weird problem with privateer

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ok after going through a lot of trouble to configure everything, amking a bootdisk, arranging the config sys etc, I got the game to run
BUT
when I get in the cockpit the game kind of "freezes". the music keeps playing but the keyboard isn't responding, or it's responding very very very slowly and eventually I think I get a "keyboard overflow" and my speaker starts making a noise whenever I hit a key.
ANy help would be greatly appreciated, I really want to play that game everyone's talking about. I'm runng win98 with a soundblaster pci 128. Thanks!
 
Post your autoexec.bat and config.sys files so that we can take a look at them. Since you are running Win98, you'd be better off with a DOS only boot disk with CD, Sound and mouse support. Also make sure that you only tell DOS to see 16MB of memory or you might run into other problems.
 
NoMention said:
Post your autoexec.bat and config.sys files so that we can take a look at them. Since you are running Win98, you'd be better off with a DOS only boot disk with CD, Sound and mouse support. Also make sure that you only tell DOS to see 16MB of memory or you might run into other problems.
Click to expand...

I'm writing from my work PC, I will post the config and autoexec when I get home although there not anything special. I just replaced "NOEMS" with "ram" in the config.sys and have mouse and soundblaster drivers loaded through a bootdisk. Any help on how to make a bootdisk with the correct autoexec and config would be appreciated. I don't know how to make the PC "see" just 16MB of memory (I have 96mb). I also don't have a joystick, if that matters any.
Thanks again!
 
I use this line:

emm386.exe 16834 RAM D=48

This tells emm386 to use 16MB worth of RAM. If I don't put that in my config.sys file then I have problems with Privateer as well. With this ram limit, it runs fine (albeit without proper MIDI sound but that is a totally different issue).

NoMention
 
NoMention said:
I use this line:

emm386.exe 16834 RAM D=48

This tells emm386 to use 16MB worth of RAM. If I don't put that in my config.sys file then I have problems with Privateer as well. With this ram limit, it runs fine (albeit without proper MIDI sound but that is a totally different issue).

NoMention
Click to expand...

I tried it but unfortunately it didn't change anyhing for the better or worse.

My config is

devicehigh=c:\windows\himem.sys
devicehigh=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram
dos=high,umb
files=25
buffers=25
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
COUNTRY=030,737,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\COUNTRY.SYS


I also tried 3072 ram without success needless to say.


my autoexec


@echo off
PATH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\WIN95\COMMAND;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;
LH C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D3 H7 P330 T6
REM Interplay Productions
SET SBPCI=C:\SBPCI
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((737) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA2.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=737
KEYB GK,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\KEYBRD4.SYS
c:
cd sbpci
sbinit
cd..



Any ideas welcome.
The problem is it almost freezes when enterint ther cockpit after I choose "launch" and after I see the little animation. I press keys but without result although sometimes after 30 secs I get a responce...!
Again thanks
 
I also tried myjemm.exe but it crashes to windows when I get in the cockpit... WHich is strange because the problem in dos mode also starts there...
HELP!!!
 
Problems with Privateer are "usually" related to sound card issues. These are easiest to solve by using a boot disk. Mainly because you sometimes have to experiment with the settings - DMA, IRQ, PORT - to get it right, and this can involve rebooting a number of times which is much faster in pure dos.

My config.sys
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE 16384 RAM D=64 FRAME=E000 /I=B000-B7FF
DOS=HIGH,UMB
* DEVICEHIGH=TEAC_CDI.SYS /D:TEAC-CDI
* DEVICEHIGH=ESSAUDIO.SYS
BUFFERSHIGH=40
FILESHIGH=40
STACKSHIGH=0,0
LASTDRIVEHIGH=G
SHELL=COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P

My autoexec.bat
ECHO OFF
* SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 T4 J200
* LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:TEAC-CDI /M:15
* LH BBBMOUSE.COM
* PATH A:\;C:\QEMM;C:\PRIVATER;C:\TQS;C\:TM
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\TEMP

Please note:-
There are 6 lines that I have preceeded with "*". That is because they are specific to my system. You will need these lines in your own boot disk but they must contain information about YOUR setup.

Hints:-
You have the following lines in your config.sys.
files=25
buffers=25
My Privateer installation manual specifies a value of 30 for both those lines. I use 40
because I use my boot disk for other DOS games also.

Your config.sys:-
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
COUNTRY=030,737,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\COUNT RY.SYS
Your autoexec.bat:_
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((737) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA2.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=737
KEYB GK,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\KEYBRD4.SYS

These are not strictly necessary, deleting them will save memory. My DOS is in english and I have a danish keyboard, but no problems. You will have to search your keyboard for the correct command keys though since they will not necessarily be the same as specified in the manual :)
If you get an insufficient memory error message,you can go to the dos prompt and type mem/c/p. This will show you which device drivers are loaded into conventional and which are loaded into upper memory and also their size. From there on you have to fiddle :) Sometimes it´s possible to "improve" your memory results by changing the order in which device drivers are loaded. Rule of thumb :- biggest ones first.
Whatever you do, make sure that the autoexec.bat and config.sys you edit, REALLY are on your floppy. Don´t ASSUME it :D
 
Farzone said:
Problems with Privateer are "usually" related to sound card issues. These are easiest to solve by using a boot disk. Mainly because you sometimes have to experiment with the settings - DMA, IRQ, PORT - to get it right, and this can involve rebooting a number of times which is much faster in pure dos.

My config.sys
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE 16384 RAM D=64 FRAME=E000 /I=B000-B7FF
DOS=HIGH,UMB
* DEVICEHIGH=TEAC_CDI.SYS /D:TEAC-CDI
* DEVICEHIGH=ESSAUDIO.SYS
BUFFERSHIGH=40
FILESHIGH=40
STACKSHIGH=0,0
LASTDRIVEHIGH=G
SHELL=COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P

My autoexec.bat
ECHO OFF
* SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 T4 J200
* LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:TEAC-CDI /M:15
* LH BBBMOUSE.COM
* PATH A:\;C:\QEMM;C:\PRIVATER;C:\TQS;C\:TM
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\TEMP

Please note:-
There are 6 lines that I have preceeded with "*". That is because they are specific to my system. You will need these lines in your own boot disk but they must contain information about YOUR setup.

Hints:-
You have the following lines in your config.sys.
files=25
buffers=25
My Privateer installation manual specifies a value of 30 for both those lines. I use 40
because I use my boot disk for other DOS games also.

Your config.sys:-
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
COUNTRY=030,737,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\COUNT RY.SYS
Your autoexec.bat:_
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((737) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA2.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=737
KEYB GK,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\KEYBRD4.SYS

These are not strictly necessary, deleting them will save memory. My DOS is in english and I have a danish keyboard, but no problems. You will have to search your keyboard for the correct command keys though since they will not necessarily be the same as specified in the manual :)
If you get an insufficient memory error message,you can go to the dos prompt and type mem/c/p. This will show you which device drivers are loaded into conventional and which are loaded into upper memory and also their size. From there on you have to fiddle :) Sometimes it´s possible to "improve" your memory results by changing the order in which device drivers are loaded. Rule of thumb :- biggest ones first.
Whatever you do, make sure that the autoexec.bat and config.sys you edit, REALLY are on your floppy. Don´t ASSUME it :D
Click to expand...


Thank you for your help! I managed to solve the problem by...accident :) by taking out the soundblaster pci 128 card... I did that because when I have it installed I can't "install" a joystick since I get a blue screen (go figure!). SO I removed the soundblaster and went back to my onboard soundcard which doesn't produce a blue screen when trying to have a joystick. I did that because of another game but then I also run privateer and oh miracles of miracles it now works without the slightest problem!!!!!!!!!
Which actually leaves another problem... no sound whatsoever...!
It seems you were right, the problem WAS related to sound...!
 
:) Nice to have simple solutions :)

Re. sound:-
I have an onboard sound card/chip (esstech allegro1 ) and I DO have sound etc. in Privateer.
The manufacturer said that they do not have a driver for dos, but I downloaded their SB driver for Win98 and played around with the settings in the privateer install section. It took a long time since there are many possible combinations and some of them either froze my machine or caused a reboot. But I it was worth it.
If you try this option, make sure you document EVERY combination you test :- it´s very easy to lose track of things. Personal experience :D
Good luck!
 
Farzone said:
:) Nice to have simple solutions :)

Re. sound:-
I have an onboard sound card/chip (esstech allegro1 ) and I DO have sound etc. in Privateer.
The manufacturer said that they do not have a driver for dos, but I downloaded their SB driver for Win98 and played around with the settings in the privateer install section. It took a long time since there are many possible combinations and some of them either froze my machine or caused a reboot. But I it was worth it.
If you try this option, make sure you document EVERY combination you test :- it´s very easy to lose track of things. Personal experience :D
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Yup, I did a lot of different combinations, I must have rebooted dozens of times!!! I tried VDM Sound for win98 and everything goes well untill... I press a key which produces a digitzed sound, then it all freezes.... My machine (a 433mhz pentium) simply doesn't like legacy digitized sounds...
I'm going to try (again!) to find a dos driver or an sb emulator for my onboard audio card, it's a cirrus (crystal?) CS4299 AC97. I searched a lot without result but I'll try to install different drivers like onces for soundblaster if I can. Thank you once more :)
 
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