Can you tell us more about your system specs, and also copy the contents of your autoexec.bat and config.sys?

Expanded memory means EMS (which predates XMS) and the game requires this kind of memory in order to run. If the computer is 386 or later you could add EMM386 on CONFIG.SYS for EMS.

As was stated, you are seeing that message because the game is not detecting in any expanded memory enabled or setup on your system. However...

Wing Commander 1 did not 'require' EMS to run. I know this because my best friend at the time ran the game on his PS/2 model 30 286 that didn't have the ability to run expanded memory on it. However, my 286 did have that ability and the game would show it and use it. The only real difference I remember about having it vs not having it, was the in screen cockpit graphics. Without EMS you didn't see the sparks from your instruments getting burned out from damage and you didn't see the ship flight controller and hand. With EMS you did see these things.

CrossBow777 wrote on 2021-12-27, 01:59:

Wing Commander 1 did not 'require' EMS to run. I know this because my best friend at the time ran the game on his PS/2 model 30 286 that didn't have the ability to run expanded memory on it. However, my 286 did have that ability and the game would show it and use it. The only real difference I remember about having it vs not having it, was the in screen cockpit graphics. Without EMS you didn't see the sparks from your instruments getting burned out from damage and you didn't see the ship flight controller and hand. With EMS you did see these things.

Interesting that EMS was used for extra visual effects in this case, I have known that some games optionally required EMS for sound effects but not for anything else. I thought that it was a requirement due to the way how the OP stated it.

CrossBow777 wrote on 2021-12-27, 01:59:

As was stated, you are seeing that message because the game is not detecting in any expanded memory enabled or setup on your system. However...

Wing Commander 1 did not 'require' EMS to run. I know this because my best friend at the time ran the game on his PS/2 model 30 286 that didn't have the ability to run expanded memory on it. However, my 286 did have that ability and the game would show it and use it. The only real difference I remember about having it vs not having it, was the in screen cockpit graphics. Without EMS you didn't see the sparks from your instruments getting burned out from damage and you didn't see the ship flight controller and hand. With EMS you did see these things.

I guess this http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/bb76.htm doesn't apply to the ibm ps2 model 30 ?

weedeewee wrote on 2021-12-27, 16:09:

CrossBow777 wrote on 2021-12-27, 01:59:

As was stated, you are seeing that message because the game is not detecting in any expanded memory enabled or setup on your system. However...

Wing Commander 1 did not 'require' EMS to run. I know this because my best friend at the time ran the game on his PS/2 model 30 286 that didn't have the ability to run expanded memory on it. However, my 286 did have that ability and the game would show it and use it. The only real difference I remember about having it vs not having it, was the in screen cockpit graphics. Without EMS you didn't see the sparks from your instruments getting burned out from damage and you didn't see the ship flight controller and hand. With EMS you did see these things.

I guess this http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/bb76.htm doesn't apply to the ibm ps2 model 30 ?

Not able to click that link as it is flagged on my system due to malware apparently?

The point of my response was that my friends PS/2 was able to play both Wing 1 and Wing 2 (Wing 2 ran really badly though on his 12mhz system) and he did NOT have EMS ability on his computer. We actually tried a few things to get EMS to register and work but was never successful with it. But the games still loaded up and played. So no, the EMS was not required for Wing 1 and Wing 2 to run and be played. I can even remember times I would load it up when I had EMS disabled and forgot to switch my autoexe and config.sys files back and the game loading up with the missing graphics in the cockpit and that would be my first clue about it if I hadn't noticed it stating it during the loading.

CrossBow777 wrote on 2021-12-29, 21:08:

weedeewee wrote on 2021-12-27, 16:09:

I guess this http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/bb76.htm doesn't apply to the ibm ps2 model 30 ?

Not able to click that link as it is flagged on my system due to malware apparently?

The only reason that link is marked on your system as malware is due to the fact it's not using https://

weedeewee wrote on 2021-12-29, 21:18:

CrossBow777 wrote on 2021-12-29, 21:08:

weedeewee wrote on 2021-12-27, 16:09:

I guess this http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/bb76.htm doesn't apply to the ibm ps2 model 30 ?

Not able to click that link as it is flagged on my system due to malware apparently?

The only reason that link is marked on your system as malware is due to the fact it's not using https://

Actually it isn't my browser flagging, it is my Malware Bytes AV that is flagging it but it could be the for the same reason. I did go ahead and look at it on a different PC and I see it mentions about the PS2 series having an XMS2EMS driver. We certaintly weren't aware of that drive back in the day and I don't recall my friend having it on his IBM. Pretty sure he also didn't have the Exapanded memory board that is mentioned on that page either. But in any event he was still able to play wing commander without it back then.