Privateer won't run... help please

LanceKnight

Spaceman
Hello, i just got Privateer 1 the cd-version and im having troubles trying to get it to run on my computer. I saw some of your posts on the wc cic forums and i thought maybe you could help. i have a microsoft flightstick pro joystick, micrsoft ps/2 mouse and a soundblaster 128 sound card and i cant install privateer through dos. i go into dos and type E:\install (e being my cd-rom) and it says invailed drive. Ok so i go back to windows and right click the cd-rom and go to explore and find the install file so i click it and it installs. i go back to dos and type C:\privater and it says badcommand or file name. its installed in the C:\privater folder but it won't run. i double clicked on the priv file in the privater folder and it took me to dos giving me a error saying fatal error, error code: 1308-FFFF.

i heard alot of great things about this game and i would love to get it to work.


thank you
 
OK... you don't have your CD-ROM drive set up in DOS. Depending on your hard drive size you can either copy all the game files to your hard drive (a couple of hundred megabytes) or we can work on installing a CD Driver. It will be easier later in this setup to be running from the HDD (using the CD driver takes up memory.) If you pick which one you want, I or someone else who happens along will help you out with it.

Is your joystick a digital joystick. If it is it will not work in DOS. Otherwise there is no reason that it wouldn't (assuming it uses the joystick port
smile.gif
)

TC

P.S. To run privateer you would type cd\privater and hit enter(to change to the defalt privateer directory) and then type priv and hit enter(to start the game)

------------------
CAG of the Blacklance HQ
"Canadian and proud of it"-TC
 
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yes i do have a zip drive that is took over my D: drive.. ok now in my autoexe.bat i have
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS


SET SST_SCREENREFRESH=120
SET SST_RGAMMA=1.95
SET SST_GGAMMA=1.95
SET SST_BGAMMA=1.95
SET SST_GRXCLK=57

SET CLASSPATH=C:\Program Files\HEAT\navbar;%CLASSPATH%

wierd isn't it?

and in the config.sys i have

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE


now i got these by typing sysedit at run and i hope its right
smile.gif


thank you
 
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Someone call?

Oh, you again. I've told you some stuff in e-mail already.

I still need DOSSTART.BAT before I can do anything. However, you should be aware that your joystick won't be working, although everything else will.
 
thanks for your reply, ok here is whats in my dosstart.bat

C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\DOSDRV\APINIT.COM
C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\DOSDRV\APINIT
 
Okay... now, you'll need to create a shortcut that will reboot your computer and leave you in MS-DOS mode; you'll probably be able to find my instructions for that in another thread. Use the following configuration:

CONFIG.SYS:
DOS=HIGH,UMB,NOAUTO
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM 16384 /I=B000-BFFF
BUFFERSHIGH=25
FILESHIGH=25

AUTOEXEC.BAT:
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS
LH C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND\DOSDRV\APINIT.COM

Install with these options:
Music card:
General MIDI
Port: 330
IRQ: 7

Speech card:
Sound Blaster Pro
Port: 220
IRQ: 7
DMA: 1

The CD-ROM drive will not be working in DOS, so you should run the install program from Windows. Don't change the default install directory (C:\Privater). Once that is done, copy the following files from the CD to that directory: PRIV.TRE and RF.TRE. Next, use Notepad to open PRIV.CFG and change its contents to this:

=C:\PRIVATER\PRIV.TRE

Then, open RF.CFG and change its contents to this:

=C:\PRIVATER\RF.TRE

Save the files and you're ready to play. Just use the shortcut whenever you want to play Privateer.
 
Ok we have a problem.. i made the shortcut to dos like you said, (go to start programs ms-dos then right click it and select copy). ok then i right clicked the shortcut and went to props,program and advance and typed in all that stuff you gave me and i did everything you said but when i double clicked on that shortcut it rebooted my computer and said verifining dma pool and that windows98 is starting the ms-dos program. it just locks up and doesn't let me type anything. even after i rebooted again it did the same thing. i couldn't load up windows! finally somehow i got to windows..

it was scary.. what do you think is wrong? thanks for your help
smile.gif
 
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Well, sounds like you did a good job on the shortcut; use it again. This time, when the computer reboots, directly after the RAM count, hit F8. A start-up menu should appear; choose Step-By-Step confirmation. Write down the instruction that locks the computer up. Then, reboot again, choose step-by-step again, and say No to that instruction. When you get to the DOS prompt, type EXIT to get back to Windows. Then, come back here and tell me which instruction it was that caused the problem.
 
Ok i don't know if you want all the lines or just the one right before the lock up so i will just list all of them..


Load Doublespace Driver
Process the system registery
Create a startup log file
Process your startup dervice drivers
DOS=Single
DOS=High,UMB,NOAUTO
Device=C:\Windows\himem.sys
Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.exe RAM 16284 i=800-8FFF


it locks up on the last Device..
 
ok, the line that loads EMM386 is wrong... it should read

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM 16384 /I=B000-BFFF

not

Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.exe RAM 16284 i=800-8FFF

just copy it directly from here and paste it into your shortcut (delete the old line). You can paste by hitting Ctrl-V

TC

------------------
CAG of the Blacklance HQ
"Canadian and proud of it"-TC
 
Ok i got as far as to type in the command to start up privater but it said insufficient dos memmory to run Privater.


thanks for your reply
smile.gif
 
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Okay, so far so good. Now, I need you to use the shortcut to get to DOS and type the following:

MEM /C > MEM.TXT

This will create a file labelled MEM.TXT that contains the output of the MEM command. Post the contents of that file.
 
ok i double clicked on my bootdisk shortcut and it went to dos but when i typed MEM/C>MEM.TXT at the C:\> prompt nothing happens..
 
also.. i don't know if it matters but before i get to the prompt i get a invailed parameter specified press any key to contiune.


thanks...
 
oh lol.. i didn't look in my privater folder
smile.gif
here ya go

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

Name Total Conventional Upper Memory
-------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------
SYSTEM 114,464 (112K) 30,096 (29K) 84,368 (82K)
HIMEM 1,120 (1K) 1,120 (1K) 0 (0K)
EMM386 4,320 (4K) 4,320 (4K) 0 (0K)
DBLSPACE 26,912 (26K) 26,912 (26K) 0 (0K)
COMMAND 10,304 (10K) 10,224 (10K) 80 (0K)
COMMAND 7,280 (7K) 7,280 (7K) 0 (0K)
APINIT 2,064 (2K) 2,064 (2K) 0 (0K)
Free 573,216 (560K) 573,120 (560K) 96 (0K)

Memory Summary:

Type of Memory Total Used Free
---------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Conventional 655,360 82,240 573,120
Upper 84,544 84,448 96
Reserved 393,216 393,216 0
Extended (XMS)* 133,084,608 2,971,072 130,113,536
---------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total memory 134,217,728 3,530,976 130,686,752

Total under 1 MB 739,904 166,688 573,216

Total Expanded (EMS) 17,170,432 (16M)
Free Expanded (EMS)* 16,777,216 (16M)

* EMM386 is using XMS memory to simulate EMS memory as needed.
Free EMS memory may change as free XMS memory changes.

Largest executable program size 573,104 (560K)
Largest free upper memory block 96 (0K)
MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.
 
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<smacks himself in the head>

Of course. I should have seen it before. It's the Doublespace driver. Whenever you use the shortcut, hit F8 to get to the boot menu, and make sure that it doesn't load the doublespace driver.

What is the exact error message regarding the bad parameter?
 
i tried hitting f8 before the ram count or whatever but even after i got there and went to normal it still said not enough memmory.


it just says invailed parameter specified press any key to contiune.. thats all.. no error
 
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