DOSBox Tips

Common DOSBox Problems

NOTE: Please see the DOSBox Manual for more troubleshooting help.

Game Start Problems

• The Game Cannot Write to Files:
  If you have problems with launching the game, unrecognizable errors being spit out, saving settings, or having the game drop out while running it, one thing to try is to make sure all the files are not set to Read Only. In Windows, select the folder of the game, right click and hit properties, uncheck Read Only if it is checked, and apply to all subfolders.

• The Game Cannot Find Files or Resources:'
  When your game can't start because it can't find a file or game resource, be sure that you have all of the necessary folders and drives mounted.
  
  Also, DOSBox might not be seeing the same paths as Windows. Try installing the game form DOSBox.

Keyboard Problems

• If You Can't Enter a Back Slash (\):
  

If you have a German, Spanish, or other non-English keyboard, and the back slash (\) doesn't work in DOSBox, simply use the / instead. Or, you can go to the Windows Control Panel->Regional & Language Options->Language Tab and set the Keyboard to United States International .

Mounting CD-ROM Errors

• Wrong Disc Errors:
  If when mounting a CD-ROM drive with -t cdrom, you get an error message of wrong disk in drive, the game might be checking for the right CD. To fix this try:
  

• Mount your CD-ROM, using the -ioctl switch.
  
  or
  
  

• From a real command prompt, type C:> vol X to check the label (the name) of the CD. In DOSBox, mount it using the extra -label cd-name option.
  
• Disc Reading Problems:
  If your CD-ROM drive seems to be working erratically, it may be that the game was designed for older, slower CD-ROMs. Symptoms may be that the disc speeds up and down repeatedly. Try making an image of your CD disc (.iso) and mounting the image as a virtual CD-ROM drive in DOSBox with imgmount.
  

For other errors, see the DOSBox forums on VOGONS. Be sure to do a search of the forums first before posting a question there.

Misc Problems:

Drag and drop doesn't work

If you have trouble mounting a folder as the DOSBox C: drive when you drag and drop a folder or executable onto Dosbox.exe (it just opens DOSBox with the Z: drive, instead of emulating the C: drive with the dropped directory,) create a shortcut to dosbox.exe and change the properties to:

      "C:\Program Files\DOSBox\dosbox.exe" -mount c %1

Then when you drag a folder onto it it will open it as drive C. Note that this bypasses any dosbox.conf you may have set, using instead default values, unless you also add:

      -conf "C:\Program Files\dosbox.conf"

Also See

• Main DOSBox Page