Zone 66 crashes on start? \ VOGONS

Zone 66 crashes on start?

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First post, by SpeedySPCFan

Posted on 2017-09-20, 00:56

SpeedySPCFan Offline

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I recently tried to get this game running on my Pentium II rig (only one that I have), and while I can get in game, I can't get the SoundBlaster score working. Regardless of whether I let the game detect my sound card or specify I have a SoundBlaster by starting the game like zone66.exe /S it just crashes. I can play the game with the AdLib score just fine, but it just refuses to boot when I tell it to use a SoundBlaster. Has anyone had a similar issue? Is there a solution?

Thanks!

Specs:
CPU: Pentium II 300Mhz
OS: Windows 98 SE (I'm booting from a DOS boot disk so this shouldn't matter)
Sound: SoundBlaster 16 CT2290
GPU: Voodoo 3 3000

Musician & music gear/game reviewer.

MIDI hardware: JD-990, SC-55, SC-880, SD-90, VL70-m, Motif ES, Trinity, TS-10, Proteus 2000, XK-6, E6400U

Reply 1 of 8, by Jo22

Posted on 2017-09-20, 02:02

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SpeedySPCFan wrote:

OS: Windows 98 SE (I'm booting from a DOS boot disk so this shouldn't matter)

Good morning! 😀
As far as I recall, that game doesn't like any kind of memory manager. Not even Himem.sys.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 2 of 8, by leileilol

Posted on 2017-09-20, 02:43

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I had a similar system (Same specs/OS) with an AWE64 instead and had to initialize the AWE for the sound to work in z66, several years ago iirc.

long live PCem

Reply 3 of 8, by SpeedySPCFan

Posted on 2017-09-20, 17:16

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Jo22 wrote:
SpeedySPCFan wrote:

OS: Windows 98 SE (I'm booting from a DOS boot disk so this shouldn't matter)

Good morning! 😀
As far as I recall, that game doesn't like any kind of memory manager. Not even Himem.sys.

I'm running from a bare minimum boot disc (all that's on there is COMMAND.COM) so there's no memory managers present.

leileilol wrote:
I had a similar system (Same specs/OS) with an AWE64 instead and had to initialize the AWE for the sound to work in z66, several years ago iirc.

Tried that, didn't work. If I initalize my SB16 before playing, then I can play the game with AdLib music but it still crashes on launch when I try to play in SoundBlaster mode.

Musician & music gear/game reviewer.

MIDI hardware: JD-990, SC-55, SC-880, SD-90, VL70-m, Motif ES, Trinity, TS-10, Proteus 2000, XK-6, E6400U

Reply 4 of 8, by Jo22

Posted on 2017-09-20, 19:08

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If the card is a Plug'n'Pray model, I'm of no big help I'm a fraid. 😅 I'm more familiar with the oldschool models.
Maybe disabling/enabling PnP support in the CMOS Setup changes something, dunno. 😕

SpeedySPCFan wrote:
I'm running from a bare minimum boot disc (all that's on there is COMMAND.COM) so there's no memory managers present.

Ah, okay. I wasn't sure which type of DOS boot disk you're using. MS-DOS 8 had himem.sys built-in, I believe..

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 5 of 8, by SpeedySPCFan

Posted on 2017-09-20, 22:16

SpeedySPCFan Offline

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Jo22 wrote:
If the card is a Plug'n'Pray model, I'm of no big help I'm a fraid. 😅 I'm more familiar with the oldschool models.
Maybe disabling/enabling PnP support in the CMOS Setup changes something, dunno. 😕

I think the card I have (CT2290) is a mix of plug'n'play and jumpers. I've never had to mess with the latter, but they are there. I'll try your suggestion of disabling PNP support though, perhaps it'll fix something.

Musician & music gear/game reviewer.

MIDI hardware: JD-990, SC-55, SC-880, SD-90, VL70-m, Motif ES, Trinity, TS-10, Proteus 2000, XK-6, E6400U

Reply 6 of 8, by Jo22

Posted on 2017-09-21, 05:59

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Okay. Changing some of the IRQs and DMAs to legacy ISA may also helps.

IRG 5 or 7
DMA 1 and 5

It's just an idea, though. I do also have a CT2230 here, but I forgot how I sat this strange thing up.
I remember, there was something with "Configuration No.2" in CTCU.. The default configuration wouldn't enable AdLib resources.
Oh, and the mixer also was muted or on a low setting. Sorry, can't remember the details.

Most of the time I tinker with a CT1740 or try to get new PCI sound cards working
(they are also PnP, but have much easier drivers/tools to work with).

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"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//