Hello, I've just entered the msx world and I'm having some problems. I recently downloaded the RuMSX ( the only one that ran in my PC) but I just cannot run any DSK files in it . I've already tried the line ' run "autoexec.bas" ' but the only answer that appeared was ' Device I/O error ". What should I do to run them?

Rimshot

RuMSX is probably the easiest emulator to start DSK files : if RuMSX is well installed on your PC, the only thing that you must do is double-click on the DSK file, because DSK files are, after installation of RumSX, linked to RuMSX.

If you get nothing else than the MSX blue screen, it means that the DSK files doesn't contain a file like AUTOEXEC.BAS or AUTOEXEC.BAT

Try then the BASIC command FILES.

If you get a list of files, then you must search for the loader file (generally with an extension like .LDR or .BAS) and start this file by using the command RUN

If you get an error message like "Device I/O Error", it generally means that the files on the DSK file are "hidden" in sectors. Such kind of DSK images doesn't work in RuMSX, you'd better try a more advanced emulator like NLMSX.

Hi, again! The ' Device I/O error ' message appeared as you described and I tried the NLMSX. I found it better, but I still couldn't run the dsk files. After entering the FILES command, the AUTOEXEC.BAS file really showed up. But as I entered line RUN "AUTOEXEC.BAS" , I could just get the message OK and nothing else. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP A POOR ROOKIE!

With NLMSX, the good procedure is as it follows :

- start the emulator
- wait for the end of the boot sequence (you come to a blue screen with the copyrights for Microsoft)
- use F6 for inserting a disk-image in virtual drive A
- use then F12 for rebooting the emulated MSX
- if the dsk file doesn't start, see my previous message about the command FILES

In some cases, you can still have problems . Think about both things :
- some games or demos require more free memory, you must therefore press on the left CTRL in the boot sequence before you can hear a beep
- you can also try another configuration, but for most cases, the European MSX 2 configuration is perfect

and, finally, there can also be something wrong with your DSK file. Try other DSK files to see if this is the case

while we're at it...
how to create .dsk files from 'sector-loaded-disks' ??

With DCOPY, PUTDISK or one of the many other sectorbased .DSK tools

Thank you everybody! I guess almost all my files ( 2 from 3) were corrupted. I've downloaded a bunch of dsk files and already played a lot, but some of them need more memory. I tried the left ctrl thing but nothing happened. My rookie problems don't end there. A couple of games (dsk files) stayed paused in a total blue screen with nothing on it.

Unfortunately even MSX isn't as standardized as you'd want it to be. Espacially pirated games can cause trouble every now end them (most of the times because they violate the MSX standard). One of the most occurring problems is the following (try it in BASIC ;P)

using

POKE -1,170
POKE -1,0
or
POKE -1,255

(2 of these should hang your MSX ;P)

while it should be

POKE -1,1.0625*(NOT(PEEK(-1))AND&HF0)

or

POKE -1,(15-PEEK(-1)16)*17

(got these universal pokes from the Ultimate MSX FAQ which is a great place for in-depth MSX information )

If your game hangs, check all BASIC listings (.BAS and .LDR are the most common extensions) for wrong pokes and replace them with the universal one

If there's an AUTOEXEC.BAS file (or a loader file with extension .LDR or .BAS), you can check the contents of this file by the command LOAD"AUTOEXEC.BAS" , then LIST.

Some dsk files are MSX 1 games. You can have problems in a MSX 2 configuration, because they don't find where is the RAM ! As the Europese MSX 2 configuration is a Philips configuration, I suggest that you add at the beginning of "AUTOEXEC.BAS' the following line :
1 POKE -1, 170

It's the "famous" Philips poke ! By the way, if you see "POKE -1,255" in the listing, replace "255" by "170". So, you replace the Sony poke by the Philips poke ...

There's also a Turbo-R poke : poke -1,0

All these pokes can be replaced by an universal poke :
POKE -1,1.0625*(NOT(PEEK(-1))AND&HF0)

A last advice : for many questions about MSX, check this site :

http://www.faq.msxnet.org/

Snout, I see that we had in the same time the same ideas ! 8)

That is a nice FAQ! It has already helped me a lot, but I'm still reading it.
Thanks for the advices. I hope my doubts will soon be gone...

We must fight our own doubts...

While we´re still at it. How can I use .dsk files on a real msx. I want to make .dsk files on my flash card and then run them. Is this possible? And if possible is there a program that makes .dsk files. AND, is there a program to run them on my msx. ANDDDDDDDD is there some way then to play multiple disk games such as Illusion city in .dsk format on my Turbo R?

Thanxxx in advance
YUMMIE

FDE.COM and HDDEMU.COM

These 2 programs run DSK-images...And of course! With PUTDISK.COM you can write a diskimage to a diskette and with GETDISK.COM you can create a diskimage from a diskette.

Where to find all these files? Well, at least HDDEMU is in our Downloads section.

Give a good Google search and I think you'll find the other programs as well. What about funet?