Hey i am creating a custom DOS os based off DOS 7.10 for playing old DOS games.
This isnt any old boot usb stick though its a whole new os like experience with a driven menu system and the ability to take the os from computer to computer for the ability to portability play the games.

The games work like this there are 8 game slots for installing games into and to install a game you download it off of a website and use a program on the usb stick to install the game into the slot.

I already have a beta of it its more of a proof of concept at this stage.

If anyone is interested in helping me develop this or help beta test this let me know.

I'll be uploading the beta soon i am at this moment doing some touch ups before i upload it.

If interested in beta testing post the following:
RAM:
Brand of USB memory stick:
Any specific games youd like to see in Retroplay format:
Do you have an internal pc speaker in your pc(does your pc go beep when you turn it on):

All suggestions and questions welcome.

Sure, i am interested to help you by testing it on my computers.
I'll let you know when i found some problems.

Please upload it somewhere
Are on this image some drivers included like mouse, Cd and tools like a NTFS reader too?

New beta version has been added this is beta version 1
Download here http://zachinator.deceifermedia.com/retroplaybeta.zip

Usage instructions:
Use the usbinst.bat to install Retroplay to a usb storage device
then boot the USB storage device and use the menu driven system to play games

When i release game disks they will be installed using the Game Disk Manager program in the games directory

At the moment the only sound is PC speaker sound because I dont think its possible to have universal soundblaster sound from PC to PC

Umm. Did you created it with a program?
Well everything works (i think so) until i want to Play the Music by pressing M. I read just something that it doesn't have enough memory anymore to launch i think.

And when i press 1 or 2 a terrible loop is incoming and CTRL + C doesn't work -> Restart

And even on a USB device, it didn't booted up (maybe it's me). I copied the stuffs to my SD Card (oops).
Last thing: I was shocked when i read the first time that it's going to format it. No warnings, no notes .. <.<

Well, idk.

Sounds like you didn't use the usbinst.bat theres plenty of warning in there.
The memory error is odd iv used this on 2 computers and haven't had that problem.

and how did you run this if your usb didn't boot? did you try setting the settings for boot in your motherboards bios? What brand of usb stick is it and how much memory is in your computer

Allright, sorry i didn't noticed it. I just executed it and checked why nothing happends, so i changed it. >.<
With my SD Card. I tried to boot it via Boot options on my Bios but it doesn't work. Only on my crappy 128 MB SD Card, it worked. ...? I typed that i used a SD Card, ... -.- lol nevermind XD
It's a MEGA STICK 511 (512 MB Mp3 Player) and i was able to make a bootable MS-DOS 6.22 on it.

Anyway, when i press 1 or 2, what will happen? Will it start a game or it's nothing yet?

Added: New usbinst.bat (Use command.com/cmd.com or make a shortcut of it and add F: after .bat (example))
I can also write for you a program that runs on every Windows/MS-DOS version and better than a Batch file. Why? Some things like echo on WinVista got more features than on Win98 T.T

Code:

@echo off
cls
if "%1"=="" goto oops
set /p usbdrive=%1
cls
echo Your storage device will be !FORMATED! (deleted) if you install Retroplay USB
echo Press Enter/Return to Continue OR Press CTRL + C to cancel.
pause
echo.
echo Are you sure?
pause
cls
retroplay1.exe %1 -FS:FAT -V:RetplayUSB -Q -B:rettemp -S:rettemp /y
pause
cls
goto end

:oops
echo Please execute like: usbinst.bat F:
pause

:end

Ok when you press the 1 or 2 at the menu and it doesn't do anything i'm guessing my getdrive.bat is failing to get the drive letter of your usb drive

Ok heres a new config.sys file i had the lastdrive = z when it should be m

SD Card* and it's A:\ (of course) when im booting up. ^^ [new config.sys doesn't fix the problem]

if its A:\ then it should be working, in the command prompt ) type set and there should be an environment variable USB = a

I got it why it doesn't work here! Path=A:\ not X:
Game 2 and 3 still doesnt work. Game 1 is Duke Nukem 1 and Game 4 is Wolfenstein 3D.
Add on Getdrive.bat the Path too when you didn't.

I will take a look later again, now i have to sleep >.< 6:33 am in the morning

Ok i have fixed it and I have added another way for installing games.
the new way of installing games is by putting the gdsku or gds file into a game slot and then Retroplay automatically installs the game into the slot.

I have also removed the ram drive x: so now i have freed up 10mb of memory.

Games 2 and 3 are Doom and Duke Nukem 3d which both use protected mode so im guessing that the emm386 for some reason isnt working for you

http://zachinator.deceifermedia.com/retroplaybeta.zip

I have also uploaded some game disks so now beta testers have more games to play
http://zachinator.deceifermedia.com/gamedisk

3 files are infected. 1 2 3 and probably more...

Ok i must have a virus on my PC i don't know about time to virus scan and hope for the best.

Ok i have fixed it no more viruses/false positives

download here http://zachinator.deceifermedia.com/retroplaybeta.zip

Doesn't fix the problem. not enough memory.
When i type "mem", i see only 630 KB free (or less).

Hm, this has to do with Emm386 not working for you, not sure why its not working for you.

I have made a new autoexec.bat and config.sys file

config.sys


autoexec.bat


If you get any error messages after you apply these two files let me know and i may be able to figure out why its not working for you

Ok i have decided to release a public preview of Retroplay

I have gotten to a pretty good point in development and thought i would release a public preview.

The code in this preview is pretty stable but not 100% compatible with some other computers.
this preview contains some new nifty features since the first beta

The preview can be downloaded here http://zachinator.deceifermedia.com/preview1.02.zip
Games can be download here all games are shareware/demo/freeware www.retroplay.cjb.net

If you encounter any problems or miscompatibilities please report them.

I encourage everyone to try Duke Nukem 3d slot 1 and Doom slot 2 to see if they are compatible with running on your computer.

Also if you get any errors from any of the games etc. please report them.

Enjoy using Retroplay public preview 1.02.

To install games just put a downloaded game file into one of the numbered folders in the games folder.

To install Retroplay preview run the RetroplayInstaller.exe
The installer program requires .NET framework 2.0 or later to be installed on your PC

if all goes well I expect a 1.00 to be out by November

if you download this and try Duke Nukem 3D and Doom and they work or don't work on your PC please report

I have no idea how to add support for a majority of sound cards if anyone has any ideas.
I have found out that universal sound support in dos is impossible so i have decided to add sound for some of the more popular cards.

If anyone has any ideas let me know having proper sound in Retroplay is a very important feature and right now it only has internal speaker support.

I have made a trailer for Retroplay and put it on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbiso0BBXys

try this generic SB audio enabler:
http://www.multimediaware.com/qv/sbdetect.zip

or this collection of SB tools:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/f2dzgdtto1z/SBTOOLS.zip

also, where did you get that chrono trigger music?

Sounds like OCRemix or Chrono Symphonic maybe.

Yes it is OCRemix
Chrono Trigger is my favorite RPG of all time

Also does anyone know where I can get the Dosdrivers for the Creative Audigy sound card

at the bottom, there is a driver for audigy1 and a patch to make it work for audigy2:
http://www.freewebtown.com/mpxplay/

other DOS SB drivers:
http://easymamecab.mameworld.info/html/snddosdr.htm
http://easymamecab.mameworld.info/html/sndhelp.htm

that audigy driver i downloaded it and it detects my Audigy card but when I try to use the sbego Diagnostics utility or play games they don't detect the emulated Sound Blaster 16