Daggerfall is not fully compatible with the NTVDM used to emulate DOS under Windows NT
(XP/Vista) so an alternative DOS emulator should be used.
1) The first step is to install DOSBox. Launch its setup program and install with default options.
2) After DOSBox is installed, navigate to its entry in the Start Menu (DOSBox-0.73) and then select
"Configuration," and then "Edit Configuration." If you have used DOSBox before, it may be best
to run "Reset Configuration" first before running "Edit Configuration."
3) This will open up Notepad with the config file displayed. Look for the section [dosbox]. In this
section will be a setting "memsize=xx." Change the value of xx to 32 (i.e. memsize=32) and then
save and close the file.
4)The next step is to extract Daggerfall from the archive. The archive is a zip file named
"DFInstall.zip." Using a zip program such as Winzip or Winrar, open the archive and choose to
Extract. You want to extract the entire contents of the zip file to a directory on your C:, such as
C:dosgames. So, when you chose Extract, the program will ask for a path, enter C:dosgames. This
will create the folders C:dosgamesDFCD and C:dosgamesDAGGER.
5) Once the archive extraction is completed, DOSBox must be launched to start the installation
process. Use the DOSBox icon on your desktop or the entry in the Start Menu to launch it.
6) Once launched, you will be presented with a window containing a command prompt (Z:> ).
7) As DOSBox is a virtual environment, the locations to work with must be mounted within the
virtual environment. First, you must mount the location that contains Daggerfall's files to a virtual
C: within DOSBox.
8) To do this, type this line in at the command prompt: mount c c:dosgames -freesize 1000. Press
enter to process the command. This will map C:dosgames to virtual C:.
9) Next, you must emulate the Daggerfall CD-ROM for the installation and running of the game.
10)To this, type this line in at the command prompt: mount d c:dosgamesdfcd -t cdrom -label
Daggerfall. Press Enter to process the command. This will map the files in C:dosgamesdfcd to to
virtual D:, which is acting like a CD-ROM with the volume label of Daggerfall (needed to run the
game).
11) Once the two locations are mounted, at the command prompt type: D:, then push enter and the
prompt will change to D:>. 12) Next, type: INSTALL. Press Enter and the Daggerfall installation program will launch. At this
point you can move your actual mouse pointer into the DOSBox window and click once. Mouse
control will be handed off to DB and will work within the Daggerfall installer to select items.
13) Now, agree to the terms and then select "Install the Game to Your Hard Drive." Then select
"Change the Install Size" and set it to "Huge." Next select "Yes, This Install Size is Fine." The
installer will suggest C:Dagger as the installation directory. Install the game to that location. Select
"Yes, I want to install the game here." Following this, confirm the choices by selecting "Go ahead
and install the game." The install will begin.
14) After installation, Daggerfall will offer to configure the sound card. At this point it is important
that DOSBox be running in windowed mode and not full screen. If DOSBox is in full screen, hit
ALT + Enter on the keyboard to place it back into windowed mode before choosing to configure the
sound card.
15) Choose "Yes" to configure the sound card. Another program will appear. There is no mouse
support in this program so the keyboard arrow keys and the Enter key will need to be used.
16) Press Enter while "Auto-Detect" is highlighted. Next, press Enter while "Detect" is highlighted.
This will detect an emulated Sound Blaster 16. Navigate over to "OK" and press Enter.
17) Navigate down to "Select MIDI" and press Enter. Select "Sound Blaster 16" from the list and
press Enter. Press Enter again to select the default Port of "388." Navigate to "OK" and press
Enter.
18) Navigate down to "OK" on the menu and press Enter twice. This will save the config and return
you to Daggerfall's installer. Select OK and the installer will exit and drop you off at C:DAGGER.
19) At the command prompt, type: DAG213. Press Enter. This will launch the patch to update the
game to 1.07.213. Answer "YES" to both prompts when the patch asks for confirmation.
20) Once the patch is done, the game may be started. At the C:DAGGER> prompt, type:
DAGGER. Press Enter. Daggerfall should now load.
21) Each time you want to run Daggerfall, you will need to start DOS-Box and enter these
commands:
? mount c c:dosgames -freesize 1000
? mount d c:dosgamesdfcd -t cdrom -label Daggerfall
? c:
? cddagger
? dagger
Each of the above commands is followed by a press of the Enter key.