As has been noted in other threads, running games in VMware in Windows 98 is not a particularly good idea. You would be much better off using DOSBox-X or PCem (or x86Box) for that purpose and would likely not be facing these problems.

(You might face different problems, like slower performance, but probably not so much on the PC you have in your sig.)

I might add that when it comes to a game as popular as C&C Red Alert, there are almost certainly many different ways devised by now to resolve whatever compatibility problems it might have that prevent it from running on Windows 7.

Since you're running Linux, why not try using Wine?

zirkoni wrote on 2021-06-26, 06:31:

Since you're running Linux, why not try using Wine?

I did try, years ago. No dice.

I haven't tried it yet but nyerguds has a patch called "TFD DOS C&C addon" that that'll give you a dos version out of a install of C&C the First Decade. Maybe as it's downgrading from a newer engine so to speak it'll work better?
Paired with all the fixes/added content with the Unofficial patch I rekon this is the best of both worlds (dos and TFD improvements) but I got lazy and just played in XP after picking up a cheap copy of TFD
http://www.nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/cncst … ff/0_files.html

Also a lot of other patches on that link, for the other versions of C&C/RA maybe one of those will help?

WDStudios wrote on 2021-06-28, 11:19:

zirkoni wrote on 2021-06-26, 06:31:

Since you're running Linux, why not try using Wine?

I did try, years ago. No dice.

That must have been many years ago. That game has been running on Wine flawlessly for quite some time. Several testers have reported a "Platinum level" rating.

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sC … version&iId=727

Jorpho wrote on 2021-06-26, 02:23:

As has been noted in other threads, running games in VMware in Windows 98 is not a particularly good idea. You would be much better off using DOSBox-X or PCem (or x86Box) for that purpose and would likely not be facing these problems.

(You might face different problems, like slower performance, but probably not so much on the PC you have in your sig.)

I might add that when it comes to a game as popular as C&C Red Alert, there are almost certainly many different ways devised by now to resolve whatever compatibility problems it might have that prevent it from running on Windows 7.

Agreed! C&C Red Alert in particular has an official "remaster" from EA that is apparently pretty great. Also C&C Red Alert will install and run in DOSBox.

My PC is capable of running PCem with a Pentium MMX 166 emulated CPU at 100% speed, which is not exactly fast, but a good match for lots of windows 98 games.

chinny22 wrote on 2021-06-28, 11:34:

I haven't tried it yet but nyerguds has a patch called "TFD DOS C&C addon" that that'll give you a dos version out of a install of C&C the First Decade.

I don't have The First Decade. I have the original release.

digger wrote on 2021-06-28, 18:32:

That game has been running on Wine flawlessly for quite some time. Several testers have reported a "Platinum level" rating.

Not on multithread CPUs. And not without downloading DLL files and doing a bunch of other workarounds. And when you get to the "using a half-dozen workarounds" stage, then you've already lost whatever benefits you thought you were going to get by running the game on the OS it was designed for.

digger wrote on 2021-06-28, 18:32:

WDStudios wrote on 2021-06-28, 11:19:

zirkoni wrote on 2021-06-26, 06:31:

Since you're running Linux, why not try using Wine?

I did try, years ago. No dice.

That must have been many years ago. That game has been running on Wine flawlessly for quite some time. Several testers have reported a "Platinum level" rating.

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sC … version&iId=727

Definitely worth another try OP, under the latest versions of Linux and Wine.

We'll be happy to try advising you through any issues you encounter.

WDStudios wrote on 2021-06-28, 22:27:

Not on multithread CPUs. And not without downloading DLL files and doing a bunch of other workarounds. And when you get to the "using a half-dozen workarounds" stage, then you've already lost whatever benefits you thought you were going to get by running the game on the OS it was designed for.

I'm confused. If using Wine and VMware both require a bunch of workarounds, but Wine has been proven to work, then isn't Wine the way to go..?

I haven't delved into it much, but surely multithread CPU problems in Linux can be dealt with much like they can in Windows?

Jorpho wrote on 2021-06-29, 01:20:

WDStudios wrote on 2021-06-28, 22:27:

Not on multithread CPUs. And not without downloading DLL files and doing a bunch of other workarounds. And when you get to the "using a half-dozen workarounds" stage, then you've already lost whatever benefits you thought you were going to get by running the game on the OS it was designed for.

I'm confused. If using Wine and VMware both require a bunch of workarounds, but Wine has been proven to work, then isn't Wine the way to go..?

I haven't delved into it much, but surely multithread CPU problems in Linux can be dealt with much like they can in Windows?

Any solution based on getting Win98 to work better in a VM will probably be applicable to a few other games that have difficulties running in a Win98 VM. Any solution based on getting Red Alert to work better in WINE won't be applicable to any problems outside of that one use case.