Virtual Corporation On Xp

[Moonypond]

It seems to me that hardly anyone or no-one knows this game but I'll try anyway. I can't get screenshots because whenever I do it just turns out mostly pitch black with specks of white. I heard it's got to do with colour depth? I'll try to explain it as clear as I can!

My problem is that the game displays the colours all wrong and some programs aren't compatible with XP.
The game runs fine but whenever an animation starts it goes like all weird colours like brown and red in specific spots: instead of looking like this (http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/1748/news3rm.png), The whole area except near the woman is brown and red pixels. Another, probably more clear situation would be the main interface whenever an animation starts. Instead of looking like this (http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8264/apply8wo.png) the side panels have green blobs/haze on them and the "BrainStorm" thing is completely pink. The background is all small pixels just like a mosaic with tiny round tiles. The whole panel actually looks like it has green mould all over it... The woman is unaffected because she is an AVI file. The orange bars near around the background and in the middle of the green arrows are bright red. It also appears on what they call the "Lisa Unit" and her animation sometimes have green rectangles near her face.

Another problem is in the place called "Vex Club". When I go in there I get messages like "The specified file can not run on the specified MCI device. It may be corrupt, missing." and "The MCI device you are using does not support the specified command." and no midi music plays when there should be.

Another problem is that the voice program that supports voice from the microphone has an error saying
"The procedure entry point SUnMapLS_IP_EBP_12 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll".

I've tried GameSpot, Google and IGN and they don't have anything. Compatibility modes don't do anything. It's a Win95 game made in 1996 (by Microforum/TopWare according to MobyGames) so DOSBox can't run it.
Microforum don't make software since 2002 so no info on them
Can anyone help? Does anyone know how I can get screenshots to make the post better? Btw, I got those pics on the CD.

[The Fifth Horseman]

Right-click on executable -> [PROPERTIES] -> [COMPATIBILITY].
From drop-box, select Windows 95 and check the "run in 256 colors" box in the lower part of the window.

[Scatty]

Checking "Run in screen resolution 640x480" might be useful, too.

[Moonypond]

Nope, none of those work... Tried both combinations on all the executables on the disc and on the hard drive and doesn't make a difference.

It wouldn't have to do with the CD could it? Mine's all scratched on the bottom... :unsure: but Nero ScanDisc says it's 100% good.

Edit: Would anyone know how to make the game run on the files on the HD if I copy everything on the CD? If it's run on my CD-ROM the lip-sync is out because of big .avi and it really bugs me!

[Scatty]

I think the problem you have is because this game was made for Windows 95 and as well for it's MIDI mapper as the outdated (by now) video codecs, but not optimized for the compatibility with the newer operating systems such as XP. Maybe it will help to install Windows 98 on a separate HD / partition of the HD, but I can't say for sure.

[The Fifth Horseman]

You can use Microsoft Virtual PC (free download from their site), install Windows 95 or 98 on a virtual machine and then run the game on it.

Bloody complex but should work.

Edit: Would anyone know how to make the game run on the files on the HD if I copy everything on the CD? If it's run on my CD-ROM the lip-sync is out because of big .avi and it really bugs me![/b]
Make an ISO image of the disc. Virtual PC has an internal CD emulator, BTW.

[Moonypond]

Hmmm.. Virtual PC looks good... Looks like a bigger version of DOSBox for win9x :bleh:

One question on Virtual PC: when downloading/installing does it check if your Windows OS is "genuine"? :whistling: Download.com & softpedia.com have older trial versions...

[Scatty]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Moonypond @ Jan 27 2007, 05:56 AM) 276645</div>
One question on Virtual PC: when downloading/installing does it check if your Windows OS is "genuine"? :whistling: Download.com & softpedia.com have older trial versions...
[/b]
Even if it does while installing, shouldn't do any harm unless you let it access the internet when the firewall asks for it (I assume you have firewall like everyone should). As for downloading, it wouldn't be possible during the download itself, but you can always see before it if there's something about your OS check mentioned, and cancel the thing.

[Moonypond]

Edit: Nvm, fixed. Virtual PC wasn't that complex... just follow on screen prompts and voila... Lets hope it runs ok... installing win98 now.

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Ok I've done everything and installed Virtual Corporation on it. <strike>When I ran it for the first time it ran absoultely fine but it was getting late so I shut down. Then when I ran it again today it had other graphical problems. The menu's animation when it lights up when you hover over an option doesn't work and the cursor is light blue/turquoise. When I click an option it doesn't display the instructions for the game until I press a button which exits the instructions. Then it seems I can't read anything that is displayed on the holographic green coloured screen at all which is used for emails which renders the game quite unplayable...</strike>. FIXED. Also the music is horrible with the emulated Sound Blaster Card. <strike>Only thing I can think of that I changed is the screen resolution and colour depth but I've changed it back to 256 colours and 640x480, installed DirectX 9.0c (instead of DX 5.0) and some other games that only work in Win98.</strike>

Is there any way to make the system/game use "Microsoft Synthesiser" in Dxdiag.exe? That's the only good sounding one out of the listed "music" devices.