This article is intended assist those who are trying to use DOSBox to install and run Silent Hunter in a Windows Vista environment. It details my experience with the procedure on the specific computer platform described below. If you use this procedure, please post your comments and questions on our Silent Hunter Forum, and let us know about any tweaks you made in the DOSBox's configuration settings.
The following is quoted from the official DOSBox Web site:
DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that uses the SDL-library which makes DOSBox very easy to port to different platforms. DOSBox has already been ported to many different platforms, such as Windows, BeOS, Linux, MacOS X.
DOSBox also emulates CPU:286/386 realmode/protected mode, Directory File System/XMS/EMS, Tandy/Hercules/CGA/EGA/VGA/VESA graphics, a SoundBlaster/Gravis Ultra Sound card for excellent sound compatibility with older games.
You can "re-live" the good old days with the help of DOSBox, it can run plenty of the old classics that don't run on your new computer!
DOSBox is totally free of charge and OpenSource.
Check our "Downloads" section for the most recent DOSBox version.
At the outset, I want to extend my thanks to the DOSBox project crew for creating this great DOS-emulator. You guys are great! I encourage anyone who uses the software to support this project by making a contribution.
I used DOSBox to install and successfully run Silent Hunter Commander's Edition on a Dell Dimension 9200, configured as follows: 2.66 GHz Pentium Dual Core E6700 processor, 1033 MHz FSB, 4 GB RAM, 160 GB 7500 RPM SATA hard disk, Sony SATA 52X DVD ROM, ATI Radeon X1300 PCI-Express 16 video card with 256 MB RAM, on board proprietary high definition sound device, a Dell 2007WFP Digital Monitor, and Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit.
The first thing you will need to do is download DOSBox here. It will install smoothly in Windows Vista.
Next, you need to do a "Maximum" install of Silent Hunter to your hard drive. Under the Accessories group in the Programs Menu, there is a Command Prompt shortcut. Click that and the command console will open.
Next, at the Command Prompt (DOS prompt) use the "Make Directory" command, i.e., "md" to create the sub-directory "C:\GAMES" (md GAMES). This assumes drive "c:" is the target drive for the game installation. Failure to create this sub-directory will cause a failure later during the installation process. The install program is brain-damaged and will not create any sub-directory except for the destination directory off the root of the install drive or a pre-existing sub-directory on that drive.
Place your Silent Hunter CD-ROM in the CD drive, and at the command prompt change the current drive to that of the CD drive. Then type the following at the command-line prompt:
Install x:
(where 'x:' represents the target drive for the installation)
The following installation screen will appear. Select the "Maximum Install" option.
The next screen should look similar to the following:
You may see "No" under the Satisfied Column for Extended Memory and / or Expanded Memory. Ignore it.
Click the "Continue" button and you will then see the screen below. Enter the target 'Hard Drive' (on this screen example I have chosen "C:") and make the "Directory" setting the same as show below. Click the "Start" button and the installation process will begin.
When the installation of the program and data files from the CD-ROM is complete the following screen will be displayed. Click the "OK" button to continue the installation and configuration process.
Next, click "NO" to skip the Readme file.
Next, the installation process continues with the configuration of the sound card. Choose the "No Digital Audio" option, and then the "Done" option to exit. We will take care of the sound card later.
The Silent Hunter installation process is completed when the following screen is displayed.
Get back to the "C:\>" prompt so we can eliminate the need for the game CD-ROM to be in the CD drive. First, create a sub-directory named "\BUD" in the "\GAMES\SILENT" sub-directory on your Windows Vista hard drive. From our above example, in the "C:\GAMES\SILENT" location we now have "C:\GAMES\SILENT\BUD". Second, copy all of the "*.SMK" files in the "\SH\BUD" sub-directory from the game CD-ROM to the "C:\GAMES\SILENT\BUD" sub-directory. Third, with NOTEPAD edit the file "ShPath.ini" located in the "C:\GAMES\SILENT" sub-directory to look identical to this:
BUD =BUD\
DATA =DATA\
ART =ART\
SFX =SFX\
SPEECH =SPEECH\
CINES =CINES\
SCEN =SCEN\
SAVE =SAVE\
Don't forget to save the changes.
Now let's deal with the sound card. Create and edit the Silent Hunter sound configuration files "Dig.Ini" and "Mdi.Ini" in the "C:\GAMES\SILENT" sub-directory by using NOTEPAD to configure both files so they look like this:
Dig.ini file contents:
;
;Miles Design Audio Interface Library V3.03 of 18-Jun-95
;
DEVICE Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32
DRIVER SB16.DIG
IO_ADDR 220h
IRQ 7
DMA_8_BIT 1
DMA_16_BIT 5
Mdi.ini file contents:
;
;Miles Design Audio Interface Library V3.03 of 18-Jun-95
;
DEVICE Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32
DRIVER SB16.MDI
IO_ADDR 220h
IRQ 7
DMA_8_BIT 1
DMA_16_BIT 5
Make sure you use NOTEPAD or other text editor to do this, and remember to place them in the "C:\GAMES\SILENT" sub-directory.
Now close out your DOS session (type Exit).
Look for the DOSBox program group in the Vista Programs Menu, and select "dosbox.conf". This is DOSBox's configuration settings file. Look for the entry near the beginning of the file (but after the entries beginning with "#") that reads "fullscreen=false". Edit this so it reads "fullscreen=true". Save the file.
Start DOSBox. At the Command Prompt (Z Prompt) type "MOUNT X X:\GAMES\SILENT" (where X is the drive letter where you installed Silent Hunter). So, if you installed it to "C:\GAMES\SILENT", at the Z Prompt you would type "MOUNT C C:\GAMES\SILENT". Note that there is a space between MOUNT and C, and between C and C:\GAMES\SILENT. Then at the Z Prompt type X: (where X is the drive letter where you installed Silent Hunter). Then at the X: prompt type "SH.EXE". If all goes well you should see Silent Hunter starting.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, if you have any questions about this procedure, please post them on our Silent Hunter Forum.
Update: Posted June 1, 2007
Hawk's PZ Pick utility won't work with Windows Vista, but Kim's all purpose tool will. The New Maru patch does work, and you can configure it to run in a batch startup file. For those of you using DOSBox with Windows Vista, you can configure DOSBox's desktop shortcut to automatically mount your drive, and then change the drive letter from "Z:" to "X:" (where X is the drive you need to mount). Then all you need to do is run the batch file from the X: prompt.
As a go-by, I have Silent Hunter installed on drive V. I changed DOSBox's desktop shortcut to read as follows:
"V:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.70\dosbox.exe" -conf "V:\Program Files\DOSBox-0.70\dosbox.conf" -c "mount v v:\games\silent" -c "v:"
Note: The quotes are needed!
With this, DOSBox will start, mount the Silent Hunter installation drive, and change the "Z:" prompt to a "V:" prompt.
I created a batch file named "silent.bat" which looks like this:
@echo off
cls
cd data
newmaru.exe
cd..
sh.exe
Place the "silent.bat" file in your main Silent Hunter directory. As you can see from the above, "newmaru.exe" is installed in my Silent Hunter Data sub-directory.
At the V: prompt you would enter "silent" to automatically run "newmaru.exe" and then start Silent Hunter.
