Sorry that I have been so brash and quick to make judgements and observations in the past 🙁
I have edited and cleaned up, surmised this comment to make it easier to read and made it more factually correct.
UCyborg wrote:
qasf.dll with the version number 6.5.3790.3959, which you said must be used, is a 64-bit DLL specific to Windows XP x64. At least I wasn't able to find any other 32-bit DLL with similar version number.
The automatic installer with Monopoly Tycoon (MT) installs Windows Media Player 6.4, along with the necessary codecs and filters. Windows Media Player 7.1 doesn't modify or change the qasf.dll version. Any 32-bit version of the qasf.dll can be used, as long as it is below version 9 and not below 5.
Version 9.0.0.2980 is the earliest version of the .DLL I had issues with, meaning the stuttering begins with Windows Media Player 9, since the codec has been completely changed (I have confirmed this). Windows XP SP2, Windows XP x64 editions come bundled with WMP 9 on install by default. Windows XP SP1, including Windows 2000 SP4 are all affected, when WMP 9 is installed manually. This includes, obviously all later versions of Windows after XP.
UCyborg wrote:
I managed to force Monopoly Tycoon to not load qasf.dll by temporarily modifying CLSID registry entry related to DMO Wrapper Filter. On XP x64, that caused LAV Audio Decoder to be used instead (not msadds32.ax; I have K-Lite Codec Pack installed).
Good solution, but only a workaround. You are modifying a codec that is integral to playing certain media files, which can have unknown consequences.
The Windows Media Audio decoder, Windows Media Source filter and the ASF file support .DLL (Qasf.dll) must all work in unison and be present for music to play how it was originally intended.
The LAV Audio Decoder and DivX 3.11 codec can both be used as an equivalent replacement though.
UCyborg wrote:
On Windows 10 however, LAV Audio Decoder was not used (even though it's installed, it was even loaded in the game process), so there was silence until I registered msadds32.ax. I don't know about Windows 7, but even Windows XP x64 has absolute path to qasf.dll coded in registry, so anything named qasf.dll in game folder was ignored.
All applications that use DirectShow built graphs, from what I have observed and know, any DirectShow application that builds a graph also loads all filters that may be relevant, even loosely.
In order to get the qasf.dll loaded into FR2 or MT, an appropriately named .config or .local file must be created. For example: (mc.exe.config fr2.exe.config). This special file forces the application running in the directory with the config or local file to look for relevant .DLL's in the application's directory first (no hacky workarounds required! 😁 ).
How to get the DirectShow ASF codec, Windows Media Source Filter, and Windows Media Audio Decoder to work properly:
In order to get the music to not stutter, the .DLL has to be forced to load somehow.
The correct qasf.dll (v 6.03) must be with the application itself. Ford Racing 2 requires version 6.03 of the qasf.dll for the intro to play. Version 6.05 (64-bit version) shouldn't be used for any 32-bit application, like you said. Along with the correct qasf.dll, a .config or a .local file should be created in the directory where the application is located for the .dll to load.
The directory that the game was installed to must not be used, since the qasf.dll from SysWOW64 (or System32 if on a 32-bit operating system) will be used instead, you can rename the folder to something else if you prefer, for example: "Monopoly Tycoon ---> MonopolyTycoon". I am not sure what is affecting the way that both Ford Racing 2 and Monopoly Tycoon are loading .dlls, it could be the DMO wrapper filter being forced in a weird way.
The Windows Media Source Filter and Windows Media Audio Decoder must be used in conjunction with one another for the music to work and not stutter. Otherwise LAV Audio, or even worse DivX 3.11 can be used as a replacement.
- Filename
- QASF Patches.zip
- File size
- 1.47 MiB
- Downloads
- 169 downloads
- File comment
- Here are the files I used to get the music working in all three games so far. All are tested to work on Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro.
- File license
- Fair use/fair dealing exception
I still however don't know how Test Drive 6 plays its music, the music works with the DivX 3.11 ACM though. Shame that you have to get a third-party codec for it.