Hello.

Thank you for such a swift response!

OK, so I've downloaded the latest video drivers (ATI/AMD Catalyst 7.4 package), but also updated my BIOS while I was at it; on the other hand, there aren't any more recent sound card drivers available (I forgot to mention that my sound card is integrated to the motherboard: ASUS Realtek HD Audio). (I'd updated all drivers in early February after purchasing Vista.)

Sadly however, it doesn't change a thing: the symptons are just the same: the game runs, it's playable, background sound is fine but sound FX are stuttering. (And with the OpenGL Glide driver the game continues to crash with a white blank screen straight after the intro RPL sequences.)

I also tried reinstalling VDMSound, first the 2_1_0 version (interesting: I don't know where I got that one from, but it doesn't seem to be featured on SourceForge's VDMSound project Web site) then the 2_0_4 version: none of them work, neither with the OpenGL or the Direct3D Glide driver, even when I try fiddling with the Glidos 'Adjust' options: the command prompt windows just freezes at some point of loading or the other while a dialogue box informs me that "NTVDM.exe has stopped working" (see attachments).
Interestingly enough, there seems to be a .dll file missing, though the VDMSound installation seemed to be complete. I read somewhere that I might just have forgotten to reboot after installing VDMSound, but rebooting didn't change things.

(BTW, while looking for solutions I found the following Web page which offers VDMSound v2_1_0 for downloading: http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tr1/faq.html.)

I didn't mention in my first post either that I hadn't installed TR1 directly in C (it's in C:\Games\TOMBRAID\ -btw, could I name that folder differently, or does it necessarily have to be TOMBRAID?), but I'd tried that before and it hadn't worked either, then I figured Glidos wouldn't give you the choice if it had to be in C:\TOMBRAID\, and then the game does run, albeit with sound problems.

When disabling VDos32 and trying to use VDMSound, I used the same version of TR1 as before, ie the archive downloaded from the VDos32 Web page (which looks like the same you can download on glidos.net).

To reply to your latest question, the games graphics run very smoothly, it's only the sound FX (boots running, gunshots, voice etc.) which are stuttering (whereas in the RPL sequences both video and sound are stuttering, apparently in time).

Thank you again.

I've just tried running TR1 in windowed mode and clicking on the window, but that doesn't change a thing either: sound is still stuttering.

BTW, I have no idea what DOSBox is (though I have seen it on the forum index), so I'll need to read on that a bit.

Actually for me little post are best. I just start to lose track of it in the long posts, especially if there are bits that are no longer pertinent

My guess is the SoundBlaster emulation in VDos32 is the cause. Its doing pretty basic stuff, so its difficult to think what the problem can be. Hopefully I can try it under Vista myself soon, and then I can experiment.

DOSBox is a dos emulator. Its a little like VDos32, but very much more general, and further developed. I believe it has Glide support now, but not via Glidos, so you can't use the TRX textures. I might update Glidos to work with DOSBox though.

Still the problems you are having with VDos32 sound pretty minor in terms of how hard it would be to fix. Just need to get to the bottom of it.

Sorry, I'll try to keep them short. I just thought it would be easier for you if you had the comprehensive background.

Since I don't use the TRX textures anyway (I guess that's what 'No overriding of textures' means), do you think it might work with DOSBox?

I've seen reports on Vogons of people having TR1 working in Glide mode under DOSBox.

The TRX textures are worth having though.

You are right in a way that the more info the better for tracking down a problem. I just mean don't worry about being complete if there are bits you feel reasonably sure are irrelevant.

OK.

One thing I've noticed: Neither Glidos nor TR1 (when installed from the archive) appear in Windows' list of programmes (VDMSound does): how does one uninstall them?

Me again.

I don't know whether I shouldn't open a new thread specifically dedicated to TR1 with VDos32 under Vista, but I guess the post can be relocated subsequently, or can't it?

I unlocked Glidos, but interestingly enough, the spinning logo was still there (Manor and Level 1); I had closed and rerun Glidos, and I even did a reboot: logo still there.

Even more interesting: I tried in windowed mode 640x480 (same result), but while I was trying to find a key that would increase the resolution (there aren't, I guess), I pressed F1-F4 (which I know are sensitive keys) and the number of FPS started appearing in the top left corner of the window/screen. Moreover, while in demo mode without the logo, I managed to switch it on (can't get rid of it now), and it's even on the title page now.
When I press F2-to F4 on the title page the spinning objects (ie passport) freeze until I release the key. If the logo's textures are glittering and I press F4, they stop glittering. When I press ESC in-game, the logo freezes in the background while a new one starts spinning in the menu. Such fun!
(BTW, pressing F1 while in demo mode seems to stop the demo.)

laracroft.net wrote:

Neither Glidos nor TR1 (when installed from the archive) appear in Windows' list of programmes (VDMSound does): how does one uninstall them?

You simply delete their respective folder. Glidos doesn't need any uninstall tool. And TR1 is a DOS game, it won't appear in your Remove Programs list.

Hi, and thanks for the reply.

Does that mean that as they are DOS based they won't affect Windows at all (registry etc.)?

Glidos just doesn't mess with the registry. Configuration is done
through Glidos.ini as it looks.

laracroft.net wrote:

Me again.
I unlocked Glidos, but interestingly enough, the spinning logo was still there (Manor and Level 1); I had closed and rerun Glidos, and I even did a reboot: logo still there.

Unlocking is a bit temperamental under Vista. I'm looking into that. Check to see if your GlidosID is changing.

Even more interesting: I tried in windowed mode 640x480 (same result), but while I was trying to find a key that would increase the resolution (there aren't, I guess), I pressed F1-F4 (which I know are sensitive keys) and the number of FPS started appearing in the top left corner of the window/screen.

TR1 displays FPS when you press F2. Pressing it again turns it off.

Moreover, while in demo mode without the logo, I managed to switch it on (can't get rid of it now), and it's even on the title page now.

TR1 reacts to F4 by changing its textures subtly. The textures are what Glidos keys on to decide whether you are playing the first three levels, and not display the logo. So pressing F4 can cause the logo to appear. Pressing it again will undo that change, but you then need to load a save game or restart for the logo to actually go. Of course that wont be a problem once you have it properly unlocked.

When I press F2-to F4 on the title page the spinning objects (ie passport) freeze until I release the key.

When you press F2-F4, TR1 goes into a loop waiting for you to release the key. It was that which used to stall VDos32 completely, but now it isn't a problem. You'll see it stop like that with or without VDos32, and with or without Glidos.

If the logo's textures are glittering and I press F4, they stop glittering.

Haven't noticed that one. TR1 does alter its textures on F4 so not surprising.

When I press ESC in-game, the logo freezes in the background while a new one starts spinning in the menu. Such fun!

Press ESC, and TR1 takes a snapshot of the game. If the logo is present then that gets in the shot, so you end up with both the logo and a snapshot of it. Expected behavour and of course will not occur when you are unlocked.

(BTW, pressing F1 while in demo mode seems to stop the demo.)

You mean the video sequences? If so that's sort of expected. When using VDos32, it is that that displays the video sequences, and F1 causes TR1 go into a screen mode that VDos32 doesn't yet handle.

Unlocking is a bit temperamental under Vista. I'm looking into that. Check to see if your GlidosID is changing.

OK, I'll have a look tonight.

You mean the video sequences? If so that's sort of expected. When using VDos32, it is that that displays the video sequences, and F1 causes TR1 go into a screen mode that VDos32 doesn't yet handle.

(Actually, I meant when TR1 is on the title page and no action is taken for a while it goes into demo mode and shows a short gameplay sequence and that F1 stopped it short, but I'm not so sure anymore; I'll check tonight also. *it just hit me that the demo mode sounds very like what old arcade video games would do; I wonder if any of the newer games have that function at all.)

Unlocking is a bit temperamental under Vista. I'm looking into that. Check to see if your GlidosID is changing.

Check. I've run Glidos three times in a row and got three different GlidosIDs.

laracroft.net wrote:

If the logo's textures are glittering and I press F4, they stop glittering.

Sorry, that's F3. Actually, the textures on the logo don't so much stop glittering as freeze -although the logo is still spinning; I figure the "glittering" is the logo adapting to the background (?), and it just stops doing that when I press F3 (but re-pressing F3 doesn't de-freeze them).

laracroft.net wrote:

(BTW, pressing F1 while in demo mode seems to stop the demo.)

I confirm that pressing F1 while TR1 is automatically replaying a pre-recorded gameplay sequence puts an immediate end to the demo mode and gets you back to the title page.

(Is any of this of any help to anyone, or is it just my personal curiosity that gets satisfied?)

laracroft.net wrote:

Unlocking is a bit temperamental under Vista. I'm looking into that. Check to see if your GlidosID is changing.

Check. I've run Glidos three times in a row and got three different GlidosIDs.

Ah, sorry I forgot I fixed the unlocking problem under Vista for both VDos32 and Glidos, but only released so far the new VDos32 version. Here is the new version of Glidos.

Hi.

I've downloaded and installed Glidos v1.36c (and reinstalled all related programs required for TR1 as well as unlocked Glidos anew), but there is still a problem with the GlidosID: now the ID doesn't change each time I shut down and rerun the program, but it does if I log off and/or reboot.

As for the main problems with TR1 under Vista mentioned in my previous posts (no Glide driver choice, stuttering etc.), they haven't changed.

The VDos32 Web site states that among the improvements of version 0.5 there is the following:

"VDos32's unlocking should now be stable under Vista, so you wont need to unlock it on every use."

Does that mean that it won't need unlocking ever again once it's been unlocked, or that it only needs unlocking once per computer session? Because each time I reboot or log off it needs unlocking again.

The stuttering sound is something to do with VDos32 running under Vista, so I wasn't expecting Glidos v1.36c to help with that. Also there's no change in the Windows side wrappers, so I wouldn't have expected OpenGL to start working. In any case, there's a reasonable chance that both those problems are due to weaknesses in Vista drivers.

The only change was in the unlocking. It is supposed to be a one-off unlocking. What's happening? Are you getting a whole sequence of different IDs, or alternating between two?

I still can't test under Vista. I have it loaded on a computer, but its the 64bit version, and the LDT access stuff isn't working for that.

Glidos wrote:

The only change was in the unlocking. It is supposed to be a one-off unlocking. What's happening? Are you getting a whole sequence of different IDs, or alternating between two?

GlidosID changes each time I reboot (not when I simply log off, mind you, that was a mistake on my part); I booted 5 times this evening and got the following string of IDs:

GlidosID: C3629F860DD0747383DE4B8B8538B05A
GlidosID: BA427337F8D1C7319A1D4B49B764AE6E
GlidosID: C424E7F0134B8FF154F2F35BBF10E858
GlidosID: CCB80632328C23A14C5F60A561A5158F
GlidosID: 8B94AA76B37FB30AAF3F19CF875E9891

What about VDos32, is it supposed to need unlocking each time I boot?