Launch CD ROM iso's

[ElectricBullet]

Using Daemon Tools lite, I extracted an iso file from CD ROM games for Windodws 95/98. However, I cannot find a way to mount and launch these games using LaunchBox. I found this tutorial, (https://www.hanselman.com/blog/HowToRunOldButAwesomeGamesFromThe90sOnYourNewComputerWithDOSBox.aspx), but I got lost half way and I believe they are using DOS games, compatible with DOSBox. My question is if we can get games for Windows 95/98 to work on LaunchBox. Thank you.

[Lordmonkus]

It is possible to mount disk images when required using a batch file. Before Mednafen supported Saturn we used to use SSF which required it. So maybe this batch file can be modified to do what you are looking to do.

@echo off
set game=%1%
set daemon="C:\Program Files (x86)\DAEMON Tools Lite\DTLite.exe"
set emu="H:\Emulation\Emulators\SSF\SSF.exe"

%daemon% -mount 0, %game%
start /wait "" %emu%

%daemon% -unmount 0 

 

[ElectricBullet]

22 minutes ago, lordmonkus said:

It is possible to mount disk images when required using a batch file. Before Mednafen supported Saturn we used to use SSF which required it. So maybe this batch file can be modified to do what you are looking to do.

@echo off
set game=%1%
set daemon="C:\Program Files (x86)\DAEMON Tools Lite\DTLite.exe"
set emu="H:\Emulation\Emulators\SSF\SSF.exe"

%daemon% -mount 0, %game%
start /wait "" %emu%

%daemon% -unmount 0 

 

I appreciate the response, but what would the exe file be? I also found this, which is quite similar, but I have the same problem...

 

@echo off set dtools="C:\PATH\TO\DT\DT.EXE" set iso="C:\PATH\TO\ISO\IMAGE.ISO" set gameexe="C:\PATH\TO\INSTALLED\GAME\EXE\FILE\GAME.EXE" start "" %dtools% -mount 0, %iso% start /wait "" %gameexe% %dtools% -unmount 0 exit

[Lordmonkus]

Yeah, that's where you are going to need to figure out how to modify it. I was simply showing you an example of how it is possible to mount disk images using batch files. In terms of emulation like in this example the bat file becomes the actual emulator executable in Launchbox.

[ElectricBullet]

32 minutes ago, lordmonkus said:

Yeah, that's where you are going to need to figure out how to modify it. I was simply showing you an example of how it is possible to mount disk images using batch files. In terms of emulation like in this example the bat file becomes the actual emulator executable in Launchbox.

Alright, so I had to mount the ISO, and when I did it mounted to the E: drive. I then found the game .exe file, and launched it to make sure it was correct. It was and I edited the batch file, but it it launches a batch window and closes immediately.

[Lordmonkus]

Maybe someone better at batch files will see this post and be able to help you out better than I can, that Saturn batch file I got from someone else here on a the forums a while ago.

[ElectricBullet]

I greatly appreciate your help, you got me much further than I was!

[Lordmonkus]

I'm willing to bet what you are wanting to do is possible, it's just a matter of how to do it. Even DOSbox has a disk mounting function.

[Zombeaver]

All you have to do for this is to setup an additional app, either for the game .exe or the disc image, and set the other as the "rom".

If you set the disc image as the "rom", you can then add the game .exe as an additional app, and check the box that says "automatically run after main application". If you set the .exe as the "rom", you can add the disc image as an additional app, and check the box that says "automatically run before main application."

So long as the disc image file format has a Windows association of Daemon Tools, what this will do is mount the disc, then start the game .exe. If you don't have the association already, just right-click on it, go to "Open With" -> "Choose Default Program", browse to DT, and check the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox.

If you wanted to setup a bat to unmount the drive afterwards, you'd want to do the .exe as the rom, disc image as "before", and the bat as "after". I don't care enough to do that though because if you mount another disc later it replaces the currently mounted one anyway and if you want to unmount it manually you can just go to My Computer, right-click on the drive, and tell it to "eject disc".

[ElectricBullet]

Zombeaver,

Thank you tremendously for your solution, it worked very well! The issue is as follows: because I set the files to find the .exe under the E: drive, when I mount my first game, it mounts to the E: drive and works fine. However, as it stays mounted, I then mount my second game, which mounts to my F: drive, but the shortcut still tries to launch it from the E: drive. I feel the solution to this would be a .bat file to unmount the drive, but I am clueless as to how we could go about this. I apologize for being a pain, but this is the first time I have ever attempted this. I found websites such as this (http://daemon-help.com/additionally/command/), with which I made a .bat file as such (https://imgur.com/u2AxHQ5), set it to run after main application, but still no dice. Thank again, 

Bullet.

[Zombeaver]

Can I ask why you have multiple virtual disc drives in the first place? If you just have one, mounting a new image just replaces the existing one.

[ElectricBullet]

I'll try to explain this the best I can.

Before I do anything, this is Daemon Tools (https://imgur.com/hIbmipX), and this is my File Explorer (https://imgur.com/XRFnCnO).

If I launch one iso, this happens to Daemon Tools and File Explorer (https://imgur.com/0h5JA45) (https://imgur.com/4vmHKSD).

If I then unmount the first iso, either through Daemon Tools or File Explorer, this happens: (https://imgur.com/ntI5Yfp) (https://imgur.com/JDhxxZH).

After that, I launch my second iso and have this: (https://imgur.com/JpJ7xFP) (https://imgur.com/tjDlZR3).

Even if I don't unmount the first one, it doesn't replace it, but instead adds a new one drive: (https://imgur.com/rP4hhLV) (https://imgur.com/9LlQeW5).

Hope this helps and that you can help. I'm sure this can be fixed, right? Thanks again,

Bullet.

[DOS76]

Are you aware you can directly add images to the forum posts?

[ElectricBullet]

4 minutes ago, DOS76 said:

Are you aware you can directly add images to the forum posts?

I am not, thank you for the information.

[Zombeaver]

I'm using an older version, but are you able to right-click on the tray icon, go to virtual devices, and remove any additional drives? You should only have one.

[ElectricBullet]

I can, just like that, but I would need to do it every time. I seem to have version 10.6.

[Zombeaver]

What do you mean you'd need to every time? I'm not talking about unmounting a drive, I'm talking about removing it. There's nothing you should have to do every time. You only need one drive.

I have one drive. If I mount an image - it puts it in drive H. If I mount another image, it replaces the image in drive H.

[ElectricBullet]

I understand. When I launch Game1, it launches perfectly. Drive E: was nonexistant before, and it creates it and launches the game. If I then launch Game2 from LaunchBox or through File Explorer, it mounts to Drive F:. The same occurs if I unmount the game, not remove the drive, but unmount the game. The drive shows up as an empty Drive E:. I then launch either Game1 or Game2, and it mounts to Drive F:. I hope that was clear.

[ElectricBullet]

I'm so sorry. Thank you for all your help.

Edited September 13, 2017 by ElectricBullet

[Zombeaver]

Yep, thur's yer problem' haha. That's actually not even an option in the version that I'm using.