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How to Run Constructor With DOSBox

Like many older games, Constructor, the 1997 strategy and management game, does not always run smoothly on modern operating systems. By simulating an old DOS environment using the DOSBox emulator, a user can "mount" a portion of his hard drive as a virtual drive in DOS, install Constructor to it, and run in what the game will mistake for its native environment.

Instructions

- 1
  Download and install DOSBox, if you haven't already. To do so, point your browser to dosbox.com, click "Downloads," then choose the appropriate download for your operating system. Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the program.
- 2
  Open DOSBox to bring up a simulated DOS prompt. First, mount a portion of your hard drive to use in the emulator with the MOUNT command:
  
  mount c c:\dosbox\games -freesize 400
  
  This mounts the "C:\DOSBox\Games" directory as the "C" drive in DOSBox. You can mount any directory you want, in any operating system, as a virtual DOS drive; you can also -- though this is usually unnecessary and not recommended -- mount an entire actual drive with a command like "mount c c:\". The "freesize" option ensures there'll be enough space on this virtual drive to install Constructor.
- 3
  Use the MOUNT command again to mount your CD-ROM drive:
  
  mount d e:\ -t cdrom
  
  This assumes your CD-ROM drive is at "E:\" -- check "My Computer" in the "Start" menu if you're not sure which drive letter your CD drive occupies. Note the "-t cdrom" option, ensuring DOSBox treats the drive correctly.
- 4
  Type "d:" to switch to the CD drive you mounted at D:, then type "install" and press "Enter." This will open the Conductor installation program -- follow the on-screen instructions to install the game. Remember that whatever path you install it to will appear on your real hard drive as a subdirectory of whatever you mounted as the "C" drive -- if you mounted "C:\DOSBox\Games" and installed to "C:\Conductor," for example, the game will appear on your actual drive at "C:\DOSBox\Games\Conductor."
- 5
  Switch to the drive you installed Conductor to by typing:
  
  cd c:\conductor
  
  where "c:\conductor" is whatever path you told the Conductor installation program to use.
- 6
  Type "game" to run the game.

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