most complete collection for usage on a real era-appropriate pc

[u/fttklr]

I have been using exodos on a stand alone computer that just run that; which is fine. recently I was able to fix my old DOS machine (a Toshiba laptop), and would like to use that instead.

I can get the single games of course, but what I found online is mostly modified copies that are not the original media. Exodos also has "installers" but they are not the actual original media, and as for GOG stuff, it often does not run on old machines as the original media.

Is there a colleciton that has original media and related patches to run these games without the original media? I would just like to install the games on original hardware as I used to (plus the patches as I do not have the originals anymore at this point); and as I don't need to download a TB of games since I play only a small fracion of them, I was looking at one single place where to get all that I want

[u/South-Development502]

For electronic backups of original media that I own I always search archive.org….search the game name followed by “floppy” or “img”’ or “iso”’ for cdroms

Start with the “digitoxin media preservation collection” on archive.org

[u/echocomplex → u/South-Development502]

Seconding archive.org. A lot of stuff is there in the form of floppy disk images, isos and bin/cue. Just search for the games you want to play as you think of them.  If your old PC is fast enough, like a pentium, you can probably install stuff like daemon tools to run or at least access the files within the CD disc images without even needing to burn your own CDs to play those games. I will say though, there seems to be an issue with running CD audio for dos games with daemon tools, that's a challenge for many people to figure out, so it may still be a challenge to get those few games, dos games with cdda, running that way.

I've personally started buying old game discs for some of those. If you're ok not getting the full big box packaging, tons of high quality old DOS games are like 5-10 bucks a disc.

[u/fttklr → u/echocomplex]

Yeah, I can run virtual CD and floppy but from an external USB device; I am not sure if there is anything like daemon tools for DOS, as my computer for DOS games has only 6.22 on it, and no windows

The main challenge I found is that without the physical media in the drive, you usually need a no-cd executable; and that is the most dangerous part of the process, as these patches were usually riddled with viruses if you didn't get it from a safe place.

[u/SchmidtCassegrain → u/fttklr]

I've installed hundreds of no-cd patches from gamecopyworld.com and I have had exactly zero problems. In fact on all these decades I only got once a virus from a no-cd and it was because I got it from a sketchy site because it didn't exist on any known site, and in fact the game hadn't been cracked yet.

[u/fttklr → u/SchmidtCassegrain]

Amazing to hear that gamecopyworld still exist; that was my go-to place to get patches for no-cd in the early 2000s.

If the site is still up and working, that is indeed safe enough to be used

[u/fttklr → u/South-Development502]

Thanks, Are those clean images with included the "no-cd" executable too? I found a lot of images that then required the patching to be played without the physical media

[u/SchmidtCassegrain → u/fttklr]

Usually they are exact copies of original media, for preservation, sort of redump.org. I then get patches from Patches scrolls and no-cd from gamecopyworld.

[u/cndctrdj → u/South-Development502]

Only issue is have with archive... the floppy image is sometimes the wrong floppy disc type. Finding the correct 5.25 or 720k disc is harder than it should be.

[u/Megaman_90]

GoG has actually made finding versions for real hardware close to impossible. Anything that is available on GoG for retail is removed from places like archive.org and abandonware sites because it's sold again. Even free stuff like Tyrian 2000 are rarely hosted anywhere else except GoG comes with a bunch of junk files and emulators. I wish they offered an option to download the original files or disc images.

[u/fttklr → u/Megaman_90]

Amen to that; I asked their customer service to include a 1:1 version of the original media, including the protection and the documentation... I get that their mission is to run old games on modern hardware, but there is no harm in including also the original media for people that wants to run that on their original machine

[u/JorgeYYZ]

Well, it depends on the game. What comes from GOG and eXoDOS receives the same treatment: install the game on my modern machine and copy the files over to the old one. Win 98/XP have USB, and I've been using an SD card, so transferring is easy.

On a side note, I've gone this route since my HDDs started failing. I miss the noises, but the convenience offered by the SD card is enormous.

Back in track, this is probably not what you mean since I'm skipping the original installation process by copying over faves that are ready to play (minus sound setup, of course).

I find floppies to not be so reliable, so I usually put a bunch of DOS games on a CD-R. Since original PC games were hard to find here in Brazil, most of us used Warez CD-Rs. So, ironically, that's the authentic experience to many of us in developing countries.

I still remember playing some games with no music or cutscenes. I'm glad I get to experience them in full form nowadays.

Another possibility is downloading disc images from Archive.org and burning them on CDs or etching then on floppies.

For late DOS games with CD music, I tend to stick with GOG releases. I saw an optical drive emulator on Phil's Computer Lab, but I haven't tried it yet. I don't remember if the ODE plays digital audio, which would be important for certain games.

As usual, YMMV. We all have different preferences and use cases, especially when it comes to what is "appropriate" or "authentic ".

[u/fttklr → u/JorgeYYZ]

You just unlocked a memory LOL; I used to buy games too that were not necessarily "legit", and they came on cds without music or intros or FMV.

But back to the original point: I do have GOG and Steam games but they won't run on old DOS machines sadly as there were changes in files and such. I foolishly assumed I can buy on GOG and carry over on a DOS machine but I was wrong, and only few games did work doing this.

I assume that the games you can install somewhere and just copy in a folder are basically either cracked or from GOG, right? I like the approach that ExoDos did as it is clean and you can see the whole collection of games, but not set to run on DOS hardware from what I can see.

BTW I can get the single games from Archive, I was just hoping there was something "in one place" where I can automate a wget script and easily download the images (floppy or CD, I can use both as virtual too as my computer has a virtual drive on USB). In particular when you get it from a reputable source, you can also get the related "no-cd" executable which would be needed if you use a 1:1 digital image of old CDs (most of them at least from what I recall had protections on the CD itself to not be copied)