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Xcom Apoc On Windows Xp Using Ms Virtual Pc 2004


Guest Kent

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I managed to get Xcom Apoc running on XP Home using Microsoft Virtual PC 2004. It runs on my Asus eeePC (no optical drives, just one 4Gig internal flash memory drive and a SD card slot.

 

I'm not sure if anyone's posted about Microsoft Virtual PC before, but here's how I got mine running on the eeePC. The eeePC does not have a cdrom or dvd drive, so the instructions below deal with iso images.

 

Required -

 

Xcom Apoc disk (mine says "Xcom Apoc V1.00")

 

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 - free download from:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

Note - Virtual PC 2007 may or may not work.

Note - Virtual PC will run on XP home, it just issues a warning on install.

 

A Virtual Floppy Image (.vfd) of a Windows 95 Floppy Boot Disk. I had one, but you

may be able to get one from http://www.bootdisk.com/

 

Windows 95 Install CD (mine is version B OEM) with a license key

Note - windows 98 may work and may eliminate the need for the floppy, but

Xcom may have a problem running in a 98 virtual pc.

 

Alcohol 120 or some other way to create ISO images of cdroms.

Note - Nero did not work for me (two days wasted) but this could be user related.

Alcohol 120 free eval version works http://trial.alcohol-soft.com/

 

A computer that can convert your cdrom disks to iso files.

 

Basic idea -

 

create and run virtual windows 95 machine with one virtual hard drive

add virtual floppy to the windows 95 machine and use it to fdisk a dos partition and format c:

add virtual cdrom drive to the windows 95 machine and use it to install windows 95

install xcom from virtual cdrom drive onto windows 95 machine's c:

keep xcom virutal cd in the virtual cdrom drive and play xcom!

 

 

Process -

 

create d:\win95

copy your windows 95 floppy vfd file to d:\win95

copy your windows 95 install iso file to d:\win95

copy your xcom disk iso file to d:\win95

 

Install virtual pc 2004

Run it and click on new

browse to d:/win95/win95.vmc

choose windows 95 OS

set ram to 128 (worked for me - you could try other values)

select new virtual hard disk

browse to d:/win95/win95DriveC.vhd

finish

 

start - you will get a message saying reboot and select proper boot device

select menu "floppy" - capture floppy disk image

browse to your d:\win95\FloppyImage.vfd

menu - action - reset

Note - when the mouse gets stuck in the virtual screen, use right alt key to free it.

Note - right alt key/enter to switch to/from full screen

virtual pc should boot from floppy and give you A:\

 

fdisk

enable large disks = Y

1 - create dos partition

1 - primary

max size = y

let it finish

ESC

menu - action - reset

at A:\

format c:

let it format

menu - CD - capture ISO Image -

browse to d:\win95\yourWindow95.iso

Note - you can also use an external usb cdrom with your windows 95 disk

 

at C:\

mkdir cabs

cd cabs

copy d:\win95\*.cab

Note - I needed to save the cabs to the c drive because of some strange install

problem later - could be user related.

at D:\

setup

setup options - compact worked for me

enter license key

don't select network adapter

install common components

no startup disk

when about to reboot, menu - floppy - release

reboot

My install goes wrong here and can no longer find d:

It asks for the disk to be put back in.

click ok, then browse to c:\cabs

install should continue

enter anything for the network info prompt

cancel printer install

reboot

cancel network password

menu - cd - release

shutdown windows 95 and exit virtual pc

 

browse to d:\win95 and make a backup copy of your virtual hard drive so that you

do not have to reinstall windows if the xcom install goes wrong.

restart virtual pc 2004 and your windows 95 virtual machine

menu - cd - capture

browse to d:\win95\yourXComApoc.iso

Note - again you can use an external usb cdrom drive and the real disk.

xcom pop-up screen should appear - click install

install minimal version to c:/xcoma

setup sound card - auto detect should work

exit and save

play - kill aliens, watch out for brain suckers, poppers and worms!

 

you can delete the floppy .vfd file, the windows 95 iso file and the backup copy

of the hard drive .vhd file. You need to keep the xcom iso file.

 

The idea came from:

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/archi.../15/257408.aspx

He claims you have to install xcom apoc from a physical cdrom drive. I did not

have any problem using an iso. I tried a bunch of "No-disk" options and

various ways to mount an iso before I figured out my iso created with Nero was

the probem. Switching to Alcohol 120 worked right away. I've seen various references

to xcom apoc patches for display problems and no-disk fixes. I had no luck with

these, and in the end did not need them.

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