American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

OK, I thought I would give some of the old "Battleground" games from Talonsoft a try and I am having all kinds of problems. Mainly they just will not work. "Antietam" is installed and works. "Shiloh" is installed but will not start. Clicking on the executive file doesn't do a thing. Same thing for "Chickamauga". "Prelude to Waterloo" will not even load and the same thing goes for "Age of Sail". Geeez. What gives. I was a late comer to Windows XP (Had Windows ME for years) all with no problems. Windows ME ran all of my "Battleground Games" and "HPS". No go for this one. I have tried the modifications to the "exe" file in the "properties" section of Windows XP but it is still no go. Any why wouldn't "Age of Sail" or "Prelude to Waterloo" not even load? I can see the files on the disk but when you click on any .exe file not a darn thing happens.

All of my HPS games run fine but this Windows XP is supposed to be an improvement? Man, there is no way I am upgrading to Windows Vista. What else will not work then? Maybe all of my HPS games?

Has anyone else encountered this or have the Battleground games gone the way of the dinosaur already.

Any help appreciated.

Lt. Col. Collins
Army of Alabama
III/I/2nd brigade

Ok, let's see if we can get you going. All the BG games work fine with XP Pro(SP1 and SP2) and with XP home. I am NOT sure about AOS, but I suspect it should work, also. (I have all the BG series loaded on BOTH an XP Pro and an XP home machine.)

To start with, if one of the series works, they all should work. I will now give you my stock answer to BG system problems and this information pertains to ALL BG titles, except BGC, which is a 32 bit program; all the others are 16 bit programs, upgraded to 32 bit. In all cases, downlod the latest upgrades for each program, although this speaks only of BGG.

Ok, let's try a couple of things and then I will list the procedure and you can try them, step-by-step and we might get the problem isolated and solved.

First, use your ADD/REMOVE programs to remove your earlier install. Then, find the folder for BGG and delete all files in the folder, then delete the folder. Also, if you have a shortcut on your desktop, delete it.

Search for the file BGG.INI and delete it. (This file keeps some information about the drive letter for your CDROM)

Go to: http://www.hc-llc.net/games/patches.html and download the patch for V1.34 of BGG (I would think you have the US version of PTW and NOT the UK version, so do NOT download the UK version); then go to:
http://fly.hiwaay.net/~tiller/html/program.html and download the 32 bit patch AND download (at the bottom of the page) the so called "Front end" for BGG. DO NOT DOWNLOAD FROM ANY OTHER PLACE. Delete any previous downloads.

Now, lets install BGG. When you have the choice, install the program using the TYPICAL install and just follow the normal procedure.

After the install in done, run the BGG Program. Start a scenario and go through one phase, then exit the program.

If the program runs, continue.

Copy the upgrade files you downloaded into the MAIN BGG folder.

Double click on the file BGG134.exe. Once the patch is complete, run the BGG program, again. Play a phase of ANOTHER scenario, (CHECK using ABOUT in the HELP menu, that v1.34 is installed) end the phase, then exit.

If the program runs, continue.

UNZIP the file BGG_DLL.ZIP in the BGG folder and overwrite any file it asks. Run the BGG program, again. Play a phase of a scenario, (CHECK using ABOUT in the HELP menu, that v2.07 is installed) end the phase, then exit.

If the program runs, continue.

UNZIP the file BGG_START.ZIP in theBGG folder and overwrite any file it asks. Run the BGG program, again. Play a phase of a scenario, (CHECK using ABOUT in the HELP menu, that v2.07 is installed) end the phase, then exit.

If the program runs, you are ready to play.

If at each install step, if the program does not work, start over.

As I wrote this, I installed BGG and worked it exactly the same as I said, above.

I use XP Pro and have no problems with the game. If some of these steps seem simplistic, they are not meant to be, but the steps have to be done this way to be sure of where the install goes wrong.

For BGC, download the 2 patches for it and apply the GW fix, then the XP fix. You might not need both, but no harm done.




<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, Commanding, Army of Ohio

ACWGC Cabinet member
</b></font id="gold">

Confirm, they should work on every Windows platform. I have run (or am still running) all BG games on W95, W2K, ME, and XP Pro.

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
AoS

Once I had a problem getting BGG to run. So instead of starting the normal way I went into the folder and clicked the other start button there and it worked fine.

MajGen, 2/VIII/AoS
"Beer! It's not just for breakfast anymore!"

Yep Scott, as usual you are on the money....Heck I even run a couple of old DOS games that way.....works just fine......Hank

BG Hank Smith
Army of Georgia
Smith's Division CO
Carroll's Corp

Scott & Jefferson. What is this "other start" button you are referring to?
This particular problem is really crazy. The trouble is I CAN'T EVEN INSTALL THE GAMES!!! I have checked Gettyburg, Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Napoleon in Russian, and Prelude to Waterloo. All original disks in mint condition.
I can "see" the files on the disk in Windows Explorer AND I can even click on all the .txt files and .AVI files and look at the video movies on them. Same with the .wav files, I can click on them and they will work.
I click on "setup.exe" and I get nothing. Completely inert, no error message nothing.
What could be wrong? It has to be a Windows XP issue. It's obvious the drive is working fine.

HELP HELP HELP

Have you tried to copy the contents of the CDROM to a TEMP file and run setup from your hard disk? For instance, in BGG, copy ONLY the contents of the folder BGG from the CDROM. You might have to modify the BG?.INI file if you get the game to install this way. Open the BG?.INI file in a text editor like NOTEPAD and find the lines:

[Install]
sounds=D:\BGG\
videos=D:\BGG\
cdrom=3

If your CDROM DRIVE is drive "D", the above is what the INI file should show. IF your CDROM DRIVE is drive letter "E" (for instance), then you would change the above to read:

[Install]
sounds=E:\BGG\
videos=E:\BGG\
cdrom=4

After you make the typical install and it works, delete the contents of the TEMP folder and copy the next game.

Another question, when/where did you acquire the games? You also say you had these games installed on with WINDOWS ME and they worked. DID you do a clean install of WINXP and not simply upgrade to WINXP?

Also, on MY Antietam CD, the BGN.EXE file has a date of 10/8/1996. What is the date on your Antietam CDROM?

<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, Commanding, Army of Ohio

ACWGC Cabinet member
</b></font id="gold">

Strange issue indeed..

Might sound like a dumb question but can you install any software at all...

Am thinking that windows XP may have a setting that blocks installing software ?

Major General John Corbin
Commanding officer
Army of The James

Good Point John!

Windows DOES have a setting somwhere in the User Profile section, which prohibits certain users from uploading programs!!

Have Ye checked this out on your Comp Gilbert?

Pat.[:)]

Patrick G.M.Carroll,
Brigadier General.
Carroll's Corps,(II)
"Spartan Southrons"
Army of Georgia.
C.S.A.

" When My Country takes it's rightful place, amongst the Nations of the World, then and only then, let My Epitaph be written. "

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by John Corbin</i>
<br />Strange issue indeed..

Might sound like a dumb question but can you install any software at all...

Am thinking that windows XP may have a setting that blocks installing software ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

AFAIK, you have to install software as ADMINISTRATOR or POWER USER. I think (but do not know) there is a policy setting that can change that.

I am also wondering what actual function the WINDOWS INSTALLER program has in the whole scheme of things. I think that program was recently updated by MS in the SP2 update or later. I have NO idea what its actual function/purpose is on an XP computer, except to support third party INSTALLERS.

<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, Commanding, Army of Ohio

ACWGC Cabinet member
</b></font id="gold">

Say Patrick, I thought you might have had a solution there but it was still a "no go". It looked promising for a moment though. I am the only one on my computer virtually, so I don't have it set up for multi-users and stuff so that was not an issue.

However it did point me in a new direction. I tried installing the game through the "install new programes" in Control Panel. It still didn't work but I saw it do something it never did before in regular "install" through Windows Explorer. The little "hour glass" symbol stayed on for about one minute and then just dumped me back to the original screen. It looked like "it was trying" to install the game. (I wish it had tried a little harder)

If anybody has any other suggestions I am completely open because this whole thing doesn't make any sense. I just know that if and when we find the solution it is going to be something insane.

Lt. Col. Gilbert Collins
Army of Alabama
III Corps/1st Division/2nd Brigade

Gilbert give this link a read: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodte ... yapps.mspx

Also, make sure you are using an account with administrator privlages to do the install.



Lt. Gen. Ed Blackburn
II/VI/AoS
"Forward Bucktails"

Heya Gilbert!

"Also, make sure you are using an account with administrator privlages to do the install."

I <i>think</i> Ed "Zinky" Blackburn <i>might</i> have hit the Nail right there! The Fact that Windows attempted to Load suggests that You are set up as a "Power User" rather than an Administrator!?!

From Windows 2000 Help File:

"Administrators

Members of the Administrators group can perform all functions supported by the operating system. The default security settings do not restrict administrative access to any registry or file system object. Administrators can grant themselves any rights that they do not have by default.

Ideally, administrative access should only be used to:

Install the operating system and components (such as hardware drivers, system services, and so on).
Install Service Packs and Windows Packs.
Upgrade the operating system.
Repair the operating system.
Configure critical operating system parameters (such as password policy, access control, audit policy, kernel mode driver configuration, and so on).
Take ownership of files that have become inaccessible.
Manage the security and auditing logs.
Back up and restore the system.

<font color="red"><font size="5"><b>In practice, Administrator accounts often must be used to install and run programs written for previous versions of Windows. </b></font id="size5"></font id="red"> "



That last bit - by the sounds of it - could well be Your Problem Gilbert! After all the Battleground games were written from '95/'96? on ! [:p]

Hope it helps,

Pat.


Patrick G.M.Carroll,
Brigadier General.
Carroll's Corps,(II)
"Spartan Southrons"
Army of Georgia.
C.S.A.

" When My Country takes it's rightful place, amongst the Nations of the World, then and only then, let My Epitaph be written. "

Hello Bill, Ed - Pat: Yes, I have tried all of those options. The "Compatibility" method so many times I am sick of it. The games DID work at one time and I did not have to resort to this method so I just know it isn't that. The "Administrator" option is a dead end to I am afraid. I'm the only one on the computer and "I am" the administrator when I go into accounts, I am the only one there. Just the "guest" account is left and I don't feel like tampering with that one and locking myself out.
This is all so ridiculous I am really getting to hate Mr. Gates crappy "support". I find that the minute you mention the word "game" forget any meaningful support from Microsoft.

I sure thank you for your tips though. This is one weiry Reb that doesn't want to abandon totally the Battleground games.

Lt. Col. Collins
Army of Alabama
III/I/2nd brigade

All is not lost, yet.

What doesn't make any sense is the fact that you CAN install other programs and can't install the BG games.

So, let's start from square one, again.

Use the ADD/REMOVE programs and REMOVE ALL BG GAMES. Then, use my prior instruction to delete all reference to the BG games. Including doing a SEARCH for all BG?.INI files. Use this for your search:

BG*.ini

Delete ALL BG?.ini files, including any that you just removed.

In some cases, ther MIGHT be more than one INI file. So start your search on all hard drives.

After you have removed the programs and the INI files, REBOOT and follow the install instructions I sent, earlier. Actually, they are in this THREAD.

This might be more than you want to do, as you DO have at least one or two BG games that do work.

When you try to install, DO NOT try the games that DID install, but try the ones that DIDN'T.



<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, Commanding, Army of Ohio

ACWGC Cabinet member
</b></font id="gold">