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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Xcom3 Refuses To Work On Xp. Again


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Hi everyone. Its a pretty familiar problem I should think, but I'm at my wits end. Xcom3 just refuses to work on xp. I've edited the config.sys files to no avail, since the buffers still register at only 0 instead of 40. When I install the game, the stupid computer also registers only 67mb free when I have 2.02gb free. Finally, when all is done, and I pray that it works despite the above mentioned problems, and I boot up xcom, there is no response. The screen simply goes blank, and the moment I press any button it reverts to windows. Help please. I really love xcom and want to get it running on my system again.
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Ok. Heres the deal for me. I've tried installing the damn thing, but I'm not sure if its installed correctly or not because of files/buffer problem that I've already stated to be an unknown factor. And I'm installing straight from a CD. So I want to know if I should just disregard all the error messages that crop up and simply continue with the instructions the thread provides, or would the files/buffers problem be a big issue?
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Ok. Heres the deal for me. I've tried installing the damn thing, but I'm not sure if its installed correctly or not because of files/buffer problem that I've already stated to be an unknown factor. And I'm installing straight from a CD. So I want to know if I should just disregard all the error messages that crop up and simply continue with the instructions the thread provides, or would the files/buffers problem be a big issue?

 

Even though I got a red entry against Files/Buffers (and, surprise surprise, I can't actually get buffers added even if I put the line in CONFIG.NT) I was still able to load the Cityscape portion of the game, so it's worth continuing with the guide and seeng how far you can get.

 

One thing I should note is that if you edit your XCOM3.CFG file so that you can skip using the CD, you don't need the full path to your XCOM installation, as far as I can tell. You just need the drive letter where the music/movies can be found, assuming you're using either of those.

 

You can also install Apocalypse despite the apparent lack of drive space by copying any files that are missing directly from the CD.

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Ok I decided to create an account for myself. I'm the unregistered user guest. Anyways, nothing works. Xcom doesn't even boot up.

 

Here is EXACTLY what I did for my XP system, and I tried all the tricks suggested in the aforementioned post. Nothing worked.

 

1. Edited the files/buffers to read files = 20 and buffers = 20 (exactly like that, with the space between the '=' and the words/numbers) in the config.sys file.

2. Run the install program from the disc, selected normal installation.

3. Noted that the game did not register the presence of the edited config.sys file, giving a red highlight there and a red highlight for my cd-rom, which had an error message for the speed.

4. Ignored it, tried to install, noted that the game also registered a measly 63mb of free disc space on my com out of 2.02gb.

5. Ignored all the aforementioned problems and tried installing anyways. Installation succesful tentatively, due to uncertainty regarding the final 4% of installation.

6. Saw the suggested error fixes.

7. Set sound for no sound.

8. Installed all the stuff and created a .bat file and all, installing drivers and stuff.

9. Crossed fingers, tried to run the game.

10. Nothing. Blank screen. Pressed spacebar, game reverted to windows.

 

Points of note: This is after trying ad infinitum, and installing the game only to delete the folder after that, without regedit. Not sure if i need to edit the registry or not.

The preloader screen also has the 'play' button greyed out, and the 'install' button available all the time when I autorun the disc, even with the game purportedly installed.

It worked perfectly on ME for me but totally screwed me over for XP.

 

I'm really at my wits end. No clue what to do. Any help please?

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Apocalypse was a dos game so it won't mess with the registry.

 

To get the files/buffers to work after you edit the config.sys file, you'd need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect. The game only really needs files to be set, mind.

 

I'd recommend 40 rather than 20 files/buffers to be on the safe side.

 

I'm in a similar boat. Everything works perfectly, right up to the point the game starts after it plays the intro where it crashes back to the command prompt. Although this was a while ago, and I haven't made any attempts since then to get it running - mainly because I have an older computer that runs it fine. I just yearn for the faster loading times, is all. :)

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
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I've tried editing the files/buffers numerous times too, and I have restarted it time and time again. It never works. I've editied it through sysedit and msedit to create a config.sys file that said

files=40

buffers=40

 

exactly, right down the the lack of spaces at all. And I don't even get the intro. heck, I don't even get the blinking cursor on the top left. I only get a blank screen. Not a pitch black screen, but a wholly blank one. I'm stuck here. Help.

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well, I found this on an ultima 8 page, perhaps one of these might get it to list files correctly.

 

Note for Windows ME users: Ultima 8 requires lots of "file handles", and will prompt you to put FILES=40 in your config.sys file. This is pretty hard to do in ME, as the operating system does not even read this file. There is a solution however - thanks to Scratchy Dragon for bringing it to our notice:

 

Open Notepad; browse until you are looking in the C:\Windows folder.

Set Notepad to look for All Files; you are looking for a file called System. (MS-DOS name is System.ini). Open this file.

The file has various sections, including [boot]    [keyboard]    [boot.description]    and  [386enh]

In this [386enh] section type this entry:

PerVMFiles=40

Save the file.

Reboot your machine. Windows ME now automatically allocates 40 extra file handles - more than enough - and Ultima 8 will be happy.

 

The article that this is based on is here.

 

There is also a more "Windows-friendly" method of doing the same thing. This works for Windows 98 and ME - just do as follows:

Click on Start, then Run, and type msconfig in the command line.

Click on the System.ini tab.

Click on 386enh and highlight it. Then click on the plus (+) sign to expand it.

That will open up the sub-menu. Make sure that 386enh is still highlighted.

Click on the New button at the bottom of your screen. A box will appear under 386enh.

Type PerVMFiles=40 and then hit apply, then OK, then reboot.

That's it! You're done.

 

Thanks to Maurizio Peta for that tip.

 

In Windows XP, you can set files=40 in the folder Windows\system32\config.nt (Thanks to Holger Zinecker for that tip)

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  • 5 months later...
just want to say thank you for that help info, i did it all thinking theres no point and it wont work but it did, its been so long since ive played this game, thank you so much
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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Guest

rather than create a whole new thread on the same subject, i guess maybe i could use this one as it seems to have the same problem.

 

i'm running xp

when i put the xcom apocalypse cd in and the pop up thing comes up and i click install. i accept the terms, install game, optimal version... i get two errors,

 

1. 40/0 buffer

2. cd rom speed cannot read(sometimes)

 

i try to continue, it installs, i go for no sound... then come to find the game did not install and i can't run it.

 

i'm so bummed. i bought this game years and years ago(with ufoD and tftd) and it worked fine on the old windows 3.1/dos setup. but i just found it recently and was so excited to play these games again. come to find i can't make them work.

 

i guess it seems logical that i would need to fix the buffor thing. but keep in mind i am %100 ignorant when it comes to this computer stuff and i have NO idea how i would do that..

 

anyone think they could help me?

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rather than create a whole new thread on the same subject, i guess maybe i could use this one as it seems to have the same problem.

 

i'm running xp

when i put the xcom apocalypse cd in and the pop up thing comes up and i click install. i accept the terms, install game, optimal version... i get two errors,

 

1. 40/0 buffer

2. cd rom speed cannot read(sometimes)

 

i try to continue, it installs, i go for no sound... then come to find the game did not install and i can't run it.

 

i'm so bummed. i bought this game years and years ago(with ufoD and tftd) and it worked fine on the old windows 3.1/dos setup. but i just found it recently and was so excited to play these games again. come to find i can't make them work.

 

i guess it seems logical that i would need to fix the buffor thing. but keep in mind i am %100 ignorant when it comes to this computer stuff and i have NO idea how i would do that..

 

anyone think they could help me?

 

You need to follow the instructions given in this thread :)

But have you tried going to the directory you installed xcom apoc in? Because the cd autorun menu doesn't always seem to detect you installed the game.

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