Win2000+guide



Installing EAW in WIN 2000 (Submitted by Kay 'Huntress' Hammil and Wallace "Wudpecker" Wood)

QUESTION - Problems with installing EAW in WIN 2000.

---Error Message usually "Not a Windows 32 Application"

ANSWER

Recent development:

Based upon Sydbod's removal of the OS version check in the v.1.26e patch, the first thing to try for this problem would be to create a clean v.1.0 install of EAW. Install his v.1.26e patch, available from here:

http://www.raf-roy.com/share/sydbod/EAW1_26Epatch.zip

Do not attempt to run EAW before installing this patch file; just install EAW and then run the patch file. This patch file takes the place of the normally used Microprose patch file and includes other fixes as well. If this does not work for you, then try using Kardiak's file. If that does not work, then proceed with the other advice from Adrian. See "Older methods" below. In addition, note that the v.1.26e patch is intended for English versions of EAW.

Older methods:

The easiest method is to download and use Kardiak's newly rediscovered file which eliminates the operating system check. This file is located here

http://www.kardiak.co.uk/downloads.php?details=11

It can also be found at Sandbagger's "Tally Ho" http://www.sandbaggereaw.com/SGwinxp2000.html

Use the file in the EAW folder. It eliminates the eaw.exe check to see if Windows NT is present, which Windows 2000 uses.

Although it can be relatively complicated to install EAW under Windows 2000, a number of SimHQ community members have done it and have documented their methods so that others can do it also. There are a number of potential solutions, some quite simple, some fairly involved. There are no universal solutions due to different language versions of the sim and different Windows installs, so all of the known solutions are presented. Many thanks to those who contributed: Adrian (SimHQ Member #12403), kippercod (SimHQ Member 12428), and Sandbagger (SimHQ Member #2253). The SimHQ forum thread which provides the bulk of this information is located in EAW archive #3, this URL: SimHQ 1 (Note: to access this thread, the easiest way is to use the forum seach function, choose to search EAW Archive 3 in the Search Forum field [Select from the drop-down list for this field], and search for By Registered Member Number. Use Adrian's number: 12428. The thread you want is called "How To; EAW in win2k/xp and TM USB joystick." This said, the known procedures I have located by searching the forum archives are these:

download and use kippercod's file which eliminates the operating system check. This file is located here: kippercod's Downloads. You are looking for the file called eaw2K_110.zip.

Finally, Adrian summarized the methods he tried to use in the post which begins the SimHQ forum thread cited above. Because it isn't all that easy to get to this thread now that it's in an archive, I have copied the text of his post. I hope he does not mind; it's an excellent resource for people running this operating system and trying to install and run EAW. I have included the joystick configuration information he provided in the event that this would be helpful to those running Win 2K.

Quote:

The methods below show how I got Eaw to work in win2k Pro, installed the compatability modes as per XP, and then got EAW to recogise my joystick (Thrustmaster fox 2 Pro USB). Hopefully this is useful for somebody, I used it for EAW, might work for problems with other programs.

Disclaimer; I am not an IT professional, I have no affiliation with M'soft or Thrustmaster; This is simply how I got my program to finction. I could find no solution to my problem on the web, so have posted this in order to make it easier for someone else and to avoid my headaches!.

Undertake the methods below at your risk. They worked for me, that's all I can say...

General Approach

In order to run games such as EAW (originally XP/w2k incompatible), they need to run in compatibility mode. This is installed by default in XP, but is also optionally availible for w2k after installing SP3 (and SP2 as well).

Here is a summary of the 5 methods that I have found to work in w2k to enable a win95/98 game (EAW) to work;-

[Single Program, No mode modification methods] 1. Run setwin95.cmd from NT4 (single program only, no mode modification) 2. Run apcompat.exe from w2k cd (support draw of win2k cd). (single program only, no mode mod' but nice GUI box) 3. Install Application compatibility support from win2k sp3 (single program only, mode changes accessible from properties tab on shortcut, no mode modification.)

[Single program Mode Mod possible] 4. Use Qfixapp.exe from application compatibility toolkit. (single program only, but allows detailed mode modification) Can also use appverif.exe from application compatibility toolkit, does same general thing. I liked the qfixapp.exe better.

[Multiple program, Mode mod automatic, Mode manipulation possible] 5. Install win2k sp2 or sp3, install app' compat' support (via command prompt see below) use application modification support from Aapplication compatibility toolkit, add new sysmain.sdb from xp support pack, modify custom mode database (sysmain.sdb) (many programs, preset modes availible, individual mode manipulation possible, nice GUI interface)

I tried all methods for EAW, but finally used 5. as it was the only one in which I could get my joystick to work as I had to turn off a fix in the win98 compatibility mode.

In XP, it is nice and simple. The OS recognises your program and installs the predetermined fixes in sysmain.sdb, or alternatively you can go to properties tab and select a generic win95 or win98 compatibility mode. This will apply a generic batch of modifications to allow the game to run in an enviroment simulating win95/win98. This does not always work, so you may need to make a custom environment (your program is not in the sysmain.sdb), or modify your win95/win98 modes (ie so your joystick etc will work).

Automatically setting modes for a particular program in XP/w2k

XP will automatically apply a modified set of enviroment modifications, if it recognises the exe. This is why many people with XP have no problems running EAW first time.

Get Application Compatibility Toolkit For win2k, you need to download the windows application compatibility pack (for xp/w2k) to get this to work as per XP (See microsoft windows update, win2k).BUT FIRST YOU MUST install Win2k sp3 (or 2), and type a command at the command prompt to enable it.

ie for detailed info see Tips

command at "run" in start menu on my box; regsvr32 c:\winnt\apppatch\slayerui.dll (regsvr32 %systemroot%\apppatch\slayerui.dll, where %systemroot% is where win2k lives)

Right clicking on properties tab of a shortcut to your exe should now bring up a compatibilty tab.

Update Sysmain.sdb The information for these programs is contained in a file called sysmain.sdb, which in my w2k box is located in the winnt\apppatch directory (note you need to apply the windows application compatibility toolkit to find this file in your win2k directory).

Curiously, the sysmain.sdb included in this bundle is very small (302kb), with support for a minimal number of programs. To get the latest comp. modes, I downloaded the XP service pack (XPsp1, note very large 134 mb), found the compressed file sysmain.sd_ in the temporary directory after I tried to run the service pack (ie try and run the XP service pack under w2k). You can also find the sysmain.sdb from earlier patch files for XP ( ie Q308381.exe)This file will not be the most up to date (Oct2001), but has the advantage of not being 134 mb! Run the service pack (dont worry; it won't install), but will expand the .exe, which you need to do in order to obtain the sysmain.sd_ from the temp directory it creates).

I found the temp directory before pressing the "Ok" tab in the message box that the service pack is for a different OS; I think once you press the OK button, the temporary directory is deleted. To find the sevice pack temp directory, do a search for sysmain.sd_, or *.dl_. Should be a directory with a strange number/letter combination (ie 5b5b48g443...etc).

The single sysmain.sdb file might be availible on the web somewhere but I couldn't find it.

I then expanded the sysmain.sdb file via command prompt(290kb to 1058kb), and used it instead of the original in the app comp pack (302kb). This will allow you to use the latest modes for xp in win2k without having to figure them out for yourself.

Copy the sysmain.sd_ file from the xp service pack temp directory to c:\temp. go to command prompt, type cd c:\temp type expand -r c:\temp\sysmain.sd_

Copy the new sysmain.sdb file to winnt\apppatch (first rename the smaller original sysmain.sdb file that the newly obtained one will replace)


 * Joystick Fix;Modify win98 compatibility mode*

However, although I found the above allowed the Eaw program to work, my joystick was still not recognised in EAW. Therefore I needed to manipulate the compatibility mode.

I used Qfixapp to play with the mode eaw.exe was running under and found that it was the "emulate joystick" fix in the win98 mode (which I used for EAW) that was causing me grief. Note that the mode for eaw in the sysmain.sdb for xp uses the w95 compatibility mode, so you might need to manipulate this one if your joystick dilemas are in xp.

In the app comp pack, there is included a program called the Application Compatibility Tool. It can also be used to manipulate the compatibility modes for a program, and to enable the creation of custom modes for new programs not contained in the sysmain.sdb.

Run the Application Compatibility Tool program (Compatibility administrator). I made a custom database for eaw, with its own custom fix.

Method; Click "New" button, select new database, click on database menu, mouse over "create new", click application fix. Wizard opens Give your fix a name (ie Eaw no Joy emulat) Vendor "Microprose Software" select program file location ( for eaw.exe for eaw) Compatibility modes wizard; Select win 98/Me (or win95 if you want it) Compatibility fixes. Find "emulate joystick" fix. UNCHECK THIS BOX. Click next Click finish (you have now created a new custom database, containing a single application fix)

Press save button to save database Right click on the name of your databasel. select install.

The database should now be found under installed databases, and should be active.

Run eaw.exe. EAW should now work in Win2k, and your joystick as well.

Note. I'm not sure if the application fixes listed in the systems database are active, of if they need to be moved to a custom database, and then installed to become active. You might need to try this if you want to enable the automatic preset modes found in the sysmain.sdb file. It is fairly simply to make a new database, just cut and paste modes and fixes from the system database. I found that you cannot modify the system database fixes/modes (only disable), although you can with the custom databases.

For EAW above, I used a custom application fix, rather than the preset fix as I wanted w98 mode rather than w95 as per the preset.

This method allowed my Eaw program to work and my joystick to be recognised and function correctly in the program (yippee!!)

Good luck, hope this is useful

Adrian

End Quote

Be aware that issues will exist for your video card if you have an nVidia GeForce chip or better or if you have a Radeon chip. These issues occur over all operating systems and are not XP specific. They are covered in another document at this website.