99% of the abandonware games on this site, which are free for download are from the MS-DOS era.
Most of todays computers are much and much faster and can't even run the games from the past by just a 'double click'. In order to get them to work you need a program which makes the game compatible for your computer.
There is actually one such application which can run almost all MS-DOS games and it is called DOSBox.
You can obtain the latest version from this site by clicking here.
After the download of the file just double click and follow the standard install procedure in Windows.
The program will probably put a DOSBox icon on your desktop. I suggest to just leave it there, because there is quite an easy way to start a game.
Now, you probably already downloaded a game from the site. Just unpack it to a folder. Check the content of the folder and spot a/the executable file.
Drag the executable file (.bat, .exe or .com) of a game onto the DOSBox icon on your desktop. DOSBox will be started and loads automatically the game.
In case you don't like big icons on your desktop, you can also drag the DOSBox icon onto the taskbar. (You can also drag games on that icon to start a game)
If you don't know how to spot an executable file in a game folder check the FAQ below.
- Q: How can I see what the executable file is in a directory?
- A: Files that can be run in DOSBox end on .exe, .bat or .com
If you don't see the file extensions in Windows do the following:
Windows 98/2000/XP: open My Computer. Go to Tools > Folder Options > View > Unmark "Hide extensions for known file types" and hit the OK button.
Windows Vista: Click Computer in the Start menu, press the right Alt-key. Go to Tools > Folder Options > View > Unmark "Hide extensions for known file types" and hit the OK button.
Windows 7: Open Control Panel > Folder Options > View > Unmark "Hide extensions for known file types" and hit the OK button. - Q: Help! The game is too slow/fast!
- A: You can slow down the game in DOSBox by presing ctrl-F11. Ctrl-F12 will speed it back up.
- Q: How do I play the game in full screen mode?
- A: Press Alt-Enter after DOSBox has loaded. To go back to windowed DOSBox press Alt-Enter again.
- Q: I don't hear any sound!
- A: It can be possible that you still have to run a setup file from a game in DOSBox to configure sound.
- Q: Is there any help in DOSBox itself?
- A: Of course there is. Just start DOSBox and it will show you a start screen with some tips.
There are some cases where a game does not work in the newest DOSBox version.
In that case, sometime they DO work in a previous version. Since the guys at DOSBox don't allow you to download previous versions, I have them available and can be downloaded below.