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Hi again.  Need a *LEGIT* download site for DOSBox freeware (to run fractint as before) that will run on Windows 7 as many claim.  Some look & act suspicious.  Any help available?  Thanx in advance.

Plan is to move new machine to a place w. web access temporarily, do necessary downloads, which must be installed online, and disconnect it again for offline operation.  I have my reasons...see above, partly...

Also, if orig. thread disappeared on purpose, please leave reason why.  Thanx again.

You seem overly paranoid, the first three google hits for dosbox are 1) its official website, 2) wikipedia, 3) the sourceforge page where the downloads are. What is the problem? How can you not find a legit download with that?

Your first post has been moved and made a sticky but I am not sure where.

it moved here http://www.fractalforums.com/fractint/ (http://www.fractalforums.com/fractint/)

edit
maybe that helps. there are several graphical frontends available for dosbox. look here:
http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/DOSBoxFrontends (http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/DOSBoxFrontends)

First, thanks to Darkbeam for indulging me here.  I put the orig. thread here for *visibility*, since I'm in a hurry, as the first post explained.

The win 7 version i'm using is 64-bit, will not take MS's 32-bit XP emulator without an upgrade, and I still don't know whether it would work as real XP did.

DOSbox home doesn't make clear which version to use.  Wikipedia is "closed" today, and I support their reasons why.  I would bet that they would only direct to DOSBox home anyway.  Sourceforge shows "32" in the download name, so I'm still not clear if it's for 64-bit...it's not that I didn't do my homework somewhat.

I'm at the library on a public machine.  No downloads allowed, drives disabled for security reasons.  Paranoia?  THEY have THEIR reasons...if it wasn't for paranoia, MS wouldn't have done what they did to the people who put them on the map using MSDOS way back when anyway.     ...and I, on the other hand, deal with privacy issues in ways that most would never understand.  I am deeply suspicious of this DARPA internet and fear all will lose their ID in "the cloud" when all is said & done.  Feel a bit dependent?  -No accident!

Taurus66- thanks for the lead, greatly appreciated.  Still, nothing of which one would be right for 64-bit.  But thanx again!

don't be so anxious. 32bit code runs great on 64bit systems, but they run in 32bit mode. for emulating a 16bit system this should be more than enough... i doubt, that you'll need a 32bit emulation between.

taurus66-   I ran across a couple sites that said you need to turn off antivirus software, etc. to not interfere w. installation.  Never had a machine of my own connected before, and like any con, it makes sense, but...

...you ARE right, though.  I just have to take a deep breath first and think it out.  Found some sites that look & feel clean & sound.  I might be even more suspicious there.  Learned that almost nothing is as it seems, especially on www.   Paranoia!!!  Big laffs...!

Life is short.

Hooked up my machine for 1st time and employed Norton's trial version, pretty good bodyguard for this, made it easier.  Got DOSBox and a frontend to play with. Since I don't know exactly how to set it up, I have to do more homework and play around with it.  Also got Beta 5 version of Fractint for Windows, seems to work, but I have to move my formula files, palettes, etc. into it, etc.  It was/is a developers' version dated 2008, I think, and they warn you about bugs not found yet.  That would be infinitely easier, and in that case, if it doesn't blow up, I'll go that way.  

So I'll keep the machine after all...

And many, many thanks to all those who provided the guidance.  Whew!  There's a load off!  I think it was fractal withdrawal symptoms.

But thanks again!

dunno if it's of interest, but there are stable versions of fractint available for windows, linux and dos (http://fractint.org/ (http://fractint.org/))

Yes, it looks like I might have picked the wrong Fractint for Windows (Beta version).  Put my palettes in the map folder, my formula subfolders in the formula folder, and that's neater and pretty speedy.  Quickly I found a curious thing: it saves pix to a hidden folder accessible TO the program, but not FROM outside it.  So why oh why?  It's cute and neat that the developers can do that, but exactly HOW does discouraging user testing further Fractint's cause?

I really don't get that.  Any insights or speculations about that?
(Guessing the name of the picture storage dir. ends in the character "$")

Naturally, I then figured out how to get FractintDOS up in DOSBox.  DOSBox configures automatically but is then painfully slow (maybe to simulate timing in old games made for slow machines).  To use it properly (say, to get more speed), you basically have to learn a new OS.  My current crude setup scrambles the image whenever any Fractint live menu key (like <tab> for status screen) is pressed, so I get all the required instructions straight first, then start the picture fresh, touching nothing until it's done, and hitting <s>ave.  Tedious but promising...

So if you have a machine running FractintDOS in XP with the autoexec.nt patch, count your blessings.  I have a flaky one stored far away.  It goes bluescreen without warning when it gets too chilly.  Thinking it might be the battery that keeps time and date when it's off, and easily fixed...

...or not...

(But we do it for love!)

Later.

The version of FfW I downloaded was labeled 20.99.8, from LegalizeAdulthood's download site for it, thru Mundofractal.net.  It works only as described in the last post, and nothing I tried unlocks the pix folder.  Is there a fix?

I edited the DOSBox.conf file to speed THAT up somewhat, and invoke FractintDOS automatically on start.  Also played w. display there, but can't get it to leave the image unmolested when live keys are pressed.  Any help THERE?

Thanx in advance.

Later.

the project site says current version is 20.04p11
why are you searching shady places instead of official project sites :hmh:
do you really think the higher version number provides some functionallity...

There is a 32bit beta version of Fractint in this thread (download link in first post) which you (supposedly) can run in Win 7 without dosbox.

http://www.fractalforums.com/announcements-and-news/fractint-under-windows-(beta-5)/?PHPSESSID=351356d48e6d5b67a8faed1566e52de0

the post you linked is about 5 years old!

As if I didn't notice...  ;D

It's still a 32bit version of fractint which may run natively under Win7 x64, if you know of a more recent 32bit build of fractint feel free to post a link to it.

And FWIW, it's not because some software is five years old that it is rubbish or shouldn't be used which your post somehow seem to imply, Fractal explorer has not been updated since now 7 years and it's still good to use today.

And guess what?  I am posting this with an operating system that is 12 years old...  :w00t:

Wish I knew then what I know now...so I'll cart the machine back to a hookup site and do it over.  And thanx again...

Just got it on good authority elsewhere that the version I mentioned (20.99.8) is very likely totally unofficial. Still curious as to why it was set up like that...only because it's so peculiar.

Later!

Here's an update-  Took the long trip to retreive the unreliable XP(3) machine.  It goes about 1000MHz, and this AM I set it up to try this and that Fractint version.  After 20-30 tries, it was warm enough to boot...First I tried the latest stable version of Winfract- 20.04 and found it running well on this 32-bit machine, but I was unhappy with the fact that it doesn't show the formula you're using, so you have to know in advance how to assign variable values.

I copied a virgin FractintDOS version 20.0 onto it, and imported my formula and map files, and tested its speed.  Way faster than DOSBox on the 64-bit machine, and normally.  Still testing and comparing.  I can do pix there, and store them on the newer machine.  Or, use the external drive I have to move my enormous picture library to it.  One thing's sure-  I won't turn it off before offloading from it, since it might not start again ever!

Interestingly, the 20.99(etc.) unofficial version spoken of previously is a FractintDOS workalike, except for the outside-inaccessible picture folder.

Open to anything enlightening!

Later. 

I used one picture as a benchmark to speed test:  DOSBox, as fast as it can go, running FractintDOS took 37:50 on the 64-bit machine.  The flaky xp machine running Fractint 20.0 took 7:57.  Back on the 64, the FfW 20.99 that can't save extractable pix took a lightning-fast 3:27.

I speculate that the last example's program was written by someone really GOOD, just showing off his skills, but one who has a seriously creepy cruel streak.  It takes all kinds...

...unless you have a better explanation.

Would still love to hear it. (hint)

Later.

I speculate you may be speculating too much ;)

Somewhat more helpfully, I hope you've made DOSBOX use all available cycles instead of trying to perform like a 486 or something (the default CPU cycles allocation).

lycium-   It's what I do in lieu of ANSWERS!

I just MAXed DOSBox in the .conf file manually, with no limit, to get the reported speed.  I read that that was to be expected, and it was a tough pic.  When it's up, MS task manager reports average 25% use or so over 4 cores, varying, and I guess that its CPU temp. management sets that limit.  At the same time, DOSBox docs suggest it only makes use of 1 core.  I don't want to fool with clocking at all.  If I got the stable Winfract installed, I could get a good time, I bet, but it won't run on it by just clicking on the .exe.  I get the 32-bit error message.
For the install to happen and be right, I think it requires doing it directly thru the 'net, but correct me if I'm wrong, O.K.?

Thanx again.

Later.

more speculation on 20.99.8:

Maybe a commercial programmer wanted to impress a client.  Freeware can't be modified and sold, and he won't just GIVE it away...

-or-
Maybe it's a protest against the use of .GIF's.  (some do)

...in lieu of answers, one must remember...

Later.

Just a little while ago, having moved my new lunking machine to an existing internet router elsewhere, I redownloaded all the latest versions of Fractint from the "Get Fractint" official page, because everyone assured me it would work.  NONE of them work on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.  Instead, you get that msg. box that tells you it's incompatible.  As I understand it now, to get any to work as they would on a 32-bit machine, one must PAY EXTRA for an upgrade to Professional, Ultimate, etc.. to get to a 32-bit (XP) emulator, APPARENTLY!  OR, in my case, deal with the poor behavior of Fractint in DOSBox I already described.  Well, Bill & Co. can go scratch:  I have read that all the code for the upgrade versions already exists in every install of this OS, but the extra abilities must be unlocked by paying Microsoft for a unique code for your installation's I.D.  Otherwise, it all takes up extra space on your machine for nothing.  You cannot get intelligent enough help or directions offline, and online, it's a maze, and not much better.  I think I know why people put up with this complete unresponsiveness to customer needs-

MASS DELUSION!

...Linux looking better all the time.

In the middle of composing this message, I used the link to Nahee in this thread to install 20.99.8 again, and I THINK it's the same one I said hides created pix.  I'll see, and update.

There IS some good news, however: on the flaky 32-bit machine I mentioned, that between crashes, I can make full screen 1600x900 pix for the new machine, setting the x-mag factor to .75.  Can't MAKE them ON the new machine, however, at least, not so far...

I checked out that version, and it's identical, and was made available circa 2007, I thought I saw.

I've been informed that 20.99.8 was begun by Richard Thompson and never finished.  My speculations were in fact partially true, according to one.  In every other respect, it was good code, and has my complements.  It was still a very cruel thing to leave it so close, but no cigar.

I have been using this 20.99.8 version of fractint for windows and until about 2 minutes ago I couldn't access my saved images from Windows Explorer on 64-bit Windows 7, but now I can and hopefully this will help you all too.

I was in windows explorer looking at the installation folder - namely c:\program files (x86)\stone soup group\fractint for windows\" and at the top of the windows explorer window is a (in my case) light blue bar with various options including "Organize", "Share with", "Slide show" and one extra labelled "Compatibility files".  Clicking this last option showed all the gif files that had been saved.

All in all, the default setting of the main executable must include some sort of "run in compatibility mode" option and this link on the light blue bar shows the files that have been created while in that mode.

Most satisfying and I can now start to use this version of fractint more frequently without worrying about odd behaviours.

Simon

Simon,

I'm away, and using a borrowed laptop, that I find pretty awkward compared to what I'm used to.  I will look into what you suggested as soon as I get back, but already I suspect that you might be using one of the upgraded Windows 7 versions, and Home Premium might not allow it.  Naturally, though, I'll give it a try as soon as I can.   Thanx.

More relevant (and irrelevant) info on the topic has been lately continued at the FractInt thread (see post 2 in this one) for those interested, who are urged to post there in future.  Thanx.