Exit entirely out of Windows (or start in DOS mode) and try it directly from DOS. Does it do the same thing? DOS/4GW games should run perfectly fine directly from DOS without touching Windows at all - try that, just in case Windows is doing something funky with RAM (the 'page fault' error).

I've tried booting to DOS and starting war2.exe and I get the exactly same error.

One more thing that I did - I've installed the same Windows98 distribution to a virtual box VM on my another laptop, installed an additional VGA driver for windows and tried the same warcraft 2 - and it runs.

superdonut wrote on 2021-01-25, 16:51:

I've tried booting to DOS and starting war2.exe and I get the exactly same error.

One more thing that I did - I've installed the same Windows98 distribution to a virtual box VM on my another laptop, installed an additional VGA driver for windows and tried the same warcraft 2 - and it runs.

This may be a long shot, but did you try running the game's setup and trying without any sound card configured ?

Another thing to try is a newer version of DOS4GW.EXE . See here : DOS Memory Extenders - by Snover and DosFreak

If all else fails, reseat and/or replace your RAM.

Sooo..

I've run setup and chose no music and no sound.

If I boot to clean DOS starting war2.exe results in DOS/4GW exception (invalid opcode)
DOS + XMS(HIMEM.SYS) - exception 0Dh general protection fault
DOS + XMS( HIMEM.SYS) + EMS/UMB(Emm386.exe) - exception 0Eh page fault

Running 2_01a war2.exe in DOS results in error 1002: DOS/4GW may not be renamed or bound.

Carmageddon starts just fine under DOS with its own DOS/4GW 1.97.
Maybe it's the memory driver? But again, I used exactly the same distributive on VM and it's totally fine.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2021-01-25, 17:20:

If all else fails, reseat and/or replace your RAM.

Oh, I will try to reseat it.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2021-01-25, 17:20:

If all else fails, reseat and/or replace your RAM.

No effect with the module in another slot. TBH memory issues would show up not only with DOS games, but in general with OS and other applications.

Maybe try cold boot with no HIMEM at all

keenmaster486 wrote on 2021-01-25, 18:12:

Maybe try cold boot with no HIMEM at all

I get then DOS/4GW exception - invalid error.
Have no ideas what to do next.

superdonut wrote on 2021-01-25, 17:58:

Sooo.. […]
Show full quote

Sooo..

I've run setup and chose no music and no sound.

If I boot to clean DOS starting war2.exe results in DOS/4GW exception (invalid opcode)
DOS + XMS(HIMEM.SYS) - exception 0Dh general protection fault
DOS + XMS( HIMEM.SYS) + EMS/UMB(Emm386.exe) - exception 0Eh page fault

Running 2_01a war2.exe in DOS results in error 1002: DOS/4GW may not be renamed or bound.

Carmageddon starts just fine under DOS with its own DOS/4GW 1.97.
Maybe it's the memory driver? But again, I used exactly the same distributive on VM and it's totally fine.

You need to rename 2_01a.exe back to dos4gw.exe before running it .

darry wrote on 2021-01-25, 18:33:

superdonut wrote on 2021-01-25, 17:58:

Sooo.. […]
Show full quote

Sooo..

I've run setup and chose no music and no sound.

If I boot to clean DOS starting war2.exe results in DOS/4GW exception (invalid opcode)
DOS + XMS(HIMEM.SYS) - exception 0Dh general protection fault
DOS + XMS( HIMEM.SYS) + EMS/UMB(Emm386.exe) - exception 0Eh page fault

Running 2_01a war2.exe in DOS results in error 1002: DOS/4GW may not be renamed or bound.

Carmageddon starts just fine under DOS with its own DOS/4GW 1.97.
Maybe it's the memory driver? But again, I used exactly the same distributive on VM and it's totally fine.

You need to rename 2_01a.exe back to dos4gw.exe before running it .

Unfortunately, this didn't help. Running version 2.01a with

1 dos4gw carma.exe 

crashes and quits instantly, and

1dos4gw war2.exe

causes error 1008 can't load executable format.

Tried to run war2.exe under Windows XP - get the same issue.

Oh, BTW, both in Windows 98 and in Windows XP when war2.exe is started from windows right after it crashes there is an area on the screen in the upper left corner that is filled with some random pixels.

I wonder whether the integrated GPU in this laptop is somehow faulty or not fully DOS-compatible...

dr_st wrote on 2021-01-26, 12:44:

I wonder whether the integrated GPU in this laptop is somehow faulty or not fully DOS-compatible...

The integrated GPU is Intel 830MG, couldn't google anything about DOS issues with this GPU...

Make sure config.sys doesn't have STACKS=0,0.

jmarsh wrote on 2021-01-27, 13:59:

Make sure config.sys doesn't have STACKS=0,0.

Just checked, no luck, it’s not there

superdonut wrote on 2021-01-27, 10:48:

The integrated GPU is Intel 830MG, couldn't google anything about DOS issues with this GPU...

The 830MG is a chipset, not a GPU. Your 82830MG memory controller likely has an i754 or an Extreme Graphics 1 core.

I suggest replacing DOS/4GW with DOS/32A, see if that helps with the crashes.

Solplay wrote on 2021-01-28, 14:11:

superdonut wrote on 2021-01-27, 10:48:

The integrated GPU is Intel 830MG, couldn't google anything about DOS issues with this GPU...

The 830MG is a chipset, not a GPU. Your 82830MG memory controller likely has an i754 or an Extreme Graphics 1 core.

I suggest replacing DOS/4GW with DOS/32A, see if that helps with the crashes.

With DOS/32a there's this error:

1DOS/32A run-time (6001): exception (INT 0Eh)
2Identity: page fault at <00CF:00000013>
3...
4DOS/32A waning (9003): real mode interrupt vector has been modified: INT 43h

Having the same error for both dos/4gw and dos/32a makes me think it's something wrong with the driver:(
I also checked the RAM with several passes of MemTest86+.

I wonder if you have a corrupt HIMEM.SYS or something... or an MBR virus.