What version of WIndows are you trying to install that on? What version of the game, retail CD, GOG downloaded, etc?

SScorpio wrote on 2022-05-29, 13:55:

What version of WIndows are you trying to install that on? What version of the game, retail CD, GOG downloaded, etc?

Windows 11, Retail CD

Does it install any files at all or does it attempt the DirectX check and installation before installing the game?

The problem is that installer for DirectX was written for Windows 95, and 11 is blocking it.

If the installer extracts the game files and then fails. You could try a Descent source port. The source code for the game was released and there are several projects where people have updated it to work on modern systems as well as adding features like widescreen support, and handling modern controllers. https://www.descent2.de/

SScorpio wrote on 2022-05-29, 14:51:

Does it install any files at all or does it attempt the DirectX check and installation before installing the game?

The problem is that installer for DirectX was written for Windows 95, and 11 is blocking it.

If the installer extracts the game files and then fails. You could try a Descent source port. The source code for the game was released and there are several projects where people have updated it to work on modern systems as well as adding features like widescreen support, and handling modern controllers. https://www.descent2.de/

The game doesn't install anything.

I don't have issue running the game at all, it runs just fine, DOS bobbing issue doesn't exist too. I need a way to install it, because the files copied off Windows 8 32-bit installation writes some configuration somewhere (not in registry) and thus I have to fix my installation folder at a certain location (C:\). The issue is, I have just 1 drive partition on Win8 32-bit and I don't install games on C:\ drives for space reasons.

I don't know where to get them, but I do know that there are community-made InstallShield equivalents that work on the newer OS releases.

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2022-05-29, 18:48:

I don't know where to get them, but I do know that there are community-made InstallShield equivalents that work on the newer OS releases.

I am aware of the one which is in the Vogons/Windows sub forum. But the issue here is that InstallShield fails in DirectX related issue instead of it's own issue (of nor running or requiring other version on Windows). Moreover they have been said to cause problems, and I am not aware of any external IS that can replace the original. Still I will look for a solution, I think it was InstallShield v3 or v4, game's from 1996.

install win98 in a vm install then copy the files over to win11
buy it on steam for £6.99 or gog for £7.49

Davros wrote on 2022-05-29, 23:49:

install win98 in a vm install then copy the files over to win11
buy it on steam for £6.99 or gog for £7.49

pcem is extremely slow, vmware or vbox crashes in installing win98. I don't know how to mount img files to get files if installed through Dosbox -x.

I don't know if I should purchase another copy while already having a CD. BTW, does the steam/gog probably uses Dosbox, do CD Audio work there?

I found a solution. The game doesn't use traditional InstallShield Archives, instead it uses the WinARJ extractor.

Going to the D2DATA folder of CD, I extracted DESCENT2.SOW using WinARJ command-line and transferred "D2-2PLYR.HOG", "D2-2PLYR.MN2", "D2CHAOS.HOG", "D2CHAOS.MN2" to a subfolder names "missions", another file named "DESCENT2.DEM" to "demo" subfolder, put the EmulateHeap shim on the game, limit the FPS to 60 and the game was running in it's original glory.