If by EXCLUSIVE, you mean DirectDraw Exclusive Cooperative Level, it is likely a reason of not being able to put DWM8AND16BITMITIGATION on the game. Likely a 16-bit playback here

The MCI error code, could be... a little bit more problematic since the MCI system over WinVista+ has changed

I have also got FileOpen errors relating to VOB files

I was getting FileOpen errors on VOB, but a bit of registry tweaking solved that, and by exclusive, I mean "this issue hasn't shown up on any other test system before win10". What's fascinating is that if VOB playback is broken, the DUCK AVIs work fine

Can you tell about the registry tweaking? I have the MPEG2 registry installed from the X-Files game testing, but they change nothing here.
That's the first hurdle I am at. The initial MCI driver issue gets resolved with some Win95 shim but after that its all a mess

HKEY_LocalMachine/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/MCI Extenstions

add string key 'vob' that evaluates to "MPEGVideo"

and MCI will now Open vob post 9x(provided there is a valid mpeg2 decoder)

(64 bit users will have to add this string again at HKEY_LocalMachine/Software/WOW6432Node/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/MCI Extenstions as well)

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-09, 13:04:

HKEY_LocalMachine/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/MCI Extenstions […]
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HKEY_LocalMachine/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/MCI Extenstions

add string key 'vob' that evaluates to "MPEGVideo"

and MCI will now Open vob post 9x(provided there is a valid mpeg2 decoder)

(64 bit users will have to add this string again at HKEY_LocalMachine/Software/WOW6432Node/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/MCI Extenstions as well)

Are you sure it's just the registry key? it has been there since I tested XFiles last year, in both Wow6432Node and the normal one.

i still get the FileOpen error

I don't think Windows needs any extra VOB encoder, since it worked on the other game, and Windows runs the VOB in Media Player too

Those keys + ffdshow on MPEG2 Decoding solved the Open issue, at least for my instance. X-Files could likely be even more helplessly broken 🤣

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-09, 14:48:

Those keys + ffdshow on MPEG2 Decoding solved the Open issue, at least for my instance. X-Files could likely be even more helplessly broken 🤣

Got the error bypassed with FFMpeg, now its a black screen. More investigation...

Edit: got it to work somewhat. Can you pinpoint to your scene, with instructions

how did you bypass? I can get VOB open but it error/warnings MCI_CLOSE after every VOB

Also, I don't know what you mean by pinpoint in this context

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-09, 17:03:

how did you bypass? I can get VOB open but it error/warnings MCI_CLOSE after every VOB

Also, I don't know what you mean by pinpoint in this context

I just followed what you said: installed ffdshow and set libmpeg as the decoder.

By pinpoint, I meant to say where you get this error. After I reach this scene, you can see the 2 bottoms below, but your screenshot doesn't have it. Which likely means you were pressing something on the screen?

The colour issue isn't gone yet. Likely DWM doesn't put the 16bit mask on those videos. The video problem is bypassed with DxWnd but the video isn't scaled correctly yet

I get that MCI_PAUSE error every time a VOB video finishes playing. My install (apart from ffdshow and reg tweaks) is stock on a fresh win10 system, with only a 16 bit color mode flag placed on the executable because it complains when it's not there

It sounds like you're using more than stock. Also, are you sure you're using the DVD version? I ask because it took me a hell of a time (and moolah) finding it in the first place

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-09, 20:10:

I get that MCI_PAUSE error every time a VOB video finishes playing. My install (apart from ffdshow and reg tweaks) is stock on a fresh win10 system, with only a 16 bit color mode flag placed on the executable because it complains when it's not there

It sounds like you're using more than stock. Also, are you sure you're using the DVD version? I ask because it took me a hell of a time (and moolah) finding it in the first place

Yes, I can see its a DVD. It was above 3GB. VOB files were over 100MBs in size.

Unfortunately I have no idea about the MCI PAUSE issue anymore, since I can't replicate it here. I can probably try it in XP tomorrow

I tested it on Windows XP right now.

The error was still present without the VOB registry addition and ffdshow. For some reason runing the game natively locked up the computer so I threw DxWnd to the mix and it worked fine

Edit: If I just remove Win9x compat mode, the pink videos glitch at the corner don't appear

could you share your .dxw file? I haven't been able to get dxwnd to work on my end

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-10, 13:44:

could you share your .dxw file? I haven't been able to get dxwnd to work on my end

It is easy. Change hook from IAT scan to Scan EXE PE. Set 16 bit colour mode in Video tab. That's enough to start

I tried, in both Win10 and XP, no change. Still the same MCI_Pause errors after every VOB end

sentrywasbored wrote on 2025-04-13, 17:34:

I tried, in both Win10 and XP, no change. Still the same MCI_Pause errors after every VOB end

Are we using different versions of same games? I don't know, I tested it on Win7 and it works equally same there as well.

The ffdshow I use is ffdshow_rev4532_20140717_clsid.exe

Btw if you want to use DxWnd to fix the MCI errors, it is better to ask in their forums with steps to reproduce it. The other people who tested couldn't emulate it yet so only your logs may help

I got my copy from a redump, maybe yours is somehow different?

SONOFA!

Found your copy, the Redump is bad, yours works a treat (minus the video resizing to fullscreen but that's a minor issue)

Well glad that you got it working. I know nothing about dumping though, nor do I know if there's some checking involved. I have just preserved old enough DVDs and CDs as BIN/CUE and newer games as ISOs. I found some website few years back which provides dumping info, but never understood what to make out of it, or even if that was for PC.