Topic: Installation SOS- SFC1 That's right, #1! (Read 2413 times)

E_Look · « **on:** January 18, 2004, 01:38:42 am »

I can't seem to install SFC1 under WinXP. I get an error message that says there's no disk in the drive! Can anyone shed any light/offer a solution?

I'm still a big fan of SFC1. It was easy to install in Win98!

Towelie · « **Reply #1 on:** January 18, 2004, 02:27:20 am »

Check out this web site hosted by Pestalence, who we should all bow to at this point.

http://www.nightsoftware.com/effhq/

Pestalence · « **Reply #2 on:** January 18, 2004, 07:47:06 am »

Thanks Towlie...

Yes, I have a solution to your SFC 1 woes.. the details are listed on my web site that Towlie listed.. just click on SFC label on the left hand side of the screen... in the blue scroll list

then just read and follow the patching instructions... then you will need to email me the requested information and i will send you the fix file to get SFC working on XP

thanks for your time...

the info is for Interplay, not myself, as explained on my site.

E_Look · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2004, 09:29:37 pm »

Towelie, Pestalence,

I think the error was on MY part. I first tried to install stuff forgetting to install updated drivers for my vid card, the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro. Since it's *last year's* card, I guess the drivers that came with the CD are all out of date. This morning, it clicked on in my dim little bulb that I should look for updated drivers. I did just that at the ATI site, followed their instructions to the letter and SFC1 seems to not only install, but run fine... so far. I haven't really played a whole mission yet; I've only tested it for a few seconds. This is because I just built this rig and there's still lots of shaking down to do, so much that I forget what I have already and haven't yet done! Oy... forgetting to use updated drivers... if that isn't boneheaded...

Still, I'm keeping one itchy trigger finger on the link to your site, Pestalence, as I expect some bugs to creep up... and get this:

XP says it's "not allowed" to autorun the SFC1 CDROM! So, I had to open a window to the SFC1 directory and manually doubleclick on the setup.exe icon. I think in a few minutes, I will go try your compatibility mode fix. Thanks.

VelvetAcidChrist · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2004, 11:26:33 am »

oh yes....i had big trouble to get sfc1 running on my machine as well but i hope that u ll fix it!
see ya on gsa!

E_Look · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2004, 06:20:50 pm »

Very kind of you, but I have not yet ever played over the Internet. I've been playing only on my own computer. Maybe some day, when the kids won't be watching and so get ideas and won't do homework anymore!

As to SFC1, I think Pestalence's method will work. I will try it later tonight and let you guys know.

E_Look · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2004, 08:23:50 pm »

Well, gents, if I put every .exe file in compatibility mode, the game does not sense the presence of the CD in the drive, so the game can't be played in skirmish mode.

But if I undo compatibility mode for all of the .exe files, the game runs, but crashes if there is a lot of weapons fire, especially if there's an alpha strike or some such mass of CPU or vid card stress. Ah well... I'll go back and look at Pestalence's site again, and see if there's anything I missed.

Also, this is the out of box unpatched version. Let me patch to 1.03 and see what happens, too.

E_Look · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2004, 04:36:28 pm »

Okay, SFC1 is no up and running on my XP system...

... BUT ...

every time there's weapons fire, the game almost halts. If there's lots of shooting going on, it causes a CTD!

Perhaps I have some incorrectly set settings somewhere??

Pestalence · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:18:14 pm »

You have the game in compatibility mode for Win 98/ME.. if that don't work, try Win 2K setting or Win 95.

also make sure to disable visual themes.

E_Look · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:55:48 pm »

Visual themes?

Pestalence · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2004, 06:11:14 pm »

It is in the same area that you set compatibility mode.. it is a check box near the bottom that states "Disable Visual Themes" make sure it is checked.. i don't have it on my site because it does not effect all systems...

play around with compatibility mode for Win 95, Win 2k.. others have told me that Win 95 may work better than Win 98 and i have had no reports of anyone using it in Win 2K mode, so I can't tell you on that...

I'll look into how the game works with CPU priority and system memory caching to see if it will effect the game..

My system runs it smoothely, but every machine run a game differently..

If you have low system memory and have a lot of things loading near your system clock on the task bar... you may be eating a lot of resources...

go into MSCONFIG (start button, run, type in msconfig, click ok) and remove the components that you do not use or the one's where you can launch at your convience so it is not eating resources when the machine starts up...

also look online for XP Services so you can free system resources by disabeling things XP uses that are not necessary.. to adjust system services go to start button, run, type in 'services.msc' andclick OK. Use a guide online that explains what each service does and disable the one's you don't need.. this will clear up a lot of system resources...

make sure you read what each service does because XP does require certain things to operate correctly and to connect to the internet.. make notes of what you changed in the event you removed something you need so you can revert back.

I'll look into other things to see if SFC 1 can smoothe out and stabilize..

Thanks

E_Look · « **Reply #11 on:** January 21, 2004, 07:20:17 pm »

Wow! I REALLY appreciate your trouble! I mean really! This is especially since all the other versions (so far) seem to run okay. I'll test out EAW and OP more thoroughly. The only trouble with SFC3 is that in a fair fight, I get whupped.

E_Look · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2004, 01:21:37 pm »

Hey Pestalence, with a fresh install of XP, and using the Win 2000 compatibility mode, SFC1 seems to run... well, halfway decently. By this, I mean, there is still the jerky slowdown when theres some weapons fire (especially Klingon disruptors), but somehow playably better! So thanks on this one!

Now, I've encountered another issue, and it really isn't SFC1 related though it affects it, as I believe it is more in XP instead, and it's this:

I tried to set up the old Chris Jones/Lansing/Firehawk AGT system for switching between SFC1 eras. This system uses batch files to move all the relevant game files from one directory to another, thereby setting up different versions of the game based on different sfbspc13.txt files and the relevant sets of models for each era.

And this is the exact problem: the batch files don't run!

I run them in the command prompt mode and it tells me after each step of the batch file execution that the files aren't found! I even added a specific path command in the heretofore empty autoexec.bat file in C:\, just like in the old, old days, and still no go.

If you or anyone is knowledgeable about how XP and batch files work, please let me know. I do appreciate everyone's kindness and know-how.

If this is finally undoable, I guess I'll have to switch eras less often, as I'll have to do it all manually!! (Ugh!)

E_Look · « **Reply #13 on:** January 18, 2004, 01:38:42 am »

I can't seem to install SFC1 under WinXP. I get an error message that says there's no disk in the drive! Can anyone shed any light/offer a solution?

I'm still a big fan of SFC1. It was easy to install in Win98!

Towelie · « **Reply #14 on:** January 18, 2004, 02:27:20 am »

Check out this web site hosted by Pestalence, who we should all bow to at this point.

http://www.nightsoftware.com/effhq/

Pestalence · « **Reply #15 on:** January 18, 2004, 07:47:06 am »

Thanks Towlie...

Yes, I have a solution to your SFC 1 woes.. the details are listed on my web site that Towlie listed.. just click on SFC label on the left hand side of the screen... in the blue scroll list

then just read and follow the patching instructions... then you will need to email me the requested information and i will send you the fix file to get SFC working on XP

thanks for your time...

the info is for Interplay, not myself, as explained on my site.

E_Look · « **Reply #16 on:** January 19, 2004, 09:29:37 pm »

Towelie, Pestalence,

I think the error was on MY part. I first tried to install stuff forgetting to install updated drivers for my vid card, the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro. Since it's *last year's* card, I guess the drivers that came with the CD are all out of date. This morning, it clicked on in my dim little bulb that I should look for updated drivers. I did just that at the ATI site, followed their instructions to the letter and SFC1 seems to not only install, but run fine... so far. I haven't really played a whole mission yet; I've only tested it for a few seconds. This is because I just built this rig and there's still lots of shaking down to do, so much that I forget what I have already and haven't yet done! Oy... forgetting to use updated drivers... if that isn't boneheaded...

Still, I'm keeping one itchy trigger finger on the link to your site, Pestalence, as I expect some bugs to creep up... and get this:

XP says it's "not allowed" to autorun the SFC1 CDROM! So, I had to open a window to the SFC1 directory and manually doubleclick on the setup.exe icon. I think in a few minutes, I will go try your compatibility mode fix. Thanks.

VelvetAcidChrist · « **Reply #17 on:** January 20, 2004, 11:26:33 am »

oh yes....i had big trouble to get sfc1 running on my machine as well but i hope that u ll fix it!
see ya on gsa!

E_Look · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2004, 06:20:50 pm »

Very kind of you, but I have not yet ever played over the Internet. I've been playing only on my own computer. Maybe some day, when the kids won't be watching and so get ideas and won't do homework anymore!

As to SFC1, I think Pestalence's method will work. I will try it later tonight and let you guys know.

E_Look · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2004, 08:23:50 pm »

Well, gents, if I put every .exe file in compatibility mode, the game does not sense the presence of the CD in the drive, so the game can't be played in skirmish mode.

But if I undo compatibility mode for all of the .exe files, the game runs, but crashes if there is a lot of weapons fire, especially if there's an alpha strike or some such mass of CPU or vid card stress. Ah well... I'll go back and look at Pestalence's site again, and see if there's anything I missed.

Also, this is the out of box unpatched version. Let me patch to 1.03 and see what happens, too.

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Topic: Installation SOS- SFC1 That's right, #1! (Read 2413 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

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Towelie

Pestalence

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VelvetAcidChrist

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Topic: Installation SOS- SFC1 That's right, #1! (Read 2413 times)