Posted on Mar 5, 2017
Setting up a 90s PC - Kids Today Have it Easy; RE:Collections | Nostalgia Nerd
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This brings back some memories. Buying a computer magazine and spending hours typing in the code for a game. Then running it and getting "Syntax Error line 585"! But my favorite was create boot disks with custom Autoexec.bat and Config.sys for each of my games. Get done, and find out that I forgot to load the "mouse.exe" driver or had the wrong IRQ for the sound card! SGT (Join to see) SN Greg Wright SrA Edward Vong
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Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 4
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The first game I installed on my brand new 386-33 with a 40Mb hard drive was probably Castle Wolfenstein 3D, the Wing Commanders followed. Me, the Autoexec.bat and config.sys were not on friendly terms. I had used DOS 5, DOS 5.5 and then DOS 6.0 before Windows 3.1 was installed.
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SSgt Mark Lines
Cpl (Join to see) I had a love-hate relationship with the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys. I loved to hate them. It was my use of multiple boot discs for each game I had me learn keyboard shortcuts really quick. Copy and paste became my friends.
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Cpl (Join to see)
SSgt Mark Lines I got sick of the multiple boot disks and learned how to make a menu driven autoexec.bat. A few ECHO's a few GOTO's and viola, no more multiple autoexec boot disks. You still had to reboot, but it was better than booting to a different floppy for each scenario.
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SSgt Mark Lines
Cpl (Join to see) You were and advanced user then! All kidding aside, I was teaching myself how to manipulate DOS. Sometimes by trial and error, and sometimes what I could glean from the sparse computer magazines at the local library. My dad and mom only let me have a computer because I got it free in exchange for some work I did for the neighbor. It was also a 386-33, but it only had a 20mb hdd. By the time I learned how to make a menu driven autoexec.bat, I was too stuck in my ways to change, and had built my first Pentium machine running Windows 95.
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Cpl (Join to see)
SSgt Mark Lines I bought my first PC when I reenlisted in 91. PC Magazine and Compute magazines as well as trial and error were the only ways to learn. Up until then, my only real experience was basic programming on an Apple 2E in the 80's.
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Haha oh man, I remember that. Typing in all those games. I even coded a golf game myself once, though whether you made a shot or not was based on RNG, not skill lol.
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SSgt Mark Lines
SN Greg Wright The bane of my existence was a Star Wars game. I spent hours typing it in, and several more hours "debugging" it. I thought it was good because I was able to play it for 10 minutes without an error. So stupid me, I threw my photocopies of the code away. The next day, I received another "syntax" error at the 12 minute mark! Sigh... I never did get to finish that game.
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I still BIOS, Time Zone, IP config, and a few others.
That walk-through was painful, though.
Can only imagine the pain for Linux during that time. Was probably equivalent to installing Gentoo today.
That walk-through was painful, though.
Can only imagine the pain for Linux during that time. Was probably equivalent to installing Gentoo today.
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SSgt Mark Lines
SGT (Join to see) I can only imagine. Linux was very painful to install in 2001, and that was with a semi-graphical install. My friend kept telling me how easy it was compared to when he got into Linux two years before.
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