Looking for "PrimeMenu" for DOS, freeware/shareware GUI menu

[MasterNnja]

Well, it was in the mid-90s when I had a very neat "menu" program on my PC called PrimeMenu. It gave you a graphical menu of your programs to start with the click of the mouse, of couse you first had to configure it. You could set up something like 6-8 pages with a total of up to 16-24 programs per page. It had a lot of icons included, and also a converter that could convert Windows ICO files into the PrimeMenu format, and an editor to make your own. You could setup all the programs inside the GUI, there was no need to edit any INI files or something like that.

To run it, you would usually type "pm" - while usually I had it in the autoexec.bat. Even when I later got Windows 95, I set it up in a way it would not automatically start Windows itself, but only the DOS 7.0, and then I would start Windows 95 from PrimeMenu only if I needed it...

A simple calculator and I think calendar were included as well. It could also do some "fancy" stuff, like assigning individual config files (autoexec.bat, config.sys) to a program and if you would start that, it would reboot the machine with those, run the game, then restore your original autoexec/config and reboot again. (Much like what Windows 9x did with it's so called "MS-DOS mode".)

I searched the Web, but came up with nothing. I also tried all the unmarked floppys I could find in my home, to no avail. I really would like to see that program again, because I used it for years in my childhood and I had seen it every time I turned on the PC, for every game and other program I installed I created an entry, so I can run it easily...

As far as I reacall the program was freeware, while the PrimeCopy floppy copier program which came on the same disk was shareware.
It's very possible it's developed by a German programmer and was distributed via the Shareware/Freeware infrastructure that was in place at the time (Magazines, CD compilations, ...). However, you could use it both in English and German language (maybe some other languages, too), I think a command line argument was used to switch languages. But you see, that's the reason why I propably didn't find it online, it's "too old for the Web", as the Internet wasn't really available to the broad public at the time. Also I don't know if it really got very far outside Germany, maybe within Europe, but I doubt it went across to the US...

So I ask you, does anyone still know that program or maybe even has it and could upload it?

I even created a screen mockup, I think it looks very much like the actual program. Of course I've taken some leeways, you don't really expect me to remember everything

pm.png (11.15 KiB) Viewed 3474 times

I don't know if it helps to spark anyone's memorys.

[Chrill]

After googling it, the only thing I found was you asking this question on another forum - the program seems not to exist anymore, or it would have been found. Sorry to say

[MasterNnja]

Well I posted it here afte getting no response in the other forum, because I thought here in the Transport Tycoon community it might have a better chance, because I figured Transport Tycoon is more popular among Europeans AND it's the same type of person who could have used that very same program back when it was new, playing games on the PC in the early to mid-90s.

So I've not given up hope. Maybe one of those people still has it somewhere in a box with floppies and will remember where to look for it when seeing this thread. Or maybe even has a backup on harddisk or CD, or even in active use on some 486 "gaming machine"... after all it's an awesome program... Arguably the best program of it's type.

At least I should be able to find a fellow PrimeMenu fan, so even if we don't find the program, we can reminiscence... Or what about a group effort in developing a clone?

[jonty-comp]

Oof, I'm sure I used to have that somewhere. I had an old CD full of shareware that had a menu just like it, and "PrimeMenu" definitely rings a bell. I'll have a root through my box of old CDs later.

[MasterNnja]

Oof, I'm sure I used to have that somewhere. I had an old CD full of shareware that had a menu just like it, and "PrimeMenu" definitely rings a bell. I'll have a root through my box of old CDs later.

Thank you in advance. I'm looking forward to it, but don't feel pressed for time. After waiting so long to see the program again I surely can wait a little longer

[jonty-comp]

Well, I had a look through my pile of old CDs, but unfortunately I didn't find the one I was looking for! It was a blue CD that said "OVER 650MB OF FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE PROGRAMS FOR YOUR MS-DOS!" on the front, and there was a weird picture of some dragon or something on the front.

OOH! I just remembered; it was called "Mustang 4" - presumably there had been 3 others before it. I did find another shareware CD-ROM (coincidentally the first data CD I owned) but that has a rather smelly menu on it that's not very nice to use.

EDIT: Sure enough, Mustang Software Inc. sold shareware trash in the late 80s-mid 90s, so I know I'm not going crazy at least. I have a feeling that this particular CD is in a box in the loft, so I've written a reminder on my PDA to take a peek up there tomorrow. Shouldn't take 5 minutes, then I'll probably find that it doesn't have PrimeMenu after all!

[MasterNnja]

In general it's kinda sad, there was this really wealthy Shareware "market" in the 90s, you could buy magazines reviewing Shareware (and some Freeware) programs and coming with disks and later CDs which had (some of) those programs on it, a lot of games and application for MS-DOS, Windows 3.x and the early years of Windows 9x... But most of that stuff seems to be lost now, at least it's not on the Internet. Well, the games are (at least those that are decent enough), but what about the applications... It's not like all of them were bad, some were pretty impressive... On the web there are several efforts to conserve "old stuff" much like that, but in regards to that, I wonder where all that stuff is. There's retro-almost everything somewhere, but not for this. Few and far in between.

[jonty-comp]

I remember treasuring this Shareware CD. Back then it seemed to have a practically endless supply of free programs! Plus, shareware in those days wasn't about being time-limited like today's shareware is.

[Daan Timmer]

Twilight CD's anyone?

[orudge]

I remember treasuring this Shareware CD. Back then it seemed to have a practically endless supply of free programs! Plus, shareware in those days wasn't about being time-limited like today's shareware is.

I have a couple of CDs like that back in the UK. Very fun they were. Indeed, one of them had the TT demo on them, as I recall! Alas, I can't say I remember "PrimeMenu".

[jonty-comp]

I remember treasuring this Shareware CD. Back then it seemed to have a practically endless supply of free programs! Plus, shareware in those days wasn't about being time-limited like today's shareware is.

I have a couple of CDs like that back in the UK. Very fun they were. Indeed, one of them had the TT demo on them, as I recall! Alas, I can't say I remember "PrimeMenu".

Indeed, the CD I found was the one with the TT demo on, which got me started on this whole thing in the first place!

I've just been up in the loft and found the CD, but I have a dentist's appointment now (bleugh) so I'll look at it later.

EDIT: Back now, and have a sudden urge to install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox. Don't quite know why I haven't done it already, but I'll look at the CD after I've done that (you'd think it wouldn't take too long to install on a modern hard drive. )

[jonty-comp]

Bah, I can't find a PrimeMenu on this CD. I'm still sure I know it from somewhere though! I used to have a few more, but I think I chucked them away because most of the stuff was on this one CD.

Coincidentally its menu does look a lot like your mockup, but it's a Windows program.

[MasterNnja]

That's too bad...

What other programs are there in the "DOS menu programs" section?

[Wile E. Coyote]

I really never heard about Prime Menu, only similar DOS program I know is Norton Commander.

[MasterNnja]

I really never heard about Prime Menu, only similar DOS program I know is Norton Commander.

Yes, Norton Commander was awesome, however I don't think it's very similar to PrimMenu... it's the same difference like between the Program Manager and File Manager in Windows 3.1.