D2 Installation Issue

[Top Gun]

Over the past few days, two separate people have posted in PD's tech forum with the same problem in installing D2 on XP. In both cases, they receive an error related to a file named "autoexec.nt" in the Windows/System32 folder. One of the people posted saying that they don't even have that file; I suspect this is also the case with the other person. As I have never had any problems with installing D2, I checked my system32 folder, and sure enough, I do have that file. Does anyone have any insights as to why some people seem to be flat-out missing that file, and do you think that sending them a copy of my file would solve the problem?

[Krom]

autoexec.nt is the windows XP equivalent of autoexec.bat, if it's not there you don't need it. Try creating a blank autoexec.nt file before installing and see if it helps.

[TechPro]

Chances are likely that you don't have one or more of three files that SHOULD be in your c:\windows\system32 directory. Those files you should have but may be missing:

Config.nt
Autoexec.nt
Command.com

config.nt and autoexec.nt are specially named TEXT files and can be created or edited with Notepad. You may need certain pieces of information in them.

For additional info on these files, what the .nt files should contain and how re-store those files from the original source... I refer you to this Microsoft Knowledgebase article.

Happy Gaming.

[Top Gun]

Thanks for the link. That article should help solve their problems.

[KompresZor]

Hey TG here is mine in case they need to recreate it.
I would think this has something to do with D2 not being able to write to it or the lack of SB support from not having it.

Code: Select all

@echo off

REM AUTOEXEC.BAT is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment.
REM AUTOEXEC.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a
REM different startup file is specified in an application's PIF.

REM Install CD ROM extensions
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

REM The following line enables Sound Blaster 2.0 support on NTVDM.
REM The command for setting the BLASTER environment is as follows:
REM    SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330
REM    where:
REM        A    specifies the sound blaster's base I/O port
REM        I    specifies the interrupt request line
REM        D    specifies the 8-bit DMA channel
REM        P    specifies the MPU-401 base I/O port
REM        T    specifies the type of sound blaster card
REM                 1 - Sound Blaster 1.5
REM                 2 - Sound Blaster Pro I
REM                 3 - Sound Blaster 2.0
REM                 4 - Sound Blaster Pro II
REM                 6 - SOund Blaster 16/AWE 32/32/64
REM
REM    The default value is A220 I5 D1 T3 and P330.  If any of the switches is
REM    left unspecified, the default value will be used. (NOTE, since all the
REM    ports are virtualized, the information provided here does not have to
REM    match the real hardware setting.)  NTVDM supports Sound Blaster 2.0 only.
REM    The T switch must be set to 3, if specified.
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

REM To disable the sound blaster 2.0 support on NTVDM, specify an invalid
REM SB base I/O port address.  For example:
REM    SET BLASTER=A0

[MD-2389]

Erm....why don't they just install the DOS version and use D2x? Thats FAR more stable than the w32 build.

[BUBBALOU]

MD Get a Grip

D2x sucks...full USB Joystick support is lacking, minimal at best no support nor updates and multiple versions hacked running around ( have 3 usb controllers linked as one dont even attempt to understand it )

D2x-w32 is Rock solid and a no brainer to install and run with multiple USB joystick support

As long as you follow some simple steps (this has nothing to do with d2x-w32 itself) on your install of d2

Autolaunch should crash so dont even attempt it..

--------------------------------------
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Installation on XP
--------------------------------------
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Make sure the CD is in the Master Optical Drive that is configured in your Bios as Boot CDRom, if it was enabled( does not matter if it on or off as long as it is that drive) otherwise you will get the CD required error when you install or if you have cd 2 for vertigo in NTVDM mode (cmd.com)

D2 CD : right click setup for D2 windows, select properties, Run in 98 Compatiblity Mode now run setup from CD

(In case you folks didnt know this is the correct way of setting up a game in XP that was not coded specifically for Windows NT systems
{Games like d1/d2 are DOS/DOS-Win95} now d3 is NT comptible so install for that game is just autolaunch)

D2 CD 2 (if you have it) run/cmd install ver 1.2 (vertigo)

In the D2 folder, right click on all your exe's make sure after 1.2 install they are all still in win98 Compat Mode.
(all your exe's should match the same Compat mode in your d2 folder to be successful with any additional programs like KALI)

I have mine set Win2k(for kali) Compat mode

Run D2x-w32 ( http://www.brockart.de/descent/d2x.html )

Setting compatiblity mode is usually what creates the autoexec.nt file and so does the installation of kali or addition of IPX/SPX (NWLINK) protocols

Code: Select all

lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\nw16
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\vwipxspx
if NOT "" == "%Kali%" LH %Kali%KALINT.EXE %Kali%DLL\KALIVDD.DLL

[fliptw]

easier way:

nab any either winrar or 7zip, and sick that on the d2data/descent2.sow file.

[MD-2389]

MD Get a Grip

D2x sucks...full USB Joystick support is lacking, minimal at best no support nor updates and multiple versions hacked running around ( have 3 usb controllers linked as one dont even attempt to understand it )

D2x-w32 is Rock solid and a no brainer to install and run with multiple USB joystick support

Thats all fine and good, but I wasn't talking about D2x-w32. I was referring to the Win95 version. If I had meant D2x-w32 I would have specified d2x-w32.

As for D2x, I've had no trouble with it at all. Guess your milage does vary.

[BUBBALOU]

you know I lurb you!