posted
A while ago, I used to play the game Tyrian a lot. Today I had a sudden urge to play it again, so I thought, "hm, I'll download it from the internet!"
Ehhhhhh. Wrong!
Turns out, computers have moved on into the realm of long dislocation from DOS games (it was only ten years ago, come on!) and Windows now creates something called a PIF file as a shortcut.
Here's what I've done:
I downloaded the zip file containing all the Tyrian files, and copy-pasted the unzipped files into another folder. Following the instructions, I tried to open what was originally setup.exe and is now setup.pif, a shortcut; however, a little box opens telling me:
quote: C:\(the folders)\SETUP.PIF Invalid program file name, please check your pif file. Choose "close" to terminate...etc
So. What can I do? How can I make this PIF file behave itself? Can I get around this by opening the setup file directly through DOS? If so, how do I get to a DOS prompt?
posted
You can get to a DOS shell by: 1. clicking on "Start" 2. Click on Run 3. Type in Command 4. Click Run
I don't know if that would be enough to support the program - if you absolutely gotta play, you might have to reboot your computer to a command prompt, but if you aren't familiar with DOS, navigating can be problematic.
posted
Right. I've managed to scrape back ten years to my DOS knowledge enough to be on the brink of running setup.exe, but I don't remember the command (if there is one) to run it.
posted
If you're using XP, the shell you see when you type "cmd" or "command" is not a DOS box. And you should just be able to double-click on the SETUP.EXE file, not the SETUP.PIF, and run the program. If it can be run at all.
If you right-click on the SETUP.EXE file and choose "Properties," you should get a dialog box that includes a "Compatibility" tab. Tell it you want to run in a DOS-compatible mode and hope.
Ah. Sorry. Missed the bit where you're on 2000. In that case, the process is the same but the chance of success is far, far lower; Win2000 is not particularly friendly to old DOS games.
posted
"And there is no setup.exe in my regular windows, only a setup.pif."
Ah. Are you displaying file extensions? If not, your SETUP.EXE file will appear as a "SETUP" file with an icon that resembles a white box with a blue border. (This is the most obvious possibility; if you can see the SETUP.EXE in a command window -- again, not DOS; it's not DOS, really -- but don't see it in an Explorer window, the culprit is probably a hidden file extension.)
The .PIF file is non-executable; it isn't what you run to run the program. You run the .EXE. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Windows 2000 doesn't support DOS programs in any appreciable way. Many work poorly, most don't work at all. With Windows XP, you have a much better chance of running DOS programs, but many still don't work properly. The .PIF extension has been used by windows since the days of Windows 3.1 (Probably earlier) as a way to start the .EXE in a way that allows windows to properly handle the memory.
What you WILL have to do is use a DOS emulator like DOSBox . Don't ask me to tell you how to run it, I never have. I just know of its existence. So the basic rule with DOS games now, either run WinME or less, or have a good DOS emulator. (Just so you know, the big problem with DOS and Windows since 2000 is the fact that DOS4GW doesn't always work in the DOS command shell anymore.)
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
I've found the root of the problem. I'm not sure what it means yet, or whether I am in a position to fix it, but thanks all the same!
.
EDIT: I can't fix it. I talked to my brother, who knows this stuff upside down, and he says a Dos emulator is a) complicated and b) probably won't run on my computer.
So I can't play anything DOS. Ever. Unless I get a better computer. Or until I go home to my 486 .
posted
BS. Your brother is full of crap. Download DOSBox and download D-Fend. D-Fend is a frontend for DOSBox that makes it easier to use. Just read through the manual and you'll be all set.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
.
