Run All Old WC Games in DOSBox Walkthrough

Also note that by a limitation of the FAT file system it is only possible to save 256 files into the root directory of a hard disk. Therefore you should never install stuff into c:\, d:\, ... but always into a subdirectory. This might also be the case for subdirectories mounted as roots via dosbox.
 
Wing Commander 3 Problem

Hey everyone,

Sorry if I missed an answer to my question from the previous posts. But I am trying to play Wing Commander 3 through DosBox 0.73. So far I've had no luck.

The installation program for WC3 warns about my CD-ROM drive being too fast. It also mentions that the Dos 6+ version of Smartdrv or some other CD-ROM Cache Software may be present.

When I finish copying all of the game files to the hard drive, I try to run the game. I get an error saying that the game couldn't load because of a bad CD-ROM read. It suggests I load the game from a previous save file (which I do not have).

I just tried copying the files over from the game's Disc 1 to the harddrive. That did not work.

My email is myrmidon_531@hotmail.com . Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!
 
AD said:
Ok I was reading up on some older (say... 8 years old) threads, and it appears that the "failed to load origin fx drivers" error happens when you copy the directory to the harddrive and for some reason the directory is set to read-only.

In windows, find the directory where you copied wing2 to and right click it and then click properties. Then make sure you clear the read-only box. Double check the game files too.

Then go back into dosbox and run the installer again and then hopefully the game will work.
Click to expand...

Hey, long time, first time. You guys are awesome. Recently got the hankering for a good old-fashioned storyline play for some WC. Got SM2 downloaded (SM1 worked fine, and it was from the same site), and installed, no problem. When I got to play the game, I get the "Failed to load Origin-FX drivers" message. Checked all related game files, and none were marked read-only. WC1 and SM1 both still work fine (since I installed SM2). Not really sure what to do next. I'm relatively new to DOSBox, and haven't used DOS since...people stopped using DOS, and could use a hint, or anything, really. Thanks, guys. Again, you rock
 
Going over the old forum archives, it looks like a lot of people have had this problem with Wing Commander 2 (which, btw, works just fine. Special Ops 1 & 2, no probs). Unfortunately, none of the fixes seemed to work for Secret Missions 2. I turned the ems=false. Zilcho. I've tried installing it every way I can think of, (with no sound, changing the sound settings, changed the core=simple instead of auto. Even tried setting it to dynamic manually. I've learned soooooomuch about DOSBox in the past few days), and I can now make Secret Missions 2 do one of two things:

1) It says "Loading WING COMMANDER. Please Wait...
Expanded Memory Detected." Then it does nothing. Forever... OR

2) It says "Failed to Load Origin-FX Driver"

I've dug into DOSBox way deeper than I thought existed, and I want to thank everyone who posted in the past for helping me do that. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work for SM2. And I'm stuck, because I refuse to break the storyline... Ayuda, por favor
 
Okay, well, looking back, I thought maybe it would be helpful to post my dosbox.conf file here, minus the stuff after the #. Admittedly, I don't know what a lot of this stuff means. I tried changing the IRQ (it was something that was suggested). This configuration worked fine for me for WC1 and SM1, just not for SM2. I don't know why nobody's responded yet, I feel like maybe I posted this is the wrong spot...



[sdl]


fullscreen=false
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=original
windowresolution=original
output=surface
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper-0.74.map
usescancodes=true

[dosbox]

language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
memsize=16

[render]

frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x

[cpu]

core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=10
cycledown=20

[mixer]

nosound=false
rate=44100
blocksize=1024
prebuffer=20

[midi]

mpu401=intelligent
mididevice=default
midiconfig=

[sblaster]

sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
sbmixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplemu=default
oplrate=44100

[gus]


gus=false
gusrate=44100
gusbase=240
gusirq=5
gusdma=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]

pcspeaker=true
pcrate=44100
tandy=auto
tandyrate=44100
disney=true

[joystick]

joysticktype=auto
timed=true
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=false

[serial]

serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[dos]

xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=auto

[ipx]

ipx=false

[autoexec]
 
Alrighty. So, if I move the SM2 directory into the same directory as WC1, I get to a different problem. It no longer says "Failed to load Origin-FX drivers", nor does it stop when it gets to "Expanded Memory Detected". I thought maybe MAYBE it wasn't finding the Origin files because it wasn't looking in the right directory for them, so I made a copy of the WC1 files and put 'em in the SM2 folder. That gets me to this:

"Sorry, an error has occurred while allocating memory.
Please note the following information:
arrow.ega #0 (ERR 6 PS-1 LB352429 FL16) at LP4
Check your configuration. If this problem persists, please call Origin Systems' service line. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

That's a new one for me. I'll go digging around to see if anyone else has got here. If anyone has any thoughts on this matter, ideas, whatever. I'm not giving up, but at this point, I'm just guessing at stuff to try...
 
Alright. Now, it gets to the same point (Error Occurred Allocating Memory), but the file it references changes. Now it's CAMP.002 (instead of arrow.ega), which is actually a file in the GAMEDAT directory. I've tried getting another version of SM2, thinking maybe that file was corrupt. I now have 3 versions (not really sure where that 3rd one came from), and they all give me the same message about Allocating Memory, and all with the CAMP.002 file referenced. Loves me a challenge. Hopefully this is enough of one of somebody out there...
 
I did play SM2 a couple I years ago through DosBox with no problem. I'll check my old computer conf file.
 
capi3101 said:
Forgive me for asking a stupid question, but what version of DOSBox are you running?
Click to expand...

Currently running DOSBox 0.74. I have heard that some older versions may work better, but I've stopped just short of trying that out...

Stupid questions are my favorite kind, cuz I can usually answer them...
 
Quick question... did you install the game with MIDI as the sound option?

Even in dosbox it will often take a long time to start the game with MIDI music after the "Loading WING COMMANDER. Please Wait... Expanded Memory Detected." The game tries to load custom sounds or whatever it's doing. If you installed with MIDI (or roland MPU 401 or whatever it is) try switching it to soundblaster or digital music instead and see if that gets you past the loading message.
 
AD said:
Quick question... did you install the game with MIDI as the sound option?

Even in dosbox it will often take a long time to start the game with MIDI music after the "Loading WING COMMANDER. Please Wait... Expanded Memory Detected." The game tries to load custom sounds or whatever it's doing. If you installed with MIDI (or roland MPU 401 or whatever it is) try switching it to soundblaster or digital music instead and see if that gets you past the loading message.
Click to expand...

I've installed SM2 so many times now :-)
But, yeah, I've tried it with every different sound option (even no sound).

I've found that if I make my SM2 directory a sub-directory of WC, THEN I mount my c:\ as the directory with WC1, the a:\ or d:\ drives as the one with SM2, THEN access SM2 THROUGH the c:\ drive, I can get it to the screen that says:

"Sorry, an error occurred while reading from the disk.
Please note the following information:
camp.002 #0 (ERR 6 PS-1 LB371541 FL0) at LPN
Check your configuration. If this problem persists, please call Origin's service line. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Which is similar to the error I got before, except the file it references is different (camp.002 instead of arrow.ega) AND my previous error message said that an error occurred while "allocating memory", not "reading from the disk".

Are we having fun yet?
 
GBOOM said:
I've installed SM2 so many times now :)
But, yeah, I've tried it with every different sound option (even no sound).

I've found that if I make my SM2 directory a sub-directory of WC, THEN I mount my c:\ as the directory with WC1, the a:\ or d:\ drives as the one with SM2, THEN access SM2 THROUGH the c:\ drive, I can get it to the screen that says:

"Sorry, an error occurred while reading from the disk.
Please note the following information:
camp.002 #0 (ERR 6 PS-1 LB371541 FL0) at LPN
Check your configuration. If this problem persists, please call Origin's service line. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Which is similar to the error I got before, except the file it references is different (camp.002 instead of arrow.ega) AND my previous error message said that an error occurred while "allocating memory", not "reading from the disk".

Are we having fun yet?
Click to expand...

Quick add-on: this error message DOES get me past the "Expanded Memory Detected." problem. The game WANTS to load soooooo bad. It'll say "Expanded Memory Fully Used." Then a pause, just to tease me, then the error message
 
Hmm......

Okay, I just tried firing up SM2 on my DOSBox; came up without issue.

Compared your DOSBox configuration to mine...only differences I saw were these:

[cpu] core=normal (you've got core=auto)
[joystick] joysticktype=2axis (you've got joysticktype=auto)

You can try changing those real quick to see if you get a different result.

I also have my cycles defaulting to 6500, but that's more a preference for the types of DOSBox games I play. It's really too fast for WC; 2500's usually a value that gives you something close to a c1990 386. CIC recommends 4000 cycles and 0 frameskip, of course.
 
capi3101 said:
Hmm......

Okay, I just tried firing up SM2 on my DOSBox; came up without issue.

Compared your DOSBox configuration to mine...only differences I saw were these:

[cpu] core=normal (you've got core=auto)
[joystick] joysticktype=2axis (you've got joysticktype=auto)

You can try changing those real quick to see if you get a different result.

I also have my cycles defaulting to 6500, but that's more a preference for the types of DOSBox games I play. It's really too fast for WC; 2500's usually a value that gives you something close to a c1990 386. CIC recommends 4000 cycles and 0 frameskip, of course.
Click to expand...

Tried changing the core=normal and the joystick setting. Nuthin. Still get the "error occurred when reading from the disk" message. I'm starting to think I just got a corrupted file somehow. I've got WC1 and the Secret Missions (1 & 2) on floppy, but no disk drive, so I downloaded them instead. I'll keep trying new things; if I get anywhere, I'll definitely post it. In the meantime, all suggestions are welcomed (and appreciated!)
 
Okay...quick check to eliminate a bad copy of DOSBox as the problem; do your other DOS games still work?

Have you had any problems with any other programs lately? Along the same line of thought, have you made any recent upgrades to your PC (such as new memory chips)?

Probably is a corrupted file; just knocking out possibilities here. Where did you acquire your copy of SM2?
 
There's a possibility it is DOSbox after all... but there's no reason not to have different versions of DOSbox installed. You can install .73 or heck even .67 along side .74 and see if something in the newer version is breaking it. I do know of a few issues where older versions worked better for some people. though I don't think I'd drop any lower than .67.
 
capi3101 said:
Okay...quick check to eliminate a bad copy of DOSBox as the problem; do your other DOS games still work?

Have you had any problems with any other programs lately? Along the same line of thought, have you made any recent upgrades to your PC (such as new memory chips)?

Probably is a corrupted file; just knocking out possibilities here. Where did you acquire your copy of SM2?
Click to expand...

Yup, all other DOS programs still work (although the WC games are the only DOS programs I've got...). Haven't really had any problems with any programs, and haven't upgraded the PC recently. Got the copy of SM2 from myabandoware.com.

Something odd as I was going through the files yesterday; I've currently got 3 copies of SM2, and 2 of them are identical. They're both a single folder, with the install, transfer, the executable for the game itself, and all the data files. The third copy has the data files in a GAMEDAT folder, with only the SM2 executable, the install, transfer, and two files called CRUSADE.CFG and WINGCMDR.CFG.

I have tried using both versions, and they all get me to the same place, so I'm really not sure what that's all about. All versions that I've got, however, contain the camp002 file that the error message is referencing
 
That maybe something worth checking on...I've got WC1, SM1 and SM2 all working from the same directory, with one subdirectory called GAMEDAT.
The main directory has these files:
crusade.cfg
install (app)
sm2 (app)
sm2.vlp
trans2 (app)
transfer (app)
wc (app)
wc.vlp
wingcmdr.cfg

I know the transfer applications are for moving a pilot record over from WC1 or SM1 to SM2. Whether or not you have them would depend on your original downloads.

The GAMEDAT directory has 83 files in it; I won't list them out just yet. But do you have the same number of files in your gamedat directory?

CAMP.002 locally is only 1 kB in size.

I've also got a couple of .DRV files; may want to check to make sure they're present.
STRAX.DRV (5 kB)
SUPERTM.DRV (64 kB)
TM.DRV (30 kB)
Are these files present, and are they the same size?

And just making sure here, you did copy the SM2 files in the same directory as your WC1 files, right?
 
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