*blink* There was a problem with memory in Windows ME with System Shock? I was unaware.

There's a 90-post thread on the topic System Shock and Memory (to which you posted quite extensively 😜 ),

I was typing out a question on the topic for the Vogons forum when I noticed the error message I was typing contained the instruction "RUN executable from hard drive". It turns out that, rather than the memory settings, it was my trying to execute the program from the CD that was causing the problem...

...I did notice however that it seemed a lot of people were having trouble running System Shock on WinMe (which is the operating system I have), and I thought it would be cool to post a thread for people with WinME running searches for System Shock...

...I hope you don't mind.

((I guess 'problem' is a relative concept 😉 ))

P.S. I'm not sure my instructions are totally correct however, because SS is still crashing on my system...

...what do you think of the instructions I've listed? Because it's crashing even with the adjustmens, so there's got to be something wrong somewhere.

Originally posted by isis Sound-card issues aside, System Shock does run on WindowsME, as long as you can get around the memory issue...

Uh-oh. I sense a complex explanation coming up...

Firstly—

I was right! *heh*

you have to click on the CDSHOCK.BAT file in the System Shock game directory on your hard drive (C:\SSHOCK\CDSHOCK.BAT), ((clicking the BAT file on the CDROM will only bring up an error message in the DOS window

Ok, well the guide actually advised using Mok's executable instead of the original. That's why you don't see any reference to not running it off the CD.

To adjust the memory settings to allow the game to run:

I had seen similar settings before for Win9x, but bailed on the idea of posting them due the game's "lack of co-operation" with Windows and just recommended DOS mode instead.

Having said that, the situation for Win9x owners has become worse as fewer and fewer sound cards provide "real" DOS support. So I guess I should revise it with the caveat that it's less stable than DOS.

((The version of System Shock that I have seems to run okay without checking either the 'Protected' check-box or the 'Uses HMA' check-box))

IIRC, the "Protected" box is there to protect the OS from the program, not the other way around.

...apologies that I can't be more exact regarding these figures, but each time I close the DOS window my P.C. freezes and I have to re-boot, making trial-and-error with the settings next to impossible...

Ah...the joys of troubleshooting.

Lastly (Important)— Once you've got System Shock running, repeatedly pressing the escape button will cause it to crash (the error message given is 'Invalid page fault'), so try to avoid using escape to access the options screen— to bring up the options, click in the far-top-left corner of the screen instead.

Hrmm. That sounds related to the memory leak problem that Mok described. BTW, it sounds like you're still using the original game executable. Have you tried running Mok's modified executable instead?

Originally posted by isis There's a 90-post thread on the topic System Shock and Memory (to which you posted quite extensively 😜 ),

I think he was figuring that you would be running it in DOS mode, like other Win9x people would.

...I did notice however that it seemed a lot of people were having trouble running System Shock on WinMe (which is the operating system I have),

Yes, well...WinME is a topic in and of itself. The first thing I recommend is to hack the DOS access back into it.

It's not official, but there's just no sense in losing your DOS when it's part of your OS.

...I hope you don't mind.

Hey, helpful input is always welcome. Bad help will be publicly mocked and flogged.[B]

P.S. I'm not sure my instructions are totally correct however, because SS is still crashing on my system...

Like I said earlier, Mok found that the game has a memory leak, which he couldn't quite fix, but was able to make much more stable. Hrmm...that am bad English.

IIRC, the "Protected" box is there to protect the OS from the program, not the other way around.

...Oops!

Ok, well the guide actually advised using Mok's executable instead of the original. That's why you don't see any reference to not running it off the CD.

What's 'the guide'?

I had seen similar settings before for Win9x, but bailed on the idea of posting them due the game's "lack of co-operation" with Windows and just recommended DOS mode instead.

To be honest I don't know that much about it— I didn't know I don't have DOS (I can open a DOS window via WinME, so I just assumed it was still all there)...

...I'm getting very interested in retro-gaming however, so I'll probably take a closer look at DOS (I've got Win98SE so maybe it woud be a good idea to set up a dual-boot)

Have you tried running Mok's modified executable instead?

I wasn't aware of it, but now that I am I'll give it a try (is there any chance it'll stop my PC freezing when I try to close the DOS window?)...

...where can I find Mok's executable?

I think he was figuring that you would be running it in DOS mode, like other Win9x people would.

...that would explain it...

(I don't really know how to get to DOS, or how to use it once I'm there)

The first thing I recommend is to hack the DOS access back into it.

Sounds complicated— I'll have to take a look at the link you posted (I'm probably going to want to run 'Jack in the Dark' and 'Alone in the Dark' II & III sometime soon, so I'm going to have to side-step the EMS memory issue somehow.)

Hey, helpful input is always welcome. Bad help will be publicly mocked and flogged.

That's cool— at least that way I'll know if I'm getting it wrong 😉

Like I said earlier, Mok found that the game has a memory leak, which he couldn't quite fix, but was able to make much more stable.

I'll have to check out his executable file— my P.C.'s running it more consistantly now (my O.S. has an eerie way of getting used to tempremental programs (probably due to my not checking the 'Protected' check-box 😜 ))...

...having said that, it still occasionally exhibits a very strange error: the 'character' won't stop running, or the environment keeps slowly revolving, which makes me motion-sick...

...it's still well worth playing however— I'm enjoying every moment of it (I've just reached the Alpha Quadrant and disconnected the cyborg assimilator— now I'm looking for Daveys's office).

I think my lack of knowledge must seem odd, but I was so wired at getting SS running that I felt I had to share the method.

Originally posted by isis What's 'the guide'?

The guide is the world that has been pulled over your eyes...oh...wait...did that one already. Nevermind.

"The guide" as in the "System Shock" entry in the "Problem Children" thread.

To be honest I don't know that much about it— I didn't know I don't have DOS (I can open a DOS window via WinME, so I just assumed it was still all there)...

Yes, but notice that when you choose to shut down, the "MS-DOS" mode is gone? "Real-mode" DOS in WinME was removed. Technically, it's still in there, but you have to use a hack to get it.

By "REAL mode", I'm referring to DOS without the Windows interface. MSoft doesn't want you using it in ME.

I wasn't aware of it, but now that I am I'll give it a try (is there any chance it'll stop my PC freezing when I try to close the DOS window?)...

I wouldn't bet on it. Odds are, it simply doesn't like running in a Windows environment. Give it a whirl anyway...

...where can I find Mok's executable?

Go straight back to the Problem Children, right at the bottom of the "System Shock entry (it's a RAR file, so you'll need to UnRAR it after downloading).

(I don't really know how to get to DOS,

Well, like I said, it's not really available without hacking.

...or how to use it once I'm there)

*ugh*
We need a minimalist DOS guide for people or at least a link to an existing one...Hrmmm.

Sounds complicated—

Harder than some things, easier than others...

...having said that, it still occasionally exhibits a very strange error: the 'character' won't stop running, or the environment keeps slowly revolving, which makes me motion-sick...

Ah...Sounds like the dreaded stuck key syndrome although, IIRC that only happened on NT machines...Hrmmm again.

...it's still well worth playing however— I'm enjoying every moment of it (I've just reached the Alpha Quadrant and disconnected the cyborg assimilator

Ahh! No spoilers!
No spoilers! I'm so backlogged I still have to go back to Britannia in Ultima V.

I think my lack of knowledge must seem odd, but I was so wired at getting SS running that I felt I had to share the method.

Free your mind.
*leaps across to other building*
*doesn't quite make it*
Crap!

Yes, but notice that when you choose to shut down, the "MS-DOS" mode is gone?

Come to think of it I did notice that that was gone— I used to use DOS to re-install my 98SE

I wouldn't bet on it. Odds are, it simply doesn't like running in a Windows environment. Give it a whirl anyway...

To be honest I think I just need a fresh OS installation, but SS has started crashing regularly in the last hour of play, so I'm hoping to get it running with Mok's executable.

Ahh! No spoilers!

...Oops! sorry!

I've downloaded the executable, and I'm now downloading what I hope is a free program that'll decompress it...

...can you recommend a good program to decompress RAR files?

(I just intalled Power Archiver so hopefully that'll do the job)

...it didn't 😠 ...it's supposed to support RAR files but it's re-labelled it as a ZIP and now it's telling me that it 'doesn't appear to be a valid archive'

How do I un-RAR?

...okay, I'm downloading WinRAR...

...It's working!

Now for the the Sticky Button Syndrome (at least the 'character' is only walking forward now— earlier it was running all the time, and before that, constantly rotating...

...is there a simple solution to sticky button or am I going to have to climb into my bios? 😜

Originally posted by isis ...can you recommend a good program to decompress RAR files?

No. *heh* They're all bad. Even commercial archiver programs often choke on RAR files (especially the multi-part archives). WinRar is the only program I've found to work consistently, but I'm not plunking down for a program that I almost never use.

...it's supposed to support RAR files but it's re-labelled it as a ZIP and now it's telling me that it 'doesn't appear to be a valid archive'

You sure that wasn't your browser? My Mozilla has a bad habit of renaming archives it doesn't understand to .ZIP (which explains my .sit.zip files).

earlier it was running all the time, and before that, constantly rotating...

...is there a simple solution to sticky button or am I going to have to climb into my bios?

Don't know. Same program that "stuck" on me in XP worked fine in Win98 (on the same machine). Only way I knew to stop it was to disable mouse input.

WinRar is the only program I've found to work consistently

It's working for me to 😀

You sure that wasn't your browser? My Mozilla has a bad habit of renaming archives it doesn't understand to .ZIP (which explains my .sit.zip files).

No, I've not used anything other than IE since Netscape made one last grasp at life by reconfiguring all of my multimedia files.

It was a RAR when it arrived in the 'quarantine' folder in my 'internet directory'— Power Archiver re-named it during the installation when I clicked OK to renaming all associated files.

Don't know. Same program that "stuck" on me in XP worked fine in Win98 (on the same machine). Only way I knew to stop it was to disable mouse input.

Illiminating the stuck button would improve the game three-fold, but it seems a little complicated...

...unless it's a known issue I'm not sure I'd be able to do anything about it (I can't troubleshoot the program because I have to re-boot everytime I restart the game).