Installing games on Windows 7

[thatdbme 0]

Nyerguds here. I split this off because it was utterly unrelated to the development. Please don't post stuff like that in the dev thread.

 

Nyerguds out.

 

---

 

OK, first off, let me just say that I am a long time Command & Conquer lover but a newbie when it comes to what it takes to get the games to play in Windows 7. I am also a newbie on this forum. I JUST now signed up so I could ask for help.

 

I have been working for HOURS on trying to get CnC to work on my Window 7 Home Premium 64 bit laptop. (Dell XPS m1530)

 

No matter what I try, what guide I follow, what patch or setup I install, nothing works. Based on what I have read in this forum, it sounds like others are happily playing their favorite CnC game. Alas, I am CnC deprived.

 

Someone PLEASE give me step by step instructions for getting Command & Conquer to play. I miss it immensely! (Not to mention, I feel the need to introduce my son to classic gaming..the kind that is REALLY fun.)

 

I need clear, step by step instructions.

 

Thank you so much.

[Kamikave 0]

Easy.

1 - Download and install full game & cinematics :

http://www.cnc-comm....=downfile&id=15 and http://download.digi...movies_full.rar

 

2 - Then download and install the latest patch :

http://www.cnc-comm....a=downfile&id=6

 

Then launch and play.

Everything else you might need can be found here :

http://nyerguds.arsa...95upd/cc95p106/

You also can read the documentation provided with the patch.

Edited November 5, 2011 by Kamikave

[Chimas 7]

Create the proper thread to talk about it.

 

Also consider geting rid of W7 ...

[AlexB 8]

No matter what I try, what guide I follow, what patch or setup I install, nothing works.

How doesn't it work? Can't you get it to run at all or does it run with errors? More percise info might help tremenously to understand what the problem is.

[thatdbme 0]

I just saw Karmikave's instructions. Thank you. I will try that.

 

I'm not willing to drop Win7.

 

Specifically, after I install Red Alert 2 or Yuri's Revenge, when I start them (even as administrator), I get a blank screen. I can hear the music. If I click around, I can hear that I am clicking on buttons, but I can't see anything at all.

 

I haven't been able to install anything prior to RA2. It always complains about it being 64bit.

 

Hopefully Karmikave's instructions will help. I'll post an update later.

[AlexB 8]

Did you set the compatibility options to Win95 or Win98 in the Game[MD].exe properties?

 

Otherwise, it sounds like you have a ddraw.dll in the RA2/YR folder. A patched ddraw.dll is working with Windows XP and earlier, but it produces a black screen on Vista and later. If the file is in the folder, remove it and RA2 and YR should work again.

 

The installers of the older games will not work because they are partially 16bit, which isn't supported on 64bit Windows. You'd need the The First Decade DVD or fan made freeware installers. The games themselves should work.

 

[Now we are completely off-topic...]

[Nyerguds 102]

All the games work on Win7. There's a huge thread for helping with that on the official boards:

http://www.commandandconquer.com/forums/showthread.php?547

Note that this thread is for TFD, so it doesn't have information for INSTALLING them. But basically, the best advice I can give you is to make sure you both INSTALL and RUN the games (and any patches they might need) in administrator mode.

 

I also posted a guide for installing RA1 on 64 bit systems there:

http://www.commandandconquer.com/forums/showthread.php?253