Hi ya', Fongo......Well, we have a lot in common then. When you are able or get around to upgrading to a new system, hang on to that little soldier! LOL

Love, Witchen =O)

Two weeks ago I too bought a Dell Optiplex GXPro 200 after reading the OldSkool article. Ebay, $70 + $20 shipping across the US. However, I knew it came with no OS (meaning nothing on the HD); not a "power-on, load up the games!" solution.

Scout: I loaded WIN98 & spent days gathering/installing comp-specific video, SB16 and cd drivers from the internet. Still uncertain about configuring my first onboard, and first true-blue SB for DOS games...I'm used to PCI & "emulation." Did WIN95 automatically detect & load drivers? Perhaps I made a mountain out of a mole hill

I'm still running Win95b (PII 300, so I'm not that far removed from "OldSkool" <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" /> ) and when I've loaded new video/sound cards it will detect it and load generic Windoze drivers. If I want to load the drivers that accompanied the card, then I install those from the included CD or disk.

Hi Yapette,

Not sure about WIN 98 but all I did was boot to the CDROM drive with a floppy, insert the WIN 95 CDROM and hit setup. WIN 95 seemed to have all the drivers the Optiplex needed. I did download CTMOUSE, a nifty small footprint mouse driver into my root directory but that was it. I never had to fool with sound or video drivers at all. Everything I needed seemed to already be in the OS. Maybe it's different with WIN98 or maybe there is something I didn't do and don't know about yet. THAT happens alot!! Is it running now? Have you played any games on it yet?

Toger: When Dell's site described comp-specific drivers included on a CD/pre-installed on the HD (which of course I didn't have), I HAD to find & load 'em. Yes, windows detected hardware & loaded drivers but as I recall, didn't insert lines in autoexec/config for loading in DOS. I was searching for "install.exe"-ables that would automatically do that for me (less chance for error...mine )

Ooops, Scout posted while I was writing.
Hmmm, let's see...mind you, I haven't played all these games yet, the fun was getting 'em loaded.

Freddy Pharkas: couldn't get speech in DOS, reinstalled windows version, worked fine initially, then Freddy began zooming across the screen even w/ Turbo.
Orion Conspiracy: DOS, had fits getting enough memory for speech, finally OK.
TimeQuest: Gave me fits in DOS. Music OK but game wouldn't recognize SB for sound effects so they played on the PC speaker.
Lure of the Temptress: Perfect in DOS.
Buried In Time: OK, but it's windows.
Gateway: Perfect in DOS, but don't know about sound effects yet.

Worst bug-a-boo so far: windows refuses to let me use Start/Shutdown to MS-DOS...locks every time. Finally made a desktop icon of command.com (which meant I had to add lines in icon's autoexec/config for mem/sound/cd .

P.S. I also use ctmouse when I need more mem in DOS.

Wow, I'd be very interested in getting a hold of an older machine like the Dell OptiPlex with Win95b on it. My current machine is a 350MHz with Win98. Works for a lot of games but certainly not all. I also plan on getting a modern machine shortly as well. Jeez, where to put all these machines?

If you want my advice (and I'll give it anyway), dont bother with an old comp.
I built one, not long ago, cost me about £80 to get all the bits. (pissed me right off because it was still better than my first PC and that cost me over £2500)
Anyway, the nightmare began when I tried to get dos video,soundcard and CD drivers, what you will find is that you can get the hardware but getting the original dos software is impossible. Nowadays you have to make do with generic stuff.
Thats the other problem, once you get it up and running with all the generic drivers you will find that no matter how good you are at cramming all the stuff into high memory (if I've lost you there really forget about it) the programs are just to big and most stuff will not run without 590-600kb of high memory.
Then theres problems with EMS/XMS the reconfiguring you need to do to make each game work is phenomenal. Trust me one this, upgrade your OS to Windows XP, download VDMS and most or your problems will be over.
I've just about had every old game I've got working with full sound in this enviroment.
If anyone needs any help just mail me, or post a message.

interesting, Arch.......and what exactly is VDMS?? I don't have a computer with XP yet - but am considering either getting an old one to play my old games on or a new one with XP. I don't know which way to go yet........but you've got me thinking!

Check out this link for info and download on VDMS, its great, but only works on XP,2000 or NT.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/vdmsound/

Running an emulator is certainly an option here (though the price tag is higher than the second hand PCs on offer.) An emulator means you don't have another box sitting around which may wear out.

Connectix offer their Virtual PC emulator both on Macs and PCs.

Regards, Peter.

If anyone is going to get a market up and going get me a 200 or 300 MGHz with W95! Would want to know that whomever is selling these older computers has refurbished them. I wish Dell would do something like this.

Love IT!!!!!!!!!!

But.....all about have great questions.that would mean that I would have to have 2 computers...would it work on a high spped data line? Or would I have to go back to phone line again..BAH Hum Bug ! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />
Hanksdog

Hi hanksdog - that's what everyone is talking about - getting a second older computer so you can play the old games without jumping through all the hoops that the new, faster, supposed better computers make you do.

I have an old 133 and do not use it for internet access - it's only for playing old games.

That's what i want to get, Syd....something like what you have. Or the 166 like Witchen has. Wish I knew of someone trying to get rid of an oldie..... why oh why didn't i keep my old 75 mhz?? It would have been great for all those old DOS games i have. Why was I always in such a hurry to get what's newer and faster? bad move......

Hi all,
I was lucky enough to get a Dell Optiplex GX Pro 200 used from ebay for about $50.00 plus shipping. It came with a boot-up disk, and I loaded it with Win95. It works great! I do not have it hooked up to the internet-it's only for playing old games, but the people I got it from say it's perfectly able to do that. The old games work great on it, ones that wouldn't work on my newer system with my upgraded vid and sound cards. When I had problems setting it up, cause I'd never done anything like this before, I called them and they helped me over the phone and gave me great assistance. I think they were from Louisiana, and were selling many other units. I'm really happy with it, and can reccommend them highly.
Andrea
Currently playing Tex Murphy UAKM