If you can get it at least to install under Win7 x64, try my fix for it. You need MS ACT 5.x or 6.0 to be able to apply the fix.

Thanks, I downloaded ACT 5.6 and will give it a try.

Looks pretty intense/beyond my pay grade. A "quick start" guide that is 22 pages long!!!

The "step by step" is 23 pages long, and doesn't seem to cover what I'm doing. It has options for:
1) Deploying a new operating system or
2) Applying a Windows update

I "installed" your .sdb file as a database & saved it.

I re-installed ATF Gold, and then the v.2 patch.

It crashed within a few seconds.

I tried compatibility mode, Win98, and it loaded. The graphics were awful, the sound repeated when I clicked a button, and the cursor did not move uniformly.

I'm presuming I did not connect your patch to the game files. Any idea what I did wrong or need to do?

I also use the ATF toolkit (standalone program) and modified libraries that are used in the game. I'm presuming these would need some type of patch as well.

My fix has been updated to work with any version. Please try it again.

I see what I missed- I used the "run" function from ACT and then linked the ATF Gold exe.

That's an improvement, but the graphics are still messed up. I have them set to 1024x768 and all terrain is set to best quality. In gameplay, the sky is correct, but the land & water are funky- mostly the water.

I've attached a screen shot for the title page, it actually looks a lot better, not any black, but the quality is like it is 256 color or less.

The other pic is from gameplay, ditto the black not being there (it is proper sky), but this gives an idea of what the water looks like.

Then you need this as well. You just need to apply the fix once and the colour problems will be solved.
You don't need to run ATF inside ACT. Just installing the database inside should fix it everytime you run it. You'll have to disable Win98 compat. mode for the .exe too.

Thanks, that fixed the graphics, but it only works when I run it via ACT. Do I need all files in one directory, i.e. the .sdb files in the /Janes/ATF gold directory?

Any ideas on running the toolkit? It does nothing via the compatibility mode. It has a setup.exe file that must be run to install it. I may be able to copy my lib files from the Win98 machine & use them, I'll see if that works.

I figured out what I was doing wrong on running the program, I "saved" but did not "install" the custom database I created using your file. I can now run the program from the desktop. I'll read up on using ACT and see if I can apply it to the toolkit programs, both setup and run. Neither work in any compatibility mode under Win7-64.

Thanks again for your help.

EDIT
Looks like these programs are likely 16 bit. Doing some reading on getting them to work. I downloaded XP Mode and am installing it.

Success! I copied the lib files modified on my Win98 machine & was able to use them on the Win7 machine. Had to reapply everything, but once done the game worked as it should & I had my modified planes to fly.

Could not get the XP mode to load, so just as well.

EDIT
Updated/renamed original post for future users.

I don't deserve credits for DirectDraw Compatibility Tool. It was created by someone else.
Regarding ACT, you don't have to click on save, unless you modified the fix. Just click on install and it will be applied. If you experience crashes between missions, tick the options Force 640x480 and 256 colours mode under the compatibility tab.

Thank you. First post is updated.

Does anyone got it works in Vista?

The fix I posted above to use with Application Compatibility Toolkit should work.

Any ways to get this running in Window mode?

Muz wrote on 2022-12-22, 01:39:

Any ways to get this running in Window mode?

Throw the game on DxWnd