Hi!

I have only experienced the MSX via emulators. I am fond of PocketMSX, which I use many times daily, and blueMSX, which is usually pretty easy to handle.

For the most part, I have no problem using .roms and .dsks. However, I have recently begun to download a number of demos that are stumping me. Some have come as .dsks, and some have been the files from actual disks that I then converted to .dsk with dsktool. Whenever I start up my emulator with one of these .dsks the emulator boots up and goes into the MSX Disk BASIC mode.

I have read a few different docs and manuals for the MSX to try and figure out how DOS works on the MSX, but I haven't really been able to figure out how to get the programs on these .dsks to run.

I know it's asking a lot, but could someone maybe give me a clue on what to do so that I can run these files? I really do enjoy the varied software on this machine, and it certainly rivals my all-time favorite machine - the Commodore 64, so I'd really appreciate any help in understanding what to do here.

Thanks in advance.

-Aztecatl

try the command "files" to see whats on the disk.
If you see some files, I bet you have to load them with [ load "bla" and then "run" ] or [ run "bla" ] (without the [] offcource)

Some demos require that you add the MSX-DOS1 files on the disk image : msxdos.sys and command.com

If you want to run automatically such a demo, you must also create an autoexec.bat file

You can create such a file by the following procedure, when you are on the MSX-DOS line command :

- COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT
this instruction means that all you will enter on the screen will be saved in a file called autoexec.bat

- enter then the name (without the extension .COM) of the loader file for the demo

example : if this loader file is DEMO.COM, enter only DEMO

- press at the same time on CTRL and Z

by doing that, you indicate that you've entered all the required MSXDOS commands for the autoexec.bat file ; it provokes the saving of the file on the disk.

So, you will have a complete demo that will run automatically in a real MSX or in an emulator !

Additionnal info : if the demo requires MSXDOS2, the principe is the same, but don't forget for DOS2.2, that you need also with an emulator to insert in a slot the MSXDOS22 rom image (for DOS2.3, it's not required as DOS23 is embedded in the disk rom of the Turbo-R)

Small correction: just pressing [CTRL]+[Z] at the end of your input doesn't mean you're done editing. It will just print a '^Z' on screen. Press [RETURN] right after those letters, and the program is saved.

Thanks for the help guys! I am going to try all of these right now!

Added the msdos files to all the disks I was having trouble with and it worked fantasticly! Thanks again!