Trying to build my own game system

opadave2000 · Post by **opadave2000** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:33 am

If you want to continue with the sandisk idea - www.idot.com has a compact flash to ide adapter board that will boot because the mobo sees it as an ide drive. Format the CF as a bootable drive, install an OS to it, copy/install your game, set up your autoexec.bat file or menu or whatever, reboot and you should be going.
FWIW, OPD2k

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:10 pm

I am trying this now, but will post the process I am currently using. I spent a good while in a college class going over MS-DOS and other types of boot disks, so this should be fun. ^^

If I were you and wanted to make the disk MINIMAL size for more stuff, do this. Also, it won't necessarily work with a Win2000/XP system formatted MS-DOS system disk. For those of you who are using those systems, which don't REALLY make a DOS disk, get a bootdisk from http://www.bootdisk.com, preferably DOS 6.22, WIN 95, 98, or ME.

In WinXP, go to Tools, Folder Options, View, and click Show Hidden Files and Folders. (THIS MUST be selected to confirm which files you need are there)

For a DOS bot disk, you only need 3 files. These files are IO.SYS, COMMAND.COM, and MSDOS.SYS. Usually IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS are hidden files, but in some newer systems, all 3 are hidden.

In some disks, you may already have an AUTOEXEC.BAT to edit (hidden in some operating systems) If not, simply make one. No biggie.

Delete anything other than these 4 programs if you are making the disk exclusively in Windows(if you are actually editing the AUTOEXEC file from the DOS disk and copying the ROM with the boot disk's software, I recommend keeping the external command files EDIT and XCOPY should they be on the disk).

Load your software to the disk.

Edit AUTOEXEC as shown earlier to automaticly load the file you want loaded, which is usually a .COM or .EXE file.

It is created.

Note: many Windows operating systems cram the disk with extra crap if you simply format it with MS-DOS system files as shown earlier. To get a disk with only the 3 main files of COMMAND.COM, IO.SYS, and MSDOS.SYS, and if you are using 95/98/ME, then go into the MS-DOS Command Prompt, make sure the floppy is in, and type the command "SYS A:", if I remember correctly. This loads ONLY the 3 main files.

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:22 pm

Unidentified Assilant wrote:ContraPC ended in a Disk I/O Error when I booted up my PC, but I know where the problem is, and I'll fix it, I'm remaking the Famicom Disk System! In fact, I'm even getting round to making some NES Controllers for my PC, hopefully they will work under DOS, does Real-Time DOS work with USB Gamepads? If not I'll have to use a 16-Pin

EDIT: Heres a major snag, 50KB left on one disk, I can't fit any NES games onto that...

You may be able to fit in an early NES game.

Try ones with a file configuration of 16Kx16K (32K) or 32Kx16K (48K).

dashthehero · Post by **dashthehero** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:31 pm

^Like that. I have the program, ddug.com, and it's entered in the autoexec.bat file. (autoexec.bat CAN'T be named autoexec.exe)

i did put AUTOEXEC.BAT i just accidentally typed AUTOEXEC.EXE when i was typing the reply. oops!

dashthehero · Post by **dashthehero** » Tue May 31, 2005 12:39 pm

If you want to continue with the sandisk idea - www.idot.com has a compact flash to ide adapter board that will boot because the mobo sees it as an ide drive. Format the CF as a bootable drive, install an OS to it, copy/install your game, set up your autoexec.bat file or menu or whatever, reboot and you should be going.
FWIW, OPD2k

cant find it. looked everwhere.

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Tue May 31, 2005 1:38 pm

I can't get LoopyNES to work. where did you download it and what other files were on the disk with it? I think I might have a corrupt download, because it fails, no matter what. even if I leave most of the other things on the disk.

Post by **bicostp** » Tue May 31, 2005 1:43 pm

www.zophar.net has a lot of emulators. Try them.

@ whoever said they have 50k left: SMB is 40k, Pinball is about that, Balloon Fight is something like 40-45 ish.

dashthehero · Post by **dashthehero** » Tue May 31, 2005 5:58 pm

^Like that. I have the program, ddug.com, and it's entered in the autoexec.bat file. (autoexec.bat CAN'T be named autoexec.exe)

i did put AUTOEXEC.BAT i just accidentally typed AUTOEXEC.EXE when i was typing the reply. oops!

Quote:
If you want to continue with the sandisk idea - www.idot.com has a compact flash to ide adapter board that will boot because the mobo sees it as an ide drive. Format the CF as a bootable drive, install an OS to it, copy/install your game, set up your autoexec.bat file or menu or whatever, reboot and you should be going.
FWIW, OPD2k

cant find it. looked everwhere.

what about those questions?

Unidentified Assilant · Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:16 am

Ok, I'm still making ContraPC, I did manage to get it on, but my PC still won't accept it (maybe I need a DOS 5.0 Boot Disk, since a 6.22 didn't work, don't know why)

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:00 pm

I simply can not get Loopy NES to work from the floppy. the Beta will load, but unless Loopy is on the hard drive, it won't access the rom files on the disk with it, or even ones on the hard drive. That is even when I am running it within an OS. It works when on the hard drive though...

I'm looking for an NES emu that will work, but haven't find one. NESticle won't work either. even with the dos4gw.exe file, all I see is a bar on the screen.

I got MegaMan 1 for PC to work though, and I also now have an Atari 2600 boot disk with 31 games, 498 KB total! ^^ Now I can play that at least! ^^

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:35 pm

Hmmm... XGameStation calls to mind?

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:31 pm

I just realized: If you want NES emu or most emus on floppy, they will have no sound drivers.

Also, since the NES is capable of 16 colors on screen, 32 total, the standard 16 color palette of the default DOS VGA display might not cut it for the NES.

I did, however, get the Atari emu to work. That one uses the PC's internal speaker for the sound, so it works out. ^^*

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:49 pm

Hey, MM007, think you could send me a zip of that Atari stuff? It'd be easier than me having to download everything, I'm in no rush for it, but whenever you have time.

MM007 · Post by **MM007** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:53 pm

Sure, just IM me when you log onto AIM, or PM me your e-mail.

Also, I haven't gotten all the games to work, but maybe I just haven't found all the buttons. a lot of them do though.

(Control is fire, directional buttons are the joystick)

Unidentified Assilant · Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:21 am

Put some files from a DOS 5.0 Boot Disk, Super Mario Brothers and LoopyNES, and its working

I have no sound, but thats not much of a problem, probably when I get to make my NES Machine, I'll have LoopyNES on the Hard Drive and the roms alone on Floppy Disk.