Running "The First Ten Years" CD on XP SP2

[jfb]

Hi; I recently purchased "The First Decade" CD and got it installed from the admin's account onto a seperate user account. However, when I try to run "Covert Ops" from the regular user account, it freezes; I managed to run "Command and Conquer: Red Alert" and it runs for some time but at a certain point, freezes up.

 

However...when I try to run Yuri's Revenge, I get the following message: "***FATAL** String Manager failed to initialize."

 

What's the problem?

[Tore]

Welcome jfb, may I remind you off the forum rules?. You have posted in the wrong forum, read the forum descriptions!

 

[Moved to the Repair Bay]

 

Also why are you running Service Pack 2? SP3 have been out for a long time with enhancements in both security and performance, always update your operating system and any drivers to the latest version.

 

Anyways.

 

The old C&C games mostly require administrator privileges because they were made for Windows 95/98. Since you are using The First Decade (TFD) I recommend you to download and install the 1.03 patch pack for TFD it fixes a lot of issues with TFD.

 

After you have installed TFD 1.03 you should also get the 1.06b revision 2 patch for Command & Conquer.

 

These patches will increase the games compatibility with newer systems and disable the CD checks for the games.

 

You should also check of the classic games are set to Windows 98/Me compatibility mode.

 

Click on the My Computer icon.

Navigate to the game installation directory, example: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer The First Decade\Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun

Right click on the games executable (eg. RA95.exe) and select properties.

Select the Compatibility tab.

Check the Run this program in compatibility mode for: box.

Then select Windows 98/Me in the drop down window below.

 

Hope this helps

[jfb]

Also why are you running Service Pack 2? SP3 have been out for a long time with enhancements in both security and performance, always update your operating system and any drivers to the latest version.

 

Anyways.

 

These patches will increase the games compatibility with newer systems and disable the CD checks for the games.

 

You should also check of the classic games are set to Windows 98/Me compatibility mode.

 

Click on the My Computer icon.

Navigate to the game installation directory, example: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Command & Conquer The First Decade\Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun

Right click on the games executable (eg. RA95.exe) and select properties.

Select the Compatibility tab.

Check the Run this program in compatibility mode for: box.

Then select Windows 98/Me in the drop down window below.

 

Hope this helps

 

So without the patch, you can't play without the CD?

 

See, cause in the readme file that came with the C&C Decade CD, I read something about the patches already being included with the cd and after installation, the games I installed off the CD ran without it [the CD]. However, just to be sure, I will download the patches from the links you've provided and go from there.

 

Any thoughts on why the games ran without the CD?

 

*EDIT: A question about your patch 1.03 rev 4--will it remove all the in-game movies and only leave me with the missions?

 

(And by the way, just for the record, I got the CD from Wal-Mart for 20$; not a bad deal if you ask me).

 

As to the whole service pack thingie...well, I have gotten everything except for the stinking DRM feature.

 

[Tore]

Most of the official patches are already in TFD, it's just that they have been wrongly applied in many cases.

 

TFD 1.03 is a fan made patch that fixes a lot of the issues in TFD and apply the patches EA forgot to add in as well as some fan made fixes, even EA have recommended people to install TFD 1.03 after installing The First Decade.

 

C&C95 1.06 is also a fan effort to make the first C&C game run as smoothly as possible on newer systems while adding some other features (the new features can be disabled if you don't like them) EA themselves have also recommended this patch once.

 

stinking DRM option.

 

What's that? "Genuine Advantage"?

[jfb]

Digital Rights Management

 

...Courtesy of Billy Gates...

 

(Thank God it's optional)

 

[jfb]

This is what happens when I try to install the 1.03 patch

[Nyerguds]

on an XP? That's bizarre. Are you administrator user on the PC?

[jfb]

Well

on an XP? That's bizarre. Are you administrator user on the PC?

I asked my cousin if I could install it on his account since he's the administrator (and the owner of the computer itself; lol). Anyways, we installed it on my user account via his admin account and as I mentioned earlier, some of the games either didn't run or froze after the first mission. I guess at this point I suppose I should have installed them onto the admin account and then uninstall it off of my user account to see if everything works fine (uninstalling being the first thing to do of course).

 

If THAT doesn't work...well, I'm just gonna hope for the best for now.

 

[Nyerguds]

well, on pretty much any Windows system you have problems running applications if you're not admin. It's mostly due to developers not caring about rights and assuming you're always admin, or, in this case, the games dating back from before there was such a thing as user rights.

 

So yeah, usually the main rule for tech support I got is "BE ADMIN".

[Dušan Xmetov]

I think you are using Windows 7. or not? To Get Yuris revenge working, you must set the contability to Windows 95 (XP, SP2) or 98/ME (XP,Sp3,Vista,Se7en), Ant do get Ra2 And TibSin working in Win7, just set contability to winXP SP3, BTW Install SP3 man! SP2 has lots errors and bugs!

[Nyerguds]

Marek, read the fricking TOPIC TITLE.

[Ferret]

Marek, read the fricking TOPIC TITLE.

 

Translation in Non-Nyer Rage Style: Hello MAREK_BENC, it seems that you did not read the topic title correctly.

 

Please go through some posts and realize that he is using Windows XP SP2 not Windows 7.

 

Kthxbai.

[jfb]

I know this is an old topic; but just an update: I now have a brand new computer--Win. 7 Home Premium. MUCH different from the other...lol!

 

Having said that, I shall now wonder around in the patches section.

[Nyerguds]

Oh gods, Win7... that's like, an exponential increase of the amount of user rights problems with old games

[Ferret]

Oh gods, Win7... that's like, an exponential increase of the amount of user rights problems with old games

 

Do what I did and just disable UAC or whatever it's called.

[pichorra]

we are being wihout SO's for old-gamming. Windows 7, as Windows Vista isn't good for old games. my PC RE3 is an example of that. In Windows XP it runs Perfect, but in Windows 7, it was like slow mod.

 

Also, Windows XP Mode saves peaple who haves a computer with Virtualization Technology. but i think I WILL NOT install Windows 7 agan here until i get a new computer, i does not get advantages installing Windows 7 here, like DirectX11 (my videocard only supports DX9) or XP Mode, since my machine does not have Virtualization Technology. And i think Windows XP support will not drop out so easy in 2014. But it still haves 4 years, the time will show the results.

 

[Revolutionary]

win 7 has a lot more problems than vista when it comes to compatibility

it has big problems with early windows application and 16 bit drivers (my friend was convinced it isn’t as good as the hype after he couldn’t re-install win 7 on a computer because the 7 installer will refuse to work if backing storage device and disk drive use different cables [iDE/S-ATA]

DX 11 can be installed on vista as well

 

as for xp mode, really unless you are a business its not much use to you, vista has a xp compatibility mode anyway

 

TBH with the rumours around windows 8 starting to surface the second React OS becomes stable im attempting to recreate the vista GUI and duel booting it with freedos...

[Tore]

Also, Windows XP Mode saves peaple who haves a computer with Virtualization Technology.

XP Mode is just a modified version of XP ran in a modified version of Virtual PC, and it doesn't require virtualization support in processors anymore.

 

XP Mode is basically a "free" version of XP that you can install if you have Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise. If you do have a XP CD lying around I recommend you just use Virtualbox instead.

 

as for xp mode, really unless you are a business its not much use to you, vista has a xp compatibility mode anyway

 

XP Mode is a Virtual PC, far from a compatibility layer....Windows 7 got XP compatibility mode too....

 

the second React OS becomes stable im attempting to recreate the vista GUI

 

React OS got LONG way ahead of it.

 

we are being wihout SO's for old-gamming. Windows 7, as Windows Vista isn't good for old games

 

All mine work

[jfb]

Don't you mean Digital Rights Management? If not, please educate my ignorance; what is "UAC"?

Oh gods, Win7... that's like, an exponential increase of the amount of user rights problems with old games

 

Do what I did and just disable UAC or whatever it's called.

[jfb]

So...do I just make all the files compatible with XP then?

[Tore]

UAC = User Account Control. A security system introduced in Vista that allows you to have user privileges while using a user with administrator privileges. UAC is the prompts you usually get when installing stuff or use the button "run as administrator".

 

In Windows 7 run the old games (C&C1, RA1, TS and RA2) in Windows 98 compatibility mode and as administrator, the newer games (Ren and Gen) in Windows XP compatibility mode and as administrator.

 

For the the First Decade download the unofficial 1.03 patch. The 1.03 patch pack includes an outdated version of the 1.06 patch project for C&C1 so after patching the TFD pack with the TFD 1.03 patch. Get 1.06c Revision 1 and its hotfix (1.06 r1f1) for C&C1.

 

By the way this is a forum, not a chat room so if you want to add something to you post use the edit button. Posting multiple consecutive posts is not allowed.

[jfb]

Ok, thanks for the advice.

 

Believe it or not however, everything works fine for now. Ran the first mission in the first game (RA95) which wouldn't even open before. Will try the compatibility thingie though; colors are a bit messy but I believe I found the right thread for addressing that particular issue.