems to work. thank you.

ok - it runs but it is FAR too slow now. it says it is doing only 515 NPS on my AMD 2400 system ...

uff...

so i will have to find a way to get it run under windows dos.promt via configuration.

[Werner]

Hi Thorsten,
is it really the old CSTAL I you want to run?
I see here that the program dos4gw is started...

Perhaps a dos bootdisk will help if you have FAT32

[mclane]

my laptop has no DISC drive.


as i said: it runs good in the DOSbox emulation. but way too slow.

my HDD IS fat32.

so it is IMO not a FAT32 issue.

it must have to do with the graphics, old CSTAL switched into VESA.
maybe this is not supported by the S3 graphic driver of my laptop.

[Robert Weck]

Hi Thorsten,

my laptop has no DISC drive.


as i said: it runs good in the DOSbox emulation. but way too slow.

my HDD IS fat32.

so it is IMO not a FAT32 issue.

it must have to do with the graphics, old CSTAL switched into VESA.
maybe this is not supported by the S3 graphic driver of my laptop.

In general, DOSBox is a utility, to run old DOS programs, for which new PC's are too fast in an old-fashioned environment; so you could try to experiment with the parameter "CPUcycles" in "dosbox.conf.

I am not sure, how high you can set CPUCycles, but i know, that setting it to 10000 is about a 486/33.


best regards,
Robert

[mclane]

i tried some changes.

i exchanged DOS4GW with a later one, set frames up to 10.
and and and. i got 1000-1200.

but this is slow.
its an emulation of course, thats the reason.

to give you a relation, on a win98 machine i would say you should get at least
twice much positions the WINDOWS version of CSTAL2.03 gets, that is 45.000 NPS the same machine.
so 70.000 to 80.000 NPS for the DOS version should be possible.
but .... xp cannot do it due to compatibility stuff.

[Werner]

my laptop has no DISC drive.


boot dos from memory stick

[mclane]

depends if the BIOS can boot from USB...

uff.

i think i try with a CD that is bootable...

the most easiest way of course would be to have CSTAL 1 and 2.03 as UCI engine.