Origin - Tech - Help - Ultima VII : the Black Gate

Ultima VII :
the Black Gate
t e c h n i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n

General Troubleshooting. i.e. This is way too much information.
Boot Configuration	Requirements	Error Messages
General	Hints	Notes

DOS XMS Boot Configuration
for use only with shortcuts and boot disks.

| help on modifiying your config.sys and autoexec.bat |

CONFIG.SYS

	device=c:\windows\himem.sys
	dos=high
	files=25
	buffers=25
	lastdrive=[enter the drive letter of your CD-ROM]
	device=[CD-ROM drivers]
	  [Be sure to remove the above line after installing.]
	device=[Sound lines (if any)]

AUTOEXEC.BAT

	@echo off
	path=c:\windows;c:\windows\command;c:\dos;
	prompt $p$g
	c:\windows\command\mscdex.exe /m:5 /d:[CD-ROM name]
	  (Remove the line above after installing.)
	[Microsoft Mouse driver (required)]
	[Sound lines (if any)]

Color Code:
BLACK:	Must use the exact lettering provided.
RED:	May need to be modified to reflect the wording in your C:\CONFIG.SYS or C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT, respectively.
GREEN:	Optional. These are not required to run the game. However you may like to have sound with your game, so leaving these out may not be helpful.
[ITALICIZED]:	Comments and are not to be entered as is. Upper or lower case doesn't matter.
If you are still looking at gibberish by the time you read this, visit our ??!! How To !!?? page which has a plethora of Boot Disk makers, Short Cut makers, and easy to read, step by step information on how to make them manually.

Requirements & Other Useful Info

Minimum Requirements

386 SX, 2MB RAM, Mouse

Memory Requirements

Conventional: 548Kb

High: 2048Kb XMS

Installation Requirements:

Floppy: ~25MB

Forge of Virtue add-on: ~4MB

To Install:

Floppy: A:\INSTALL.EXE

Ultima 7 on the Sound Blaster pack: D:\INSTALL D: C: (Install + source drive letter + target drive letter)

Ultima 7 CD: D:\INSTALL.EXE

To Run:

Floppy and CD: C:\ULTIMA7\ULTIMA7.COM

To Quit:

Alt-X

Sound Configuration:

Floppy and CD: C:\ULTIMA7\INSTALL.EXE

Natively Supported Soundcards:

Sound Blaster, Pro

Ad Lib

Roland MT-32, LAPC-1

Hey! My Sound Card isn't listed!!

Savegame File Names

Floppy and CD: C:\ULTIMA7\[my file].U7

Input Devices

Keyboard

Mouse

Notes

EMM386.EXE

Ultima VII uses the Voodoo memory manager. EMM386 is also a memory manager, and when both are in memory, Ultima VII may not work. We recommend that you make a boot disk for the game using the directions listed at the top of this page. If you have a boot configuration on floppy disk, you may simply want to try removing the EMM386 device line listed in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Ultima VII : The Black Gate
Common Issues

Error Messages

"Can't find file XXXXX" Where 'XXXXX' is any file.;
Increase the FILES=25 and BUFFERS=25 on your boot disk's CONFIG.SYS to FILES=45 and BUFFERS=45. Try running the game again. If you continue to get this error message, you may need to delete the C:\ULTIMA7 directory and reinstall the game. If you recieve a CRC error during the reinstallation of Ultima 7, you may need to have the game disk(s) replaced.

"Not Enough Memory" error message appears even though there IS enough memory!
This error is most likely related to the "disk manager" or "overlay" that is resident in memory on your system. If your disk drive uses the OnTrack disk overlay software, add the line "DMCFIG /D=A" to the boot disk Autoexec.bat file. If this does not solve the problem, please contact OnTrack for assistance. You may be able to use the file LOADLOW.ZIP to solve this memory problem. The disk manager software is 'cloaked' in memory, and is invisible to a MEM statement. MEM will say that there is enough conventional memory to run the game, but the error message will persist until the OnTrack disk manager is reconfigured.

"Protected Mode driver not responding to EMS function calls" or "Remove the offending software".
This error message indicates that your current CONFIG.SYS file is loading EMM386.EXE. Create a boot disk according to the specifications listed at the top of this page or use the automatic Origin boot disk maker for XMS to get around this problem.

"CONVERMGR"
When you see this error message, it indicates one of two things. Either you have tried to open the Scroll of Love off the Ise of Fire, or you have tried to open it a second time. The scroll only needs to be used one time. After it has been used, don't try to use it anymore.

"Divide Error"
The 'divide error' is associated with instances where you have been bartering too much. Load your most recent save, you can barter a little... but, be sure to take the deal before very long.

Any Error message starting with "0x..."
Make sure that your version is the most recent, patched version of the game. Create a boot disk to run the game using the instructions listed at the top of the page or with the Origin automatic shortcut / boot disk maker. Restart your system with the boot disk and attempt to run the game. If you still get the error message, check the CONFIG.SYS file of the boot disk. Increase the FILES and BUFFERS to 45 each. Try the game again. If the error persists, you may need to delete the ULTIMA7 directory and reinstall.

"Temp 003$$$ not found" when trying to save or load a game.
Make sure that your version is the most recent, patched version of the game. Create a boot disk to run the game using the instructions listed at the top of the page or with the Origin automatic shortcut / boot disk maker. Restart your system with the boot disk and attempt to run the game. If you still get the error message, check the CONFIG.SYS file of the boot disk. Increase the FILES and BUFFERS to 45 each. Try the game again. If the error persists, you may need to delete the ULTIMA7 directory and reinstall.

General

"My game locks up at Journey Onward"
This is, most likely, a mouse driver version problem. You will need to acquire a 100% Microsoft compatible mouse driver. Once you have this mouse driver, boot your system from an XMS boot disk and attempt to run the game. If you have enough conventional memory and a Microsoft mouse driver, you should be able to get past the lockup problem.

"I can't save my game!"
Generally, when the system does not have access to the HIMEM.SYS device driver, this error message appears. Make a boot disk as per the instructions at the top of this page or use an automatic Origin XMS boot disk maker. Try running the game again. If you still cannot save your game, increase the FILES= and BUFFERS= lines in your CONFIG.SYS file to 45 each. If the error persists, check your hard disk for free space. You may not have enough disk space to save the game.

"My game locks when the Avatar goes into the moon gate in the intro!"
You will need to make a boot disk or XMS shortcut from Windows 95 to solve this problem. Try using the Origin automatic shortcut maker for XMS. Restart your system with the XMS shortcut or a boot disk made from the information listed at the top of this page. Try running the game again. If this does not help, try running the INSTALL program from the C:\ULTIMA7 directory. Choose NO sound card and NO music card (to make the game silent). Try running the game again. If this solves the problem, you know that the lockup is related to your sound card configuration. Run the INSTALL program again to configure your sound card properly. See our Sound Card Help Page for more information. If Sound is not the issue, you may need to increase the FILES= and BUFFERS= in the CONFIG.SYS of your boot configuration to a value of 45 each.

"My screen turns completely Red!"
A patch was created especially for this problem. Download ULTIMA7.ZIP and 'patch' the game. The "red screen" problem should go away.

"Items are disappearing from my inventory... especially when I sleep!"
The ULTIMA7.ZIP patch program was created to encompass this problem, as well. 'Patch' the game with ULTIMA7.ZIP and try running the game again. You should be able to keep your inventory items as you sleep. You might also try removing your backpack when you sleep as a precaution.

"The game locks up at the earthquake at the beginning of the game!"
This may be related to your sound card. To fix the problem, run the INSTALL program from the C:\ULTIMA7 directory. Choose NO sound card and NO music card. Run the game again and see if the lockup happens. If it does not, you will need to save your game after the earthquake, run the INSTALL program again, and re-select your sound card setup. See our Sound Card Help Page for more information. If this does not solve the problem and you are using a Compaq Pro-Linea / Presario computer, you may need to call Compaq for a bios upgrade.

My game locks at the earthquake scene (the beginning), leaving horizontal lines on the screen
Video cards with Nvidia's Riva 128 chipset, including the STB Velocity 128 and the Diamond Viper 330, have trouble refreshing the screen in Ultima 7, usually during earthquakes in the game. This typically causes the game to lock-up at a black screen with horizontal stripes.
Download the patch from our download page. Special thanks to David Perrell (creator of Mo'Slo)for this fix! To check out his download page go to http://www.hpaa.com/moslo/utils.html

"My game locks when I try to feed my character!"
Run the INSTALL program from the C:\ULTIMA7 directory. Choose NO sound card and NO music card (to make the game silent). Try running the game again. Often, this solves the lockup problem because the *gulp* sound made by characters when they eat is not being played through the sound card properly. Check your sound card configuration. You may have selected the wrong IRQ or DMA channel. If you have selected all proper settings, but the problem still won't go away, you may have to run the game without digital sound. See our Sound Card Help Page for more information.

"My game locks up when I get to the end!"
You will need to make a boot disk or XMS shortcut from Windows 95 to solve this problem. Try using the Origin automatic shortcut maker for XMS. Restart your system with the XMS shortcut or a boot disk made from the information listed at the top of this page. Try running the game again. If this does not help the problem, reboot your system and change directory to the C:\ULTIMA7\STATIC directory. Type "EDIT ENDGAME.FLG" In the MS-DOS text editor, type "XX" and then save the file and exit. When you run the game again, you should have a 'View Endgame' option in the main menu.

"I have Forge of Virtue, and my game is lockup up while I'm doing the Test of Truth!"
Go back to a previous saved game. To solve the test, go through the big square room near the very beginning that has four candles in the corners. There will be a hood lying on the floor. When you get to the hood, turn north and walk through the wall. Follow the corridor for a while and pick up the Talisman.

Hints

"The sliding door won't go down on the Isle of the Avatar!"
If you flew over the island with a magic carpet, the sliding door may not go down. You can either load a previous saved game (before the flight on the carpet) and play without flying over the isle of the Avatar, or you can download the Ultima 7: Black Gate 'super-character.'










































Copyright 1997 Origin Systems, an Electronic Arts Company