The Perfect CONFIG.SYS for DOS Gaming

Getting DOS memory management right is the single most important step for running demanding DOS games reliably. Here is the setup that works for a 486 with 4 MB RAM and a Sound Blaster Pro.

CONFIG.SYS

DEVICE=C:DOSHIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:DOSEMM386.EXE RAM NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=C:DOSSETVER.EXE
FILES=40
BUFFERS=10,0
STACKS=9,256

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@ECHO OFF
PATH C:DOS;C:WINDOWS;C:GAMES
SET TEMP=C:TEMP
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 P330 T6
LH C:DOSSMARTDRV.EXE 2048 512
LH C:DOSMSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:15
PROMPT $P$G

The SET BLASTER line is critical for Sound Blaster games. A220 = I/O address, I7 = IRQ 7, D1 = DMA channel 1.