Um, let's go to the Sierra experts for this one. I know it's not supported in FreeSCI...

dyinginformant wrote:

...install and run the Windows version

Understand that, while the DOS and Windows versions may share a few files, they are not interchangeable.

When I tried to run it in Windows, the VDMSound icon was not beside "run with VDMSound' when I right-clicked the .exe, though it was there for other programs.

VDMSound is only for DOS programs, not a Windows program.

Then I tried to run it with compatibility mode, and this bunch of errors happened: Windows title not found, cannot find SCIDLL.DLL, Can't find SIERRA.ERR. What? I installed it okay.

Something's very wrong then, are those files actually there?

The Window version would always be in a window, and would be missing some animations...

Was this being run with the Compatibility mode? It needs the Windows95 mode, force to 640x480 mode, and 256-color mode to work with the old Sierra Windows titles.

The "Run with VDMS" icon did not appear next to that .exe because LaucnhPad detected that it wasn't a DOS .exe but a Windows .exe.

The DOS version of SQ6 works fine with VDMSound (at least the floppy version does, dunno about the CD version which supposedly has speech).

Do you actually have, in your SQ6 directory, the files (.DLL, .ERR) that the Windows version of the .exe complained about?!

V.

This was regarding the Windows interpreter for Gabriel Knight, but I'm 99.9% certain that it is the same thing, and this should solve it. (I've changed the pathnames for you. You're welcome. 😉) Oh, and greetz to Harekiet, who wrote this response.

Snover wrote:

No luck with the Windows version. "Cannot find Windows title" error, a brief black box (the interpreter window), and then the program shuts down. (No error.) Could this be a problem with Video for Windows or something?

That's a problem with not supplying the sierraw.exe a command line with the full path to where it can find the resource.win.

C:\SIERRA\SQ6\SIERRAW.EXE C:\SIERRA\SQ6\resource.win

That's how my shortcut starts up the game after installing.

So how exactly do I set that up to make sure it finds the right files? What exactly do I need to do?

For now, I'll try the DOS version. Do I have to run compatibilty mode for the DOS version?

Edit: And I can't even install it in DOS. I type INSTALL in the command prompt, and I get the DOS install program up. It says press ENTER to continue or ESC to exit. Well, nothing works. It's frozen. I can't close it with the X on the window, I can't close the program with cntrl + alt + delete, and I can't even reset withen Windows. I have to resort to the reset button on my box.

I never used to have these kind of problems. There's some sort of a curse around me methinks. Yes, that must be it, because right when I find a place that can really help me, I can't even get the program running at all, or in DOS, even installed! Grrr.

Try the Windows version?

That's what that line is for!! That's how you need to run the freaking Windows version! Jesus!

Snover wrote:

That's what that line is for!! That's how you need to run the freaking Windows version! Jesus!

Wow - woah! Hey I was just wondering if that's how you type it in the command prompt. I was confused because there are two paths and I wasn't sure if I type both on one.

Just making sure. Don't want to mess up my PC. 😉

Heh, sorry... this has been a really, really bad day.

dyinginformant wrote:

Just making sure. Don't want to mess up my PC. 😉

You're really not going to mess up your PC doing this kind of stuff...

Still, you can't hold me to that statement either. 😉

dyinginformant wrote:

...I was just wondering if that's how you type it in the command prompt. I was confused because there are two paths and I wasn't sure if I type both on one.

Think of it like this:
SIERRAW.EXE resource.win

What you're doing is running SIERRAW.EXE, but you're adding "resource.win" like a parameter. You are forcing SIERRAW.EXE to use the resource.win file.

SIERRAW.EXE ---> resource.win

By entering the path for both files, you guarantee that the OS will go to the correct location for both

So what you do is type is exactly like he said:
C:\SIERRA\SQ6\SIERRAW.EXE C:\SIERRA\SQ6\resource.win
...all on one line, then hit return.

Where do I type this? I made a shortcut and typed that in, but the errors still came and the game did not run.

dyinginformant wrote:

Where do I type this? I made a shortcut and typed that in, but the errors still came and the game did not run.

No shortcuts yet. You want to leave an open command line to make sure you don't miss any error messages.

Start->Accessories->Command Prompt
then "move" to the games directory.

1st) Confirm that your SpaceQuest6 is actually installed in C:\SIERRA\SQ6\

If not, you need to change it to the to match the actual path. Since most (all?) Sierra games force you to install in a "Sierra" directory, it would probably only be a drive letter change.

2nd) If that's not it, I'm suspecting that your install is hosed.

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

SIERRAW.EXE ---> resource.win

Um, actually, since you're sending that TO SIERRAW.EXE, and not FROM it, the arrow should be pointing the OTHER way.

Confusing, I know. Don't try to think about it too much.

Sierra is so fucking stupid! I hate that I have to install their goddamn games in a SIERRA directory. I mean, I can put them in j:\foo\bar\hard\mother\sex\food\beer\cheese\SIERRA, but it has to end with SIERRA.

Sorry about that mini-rant, but it really messes up my hierarchy!:

home\Games
--- ACTION
--- ADVENTURE
--- DOS
--- OTHER
--- PUZZLE
--- RPG
--- SIMULATION
--- STRATEGY

(Sports and edutainment don't go on my system, and racing does under simulation, because dammit, that's how it was before!)

Snover wrote:

Um, actually, since you're sending that TO SIERRAW.EXE, and not FROM it, the arrow should be pointing the OTHER way.
Confusing, I know. Don't try to think about it too much.

Well I was thinking in analogous terms as in: SIERRAW.EXE is started up, it goes looking for the resource.win file, but...whatever *shrug*

Sierra is so f***ing stupid! I hate that I have to install their g*****n games in a SIERRA directory.

You kiss yo' Momma with that mouth? 😉

Sorry about that mini-rant, but it really messes up my hierarchy!

True, it's a pain. At least with the DOS versions you should be able to move them after you've finished installing and configuring them (of course, the moment you try to re-configure...).

I have done what you said. The same errors still occur. (read first post). And in my actual Sierra\SQ6 directory, there is no SCIDLL.DLL or SIERRA.ERR. So obviously it can't find those files, but why are they not THERE? Grr. I can't make the resource.win look for the SierraW.exe and the opposite also does not work.

I was hoping there was someone here who successfully got SQ6 working on XP that knows exactly what's wrong and what to do. And, a long time ago when I tried this, I got that error. I don't remember if it just 'went away'. And before I could even get the DOS version working but not perfectly. What the heck? This is one game I have never even been able to play before, except on the Window 98 machine, another PC in the house, which is full of viruses, the place is all sticky, the PC is taken over by teenagers and I want nothing to do with it.

I may have to go to Sierra.com, and if they can help me with those errors, I can get further help here. But I think this is one program that could definitely benefit from a dual boot set up. I'm going to think about doing that for sure. It may be a bit of surgery for my PC (and I'm afraid of killing it!), but if successful everything else will be easier and work better for me. I can have the Windows 98 for DOS and old Windows games, and I can have Windows XP for all the newer games. It'll be great.

But until then, ugh...
🙁

Running the DOS version, sound works fine up until the first FMV is played, at which point the view "catches up" in even intervals along with a click, suggesting to me that the timing system isn't quite kosher. Then, after Kielbasa's speech, the game stalls at "Meanwhile, in a distant warehouse..." (or similar), and hitting "Enter" terminates the game with no error message (just an Inactive window).

Windows version performs the same as you, dyinginformant. Apologies... I guess this one is meant for the scrap heap. Or a SCI interpreter for Windows that works.

Was using NOLFB.COM as well (or at least, I had it in the autoexec, but I never saw the message that it had loaded so I was not sure if it did).

Fading also caused a slowdown. (That hardly matters now, however.)

I got Space Quest 6 Working almost perfectly in Windows XP just last night. I don't know how I managed to get it to work but I tried so many things trying to get it to install.... I believe that I ran the autoplay file from the cd for the setup, ignored the system test portion of the setup and I had to install the directory on my normal C:\ drive because it wouldn't even recognize that I have another drive on my computer where I store all my games. Anyways, it crashed so far only once, which I fixed by getting Turbo to slow down my system's clocking speed. That fixed it. Now I'm in Dr. Shapiero's quarters, attempting to just mop her damn floor and I'm having speech issues with the program. It pops up multiple boxes one after another saying "Waveoutunpreparedheader1" which in details....Cannot perform this operation while data is still playing. Reset device or wait til the data is finished playing. And specified device handle is invalid OMG...... I'm running it now while typing and it seems to have fixed itself. Whoa. Sweet peace ya'll I'm playing my 75 cent half.com space quest buy 😀

First, this is a very old thread. Second, DOSBox is the best solution, by far, for this game. VERY easy to setup in DOSBox. Solves all speed issues. Period.