ConQueso

Just bumping this one, as I was recently informed by DosFreak of the more powerful PCI cards now out on the market. SnapperOne, please re-read my post above if you haven't already.

Do you have the latest patches/fixes for windows from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com ?

Q: How safe is it to do any of the stuff below? A: Nothing is technically 100% safe. Use these FAQ suggestions at your own risk. If you are using a work computer, contact a system administrator--preferably one who won't get you fired for gaming at work. In the workplace don't install and/or run any game or program without prior authorized permission. Q: I have a voodoo card and am trying to get a game running that requires DirectX 8 / 8.1 / 9. My problems seem to be video related. What should I do? A: IMHO, get a new graphics card. 3dfx isn't releasing any more drivers, so more and more future games will have problems with these cards. Though there are third party drivers (use at your own risk). Q: My game says it's compatible with my operating system, but doesn't run correctly. What should I do? A: Many games require administrator level OS access. Also, double check to make sure that your system meets or exceeds all applicable system requirements, usually on the bottom or lower backside of the games packaging. If you try using the application compatibility toolkit (see below) you need to be logged in with administrator privileges. Also, go to Windows Update (then click product updates) and check to see if there are new drivers out for your computer setup. Also try checking any "readme" file, or going to the game's official website or the game's publisher's website, and searching for information about the game, usually under "support". Q: Is there any program that lists my systems specs? A: The DirectX Diagnostic Tool should list most relevant specs. It's also usefull for diagnosing any problems you might have with game relevant files such as video, audio, network and input drivers. To use this tool, click start, then run, then type DXDIAG and click OK. Click on the tabs from System to Network, and look for "No problems found" under the notes section of each page. Troubleshooting is available under the "More Help" tab, if need be. Q: My game (made for Windows 95/98/ME) won't run in Windows 2000/XP. I've downloaded the latest compatibility update from Windows Update and it still won't work. How do I get it to run? A: Read this answer in its entirety before attempting a fix. First, go here and search for your game by clicking on the first letter of your game title underneath "Games - Index 0-9". Find your game and take note of suggestions. Be careful to note listings only dealing with your Operating System (OS), and to seach for multiple listings, as some games are listed more than once for the same OS. If that didn't help, try looking for the latest patch for your game, from the game maker's/publisher's website. If that didn't help to get the game running, download ACT (Application Compatiblity Toolkit) version 1.5 for Win2000 or version 2.0 for XP, or version 2.6 if you have SP1 for XP or SP3 for W2K. Log on as a user with administrator access. Install ACT and then run QFixApp (Click Start>Programs>Application Compatibility Toolkit>QFixApp). In the QFixApp window, click Browse and then find the game's executable file, click on it, and then click open. Now click on Win98 or Win95 (win 98 preferably) and then click run. If there are still problems, keep reading... Q: How do I know if I've selected the correct executable file? A: Find the Shortcut to the game on your desktop or by clicking start, then programs... It should read "Play [game title]" or just be the name of the game. Right click this shortcut and left click "Properties" in the window that pops up. Note the file listed in the "Target:" box, this is the one you will need to enter in QFixApp. Q: How do I get my joystick/gamepad to work? (it tests fine after calibration). A: Before you click "Run" in QFixApp (part of ACT), click on the "Fixes" tab and then change the setting (probably to unchecked) of the box left of "EmulateJoystick" (scroll down on the list to find it). Then run the game and try using the joystick. Q: My game runs fine, except the keys seem to stick for a couple seconds, and/or the mouse has major delay. A: Try checking the games' executable file's process priority. Launch game, and hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete (all at the same time), and then click Task manager. In task manager, click the Processes tab, right click on the game's executable file, and move your mouse over the "Set Priorty" in prompt that appears. Most games run best in "normal" priority. If above or below normal, input device's response can have significant delay. Q: How do I know what the checked fixes in QFixApp do? A: Click the name of the fix (not the check box) and read the description below. Q: I've gotten the game to work. But is there any way I can run it without always browsing for the game and changing the fixes everytime before I load the game? or: Q: I think I need to have compatiblility for more than 1 executable file simulateously (i.e. a launch file and game file). How do I do this? A: Get QFixApp configured to what makes the game run correctly, then, instead of clicking run, click advanced and then create fix support. Do this for any additional files as necessary. Now, all you need to do is launch QFixApp (and keep it running), and then click the file's shortcut, and QFixApp will use the compatibility fix settings for each file automatically. Remember to remove a fix using ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS before making a new fix for a file that already has fix support (it'll be listed as a custom database). Q: The game works, but the sound is bad. What can I do? A: Try setting your sound configuration (in the game) to its simplest settings (ie, no 3D sound, etc.) If that doesn't work, try this: Click Start, Run, type in DXDIAG, click OK, Click the Sound tab, slide the acceleration adjustment to all the way to the left. If this works, try exiting the game, launching DXDIAG and sliding sound acceleration one notch to the right. Keep doing this until the sound is bad, then launch DXDIAG and slide the acceleration back one to the left. Then readjust the in-game sound settings. For optimal performance, slide this all the way to the right for other games and applications. Also, see if your sound card manufacturer has updated drivers. If so, installing them may let you use full acceleration. The game works, but the video is all weird. What now? Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click Display, (in new window) click the Settings tab, Click Advanced, (in new window) click Troubleshooting tab, and you'll see the acceleration slider. Slide the slider all the way to the left so that there is no hardware video acceleration. Click OK to close this window and the other display window. Run the game. If the game looks normal, quit the game and slide the acceleration slider one notch to the right, and try the game again. Repeat until the game looks weird. Then slide the acceleration slider one notch to the left (back to the most acceleration that let the game run correctly) and take note of where the slider needs to be to run the game. For other games/applications you'll likely want full hardware acceleration, if so, set it to full, and lower it only to play problematic games. If this does not solve the problem, set the slider all the way back to the right, or try tweaking the fixes settings while keeping acceleration disabled. If you get the game to work properly, slowly raise acceleration as mentioned above. If not, remember to turn it acceleration back to where it was, so that all your other games will run optimally. Q: I have a question not listed in or solved by the information above. What do I do? A: Check the readme.txt file that game with the game for possible fixes and look for the official game's website for more help under support. Look for other questions I've posted below. This message is getting to long for me to add to, so I must post additional questions in separate posts. Also, try reading the answers to all of the questions as such info may give clues or solutions to problems you might not have thought applied. Also, run a search (click search to the right of "NT COMPATIBLE MESSAGE FORUM" above) for your game title and/or specific problem, using only key words. The solution may be in another forum thread. Q: I've searched the forums, and didn't find any info that solved the problem. A: Post a _new_ thread--_not_ a reply to this thread--in the appropriate forum. Give plenty of detail about the problem, the system specifications of the computer, and what you've already tried to solve it. Q: DUDE! The game works fine, now. Anything else I can do, dude? A: If there is game specific advice that you figured out that might save someone the time of going through this general FAQ a post on what the problem was and how to fix it would likely be appreciated by others who might have the same problem. A thanks below would be cool, too Q: Why didn't Microsoft release ACT on the W2K disk? A: I guess they didn't have their act together on time. Thanks to all those who've helped me and others here at NTCompatible. If anyone wants to know who contributed, well, uh, search the forums for when I was asking the questions. Those answering them contributed

Thanks for the heads-up. I've edited the GPU/PCI Q&A.

Quote: ...Now all I have to do is find a video card that solves most, if not all the problems I'm having... Thanks for the feedback. You're welcome. As for the video card upgrade, (though I'm not sure if it will solve most of the problems) if you don't have an AGP slot, I'd suggest a GeForce4 MX graphics card like this one for around $50, or a GeForce FX 5200 PCI like this one for around $100. If you do have an AGP slot, well, you have many more options.

Installing an older version of DirextX over a new one is a bad thing. Always check in install programs that they do not install an old directX. Sometimes all this requires is that you uncheck the DX box (as in the Unreal Engine games build 436 and earlier). If your uncertain whether to install DX or not, don't. It's a lot easier to install it later than fix the mess that results from installing the old on top of the new. About the compatibility, try my FAQ.

Try my FAQ.

Does anyone know if it has any new fixes that might make previously unplayable or buggy games work properly? Or does it just change the interface or something non-essenctial in regards to compatibility? ;(

Just ordered a few copies of C2! For some reason, sometimes AltTab works, and sometimes not. It seems to close better when launched with QFixApp in XP... Sound is a bit glitchy, at least on this NF1 APU sytem, treble gets too strong for some reason. I'll have to compensate with the EQ, or try lesser Audio HW accel. Thanks again!

Quote: Except for the messed up menu's the game seems to work with emulated Glide and the joystick!. Dude, DosFreak. Seriously. Listen carefully. YOU ROCK! And to the makers of OpenGLide: YOU ROCK! And to think I was just about to settle for C3's Multiplayer! Now I gotta buy a few more copies of C2! Can't wait to play multiplayer! (which I tested, just to be sure, and it works as well!) So this joystick/HW Graphics glitch is limited to D3D i take it? Interesting... It has some issues in XP (haven't patched it, should I dare try?) when you exit, the start bar doesn't want to come back. I have to CtrlAltDel to reboot. Doesn't do this on my 2K system though. Oh, and I'm using OpenGLide .08 Final, which are you using? I tried the .09rc5 or something and it didn't show textures, just solid colors. .08 Final seems to be good enough though. It's too bad most of (if not all) the big C2 sites are gone... Let me know if you discover any tips. I've got one already. In XP, If C2 looks like it crashed, and isn't listed on the start bar, you can often get right back in the game by bringing up the Task Manager, highlighting it under apps tab, and selecting switch to. Once again, you rock! Thank you.

Thanks, DosFreak. You've spared me from once again trying to install Carmageddon 2 and failing to get it running in 640x480 with joystick support. I realize I could do a dual boot, but the problem with that is I'd like to get the game running for multiplayer porposes. And as my friends are also running OSs better than WinME, there's little reason to bother with it. I've heard C3 plays well enough, but isn't as good a game. I just don't get why it can be played in hardware 3D, can be played in Software 3D with joystick support, but cannot be played with HW 3D with joystick support. Too bad there's no resolution selection for SW 3D, I wouldn't mind playing it with not so good graphics so long as the resolution was above 512x384.

Anyone know anything about this game? Here's the cool part: you can play multiplayer, one person the pilot, the other person the copilot of the same helicopter. The problem is that for some reason, the pilot HUD isn't showing the direction of the copilot's aim. This indicator is locked to the center mark of the crafts heading. In single player, when pilot is in TADS mode, the pilot has this carot indicate the directon the gunner is looking so he can tell which way to point should the gunner want to use any missile/rocket weapons. It also shows a croshair of exactly where the gunner is looking. Has anyone else experienced this bug? Both computers (XP and 2K) have all the latest winupdates: critical, recommended, and latest drivers as well, and have patched the game. Have tried with TCP/IP and IPX. I'm guessing it's most likely a game glitch, but who knows. Anyone have any ideas? Anyone even played this game? It's an excellent game for coop multiplayer, except for this little bug.

Interesting. On my system (W2KSP3), the game doesn't have this problem, and my desktop is higher than 1024x768.

Try my FAQ.

Tried ACT?

I'm using a GeForce3 with the 40.72 drivers. Haven't updated to the latest drivers on my W2K machine, as I need to ensure compatibility on that system, and 40.72 are the latest WHQL certified. Also, I'm still using DirectX8.1 on that system. Perhaps you could try lowering the HW acceleration under Display>Settings>Advanced>troubleshoot temporarilty to see if that helps.

All that I did to get SS2 to work in W2KSP3 was this: Start>run> [CDdriveLetter]:\setup -LGNTFORCE Then ran the patch found here: http://www.irrational-games.com/shock2/files/shkpatch.exe That was it. If this doesn't work, let us know: The graphics card you have installed The drivers you have running for said card I would also suggest doing a full install, that way the CD isn't used as much past the initial "Xerxes verification".

Try my FAQ. ACT might be able to get it running. Details are in the FAQ.

When you say flickering, do you mean: The screen appears to be turning on and off rapidly or Everyting seems to be shifted in unmatches thin horizontal lines or The sky has rainbow colored flickering trianguls ? If the latter, check for the latest video card drivers, game updates, relevant W2K updates, and if all else fails try turning off pedestrians. If the middle one, try lowering game resolution and/or monitor refresh rates.

I'd suggest sticking with a wired mouse. No lag, no wasting money on batteries, no wasting money on the more expensive mouse, less batteries with their toxic chemicals that get trashed, and corded mice weigh less, which is better for gaming. I suggest the MS Intellimouse Optical. 5 buttons, scroll wheel, not terribly expensive, and has a sampling rate of 6000 scans per second, 3 times faster than most optical mice. This eliminates the erratic pointer movement caused by fast mouse movement. Can't stand ball mice anymore. Other than the higher resolution of the boomerslang mouse (which isn't worth it anyways with the inconsistancy of a ball mouse), I can't think of a single reason why ball mice are better. For more on the topic, try this thread: http://www.ntcompatible.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20275

Quote: ...I finally got Carmageddon 2 to work in XP (might work in W2k now too with this fix). I followed the fixes on this site to no avail. That was..Until, in a moment of madness I unplugged my USB gamepad devices, and lo and behold the bladdy thing works... ...Only bad thing is that I ahve to play Carmageddon with keys I've gotten this result as well, but noticed playing in software mode allows use of USB joysticks. The only problem with that though is that I could only get software mode to run at 320x240 or something. Might there be any way to get software mode to run at 640x480 or better? Anyone?

Did the patch or turning of pedestrians work? Turning off peds in one of the MM demos resolved the rainbow sharded sky.

Try this.

Easily System Shock 2. If you can't take my word for it, how about PC Gamer naming it the Scariest PC game ever. Though, you might want to work your way up to playing SS2, using the other, less scary games listed above.

Try this.