14-12-20, 05:00 | #1 |
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Installing and Modding Tomb Raider on Windows XP 32-bit
Hi, I've been trying to get a fully working version of Tomb Raider 1 on my old Windows XP laptop, specifically the TombATI version. It works perfectly fine on my more modern Windows 10 computer but I get an initialization error when running the exact same files on the Windows XP laptop. I wanted to check here to see if TombATI was 64-bit or Windows Vista and later.
I also wanted to know how I would be able to apply mods to either the DOS version, or if it is possible. The DOS version seems to read the DATA folder from the CD because I have to mount it on DOSBox, and I don't see a DATA folder (where I would normally put modded level files) in the Tomb Raider installation directory. As a side note, I've tried installing using the the older version of XP that requires VDM Sound. I'm not a fan of having to install VDMSound, I'd prefer to stick with a version where the files are on my drive and I can apply various mods. (Wasn't sure if this belonged in Technical Support or Tomb Raider) Last edited by jcdbm; 21-12-20 at 03:52. |
14-12-20, 13:24 | #2 |
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replying to question #2 how I would be able to apply mods to either the DOS version, sure it can be done before mounting the cue/bin image, be it manually or using my installer
see these screenshots taken after applying a couple of mods, first of a balloon-carrying Lara (or of a Lara-carrying balloon) and then one sporting the intervention of the deferent TRII butler https://postimg.cc/K1MzxBJ3 https://postimg.cc/3WTbBTPs https://postimg.cc/vDb3nvnM it inevitably takes some work to rebuild the proper image unless you prefer to burn each time a cd-rw with the modded stuff as briefy hinted at here https://www.tombraiderforums.com/sho...postcount=1031 https://www.tombraiderforums.com/sho...postcount=1034 https://www.tombraiderforums.com/sho...postcount=1036 as for the sidenote, that installer, by Bokkie iirc, will surely require either VDMSound, or else SoundFx (which is now freeware & open source too): http://www.softsystem.co.uk/products/soundfx.htm for soundblaster emulation to work. Nothing to worry about that. Last edited by gidierre; 14-12-20 at 17:19. |
14-12-20, 18:35 | #3 | |
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the idea behind TombATI was, to get it to run on modern systems. Windows XP doesn't necessarily count as that, I'm afraid. The binary is a 32-bit executable (and the magic happens in a 32-bit dll), but the DLL is compiled using the Windows 7 SDK (as per https://github.com/Glidos/glrage), and is therefore not compatible with Windows XP. If you need Windows XP support, you can try to build it yourself, but I'm not sure if that's even possible. |
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15-12-20, 21:18 | #4 | ||
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My desire to not use the VDMSound install of Tomb Raider is from that I am trying to create a "portable" copy of Tomb Raider, i.e. ran in a desired directory without having to run installer executables and process, and having the game as "independent" as possible (I'm going to reformat my computer and want to simply drag and drop my previous game onto it). Also, I'm trying to have the files on my local drive if I am running a Windows version of Tomb Raider. Currently I'm messing around between a Tomb Raider DOS 3dfx patch I found online and the GOG DOSBox version of Tomb Raider. The first just replaces the TOMB.EXE but for some reason does not ask for a glide2x.ovl or .dll, so I cannot apply a corrected gamma fix. With the second one, I'm trying to figure out the file structure to see how I replace the DOSBox packaged from GOG with my own DOSBox ECE version and glide2x.dll with corrected gamma. Is there no other version of Tomb Raider (other than the VDMSound and Advanced Installer version) than can run on Windows XP as a Windows application? If so, I will have to figure it out with DOSBox. Last edited by jcdbm; 15-12-20 at 21:37. |
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15-12-20, 23:07 | #5 | ||||
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have you already poked your way around in the thick forest of nVida modded inf/driver trees and branches? Over the years they sometimes made wonders for me, sometimes... not quite. I can't tell about TombATI, I'm not so sure it should be so hopelessly incompatible with XP and Vista, 32bit and 64bit, it ought to be fully tested. Quote:
last, and first? the examples I made iirc only needed playing with a few modded *.phd files Quote:
about the same reasons/features I made my installer for in the first place you don't need to mind my advice, but the hardest way I can think of though is to go frankenstein and mess with gog packages, dosbox branches, etc. quod Deus avertat I am still convinced I was right in having my own relatively straightforward arrangement, before Gog TRI or ECE ever existed and also before considering concocting whatever installer tool. Quote:
(w/VDMSound & dgVoodoo v1.x, unfortunately and sadly deprecated for years now as of Windows Vista and later & 64bit) having little to do with my own one which can and hopefully will run on Windows XP as a Win32 application, both x86 and x64 versions. Last edited by gidierre; 16-12-20 at 00:19. |
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16-12-20, 06:09 | #6 | ||||
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Last edited by jcdbm; 16-12-20 at 06:12. |
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16-12-20, 12:27 | #7 | ||||
Grease Monkey
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WinXP + Pro + 64bit is far from the best combo as far as gaming is concerned, I'm sorry to remark, 32bit/Home would do for games otherwise it's a bit like repeating the WinNT vs. Win9x pattern especially about the gfx driver paraphernalia for the record I wasn't referring to "regular" nVidia drivers, anyway, all this ought to searched on those sites dedicated to modded nVidia inf's which obv. nVidia wouldn't support, even if most are dependable enough and could be rolled back if needed, the thing is it's a long trial and error process, and fruitless most of the times and btw your other thread here, the one about TRII, seems quite alike, gfx driver issues to meddle with and hope... unfortunately it's always something to deal with on a case-by-case basis Quote:
keep the bin/cue format or creating an iso will have you lose the sound tracks Quote:
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in case this is the latest link to it: https://www.tombraiderforums.com/sho...d.php?t=166520 it should fit in with all Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 10^2 (?) and x86/x64 versions let me know if you try it. Last edited by gidierre; 16-12-20 at 20:48. |
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20-12-20, 03:48 | #8 |
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I used your installer and now am able to run Tomb Raider via DOSBox. Strangely, when I try to use the provided Play .exe's, the command prompt initializes then shuts off because says that no valid Tomb Raider install was detected on the computer. Otherwise it runs great. I am able to "uninstall" it from the Control Panel Programs list and have a "portable" directory working as intended. I choose the nGlide installation option and copy-paste glide2x.dll from C:\Windows\System32 into the game's directory.
Now onto creating a modded .BIN and .CUE: If I try to edit the existing .BIN and .CUE file by replacing DATA files with modded ones, the tool I am using (AnyBurn) is unable to create. If I build new image from extracted files, I am able to build a new .BIN file but it seems the .CUE file is not being created properly and sound becomes distorted if I mount using imgmount .cue -t cdrom. The new .BIN seems to work without any music when I use imgmount .cue -t iso. I took a brief look online and had trouble finding an exact solution, do you have any advice? Edit: I found one issue with my Tomb Raider installation -- every time I alt-tab out of my Tomb Raider DOSBox, the DOSBox crashes instantly. I decided to try making a Frankenstein Tomb Raider directory using the files from the installation, DOSBox ECE files replacing DOSBox files, and GOG Tomb Raider install's glide2x.dll and .ovl. It works perfectly well except that I see a black screen with graphical glitches on the very top when I view the inventory from both Caves and Lara's Home levels. Do you have any idea what may be causing this graphic glitch? I'm not too knowledge on the particular modified version of DOSBox that the installation provided, but if I could get that crashing to fix, I wouldn't need to use ECE as a workaround. Last edited by jcdbm; 20-12-20 at 06:46. |
20-12-20, 15:53 | #9 | ||||
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This check of course is only implemented the very first time you install, after which you can extract the cdrom and it won't ever search for it again. Quote:
after nGlide has been set up it knows where to find its dll, there's no use in moving the dll expanding on it a bit, iirc it's about one WinXP 64bit architecture you have there right?, so the C:\Windows\System32 path is still there, but automatically superseded by the SysWOW64 folder arrangement https://www.howtogeek.com/326509/wha...rs-in-windows/ so minding "old" x86 System32 parallel folder is a moot point there at any rate nothing wrong happened with that operation, just a useless duplication, 90% of the times unconsequential (sometimes conflicts may arise ) Quote:
now TRI disc is mixed-mode (data + cd-audio) so to have music you need a mixed-mode disc (its proper image being in cue/bin format). In Windows generally a cue/bin image shows no trace of audio tracks, still they're there (if the cue sheet has been done right by the burning software, or manually by the user ) Now creating a correct image from this cdrom type afaict doesn't require a particular tool to make it right, the reverse (from extracted or modded files & folders to the right cue/bin image and/or eventual right burned disc) is a different matter and surely not all cd/dvd burning applications can do the trick flawlessy I forget if last time I'd been using Nero or maybe ImgBurn, but I guess it was one of these that I made the image with. AnyBurn I'm not sure about, but probably will only get you an iso. Quote:
thou shalt not alt+tab out of a TRI dosbox session scot-free, ever if you want to exit quick to do it right (aside from ingame menus of course) you'll just Ctrl+F9 out if it, period if you're after freezing game & getting back to it later, you don't! You save, exit and then reload also, I wouldn't bother to mix any file as nondescript as can be from different versions of the same program, be it ECE or vanilla 0.72 or 0.73 or 0.74, whatever, just don't a host of gfx glitches is absolutely easy to foresee in these cases, and I don't even see any good reason to do that anyway Last edited by gidierre; 20-12-20 at 16:30. |
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21-12-20, 03:50 | #10 | |||
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P.S. Somehow my DOSBox alt-tab crashing issue fixed itself. I didn't do much besides organizing the .conf file to make it more human-legible. And all my other instances of DOSBox do not freeze when I alt-tab, so I find Thou shalt not alt-tab to be a completely new concept! Last edited by jcdbm; 21-12-20 at 03:55. |
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