It doesn't sound like a permissions issue, but do you have the game installed outside of the Program Files directory? Do you get the same problem if you play the DOS version in DOSBox?

The game's folder (GK2WIN) is located in the Sierra folder within Program Files.

I haven't tried the game in DOSBOX yet. I will update later on if the problem is duplicated there.

You might also try to install the game in a directory outside of the Program Files folder.

For other reasons I have just downgraded my computer back to XP. Using the XP installer procedure again I played through the game as normal and found that the problem had corrected itself and The Beast Within is now running like a charm.

It's possible it was just due to an error in the installation process or (more likely) something specifically related to Vista.

Thanks so much for your suggestions regardless. It may crop up again but have seen no evidence of this so far.

For what it is worth, Hendroz is talking about redoing his GK installers to use DOSBox. I already have an installer that automatically sets up GK1 to run in DOSBox without need of the CD after the install. You can find it on my website.

Cool, I'll check it out. I'm pretty protective of my games and amazingly my copies of these games are in great condtion, hardly a spot on the discs so installing them completely onto the hard drive is very attractive to me.

I just use MagicISO and mount the images is Daemon Tools.

SKARDAVNELNATE wrote:

I just use MagicISO and mount the images is Daemon Tools.

No need with SCI games or with imgmount DOSBox.

With 6 discs that can get a little harry mounting all of them. I like Daemon Tools for the control over swapping.

In the [autoexec] section:
imgmount d "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD1.iso" "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD2.iso" "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD3.iso" "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD4.iso" "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD5.iso" "C:\Sierra\GK2\CD6.iso" -t iso

Simple, done.

collector wrote:

ISimple, done.

No, not simple. It requires reading the README file. Empirical evidence suggests that reading is very hard.

So I didn't mention swapping images with Ctrl+F4.

Yes, I know how to mount it. And I have read from the README file.

Not so simple. I've found that with more than 3 of those DOSBox reports "Image not found" and refuses to mount drive D with any of them. Even when typed correctly or copy/paste directly from the address and image.

Plus I just like Daemon Tools because I can see what I'm doing. Consider a game where the next area you cross into could be on one of several discs and not in order. Now assume you've gotten into the game and don't remember which disc you're on. How many times do you press Crtl-F4? Add to it that if you don't see a result it may be just loading and another Crtl-F4 will send it to the wrong disc. With Daemon Tools I know which disc I'm on.

Whatever.................