Games won't work under W2K

[areid 0]

I am trying to run Star Wars Racer under W2K, (AMD Athlon 1G, 128Mb) but with no success.

 

If I look at the game's analysis listing it thinks that it's running on an NT machine, so I tried using the compatibility utility APCompat.exe that came with W2K. If I Selecting the Win95 or Win98 option and try

and launch the game, I get a "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library" error message as follows...

 

"MSVCRT.DLL for Win32

Error: MSVCRT.DLL is not compatible with Win32s"

 

If I ignore this message (probably not wise) and launch the game I get a blue thermometer moving across the bottom of a black screen (program loading, I guess), then the pc reboots!

 

(What is the purpose of the MSVCRT.DLL file? Is there another version of this file I should be using (mine is c:\winnt\system32, dated 07/12/99 12:00)? How can I get around this problem? I've looked on the W2K cd and there are three versions of this file, one in d:\I386, one in d:\I386\WIN9XUPG and one in d:\I386\WINNTUPG. Which one of these should be the installed one? I tried to overwrite it with a more up-to-date version I had on my NT machine, but it wouldn't take it ("Cannot create or replace MSVCRT: The specified file is being used by Windows"). I'm probably barking up the wrong tree here...)

 

APCompat has other checkbox options...

Disable heap manager on Windows 2000.

Use pre-Windows 2000 Temp path.

Correct disk space detection for "-GB+ drives.

make the above check nox settings permanent.

 

The problem is I don't know which ones I should check - the Help facility is non-existent!

 

I downloaded MSFT W2K compatibility toolkit and tried using QFixApp.exe instead of APCompat.exe, but this has so many fix options that I don't know which one(s) to use!

 

I have DirectX 7.0 installed - Racer comes with DirectX 6.1. Could that be the problem? As well as the OS, do I need to fool Racer into thinking that it is running under an earlier version of DirectX? If so, how?

 

Other more recent games are running ok on W2K (those that say they will run ok on NT and run on DirectX 7 or higher).

 

I have seen on compatiblity lists that Star Wars Racer can run under W2K. If only I could find out what it needs to get running on my pc... Any help would be appreciated.

 

TIA

Alan

[Brian Frank 0]

First thing, get a patch off AMD's site for T-Birds and Durons under Win2k. There's supposed to be some issue with these processors and games. Try that, the patch is only a few hundred K.

[CUViper 0]

Quote:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by areid:
If I look at the game's analysis listing it thinks that it's running on an NT machine...</font>

did it say that it can't run on NT? Remember, Windows 2000 is basically NT5, so it may not be a problem if the game identifies NT. You make it sound like you immediately went to apcompat, without even trying it first....

[areid 0]

CUViper, thanks for the reply.

 

> did it say that it can't run on NT? Remember, Windows 2000 is basically NT5, so it may not be a problem if the game identifies NT. You make it sound like you immediately went to apcompat, without even trying it first....<

 

I did try it first, but without sucess. Someone on another forum suggested I try APCompat.exe, again without success. I solved the problem in the end by downloading the latest driver for my ATI Rage Pro card.

 

Regards,

Alan

[areid 0]

Quote:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Brian Frank:
First thing, get a patch off AMD's site for T-Birds and Durons under Win2k. There's supposed to be some issue with these processors and games. Try that, the patch is only a few hundred K.</font>

Brian, thanks for the reply.
Downloaded and installed a AGP patch for W2K from the AMD website. Didn't make any difference. However, downloading the latest graphics driver from the ATI website did the trick.

Alan

[areid 0]

AlecStaar - thanks for the reply.

 

>On the Cd-Rom... find this file!

Under \Support\DEBUG\

(use the SETWIN95.CMD)<

 

Found the file - what's the syntax to launch the game with it on my W2K machine?

 

Regards,

Alan

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by areid (edited 11 February 2001).]

[CUViper 0]

you're right apk - to use setwin95.cmd, you just run "setwin95 program.exe" once, and from then on that program will think it's running under win95....

[areid 0]

AlecStaar, thanks for the reply

 

>But, have you tried apcompat.exe?<

Yes, tried that, but if I select to launch an app under Win98 or Win95 I get the error message...

 

"MSVCRT.DLL for Win32

Error: MSVCRT.DLL is not compatible with Win32s"

 

Any idea where I can get a compatible version of this file?

 

>(Just so you know, apply those 'hotfixes', they may help you on a particular app!)<

 

Sorry, what hotfixes are these. If you are referring to QFixApp.exe that comes with the MSFT toolkit there are so many options that I don't know which fixes to apply. Any ideas?

 

Regards,

Alan

[areid 0]

>http://www.windowsupdate.com<

http://solo.abac.com/dllarchive/index.html<

 

I'll check out these sites - many thanks.

 

Alan

[sarvm72 0]

areid,

 

I've been trying to get Masters of Orion II(Win 95 version) to run using apcompat.exe and have been getting the same error message:

 

"MSVCRT.DLL for Win32 Error: MSVCRT.DLL is not compatible with Win32s"

 

I think you mention below that downloading the latest ATI driver fixed the problem - is that all that was needed to fix it?

 

Thanks.

[OLEerror 0]

Probably. Check to be sure you are running the newest video and sound drivers available for your system. I run MoO2 without any problems on my Win2000 system. Well, aside from it occassionally locking the mouse. But you can fix that by pressing ESC when it happens.

 

And you shouldn't need to run apcompat to get it to work. I never have.

[Nemios 0]

Has anyone of you tried APCOMPAT or other tricks with X-Wing 95 and TIE Fighter 95? I'd like to install Win2000 but I still want to play these games and the others in X-Wing Trilogy (just bought).

 

Probably it is not the right place, but the message about X-Wing 95 compatibility in Win2000 is wrongly in the HARDWARE compatibility list!!!

[areid 0]

>I think you mention below that downloading the latest ATI driver fixed the problem - is that all that was needed to fix it?<

 

In my case, yes, that was all that was needed to get Star-Wars racer running.

 

However, I would still like to get to the bottom of the "MSVCRT.DLL for Win32 Error: MSVCRT.DLL is not compatible with Win32s"

problem. Anyone got any ideas?

 

TIA

Alan

[areid 0]

Quote:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by OLEerror:
Probably. Check to be sure you are running the newest video and sound drivers available for your system. I run MoO2 without any problems on my Win2000 system. Well, aside from it occassionally locking the mouse. But you can fix that by pressing ESC when it happens.

And you shouldn't need to run apcompat to get it to work. I never have.</font>

Many thanks for the info.

Regards,
Alan

[arrythedog 0]

I've seen the same behaviour from Populous: The Beginning.

 

The retail (v1.00) and patched (v1.01) versions both fail to launch until Win2k - the process briefly appears in the task manager, then exits without anything appearing on the screen. However, the demo version works - go figure!

 

Running under AppCompat results in exactly the same error message: a messagebox containing the text "MSVCRT.DLL for Win32. Error: MSVCRT.DLL is not compatible with Win32s", followed by a crash (it takes out AppCompatt too).

 

I can cast a little bit of light on this (I'm a Win32 developer), though I'm afraid I don't have a solution.

 

MSVCRT.DLL is the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library shipped with (at least) Visual C++ versions 4.0 through to 6.0, and packaged as an OS component in most 32 bit versions of Windows. It's a protected file under Win2k and WinXP. I can say with a fair degree of confidence that replacing this file with a newer version will not help (I'm running Win2k SP2 with Visual C++ 6.0 SP4).

 

Win32s was a way of running 32 bit code on Windows 3.1 - in effect a port of a subset of the Win32 API to Windows 3.1. I'm inclined to think that this error message is a side effect of the real problem (whatever that is), since the game in question isn't available under Windows 3.1 - it's targetted at Win95/98 with DirectX 6.

 

Anybody out there got any ideas?

[ConQueso 0]

Dude.

 

Use QFixApp. And get DirectX 8.1. All the fixes? That's what layers are about, click a layer, it'll set default fixes. Then you can change one or two if need be.

 

Read this thread:

http://www.ntcompatible.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=18028&highlight=racer

 

Let me know if you have any more difficulties running Racer. (except the solid color screen issue, still don't have that one COMPLETELY fixed.

[ConQueso 0]

Alan,

 

Is there a reason you haven't upgraded to DirectX 8.1? Also, do you have Service Pack 2 installed for Win2000? I think the latest Apcompat needs SP2 (whether to be fully functional or prior to install, I don't know)

 

I DO know that the only way I could get the game to run was using QFixApp, (the other compatibility modes (modifying shortcut properties, etc.) didn't work) and since my joysticks are Win2000 compatible, I had to uncheck EmulateJoystick to get them to work.

 

About not knowing all the "Fixes" to check, simply click on an OS under the "Layers" tab in QFixApp, and it will check and uncheck default settings for simulating that OS. Then, you need only check or uncheck exceptions you think might apply to the specific game.

 

Maybe this isn't the cause of the problem, but from what I've experienced, the game didn't run well until after I installed DX8.1 and _only_ ran when using QFixApp.

 

And if you have problems with the solid screen color bug (if you do get it running), read the posts in the link in my prior post above.

[Ranulf 0]

ConQueso, I tried QFixApp to get racer to run but it is still a no go. It just either goes to a black screen or shows the blue loading bar then a top window bar blinks for a second, goes back to a black fullscreen then drops to desktop.

 

Im running with asus' latest released drivers 6.49 (maybe a year old?) for a geforce1 and a blaster live card. Sp2 is installed also. Any idea on what to try next? TIA

[ConQueso 0]

Double check here to be sure you've tried what's listed.

 

Specifically, try getting DX8.1 if you don't have it already.

 

Make sure that you make a custom fix (click the advanced tab in QFixApp, (read the above link for more details) for the SWEP1RCR.EXE file, and then run the game with the RACER.EXE shortcut. Keep QFixApp running.

 

Try enabling and disabling EmulateJoystick to figure out which works best with your joystick.

 

Maybe check for the latest WHQL certified drivers for your vid card.

[Ranulf 0]

Thanks. I got it to work using the latest nvidia drivers without having to mess with qfixapp

[ConQueso 0]

Just in case you didn't know and have been having some slight bugginess, Ranulf, LucasArts released to fix files

 

http://www.ntcompatible.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23597

[Timo 0]

The Problem Black-Screen after the Video is with the nwe Driver Nvidia 52.16 over.

The Game Run now.

 

Loock there http://www.forum.meyer-franke.de.vu/viewtopic.php?t=43

[scchicago 0]

Many old point and click games from LucasArts use an engine called SCUMM for their games. I was unable to play my old LucasArts games until I found SCUMMVM. It works really well, i would recommend it.

[www.bart5986.tk 0]

populous can be fixed by going to http://www.populous-revolution.tk and downloading the new patch

[www.bart5986.tk 0]

Go to http://www.populouschat.tk and sign up its the best populous forum! go there for help or go to for your ultimate populous resourcehttp://www.populous-revolution.tk