Important Notice
The pages on this site contain documentation for very old MS-DOS software,
purely for historical purposes.
If you're looking for up-to-date documentation, particularly for programming,
you should not rely on the information found here, as it will be woefully
out of date.
Screen Modes
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──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The following table summarizes screen modes:
──────────MDPA, CGA, Hercules, Olivetti, EGA, VGA, or MCGA Adapters───────────
SCREEN 0: Text mode only
■ 40 x 25, 40 x 43, 40 x 50, 80 x 25, 80 x 43, or 80 x 50 text format,
8 x 8 character box (8 x 14, 9 x 14, or 9 x 16 with EGA or VGA)
■ 16 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with CGA or EGA)
■ 64 colors assigned to any of 16 attributes (with EGA or VGA)
■ Depending on the text resolution and adapter, 8 video memory pages
(0-7), 4 pages (0-3), 2 pages (0-1), or 1 page (0)
───────────────────────CGA, EGA, VGA, or MCGA Adapters────────────────────────
SCREEN 1: 320 x 200 graphics
■ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
■ 16 background colors and one of two sets of 3 foreground colors
assigned using COLOR statement with CGA
■ 16 colors assigned to 4 attributes with EGA or VGA
■ 1 video memory page (0)
SCREEN 2: 640 x 200 graphics
■ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
■ 16 colors assigned to 2 attributes with EGA or VGA
■ 1 video memory page (0)
─────────────────────Hercules, Olivetti, or AT&T Adapters─────────────────────
SCREEN 3: Hercules adapter required, monochrome monitor only
■ 720 x 348 graphics
■ 80 x 25 text format, 9 x 14 character box
■ Usually 2 video memory pages (0-1); 1 page (0) if a second color
display adapter is installed
■ PALETTE statement not supported
■ Invoke the Hercules driver MSHERC.COM before using screen mode 3
SCREEN 4:
■ Supports Olivetti Personal Computers models M24, M240, M28, M280,
M380, M380/C, and M380/T and AT&T Personal Computers 6300 series
■ 640 x 400 graphics
■ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 16 character box
■ 1 of 16 colors assigned as the foreground color (selected by the
COLOR statement); background is fixed at black
■ 1 video memory page (0)
■ PALETTE statement not supported
─────────────────────────────EGA or VGA Adapters──────────────────────────────
SCREEN 7: 320 x 200 graphics
■ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
■ Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
■ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 2 video memory pages (0-1); otherwise,
8 pages (0-7)
SCREEN 8: 640 x 200 graphics
■ 80 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
■ Assignment of 16 colors to any of 16 attributes
■ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise,
4 pages (0-3)
SCREEN 9: 640 x 350 graphics
■ 80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
■ 16 colors assigned to 4 attributes (64K adapter memory), or
64 colors assigned to 16 attributes (more than 64K adapter memory)
■ If 64K EGA adapter memory, 1 video memory page (0); otherwise,
2 pages (0-1)
─────────────────EGA or VGA Adapters, Monochrome Monitor Only─────────────────
SCREEN 10: 640 x 350 graphics, monochrome monitor only
■ 80 x 25 or 80 x 43 text format, 8 x 14 or 8 x 8 character box
■ Up to 9 pseudocolors assigned to 4 attributes
■ 2 video memory pages (0-1), 256K adapter memory required
─────────────────────────────VGA or MCGA Adapters─────────────────────────────
Screen 11 (VGA or MCGA)
■ 640 x 480 graphics
■ 80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
■ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 2 attributes
■ 1 video memory page (0)
Screen 12 (VGA)
■ 640 x 480 graphics
■ 80 x 30 or 80 x 60 text format, 8 x 16 or 8 x 8 character box
■ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 16 attributes
■ 1 video memory page (0)
Screen 13 (VGA or MCGA)
■ 320 x 200 graphics
■ 40 x 25 text format, 8 x 8 character box
■ Assignment of up to 256K colors to 256 attributes
■ 1 video memory page (0)
See Also ◄SCREEN Statement►