Anyone wanna help with Privateer :)

B

bubba

Spaceman
OK, I'm trying again to get Privateer going with an SBLive card.

I had it running on a previous motherboard but am having trouble with it since upgrading.

I have read many previous posts so I will include all detailed info that anyone should need.

My hard disk is run by Windows 98 SE. However, I just do a full reboot from a boot disk.

The boot disk give me lots of free memory.
(Largest executable = 607K)

Windows Device Manager gives the following:
"Creative SBLive! Value" IRQ=5, I/O=B400
"Creative SB16 Emulation" I/O=220, I/O=330, I/O=388
DMA=1, DMA=5
"Creative Gameport Joystick" I/O=200

After booting from the boot disk, MSD and a program called FINDIRQ both report SBEINIT at IRQ 5 and "vacant" at IRQ 10.

When I run SBEGO from boot disk, it reports the following:
IRQ = 10
LoDMA = 1
HiDMA = 5
MPU address = 330
(However when I run SBEGO from within WIN 98, it reports IRQ=7!)

Here are my startup files:
+-CONFIG.SYS----------------------------------------------------------+
|
| DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
| DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE 16384 D=64 FRAME=E000 /I=B000-B7FF RAM
| DOS=HIGH,UMB,NOAUTO
| FILESHIGH=50
| BUFFERSHIGH=35
| STACKS=18,256
| LASTDRIVE=F
| SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P
| INSTALL=C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE
| DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EBD\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:CD0001
| INSTALLHIGH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:CD0001 /M:5
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-AUTOEXEC.BAT-------------------------------------------------------+
|
| PATH C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND
| SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
| SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6 J200
| SET CTSYN=C:\WINDOWS
| C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\SBLIVE\DOSDRV\SBEINIT
| C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\SBLIVE\DOSDRV\SBEMIXER /p /q
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-CTSYN.INI-------------------------------------------------------------+
|
| [ctsyn.drv]
| OPLPort=388
| MPUPort=330
| SBPort=220
| SBIRQ=7
| SBDMALO=1
| SBDMAHI=5
| SBEnable=true
| JoyPort=200
| JoyEnable=true
| Waveset=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\default.ecw
| PCIPort=b400
| PCIIRQ=5
|
| [SBEINIT]
| CONFIG=SBESET.CFG
|
| [SBESET.CFG]
| SBPORT=220
| MPUPORT=330
| SBIRQ=10
| SBDMALO=1
| SBDMAHI=5
| OPLPORT=388
| SBENABLE=TRUE
| JOYPORT=200
| JOYENABLE=TRUE
| WAVESET=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DEFAULT.ECW
| PCIPORT=18A0
| PCIIRQ=3
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

I booted from this disk and than ran the installer on the Privateer CD. I installed it to the default folder of C:\PRIVATER and configured it for NO SOUND (ie. NO MUSIC AND NO SPEECH).

When I tried to run the game (ie typed "priv" cr) the system locked. I couldn't do a soft reboot (ctrl-alt-del). I had to use the Reset button.

I edited the AUTOEXEC.BAT and REMed out the call to SBEINIT.
After a reboot, i typed in "priv" and the game started right up...albeit with no sound.

I am 99.99999% sure that this is an IRQ problem as the IRQ settings are different everywhere you find them.

Anyone have any ideas???????

KV
 
First go into your PC bios under PNP/PCI Configuration set IRQ5 to Legacy. This will make IRQ5 available only to SB16 Emulation. You can also go into Device Manager and uncheck the share LPT box under CL SB16 Emulation.

Move this line to the be in the autoexec.bat near the bottom and change the INSTALLHIGH to LH.
INSTALLHIGH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:CD0001 /M:5

Next: Change SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P and SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM to SHELL=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS /P and
SET COMSPEC=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM
And remove that "NOAUTO"
Also, move C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\SBLIVE\DOSDRV\SBEMIXER /p /q
above the SBINIT.COM line. SBINIT.COM should be the last line in the sound configuration setting stuff in the autoexec.bat.

If you are still having problems use this command while using your boot disk.
MEM /C > P1MEM.TXT
MEM(space)/C(space)>(space)P1MEM.TXT
Notice the spaces.
This will create a detail report on how your memeory is being use. Open the P1MEM.TXT file and post it here.
 
Thank you John for the quick reply.

I did everything you said.

Now Windows Device Manager reports:
SBLive! Value at IRQ 3
SB16 Emulation at IRQ 5

When SBEINIT runs on the boot disk, it reports:
Creative Audio @ Port b400, IRQ 3

When I ran priv with no sound it worked! That is a success!
I ran the install and set up the Music as GM. Priv worked and the music sounds wonderful! Success times two! (interesting to note that it ran with GM set to either IRQ 5 or IRQ 3.
Any idea why?

Now the bad news. no matter which SB I set as the speech card, all the sounds and speech play maybe the first tenth of a second and thats it. Music keeps going fine.
?????

Two incidentals to your recommendations:
First, when SBEMIXER loads before SBEINIT, it gives an error message about no sbeinit. I changed it back to after SBEINIT loads and things still work.
Second, when I moved MSCDEX to autoexec.bat, my largest executable program size went from 607 to 581 because MSCDEX couldn't load into high memory. Still not a major problem as game still worked, but I did change it back and again, things still work.

I think we are almost there. Just need to get the speech card set. I still think there might be some IRQ issues.

Also, one more question. What is the purpose of the CTSYN.INI file? If I erased it or cleared it out, would it regenerate?
In an earlier attempt to make priv work, I ran SBECFG and tried to manually set it up. Is this what the second half of CTSYN.INI is? Could this stuff be causing my problems?

Thanks again for the help. Sorry to be so wordy, but previous posts I read seem to inefficient.

KV
 
Everything here is to be done with your boot disk.
First to make life easier edit your autoexec.bat and change the PATH line to
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\SBLIVE\DOSDRV; By doing this you wont need to type in the full path to the sblive DOSDRV directory to execute a program.

Lets make sure the sound card is working under DOS. Type SBETEST is will test the sound card under DOS. I am assuming it does work.

Next within the c:\privater type "install". When configing the sound settings choose SB16 as your sound card and use IRQ=5 and DMA=1. If it still wouldn't work delete the P1 directory and install the game again.
 
Hello, thanks again for quick resopnse.

I had tried exactly the sound setting you recommended. (I5, D1). Even with that setting, I would only get the first millisecond of a sound.

I do not have SBETEST. The diagnostic utility in my dosdrv folder is called SBEGO. I ran it and it reported that IRQ 10 was where SB was. So I tried setting up the speech card at I10, D1 and viola, EVERYTHING WORKED! at least until I fired my first shots in battle at which time the system locked.

I went in and deleted CTSYN.INI, rebooted from the boot disk, set music card to GM and speech card (SB16) to I5, D1 and guess what...
PRIVATEER IS RUNNING WITH FULL MUSIC, SPEECH, and SOUND!

I did have all the sound go to static during my second mission. Could this be a memory problem???

Otherwise, I am very greatful for your assistance and patience. Thank you.

By the way, after rebooting and playing the game, when I went back to windows there was a new CTSYN.INI with all the proper settings. So it did regenerate automatically.

KV
 
I did have all the sound go to static during my second mission. Could this be a memory problem???
Unforiginly with the SBLive DOS driver everyone who play this game has the same problem. The only thing I can suggest is to save after each mission and while you lose sound reboot your machine.
 
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