There are two versions of the 3dfx Tomb.exe. One tries to drive the hardware directly (which you don't have), and the other uses the Glide2x.ovl file. Glidos works only with the latter. Your patched one is probably based on the former.

For Tombub.exe there was only the second type. So you may do better there.

Thanks! That explains why one of the files I have (the one that's patched) has a file size of 1,140,735 bytes, while the other one (not patched) has a file size of 867,563 bytes. So I can understand why it doesn't work...

Today I've been trying to run a patched version of Tombraider 1 Unfinished Business in the same way, but I've had no success yet. The same thing happens: the unpatched version runs, but the patched version just drops back to the desktop, no messages whatsoever. As memory serves, the patched one used to work, in the days when I did have a Voodoo 1 and 2...

Oh, well, I guess I'll have to keep playing with the CD in the drive then...

Anybody any ideas?

The other thing I do sometimes is use Nero to make an image file and then use Nero's ImageDrive to make it look like a real CD, but then I can't get the background noises working.

Originally posted by Glidos ...and then use Nero's ImageDrive to make it look like a real CD, but then I can't get the background noises working.

If you're using DaemonTools, try switching the "Analog audio" option on or off as appropriate. If your CD was "imaged" properly, the audio data should be playable.

The audio will be playable, but probably TR wont play it. If the TR CD isn't in the lowest-lettered removeable drive then TR seems to ignore the audio.

Thanks lads, great idea, should have thought of that myself! Anyway, I'm going to try that one soon. I'll see what Alcohol 120% can do, but like Glidos was saying, I was wondering if TR knows what CD station to use if there's more than one available. I seem to recall that a number of (older) games use the first available, especially when they're trying to play audio tracks. I might shuffle the drive letters around a bit to see if that works, but that's not really a satisfactory solution, I'm afraid.

It's probably best to copy the CD and store it in a safe place. It's not copy protected, is it? I mean, I know the exe does some sort of CD check, but a bit copy should work, shouldn't it?

BTW, does anybody know what exactly it is checking? CD title? File on CD? And if so, what file? And what CD in what drive (see above)?

Thanks!

Originally posted by ableeker I'll see what Alcohol 120% can do,

The demo of DiscJuggler works very well for this. The demo forces a 10-second wait at the start and limits write-speed to 1x, but that's not a concern for using it with DaemonTools.

I was wondering if TR knows what CD station to use if there's more than one available. I seem to recall that a number of (older) games use the first available, especially when they're trying to play audio tracks.

Right. TombRaider does this as well.

I might shuffle the drive letters around a bit to see if that works, but that's not really a satisfactory solution, I'm afraid.

If the original game is coded that way, there's nothing you can really do unless you can get ahold of the source code. IOW, don't blame Paul for what the Eidos people did.

It's probably best to copy the CD and store it in a safe place. It's not copy protected, is it?

Probably is.

I mean, I know the exe does some sort of CD check, but a bit copy should work, shouldn't it?

Don't know. An image created using DiscJuggler's default settings worked for me.

Thanks, good stuff.

If the original game is coded that way, there's nothing you can really do unless you can get ahold of the source code. IOW, don't blame Paul for what the Eidos people did.

I'm not blaming Paul in any way, nor was my remark intended as such. I like some of the "old" games, and am always on the lookout for great software at bargain prices. It's amazing how much cheaper software is if you wait half a year, or so! Anyway, I'm all too familiar with the problems (or should I say "challenges"?) we're faced when we try to run old games (and to a lesser extent other old software) under a modern OS. What I was saying was that I will try to run TR under XP, if possible without using the CD, and with the CD if not. I'll try a number of work-arounds to see if they work, and to find out how TR finds it's drive, including shuffling drive letters. And then, when I've satisfied my curiosity, I'll see what's the most convenient way for me to run TR.

In an ideal world I wouldn't need to any work-arounds or compromises, heck, I'd be running the D3D or OpenGL version of TR1 as released by Eidos, but I'd like to stress that's all they are, minor quibbles, caused by the fact that the programmers then didn't know what we know now. Can't really blame them for that, can we? I mean, Paul has impressed the pants off me by enabling me to play TR, a DOS Glide game, under XP. No way I'm going to criticise him for some minor inconveniences (not even caused by him) when he's already done the impossible, and even goes out of his way to work around the quibbles left!

Cheers.

Originally posted by ableeker I'm not blaming Paul in any way, nor was my remark intended as such.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, then. There are plenty of people willing to blame Paul for things which he has no possible control.

Can't really blame them for that, can we?

Sure we can! *heh* Well, it wouldn't really be fair, I suppose.

I just wish that they had been a little more "forward-looking". I still think the "Age of Rifles" CD problem is ridiculous. Why on earth would you code your game to disable all audio if it detected a second CD-ROM?