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How to install BC3K v. 209 on Windows XP


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Yes, you've read it right. Here's how I got the installation running on Windows XP. After trying various things with the InstallShield package (and Windows 98 emulation software), I found a much easier way to install BC 3000ad 2.0.9 on WinXP.

(You'll need a cab-archive uncompresser, like winRAR, to extract some files, so go find that first. WindowsXP might be able to extract cab files by itself, so if it can, ignore winRAR.)

Okay, it's very simple. The install program runs a secondary windows installer (msi) program, to continue with the installation. For this reason, the compatibility mode in XP doesn't work on the BC install file, as it doesn't affect the file that does the installing. Unfortunately, you can't use compatibility modes on programs in the winxp/system32 folder, so the msi installer will always run without any compatibility mode.

Fortunately, all the needed files are actually in the 130+ meg version you've downloaded - just rename it to the extention .cab, and extract all the files in it (with winRar or similar), to the same directory you've places the downloaded BC file (for some reason, only msi-relevant files are available in the archieve). Then, rename the BC file back to the .exe extention, set compatibility mode to Windows 95/98 for *both* the BC exe and the newly created file named "msiexec.exe". This file will hopefully be used to perform the install, rather than the one in your system32 dir.

Then run the BC setup, and it should work.

If it does, you can stop reading.

To be really exact, I put my BC file in D:, and the msi files from it, in D: aswell. If it doesn't work for you, you could try renaming the msiexec.exe in the windowsxp/system32 folder, to something else (fx. msiexec.forgetaboutit), so it isn't found by windows, and furthermore, you could try copying the files from the BC cab into the windowsxp/ dir, and setting compatibility mode on msiexec.exe again.

Alternativily than extracting from the BC (cab) file, you can manually locate the needed files for the msi installer, and copy them to the same directory. (In case you have a special release of the msi installer, or something) - these files are (as far as i know):

cabinet.dll, imagehlp.dll, instmsi.msi, msi.dll, msiexec.exe, msihnd.dll, msiinst.exe (might not be needed), msimsg.dll, msls31.dll, mspatcha.dll, riched20.dll, shfolder.dll and usp10.dll

Oh, and by the way, if it is the case that installation on windows xp has been disabled by Mr. Smart, due to the game destroying hardware and software when run on XP, please ignore this post.

[ 05-20-2005, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I have had this same problem!

PREPARE FOR THE DOOM MESSAGE!!!

BC3K wont run in XP it is only supported by

windows 95/98.

I suggest you borrow a copy of windows 98 from a friend. 98 runs much more programs (especialy computer games) than windows XP. and also if you have a CD burner also backup the files you want to keep.

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I know ho to get it to work on XP!!!

I found out!

Here it is:

1)Right click on any blank portion of your desktop

2)In the menu Click "New"

3)Now click "Shortcut"

4)Click "browse" and scroll through your root directory. Select the "Windows" folder and double click on the file labeled "DOSPROMPT"

5)Click "Next" and then "Finish"

6)You should now have a icon labeled "MS-DOS prompt".

7)Right click on your MS-DOS Prompt icom and click on "properties"

8)Click on the "program" ta and then click the icon that says "advanced"

9)Click on the Check box that says "Prevent MS-DOS based programs from detecting Windows."

10)There will be a second box that has a check in it. Leave the check mark in the box

11)Click "OK"

12)Click the Tab labeled "Screen" Click the option "Full screen" and then click "OK"

13)Click "OK"

14)Double click the icon labeled "MS-DOS Prompt"

and type in The full directory of the battlecruiser file. Dont forget to add the filename in the directory.

15)Press ENTER

I hope that works!

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quote:


Originally posted by Popper100:

alright i got it installed, but know it wont work. i try dos ver. and win. ver. and one comes up with a blank screen after movie and the other does not allow the no cd policy


It works cuz I've tried it myself. If it doesn't start, then it has nothing to do with winXP, you need to install/configure the game itself properly. And if you're still crying about the CD check, then you simply have NOT read the instructions that are included with the distribution. Better yet, you probably haven't ready ANY of the posts in this thread.

[qb]please help(need something to do till UC)

Buying BCM or BCM Gold could be a start

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  • 3 weeks later...

offtopic

Greetings all! I'm new here and I hope we'll get along together in peace and joy

/offtopic

Recently I've DLed BC3k v2.09 from File Planet. I'm running XP and after some research I made it to get file.msi (from temp directory) and install it using "msiexec /a file.msi" which forces it to ignore incompatibility. Anyways I cant get game to run under XP. I installed VDMSound and I can even hear it in demo and in game wich runs, but with blank or messed display. I use Winfast Geforce 4 Ti 4200 so I tried /v82 option, but with no success. From previous post I understand that it is possible to properly run it under XP, I'm curious how? (Will SciTech Display Doctor help?)

I hardly expect to get it to run so here's my second question. I've been searching for an answer for it for a while with no success. I know that BCM/BCMG contains same universe as BC3K so I wonder if all the missions from BC3K are also avaliable in BCM or it has only new missions? If they are I see no point in trying to get BC3K run, and I will just get myself BCMG. Otherwise I'd like to play a bit in the original to either finish it or have enough of it to move on to BCMG or any other game that happen to draw my attention.

Thanx in advance

Regards

emen

----------------

System specs:

Duron 700

kinda Soltek motherboard

320 mb SDRAM

LiteOn 48246S

40gb Segate ('U-something', wich I dont remember)

Winfast Geforce 4 Ti 4200

SB 32 PnP

NEC MultiSync FE991sb

Win XP SP1 with almost all recent updates & dx9b

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Guest Remo Williams

"The Future is now" campaign was ported over into BCM and BCMG from BC3K. That campaign was cool in BC3K and totally rocks in BCM/BCMG. You won't be disappointed!

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  • 4 months later...

quote:

Anyways I cant get game to run under XP. I installed VDMSound and I can even hear it in demo and in game wich runs, but with blank or messed display.

you need to edit bc3k.bat to read

bc3000ad /v1

this allows "modern" vesa compatible mode for the video card.

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  • 2 months later...

I bought version 1.x a few years ago, but I never got it to work properly. It was always a bit of a disappointment to play with. SO I jumped to the change to download version 2. I got it to work within 30 minutes under WinXP, so that's not a problem. However:

I need to use "BC3000AD /d1 /v1" for it to function. The problem is that whenever I exit the game, my monitorsettings have changed to a colordepth of 8 bits. Okay, maybe a small price to pay and simple to change back but still, is there any way to prevent this from happening?

Secondly, sometimes I don't have a mousepointer. Is there a fix for this? I tried loading a dos-mouse driver, but I got the mesage there was already such a driver loaded.

And thirdly...can running this game under WinXP harm my hardware?

[ 07-13-2004, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: LPent ]

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  • 3 months later...

Cartmanbeeps -- Your solution doesn't make any sense.

1) There is no dosstart.bat on my version of XP.

2) There is no properties option like you describe. Not "ignore windows" option. Anywhere.

What version of XP are you running?? What service pack?

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Ok, I have it installed now, but still can't get it to run.

1) If I try to run the sound setup and do an auto-detect, it crashes.

2) If I try to run the Glide version, it crashes.

3) If I try to run in software mode, it gives me a black screen and hangs.

I expected 1 and 2, but 3 is what I was hoping would give me real results.

Any ideas?

Also, out of curiousity, does anyone know if this would be easier on a Win 2000 machine?

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1. Run sound setup and select no card for both sound and music.

2. Glide only works with a 3DFX Voodoo card.

3. Game wont run without somekind of sound configuration.

Ok..if that works, to get sound working under XP get VDM Sound from the downloads page.

Also try the windows version.BC3k209win.It's in a zip file.

There is also a big help file somewhere around here.

Oh yeah, be sure to start from the .bat file using /V1 Vesa video mode.

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CC -- Thanks for the reply!

Ok, well, I did the sound settings.

Without the /v1: it starts, I see some intial text spew, that fades to black, then it hangs on a black screen

With the /v1, executing the batch from windows: Almost the same as above. It starts, I see some text initialization spew, fades to black, then crashes (returns to desktop).

With the /v1, executing the batch from a DOS command prompt (Windows still running, of course):

same as without the /v1

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grrrrr....two steps forward, three steps back...

Ok that latest:

First, I successfully got the game running by using the win version that was zipped up that I didn't notice (missed it first time I read CC's post). And got sound working using VDMSound.

BUT, most of the graphics were all messed up. Not displaying correctly at all. I know the game is running fine, and some screens are occasionally ok, if I can navigate to them by just using keyboard input...just the graphics are messed on most of it.

I searched and downloaded a patch to fix the graphics (bc3k209free_animfix.exe), but it didn't work either...hmm.

So, I decided to uninstall, and do a fresh install. This time, didn't apply the patch, but now I get something different completely! Now:

a) in full mode, I get messed up graphics, but I know what they say, because I can only hit escape, and:

B) in window mode, I can read the text, and it gives me a message like "Please insert the BattleCruiser CD in Drive D"..

Sigh...wtf?

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quote:


Originally posted by Xylo:

Sigh...wtf?


Please STFU

Its free UNSUPPORTED software. If you can't get it to run on your rig, delete it. You could easily go out and buy either BCM, BCM Gold or UC for $19.99 instead of screwing around with 14+ yr old game.

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  • 8 months later...

Releasing them as freeware guarantees that your games will live forever. My grandkids will be downloading x86 emulators and searching the web for tips to get them running, always asking, "If he could do this back then, why doesn't anyone make a game like this now?"

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I played bc2.09 for a long time, and the better way that i found was in DOS enviroment. I have one HD with 800mb only for this version (in my opinion that┬┤s the best, i don┬┤t know about UC, becouse is not sales here in Brazil). The OS is DOS, without any windows. The game works fast, almost without bugs. I agree with Darkling, i miss the cockpits in BCM, and specialy the simple interface, without icons in hud; but the grafics from space and ships is better now.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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