Problems with Simon the Sorcerer 1 & 2
NOTE: This page was originally created to help people run the first two games in DOS or normally in Windows. Meanwhile they are running quite fine in ScummVM and DOSBox. The easiest way to play is using ScummVM. There you can also use my Soundtrack in order to hear the OPL2 music from DOS times.
This guide is preserved here for historic reasons and if there are some nostalgists who like to play under real DOS or directly in Windows. The problems are mentioned in a dialogue with question (Q) and answer (A). IMPORTANT: For every solution suggestions listed here I won't take any guarantee! Q: One of both games/Both games are not running on my PC. What can I do? A: This are too few details. I need more of them. With which system shall it run? What error messages do you receive when trying to install it? Q: I'm trying to start the game on Windows and I receive the error message: 'Couldn't open Simon(2).wav.' What can I do against that? A: You did the following mistake: You tried to start the game with the file Runit95.exe. But you have to start the game by autorun where you have to click on 'Play'. If your autorun is not activated then you have to double click on 'Home', then on your CD ROM Icon. Q: Can I manage it to run one of the games/both games without CD in DOS? A: Of course. But you'll need a lot of hard drive space for that. You can save memory space by using that method by taking out the CD ROM Drive out of the memory space. Here is a method for Simon 1. I hope to have one for Simon 2 soon as well. Q: I'm using DOS and I get the error message that I don't have enough memory to start the game. A: Probably, that's because you're trying to start the game in a not real DOS mode. Try to start in a real DOS like DOS 5.0. Q: But in a real DOS I haven't got a CD ROM Driver! A: Then you'll have to try the game making running without a CD. You can read below how to do it. Because you haven't got a CD ROM Driver you have the advantage that you don't have to remove one out of the autoexec.bat and config.sys file. Q: I started the game in real DOS, but there's stil the same error message. A: You probably have to much drivers. Try to remove some. You shouldn't do that with the mouse driver. You can play the game without a mouse, but there are two disadvantages then:
1. The intro of the game will be skipped whatever you do.
2. The controlling is harder: Arrow keys, to move the mouse around and the 0 key (number block) to click. Q: Could I remove the CD ROM Driver? A: Yes, you can. You just have to own enough disk space on your hard drive to copy the files which are normally read on CD. Copy the files in your game folder which aren't there already: simon.gme, effects.voc, simon.voc. Then you start a text editor and open the file simon.bat. Then you delete the path of the mentioned files if they have got it. Here's an example.
Before: D:\DOS\simon.voc After: simon.voc
Then you only have to take the CD ROM Driver out of your autoexec.bat and config.sys file (IMPORTANT: Do a backup copy of both files before you edit them!!! If you don't do you maybe can never boot your PC again with CD ROM Driver!!!) and then boot your real DOS, change into the game folder, enter simon.bat and then you can finally play it. BUT this method is not for unexperienced users who don't know what to change in those both files. These people shouldn't do anything with those both files! Q: I'm afraid I am such an unexperienced user. Can you tell me what to change or edit those both files for me? A: Changing the files for you? Imagine if I have to do that for everyone (I would have to charge money for it then). It will be cheaper if I write a kind of 'manual' how to do that with some drivers. I would then let others send files to me and write a text out of that. But only if there are enough interests. Q: I successfully installed the game. Now I have to set up the sound blaster. But if I chose one and I want to test it I get this message: 'Couldn't load Soundrv.com'. And if I chose 'No digital sound blaster' then I suddenly see nonsens characters! A: This problem I also already had. So I know it VERY WELL. There's no direct solution for that, because the problem is caused by your old DOS version (I had it with version 5.0) and this one isn't compatible with the game. Unfortunately, I can not say which higher 'real' DOS version is compatible with the game. I just know when you start the setup.exe in Windows DOS everything works normally. There's also a rsptrft.exe in one of the Simon the Sorcerer 2 demos with that you are NOT able to play the game in Windows (you'll get an error message when you try to start the game). I don't know if this rsptrflt.exe is on one of the official sold full game CDs. |
