Help: Get DOS SP I, II, III To Run Under Win'98

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Sat May 20, 2000 10:42 am

Sorry if I'm a bit off topic - but I could sure use your expertise here, guys

My problem: I can play the oroginal Steel Panthers I, II, and III on my computer without the sound. But when I configure the sound, the game screens just melt away. Is this a commmon occurrence? Is there a simple remedy? I have heard that Win'98 does not like DOS games.

My system: PII 350, 128MB RAM, Voodoo3 2000 video card, Creative Live! 128 sound card, and of course Win'98.

Can anyone here help me? I would greatly appreciate it. I sure do miss playing my Steel Panther games. It just isn't the same without the sound, you know...

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

Wittmann44 · Post by **Wittmann44** » Sat May 20, 2000 11:42 am

I am not sure what you mean by the games just melt away. Could you be a bit more descriptive of the behavior of the machine?

Does the Dos window close suddenly, with no warning? Does the game hang, freeze the mouse pointer, garble the graphics? Are you loading the VESA drivers when you run SP1?

Are you using default settings for the sound card? Are you using non-standard settings in Windows. What IRQ setting for your sound card, what memory address, and what DMA channel? When you configure sound, does the Auto detect work?

I have had no trouble with SP2 or SP3 under Win98. I don't play SP1 because I don't much like the limitations of small battlegroups. I much prefer to have a large force, especially since I rarely get to play defense, I most often have to attack. Small battlegroups do not acheive success over entrenched defenders without high casualties, mostly due to time limit.

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Sat May 20, 2000 7:14 pm

Thanks for your reply. It's encouraging to know that they can be played under Win'98.

What happens is: the game runs fine without the sound, but when I configure the in-game sound to operate with soundblaster compatible sound cards, that's when things happen. The introduction starts fine, but the moment I try to start a game, the game freezes, the screen images are scrambled, and there are just weird colours on the screen.

In start-up, there is a check mark next to: BLASTER= (and then a set of numbers appear next). I unchecked this setting, re-started my computer, but Win'98 keeps loading that "BLASTER=" setting.

I have a feeling that there is probably something very simple that I can do to remedy the situation, but I simply don'tknow what that is without screwing around with my system (I am NO techie

).

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

DEF_BUNGIS · Post by **DEF_BUNGIS** » Sat May 20, 2000 8:31 pm

VON ROM;

Look back a couple of threads.
There is a post I made reguarding your problem.
Wild Bill, gives an E-MAIL address for a technical expert for SP sound problems.
Hope this helps and good luck.

P.S. I just ckecked, the thread is "looking for a little tech support".
It is on the very first page of the BBS.

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Better to make the wrong decision than be the sorry son of a bitch to scared to make one at all.

[This message has been edited by DEF_BUNGIS (edited 05-20-2000).]

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Sat May 20, 2000 8:34 pm

Von Rom,

What command are you using to start your SP games. How do you start them...with a shortcut from Win98 is the best way. Do you know how to do this.

When you configure your sound with setsound.exe, does the computer accept it?

Do you have Win98 on your computer?

Let me know the answers to these questions and we'll go from there.

Wild Bill

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Sat May 20, 2000 11:14 pm

Thanks Wild Bill:

First let me say how much I appreciate the amount of work you and your fellow raiders have put into your website, the wargames, scenarios and articles that you done. Simply amazing!

And when I see the great games being put out by Matrix - I can't believe it. Maybe another Rennaisance in wargaming? And I intend to buy the computer magazine that will have SPWAW on its CD when it comes out this summer

Woohoo!

Now to my problem:

1) I have Win'98

2) When I configure the sound using the setsound.exe command, it does accept the settings.

3) I have tried starting the game with the short-cut - still the same thing happens; namely, everything works fine at the intro, but then the screen freezes and the colours all run together.

4) I have tried the following:

* using NO sound - same problem (screen freezes, colours run together)

* placed settings at 256 colours and at 800x600 display - nada

* disabled the screen-saver and anti-virus software - ditto - same problem

* I tried starting the game in DOS mode - same thing: intro works fine - and then screen freezes, and colours run with streaks running length-wise across the top of the screen.

The funny thing is that SP I, II, and III used to work fine on my system. Then I re-formatted my hard drive and re-installed everything - and now I cannot run DOS games (D'oh). There obviously must be a setting or command that I need to have in order to allow these games to run - but so far that has eluded me.

I sure hope you can find the problem. Thanks for all of your help

PS: I hope that there may be way of making Windows versions of the SP series. Now that would be awesome

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

[This message has been edited by Von Rom (edited 05-20-2000).]

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Sun May 21, 2000 2:20 am

Okay, let's see.

The shortcut, is it one you made or did the setup program make it?

Look inside the shortcut to each game. Do that by right-clicking on the shortcut icon and choosing properties.

Then click on program and set it to full screen and exit on close.

Did you modify the shortcut at all previously?

And what command does each shortcut use as a start up command.

Which games does this affect, SP, SP2, SP3? All of them?

If this is the case, it may be something in your computer configuration which I could not help you with.

We'll go from here. I hope I can help.

I run all three in Win98 and have never had a problem. I have compaq, 700m, 128meg ram, video card, etc.

Standing by, and glad to assist if I can..WB

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Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Sun May 21, 2000 5:14 am

Wild Bill:

You won't believe this (I can't believe it) - but that is EXACTLY what the problem was! All three SP games now play perfectly! With sound! All I had to do was click on the properties tab from the short-cut menu and select "maximize" screen and "Full size" screen from two areas and presto! It works

It was that simple - yet I thought I'd never be able to play my treasured SP games again - now I'll be able download those great SP scenarios and modpacks you have on your raider site - Woohoo! I haven't been able to play these games for 7 months! All because I didn't place a check mark in a little box - amazing - what would we do without technology

Thank you Wild Bill - you have made an additional fan and a re-born SP player - This is the kind of help and support the "other" companies can only dream about - I am with you and Matrix all the way...

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

[This message has been edited by Von Rom (edited 05-20-2000).]

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Sun May 21, 2000 1:40 pm

My pleasure, Von Rom!

I know well the pain of having a game you love sitting helplessly on the computer without being able to play it.

Its very thrilling to know that the problem was found and resolved.

Enjoy my friend.

God help us at Matrix if we ever forget the gamer! If I have anything to do with it, we never will.

Wild Bill

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Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

Sabot Scott · Post by **Sabot Scott** » Tue May 23, 2000 1:36 am

Originally posted by Wild Bill:
My pleasure, Von Rom!

I know well the pain of having a game you love sitting helplessly on the computer without being able to play it.

Its very thrilling to know that the problem was found and resolved.

Enjoy my friend.

God help us at Matrix if we ever forget the gamer! If I have anything to do with it, we never will.

Wild Bill

First, thanks so much for a great game (SPWAW), the graphics and sound are nothing less than amazing. I read with great excitement your notes to von Rom re: SP and SPII on win98. I had given up on ever playing these games again and switched to SPWWII. I too am having problems with my Gateway, pentII 350 with win 98 and SB card. I can't play campaigns (the games crash at the end of a scenario) the music overpowers the sound fx and I can't get the nation labels to go away. I tried the fix that worked for von Rom but it didn't work. I miss my Apaches! Can you suggest anything else that I might try? Thank you again for SPWAW.

Scott - "Old soldiers never die, your mom just gives them away."