This has come up a few times before. This time I want to post specific steps for a work around. Other solutions and/or games with this issue are welcome.

When installing games in DOSBox files are given the present date and time. However certain patches for Duke Nukem 3D use the time stamp to identify files. If the patch doesn't find the expected value it concludes the file is the wrong version and fails to update it.

First I installed Duke Nukem 3D in DOSBox. When I tried to install Plutonium Pak I was informed that updating had failed. So I deleted the folder and used Virtual PC 2007 running Windows 98. A shared folder allows me to move files to my host system. I also have an old version of Power Archiver installed in it. Zipping a folder preserves the original time stamps of the files in it. Once on the host, open the zip file and copy the contents to a folder for mounting in DOSBox.

In Virtual PC 2007

• Mount the Duke Nukem 3D disc
  Start > Run... > Command
  D:
  INSTALL
  Go through installation
  When shown the setup menu press Escape
  EXIT

At this point I copied the DUKE3D folder to DUKE3D-98 and zipped it. When tried in DOSBox, Plutonium Pak installed and updated the game to 1.4 however the 1.5 patch (ppack15) failed. Delete again.

It's possible to run ppack15 without having Plutonium Pak already installed. With the disc mounted, check an option and both should be installed. However due to time stamp mismatch the second part still fails in DOSBox. For my tests I did this separately.

I also had a problem with installation detecting RAM. Having too much confuses the installation which claimed I didn't have enough memory and have to use an 8mb system. So I halved the amount of RAM available to Virtual PC 2007 until it worked at 32mb.

Back in Virtual PC 2007

• Mount the Plutonium Pak disc
  Start > Run... > Command
  D:
  INST
  Go through installation
  EXIT

At this point I copied the DUKE3D folder to DUKE3D-P-98 and zipped it. When tried in DOSBox ppack15 ran successfully. Now that it's updated and running in DSOSBox I went through setup.

I also have the Atomic Edition with forced parental pock. When installed in DOSBox the parental lock removal patch (dnsepat) fails.

In Virtual PC 2007

• Mount the Atomic Edition disc
  Start > Run... > Command
  D:
  INSTALL
  Go through installation
  EXIT

At this point I copied the DUKE3D folder to DUKE3D-A-98 and zipped it. When tried in DOSBox dnsepat ran successfully. Now that it's updated and running in DSOSBox I went through setup.

The correct time stamp for Duke Nukem 3D is: 4/19/96 1:30 PM
The correct time stamp for Plutonium Pak is: 10/21/96 1:40 PM
The correct time stamp for Atomic Edition is: 12/11/96 1:50 PM