Completely confused with this one. This is the one game I wouldn't have imagined would be a problem to get working on a Windows 98 PC. So I've tried my original talkie CD version, which I can't get to load/play, and I've tried the 95/98 version. The first time it performed an illegal operation and locked up, and then the second time it went black as though it was going to load, and all I got was an egg timer/cusor. It locked up. Couldn't do anything but shut down from the button.

Proper help cannot be rendered without knowing the hardware specs and the content of config.sys and autoexec.bat. Might as well post a screenshot of MEM while at it.

So you have both the original DOS-only and the hybrid DOS/Windows releases of the game?

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:36:

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give that a try next. What does that do exactly?

As an update, I've tried my brother's copy of the games, which are meant to be compatible with XP. Though from what I can tell, they're just the same Windows 95/98 versions. Same installers. So unsurprisingly, neither Simon 1 or 2 work. It's very perplexing. These were not the sort of games I'd expect to have issues running on Windows 98. I've always been able to run them on 95 and 98 systems in the past.

ScummVM supports the game, which might be a viable alternative on a Win98 build.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:52:

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:36:

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give that a try next. What does that do exactly?

EMS and XMS (Expanded / eXtended Memory Specification) are ways of giving software access to system memory above DOS's 640kb conventional memory limit. Some games will only work with one or the other enabled. There's a recent PhilsComputerLab video on Youtube that goes into more detail.

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 19:01:

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:36:

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

EMS and XMS (Expanded / eXtended Memory Specification) are ways of giving software access to system memory above DOS's 640kb conventional memory limit. Some games will only work with one or the other enabled. There's a recent PhilsComputerLab video on Youtube that goes into more detail.

I see. I'm a bit confused with it all. I'm not seeing any such file in the WINDOWS folder. I loaded up EMM386, which says it's enabled, but it says something about there not being anything else? No XMS or anything. I'll watch Phil's video about it.

thp wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:54:

ScummVM supports the game, which might be a viable alternative on a Win98 build.

I know. I'd prefer to avoid that if possible. I want to get these games running natively ideally.

Is my previous post not visible?

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:36:

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

Not needed. The game works fine with EMS enabled.

I’ve yet to create an image file of the disc, so I’ve copied the contents straight to the HDD.

If you want to play without the CD, you need to modify the SIMON.BAT regarding the paths for simon.voc and effects.voc. Otherwise you'll get the sound driver unloaded message when you try to start.
Not sure why it wouldn't run when you had the CD in the drive, maybe also an issue with the drive letter in the SIMON.BAT, I'd double check that as well.

eddman wrote on 2024-11-14, 20:55:

Is my previous post not visible?

sfryers wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:36:

Try disabling EMS memory in your config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS

Not needed. The game works fine with EMS enabled.

Oh, sorry. I forgot to enable the option to get notified of responses. I've just seen it now.

eddman wrote on 2024-11-14, 18:24:

Proper help cannot be rendered without knowing the hardware specs and the content of config.sys and autoexec.bat. Might as well post a screenshot of MEM while at it.

So you have both the original DOS-only and the hybrid DOS/Windows releases of the game?

I'm just confused where the config.sys and autoexec.bat files are. In the game folder? I don't recall seeing them there. And I didn't see them in C:\WINDOWS. And what/where is MEM? ^^;

But yes, I have the original talkie DOS/Windows hybrid:

https://www.mobygames.com/game/495/simon-the- … rs/group-48887/

This 1998 re-release of the DOS/Windows version:

https://www.mobygames.com/game/495/simon-the- … ers/group-4545/

And the keep case/XP re-release:

https://www.mobygames.com/game/495/simon-the- … rs/group-13330/

Kalle wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:14:

I’ve yet to create an image file of the disc, so I’ve copied the contents straight to the HDD.

If you want to play without the CD, you need to modify the SIMON.BAT regarding the paths for simon.voc and effects.voc. Otherwise you'll get the sound driver unloaded message when you try to start.
Not sure why it wouldn't run when you had the CD in the drive, maybe also an issue with the drive letter in the SIMON.BAT, I'd double check that as well.

I'm an absolute novice with DOS, if I'm honest. But is it not able to mount/load from the CD drive? I tried looking at the CD's directory in DOS, but it wouldn't have it.
And you mean open up SIMON.BAT in a text editor?

Okay, I've just read that Win98 SE doesn't have the config.sys and autoexec.bat files. That it doesn't need them.

Still no luck. I've tried changing the CD path in SIMON.BAT. The beginning has something I can't quite remember now and I'm not sure if that needs modifying. But for the simon.voc and effects.voc files, I changed the path to match where I'd put the contents of the CD. The game still refuses to load. Still complains about DIGPAK unloaded or something. I've also noticed as well, that if I run SIMON.EXE/BAT from within Windows, it will load up RUNVGA.exe, which is the closest I've gotten to getting the game to work. The game plays, but it's incredibly slow. If I try to load it via DOS, it freezes up. Nothing happens.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:26:

Okay, I've just read that Win98 SE doesn't have the config.sys and autoexec.bat files. That it doesn't need them.

They do exist and are loaded during boot.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:20:

I'm just confused where the config.sys and autoexec.bat files are.

In the root of C: drive. Config.sys is hidden by default.

I don't know about the windows version, but the DOS version has problems running under windows and must be run under DOS. It also doesn't like the "Restart in MS-DOS mode" option, so you'd have to either create a boot menu or manauuly load directly into DOS when booting. I suppose another option would be to create a boot floppy. Hm, it works now. I suppose it was probably caused by a wrong boot config.

The game works with the following:

[config.sys]

1DEVICE=C:\DOS2\VIDECDD.SYS /D:OPTICAL

[autoexec.bat]

1MSCDEX /D:OPTICAL
2C:\DOS2\MOUSE.COM /p4

You can use other CD and mouse drivers though (those two are not included with windows). Note that with larger drivers you might have to also load EMM386 to freeup the base memory.

I couldn't get the game to work without the CD.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:20:

And what/where is MEM? ^^;

MEM is a DOS command that shows memory related information. Just type MEM/C/P while in DOS.

eddman wrote on 2024-11-14, 23:55:

They do exist and are loaded during boot. […]
Show full quote

They do exist and are loaded during boot.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:20:

I'm just confused where the config.sys and autoexec.bat files are.

In the root of C: drive. Config.sys is hidden by default.

I don't know about the windows version, but the DOS version has problems running under windows and must be run under DOS. It also doesn't like the "Restart in MS-DOS mode" option, so you'd have to either create a boot menu or manauuly load directly into DOS when booting. I suppose another option would be to create a boot floppy. Hm, it works now. I suppose it was probably caused by a wrong boot config.

The game works with the following:

[config.sys]

Copy code to clipboard

1DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS2\VIDECDD.SYS /D:OPTICAL

[autoexec.bat]

Copy code to clipboard

1LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:OPTICAL
2LH C:\DOS2\MOUSE.COM /p4

You can use other CD and mouse drivers though. Note that with larger drivers you might have to also load EMM386 to freeup the base memory.

I couldn't get the game to work without the CD.

DustyShinigami wrote on 2024-11-14, 21:20:

And what/where is MEM? ^^;

MEM is a DOS command that shows memory related information. Just type MEM/C/P while in DOS.

I see. Interesting. Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look into experimenting with it all tomorrow. 😀

I believe this game requires quite a lot of conventional memory as well. this part of the memory is shared with the drivers you also need. This can be fixed by loading drivers into the high memory area.

But is it not able to mount/load from the CD drive?

Yes, it is. In fact, if you install it from CD, configure the sound card and then start it, it should run without problems.
I was just saying that if you want to play it without CD, you need to alter the batch file. Just copying the files to hard drive won't work.

And you mean open up SIMON.BAT in a text editor?

Yes, that's how you edit batch files.

Still complains about DIGPAK unloaded or something.

No. The message about the sound driver being unloaded is normal and not an error message. You always get it when exiting the game.
In your case the game doesn't run at all, hence you get that message right after trying to start it.
In my case, I got that problem when I tried running it without the CD, hence I suspected the problem to be there.
But you installed the game from the CD in pure DOS, correct?

I'm also confused by your first screenshot. Something like DOSKey is normally loaded by the autoexec.bat. The LOCK part I don't know, but I don't see where you typed in SIMON. The SIMON.BAT itself wouldn't load doskey. When did you get that screen? When typing in simon from pure dos?