DOS/95 Mercs -> 1.1 Sorry.. having trouble

[Magnus]

Ok... here we go again. For the record I've been picking at this website for 3 days before posting here so please understand I really did try.

I need a clear and concise answer for how to get the basic DOS/95 Mercs patched to version 1.1

1.I'm running XP Pro with Service Pack 3
2.Mech2: Mercs DOS/95 1.0 (trying to get 1.1 working)
3.I've been using this method to get it working as it was the most simplistic and easy to understand:
http://sites.google.com/site/mw2mercxp/Main
4a. Yes, but my issue is more patch related (i.e. patch not patching correctly), not sound/mouse/resolution related stuff
4b. Same deal
5.Based off of http://sites.google.com/site/mw2mercxp/Main I was able to get 1.06 working fine, but I ran into issues trying to get patch 1.1 working

Details: When I go to apply the 1.1 patch to my vanilla game, I get two messages. One says "Could not update registry. Patch Complete." and another is a WinINet.dll Redistribution Package error saying "Installation failed". I have no idea what this means. So I click "OK" and then When I try a second time the patch says it has completed and gives me the option to click "Direct 3D" or "Finish". Checking the Mercs file shows that 1.1 stuff has apparently been applied.

Now comes the wierd part. I start the game with Mercs.exe (yes i did properties->compatibility stuff) game loads as usual (sound is a bit scratchy but i don't care right now). I get to the main menu and click on instant action. Instead of the lady saying "instant action", she says "accessing personel". Even weirder, clicking certain buttons such as the "exit" button gives the sound of a dropship's engines instead of the normal "clicky" sound. I haven't seen anything like this in the forums. I vaguely remember having this problem before when I first played this game when it came out but I'm not sure how to fix it now (though I did fix it then somehow).

Probably what is going on is i'm skipping some crucial step, but I'm a complete noob and utterly lost on this. Any kind persons care to walk me through it? I always loved this game and ever since the WONDERFUL NEWS from Smith and Tinker, I have been wanting to play Mech2: Mercs again.

[Magnus]

BTW, launching mw2shell.exe does the same thing, but the mercswin (the one with the skull icon) always seems to crash to desktop. not sure what is going on there, but the other .exe files seem to work fine. is mercswin really any different?

And for the record, I'm going through all this trouble because I want to try the single player with dynamic salvage... never tried it before but it sounds like it should make things a more interesting challenge for me.

[Skyfaller]

Yes, I agree that dynamic salvage makes the game more interesting. I cannot look into possible solutions for about the next 6 hours, so unless someone else wants to help, please be patient. Thank you.

[Sir MMPD Radick]

I am pretty sure this is an obvious no, but I will ask anyway.
Are you using the DOS version with the 1.1 patch? If you are that is not possible as DOS does not use the 1.1 Patch only 95 does.

Anyway skipping that for the moment would you be willing to try the hook?
Usually you will get better results in Mercs if you use that.

[Magnus]

It's my understanding that the DOS version and 95 version are both on the same cd (the red one). It says so on the cd. Am I not running it as 95? To my knowlegde, the game starts fine through all the .exe files except mercswin. Is that the 95 version? Maybe that's what you mean? When I try to launch using mercswin, the screen goes black like it should but then crashes to desktop... no message is displayed though. I guess what I'm asking is how do you launch the win95 version.


I am totally ok with starting from scratch: uninstalling and starting from step one (already done it a dozen times). Links to clear directions is always welcome too.

And yeah, i'm willing to try anything (MW2Hook included) and be as patient as i need to be to get this to work. I just appreciate the help

[Magnus]

Check Pm.

Radick was kind enough to help me on AIM but we ran into some difficulties:

(truncated for easier reading)

sirmmpdradick is available (10:54:27 PM)
Sir MMPD Radick (10:55:29 PM): where exactly are ya stuck with the hook?
Worcottle (10:55:45 PM): well.. i downloaded it from.. let me find it
Worcottle (10:56:04 PM): http://www.warp13.co.uk/mech2
Worcottle (10:56:18 PM): is that the one or is there another updated version?
Sir MMPD Radick (10:56:41 PM): yep thats the official site
Worcottle (11:02:14 PM): it doesn't really matter how i install it, right?
Sir MMPD Radick (11:02:35 PM): depends
Sir MMPD Radick (11:02:43 PM): if you use the DOS installer ya will get DOS
Sir MMPD Radick (11:02:49 PM): if ya use win installer ya get both i think
Worcottle (11:03:05 PM): so i should use the autoplay launcher then right?
Sir MMPD Radick (11:03:21 PM): You want the 95 version for the 1.1 patch right?
Worcottle (11:03:25 PM): yeah
Sir MMPD Radick (11:03:27 PM): yah the launcher is fine
Worcottle (11:06:09 PM): ok.. done. and seeing as i already have direct x, i don't need the cds copy, right?
Worcottle (11:06:25 PM): i forget what we are up to now. direct x 9 or something?
Sir MMPD Radick (11:06:35 PM): correct
Worcottle (11:06:49 PM): ok.. so now what
Sir MMPD Radick (11:07:17 PM): patch it to 1.1
Worcottle (11:07:38 PM): ok.. i guess you read about the errors i was getting right?
Sir MMPD Radick (11:07:49 PM): yah
Sir MMPD Radick (11:08:00 PM): tell ya what let me do this
Sir MMPD Radick (11:09:34 PM): goona install the game
Sir MMPD Radick (11:09:42 PM): and i will give you what registery entries it makes
Worcottle (11:10:01 PM): ah ok
Sir MMPD Radick (11:17:40 PM): ok downloading the patch now
Sir MMPD Radick (11:17:47 PM): sorry for the wait the install is done
Worcottle (11:18:05 PM): np. just happy to be getting help. take your time
Sir MMPD Radick (11:20:37 PM): is the prob ya got it said install failed?
Worcottle (11:20:49 PM): something like that.. yeah
Sir MMPD Radick (11:21:02 PM): i think it may not be an issue
Sir MMPD Radick (11:21:07 PM): let me see what happens after the hook
Worcottle (11:21:44 PM): yeah, i figured because when i checked the merc file afterwards it appeared that the 1.1 files made it in
Sir MMPD Radick (11:23:57 PM): I do not usually deal with mercs issues
Sir MMPD Radick (11:24:10 PM): mech2 normal is usually what i deal with
Worcottle (11:24:30 PM): np
Worcottle (11:37:08 PM): any progress?
Sir MMPD Radick (11:37:22 PM): going via the vmware option
Sir MMPD Radick (11:37:29 PM): then copying the registry from there
Worcottle (11:37:35 PM): rgr
Sir MMPD Radick (11:56:02 PM): *shrugs* I have tried everything that I know about but the fact of the matter is 1.1 is the trickiest version to get working
Sir MMPD Radick (11:56:17 PM): i do not think i can get it
Sir MMPD Radick (11:56:18 PM): sorry
Worcottle (11:56:20 PM): argh
Worcottle (11:56:42 PM): ok. thanks for trying anyway
Worcottle (12:06:58 AM): what do you think then?
Sir MMPD Radick (12:07:22 AM): its just a dll incompatibility one can be fixed but off hand i cannot remember what the fix is
Worcottle (12:08:12 AM): ah ok. mind if i post an abreviated version of our attempt on the forums?
Worcottle (12:08:24 AM): maybe someone knows
Sir MMPD Radick (12:08:46 AM): sure go ahead if ya like but myg is the only one that knows the answer i believe

[Magnus]

No one else has a solution on this?