We could say that these are more than adequate for the nostalgic who once worked on these old versions of the Microsoft system and want to reminisce about old times. so they will be able to enjoy programs and games on their current modern PCs without any problem, and they will surely make them smile on more than one occasion.
DOSBox
This is one of the best DOS and DOSBox emulators. This totally free and open source application comes standard with SDL libraries so that users can install and run any classic program or game in a DOS environment.
This emulator is in fairly active development and is capable of emulating all sorts of old technology such as 286 and 386 processors, operating modes, directories, old sound and graphics cards and much more. In this way it is ensured that all the games will work without problems within this emulator.
Can download DOSBox from the .
The best and the worst
Here we are facing one of the most loved software solutions in the form of a DOS emulator for a long time. It should be noted that we can use its functions completely free of charge and it includes a series with SDL libraries, now it does make things easier for us in this regard.
On the other hand, to get the most out of this application, it is recommended that users have some prior knowledge of this type of program that is currently focused on emulating old applications and games. The ideal is to create simple scripts that allow us to launch the games, but that requires somewhat more advanced knowledge.
vDOS
vDOS is another MS-DOS emulator that allows us to install and run all kinds of old applications and games without problems. This application does away with compatibility issues and dependencies of old software even on the latest Windows 10 64-bit versions.
This DOS emulator allows us to run several applications at the same time and allows us to customize practically anything that the applications need. It is fully compatible with Windows NTVDM, so it will not cause any problems with Windows dependencies.
It has network functions, is compatible with printers and emulates all types of processors and cards to ensure maximum compatibility with all games or programs. In addition, it is portable, leaves no trace on the computer and communicates with Windows, being able to easily share the DOS clipboard and the host operating system without problems.
Can download vDOS for free from the .
Pros and cons
This is a very useful emulator for these tasks that we are talking about and it also incorporates some interesting functions. for example, it allows us to run various old applications in a way. In addition, it is worth noting that the emulator offers us network functions, which will be very useful.
On the other hand, the application as such offers us a huge number of customizable parameters that can sometimes become a bit confusing if we don’t have experience using this type of emulator. It is a very powerful tool but sometimes it neglects its main purpose.
jDosbox
jDosbox It was born as a fork of the original DOSBox, with the main feature that this emulator is written purely in Java. Therefore, thanks to it we eliminate all the restrictions and limitations of operating systems, and we will be able to launch it from any OS where Java is executed. We can even mount it in a web browser and open it from Chrome or Firefox.
This emulator is capable of booting both DOS and early versions of Windows that ran on top of MS-DOS, such as Windows 95, 98, and NT4. Of course, also the most classic versions of the Microsoft OS, from 1.0 to 3.11.
We can find this program in the .
For and against
We can affirm that this is a software application that is developed in the Java language, which allows us to bypass all the restrictions when it comes to emulating different operating systems without any problem.
As a handicap, in terms of the different customizable functions we find, this is a slightly more limited solution than other alternatives that we have just seen. For a user who doesn’t want to configure anything, it’s fine, but as soon as we want to improve how the program works, it will leave a lot to be desired.
JsDOSBox
JsDOSBox is a port, written in JavaScript, of jDosbox, which itself is a port of DOSBox. This free and open source program allows us to open any disk image directly from the web browser so that we can run programs and games from any operating system. We can open one of the ready-made demos, or load an instance from scratch to which we can upload the floppy image we want to load, select the parameters, and start playing with it.
The problem with this tool is that we don’t have control over the files or data we handle, so we won’t be able, for example, to save the files we generate on our PC. And, when you turn off the machine, all the information will be lost.
We can access this excellent project. Unfortunately, the project has been “in development” since 2015, and it does not look like it will be resumed.
Notable and less notable
Among the different advantages that we find here, we can highlight the possibility of opening any disk image directly from our favorite web browser and running old software.
On the other hand, as it is a browser-based software solution, its functionalities are very limited, and we cannot, for example, manage the storage and files that we have inside the virtual machine, among other limitations.
Other alternatives
In addition to the two programs that we have just seen, which run directly on Windows, there are also other ways to reuse these operating systems on our computer.
FreeDOS
FreeDOS is not an emulator like the previous applications. Rather, it is a complete operating system that is 100% compatible with MS-DOS, but totally free and open source. Some OEM computers that do not include a Windows license come with this operating system installed on their hard drive.
This operating system can be used without problems to run any DOS and MS-DOS applications, as well as play any classic game on it. It is compatible even with the first versions of Windows, up to 3.11, which ran as “programs” on top of DOS.
In addition to being a copy of MS-DOS, FreeDOS also has additional features and tools. For example, it supports multi-boot, has a file compressor, support for CDs, support for FAT32 and a large number of libraries.
Can download FreeDOS for free from the .
The best and the worst
Thanks to this system based on MS-DOS, we will be able to almost all the functions of the classic system from the 80s, but without the limitations that Microsoft’s system has right now. FreeDOS is a more up-to-date and modern system, which mainly translates into better compatibility.
However, DOS-based systems are very limited, and we won’t be able to do almost anything with it, making the computer almost useless while this system is running.
VMware or VirtualBox
Finally, another possibility of being able to use old applications and games is to use virtualization software. Applications such as VMware or VirtualBox allow us to install the original versions of these operating systems, such as DOS or MD-DOS, in order to use applications and games on them.
If we have original MS-DOS installation diskettes, for example, we can use them to install this operating system in the virtual machine. If not, a quick Google search will allow us to download the images (IMG) to install this OS in the virtual machine.
Advantages and disadvantages
A virtual machine is always going to be much more powerful, and less limited, than an emulator. With it we will be able to do almost anything, from running simple command programs to running big games, and even a retro operating system, like Windows 3.11.
However, it may take longer to get up and running, and we’ll have too many resources put into a feature that, honestly, isn’t going anywhere.