How to save ANY dos game.
 

Have you ever almost completed a game, then made one mistake and had to start all over again? Many games don't have a save-state option, which can be very frustrating. But guess what - there is a way to save ANY dos game and here's a step-by-step guide how to do it.


SETUP

The set-up process can take up to an hour, since you have to create a virtual machine, but once you're done, you can save games in the matter of seconds. Note that Windows XP and at least 1GB RAM is required. You'll also need a CD with Windows 98 (or XP) with the serial number. So, let's begin:

1.) Download and install Virtual PC 2007

2.) Create a virtual machine:
- start Virtual PC and click New Virtual Machine
- specify the amount of RAM yourself (if you have 1GB RAM - chose 500MB)

3.) Install a guest OS:
- insert CD with Windows
- start a virtual machine you've just created
- click CD > Use Physical Drive (and chose the right one)
- click Action > Reset
- install Windows

4.) Install VM additions:
- eject CD with Windows
- click Action > Install Virtual Machine Additions and follow the instructions
- once it restarted, close your Virtual Machine and select Turn off

5.) Configure Settings
- click Settings
- click Display and check boxes:
- select Only use standard screen resolutions
- check boxes Hide VM menu bar and Hide VM status bar and
- click Close (on the left)
- click Automatically close without a message and Save state
- click OK

6.) Install dos games:
- burn the games on a CD
- start Virtual Machine
- copy the games to hard disk (and install them if necessary)
- and you're done!


HOW TO SAVE THE GAME

- run Virtual PC and start the virtual machine (if it's not already opened)
- start the game and get to the point when you want to save it
- close the virtual machine window (click red X in the upper left corner)
- now open the folder My Virtual Machines (in My Documents) and copy .vsv file
- create a folder (with the name Saved States) in My Documents and paste the vsv file inside
- start the virtual machine again and play the game


HOW TO LOAD THE GAME

- just close the virtual machine window
- copy .vsv file from "Saved States" folder to "My Virtual Machines" folder - replace it!
- start the virtual machine and Voila - the saved state loads :D

2 things I Have to say here.

1. You install a guest OS. The Host OS is the one you install VPC2007 on. ^_^
2. Instead of installing WinXP it might be smarter to install something like Dos6.22 with Win 3.11. Or a win9x. (They could be harder to find, but still..)
This due to the small detail that most games hosted here work best on an older OS then XP. :)

Thanks for reply! I'll correct it right away.

good idea!

and someone move this into compatibility

The big problem with this solution is that M$ VPC is fairly slow (slower than DOSBox), and not too hot compatibility-wise either (mostly meant for compatibility with basic utilities rather than games).

Very nice idea!

I have to add yet another solution: [edit: removed solution after 2nd thought because it was too dangerous]

Wow that's amaizing! I've always imagined that it's possible, but didn't know how to do it! I have a few questions, though :D

- Is this method safe - what could happen in the worst case?

- How do you copy hiberfile.sys to another location? Do you have to use the command line, as it reads here?

- And when trying to load the game, you need to boot from the recovery console again, right?

- And also, what would happen if I saved hiberfile.sys with game state, than delete the game files from the hard disc, and than try to load the game from hiberfile.sys? Just curious on that one, though ;D

you could create a space rift that would turn into a four dimensional black hole which would suck the earth in

Well, my alternative solution was too dangerous thus I removed it after getting 2nd thoughts about it. Messing around with the hiberfile.sys can lead to a reinstall of your OS in extreme situations... for example when some process opens a system file (as windows sometimes does by itself in the background), and after 10 mins of working with your first hiberfil you restored another state, which had the file closed, then the file could become corrupt you'd have checkdisc let it delete it.

You've gotta be kidding me!

What's up now?