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tie fighter on winxp - hi res is fubar :(

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First post, by Panic

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Hi, I am attempting to run Tie Fighter Collector's CD (TIE.EXE version) on Win XP Home SP2. I have an Athlon XP 2500+ (1.8GHz) on an Asus A7N8X board BIOS AwardBIOS v.6.00. ATI Radeon 9800pro 128 RAM with current Catalyst 4.9beta drivers. SB Live! with current drivers. Default video settings on my card are OpenGL and 1280x960 res for the desktop (and some current games).

Problem: Running any higher than 320x in any mission or training results in a fun fun near-horizontal multicolour spectrum dancing across my screen. I then say "#$%%" (without the quotes) and ctrl-alt-del, end task, and try again... at lo-res. Argh.

I am using VDMSound v2.1, but using the launchpad.dll from the rebelsquadrons.com zip file (which had v. 2.04 in the folder). I followed the earlier instructions from Vidar, and installed and ran VDMSound and Launchpad. I then installed the TieCD without creating a sound card (express setup, failed attempt to detect soundcard, "install successful!" window (lol!), and then exit without playing). Run "install.exe" with VDMSound - custom setup, scratch, advanced > compatibility - check bottom two boxes (low cd, and network). Next blah, and game starts! With sound!! But resolution has to be set at 320x to run. If I check the VESA support - I get a cd detect error (More on this too...). If I uncheck either of the compatibility boxes, I get a no cd in the drive error too.

Ok, so I download the vgafix.exe file and the noflb.zip. I extract the noflb file to the TieCD folder, and follow those instructions. Same thing happens.
The vgafix installs, but still won't give me a hi res either (again the 640x one is all I after - anything after that is icing).

Maybe I am not starting the right file with VDMSound? I have tried starting the install.exe, the tie.exe, noflb etc. I also modified the .bat file to uncomment the relevant section, which I read here somewhere (when I am hunting for a solution I lose track of where I have been - more caffeine might help 😉) would end the no cd error. I still have to run it with VDMSound to get sound, so the same error still applies. I tried unchecking the boxes (and rechecking vesa - just for the sake of trial and error) etc. to see if I could now run one of these options without the cd error. Nope. Back to the original working-sound settings and the same hi-res fuzzy screen.

If I haven't run you around in circles enough... little help please?

I am new to any kind of scripting or modifying of code (does it show? 😦 ) so please be kind. If I have missed anything or you need more info I will get it. Thanks! 😀

ps. followed the "batch file" instructions in the beginner's guide too - same error. What the heck am I missing? (Easy now... 😉)

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

Reply 1 of 5, by Panic

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Ok, looks like Tie Fighter is out. I have tried almost all of the suggestions here (didn't try overwriting my SB Live! card drivers with DOS ones, 'cause that just ain't right - I can get sound with VDMSound). I ran the .bat file suggestion (have the NOLFB.COM in the folder), the new winxp fix for VGA from Simon, I run a Custom setup for VDM with the CD compatibility checked, and just for fun, I checked all the other boxes and tried to run it that way. If I put DETVESA in the .bat file and run the "basic VESA support" under Compatibility in VDM, my mouse makes a beeline for the upper left. Which made it interesting trying to back out of the game... let alone trying to see if that fixed my hi-res ("hi" - I am trying to get the 640x480 that is native to the game, 🤣)... never did get near the actual missions. Ran the DOSDRV first etc... could've been the order of fixes I put in, but I followed the instructions I found, and only messed with the order and various settings after that didn't work.

To solve this ("solve" 🤣), I got xwing vs tie fighter, and xwing alliance... they both run np. Sorta like getting aspirin when you need morphine, but when you have to make do, you have to make do.

Forums are great, and I found many suggestions and ppl willing to help... although I am the second post in my thread... ok I found many suggestions! Keep up the good work 😀

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

Reply 2 of 5, by Guest

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Best way to fix Tie Fighter 95 in XP is to manually set the compatability to Win 95 on the Tie95.exe, then run that- not the launcher

Reply 3 of 5, by Zebius

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AFAIR there were two different versions of Tie Fighter Collector's Series.
First one was DOS version and it looks that Panic was talking about it.
The other one is Win'95 version (1998) , which I own - it requires a patch from LucasArts for XP users to enable 3D acceleration.

I used to have original Tie Fighter from 1994 (not Collector's Series), and that version worked very well with VDMSound.

Reply 4 of 5, by HunterZ

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I don't think I ever got hi-res mode working in DOS Tie Figther in Win2K/XP under VDMSound. Or maybe I did with NOLFB. Don't remember.

It might work in DOSBox by now if your CPU is fast enough.

Reply 5 of 5, by Guest

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I had recently got the TIE Fighter Collector's Edition fully working on Windows XP with VDMSound, but after I played a while, the voices and sounds stopped.

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