main.exe error. XP user compatibility issues

[hardman]

OK so here's my problem.

 

I am on Windows XP SP3 and I have both the origin and XWIS versions of YR installed. I have run the cncnet installer to both installations. I can join the CnCnet lobby fine.

 

However, when i try to start a game through cncnet i get a main.exe error (skirmish and online). Both versions load up fine outside of cncnet but i had to change the executables to compatibility mode for Windows 98 to stop the main.exe error.

 

After some troubleshooting, we discovered that changing the game.dat file to gamemd.exe and setting compatibility to windows 98 also allowed us to launch the game with no error. Problem is i cant change the game.dat file to compatibility mode for windows 98 without changing the file extension (the compatibility tab doesn't exist) and it is needed as .dat to start the game through cncnet (i assume).

 

Grant has contacted someone for a workaround, but in the meantime does anyone have any ideas? Maybe i haven't explained it very well but any help would be greatly appreciated. I guess i am the first (known) person to encounter this problem as there probably aren't many still using XP?!

[55aa]

Unfortunately Windows only allows easy setting of compatibility parameters (via the file properties dialog) for files which have the extension

*.exe

, thus it's indeed not obvious how to accomplish this for executable code which resides within a file with another extension (such as game.

[b]dat[/b]

in this particular case). The necessary registry entry needs to be made either directly (using the registry editor utility) or via a

[code]*.reg

[/code] file. To do the latter, paste the following into a new text file in Notepad:

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\Westwood\\RA2\\game.dat"="WIN98"

 

Save the file with the

.[b]reg[/b]

extension (to do that, select

"All files"

from the

"Save as type"

list and give the file a

.reg

extension). To make it do its work you need to right-click the file, select

"Merge"

from the menu shown, and confirm the action. You can also just use the file from the archive attached below instead (you can view and edit it via a text editor).

 

[glow=red,2,300]NOTE[/glow]: the above assumes that your RA2/YR installation resides in

 C:\Westwood\RA2

- if necessary, modify the path accordingly before you save the file. Pay attention to the double backslashes in the target file path specification, it's important.

yr_cncnet_appcompat-win98_default_path.zip

[hardman]

Thanks for the reply. This worked perfectly (so far for skirmish offline).

 

 

[55aa]

(EDIT: I see you managed to get it working in the meantime. I'll leave the additional comments here just in case they might be helpful to someone.)

 

 

You should save the text file with a

.[b]reg[/b]

extension, not

.dat

(the latter is the extension of the CnCNet5 YR executable, which fact calls for the workaround in the first place). The saved file should look in Windows like this:

 

(you won't see the extension itself though if going with the default Windows folder option

"Hide extensions for known file types"

.)

 

Also, take care to verify the specified path to your game installation is correct, as per the note in my previous post. If still unsure, just use the file I attached and check/edit the target path in Notepad (then you won't have to mess with the file type, just save and merge).

 

 

(EDIT2: I suppose this fix can be easily integrated into the client itself, so as for the registry entry in question to be added automatically if Windows XP is detected).

[hardman]

Yep sorry you explained it perfectly well in your first post, i just misread it.

 

trying to test online now. Only managed to try one game so far and other player didnt load, hoping the problem was on his end not mine!

[55aa]

Players not loading is an entirely separate issue (which just happens every now and then), on XP without the above fix you normally wouldn't even get to see the loading screen in the first place.

[hardman]

Yep i know its a different issue (i assume a connection one). Just played first game with no issues. Thanks for your help.

[Grant]

Unfortunately Windows only allows easy setting of compatibility parameters (via the file properties dialog) for files which have the extension

*.exe

, thus it's indeed not obvious how to accomplish this for executable code which resides within a file with another extension (such as game.

[b]dat[/b]

in this particular case). The necessary registry entry needs to be made either directly (using the registry editor utility) or via a

[code]*.reg

[/code] file. To do the latter, paste the following into a new text file in Notepad:

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\Westwood\\RA2\\game.dat"="WIN98"

 

Save the file with the

.[b]reg[/b]

extension (to do that, select

"All files"

from the

"Save as type"

list and give the file a

.reg

extension). To make it do its work you need to right-click the file, select

"Merge"

from the menu shown, and confirm the action. You can also just use the file from the archive attached below instead (you can view and edit it via a text editor).

 

[glow=red,2,300]NOTE[/glow]: the above assumes that your RA2/YR installation resides in

 C:\Westwood\RA2

- if necessary, modify the path accordingly before you save the file. Pay attention to the double backslashes in the target file path specification, it's important.

Hey - thanks for providing a temporary fix - much appreciated! 

[Kaney]

Solved this problem. Thanks for your help 55aa, much appreciated!