Can't Play Grand Prix Manager 2

[Guest]

windows XP/7, both x64.

Tried putting wing32.dll into system and system32.

In system, I get the message that it has been incorrectly installed into system, moving it to system32 might correct the error. So I move it, and get the message that it can't find wing32.dll (which is now in system32, where it told me to put it). This is both in XP and 7.

I'm trying to start with GPM2, should I look for another exe file/ I haven't seen one thus far, but if there is supposed to be, ill try almost anything ^_^

Thoughts?

[The Fifth Horseman]

Use XP. Windows 7 most likely won't run this at all.
Get and install the WinG runtime libraries from the bottom of this page (http://www.abandonia.com/en/programs). This should sort the problem out in a pinch.

Else, you could try running Windows 3.1 in DOSBox and starting the game from there. I've put together a pre-made Windows 3 package here (http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showpost.php?p=409548&postcount=2).

[Elvish Magi]

I got this running under Windows 7, though I'm not sure if this method is for 64bit versions only or not.

Anyway...

Place a copy of wing32.dll in windows/sysWOW64 folder
Set compatibility options to "Windows 95", "256 Colours" and "640 * 480 resolution"

It runs fine on my system, but on a friends it crashes when you try to run a race so I presume there are issues with some hardware configurations.

[The Fifth Horseman]

It was meant for a 16-bit Windows system. You're impossibly lucky it started up in the first place.

[Eagle of Fire]

The only way you can have 16 bit programs working in 64 bits Vista or Windows 7 is by having special compatibility options installed. There is no other way.

The fact that he copy a .dll might very well be one of those compatibility options. I however doubt that it is so easy and there must be a lot more needed which is still not installed to run 16 bit programs.

From what I heard, those options are on the install disk(s). If you however only got a license then you of course don't have that option.

[dosraider]

.... and the safiest way is to try them in XPmode (not really game friendly) or better VPC2007/W98SE/W9x- dosbox/W3.x

I'm still amazed that some peeps absolutely want to install old and completely obsolete DLLs in their OS system folders.
Certainly when those who lived the W9x times know that the games/added sysfiles were troublesome, even on real W9x hardware.
And I even don't wanna point to hardware incompatibilities.

TSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ssssssss .......

[alvorsam]

Place a copy of wing32.dll in windows/sysWOW64 folder

I'm necroposting this just to tell that it works for me as well.
In case anyone else searches on google and find this post (like I did) ;)

Sam

[guest]

.... and the safiest way is to try them in XPmode (not really game friendly) or better VPC2007/W98SE/W9x- dosbox/W3.x

I'm still amazed that some peeps absolutely want to install old and completely obsolete DLLs in their OS system folders.
Certainly when those who lived the W9x times know that the games/added sysfiles were troublesome, even on real W9x hardware.
And I even don't wanna point to hardware incompatibilities.

TSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ssssssss .......


So are you saying that placing the DLL's both from the game download and WinGv1.0 into the OS system folders may potentially cause issues with a system?

I really want to try this game but I have Win7 64-bit

[The Fifth Horseman]

So are you saying that placing the DLL's both from the game download and WinGv1.0 into the OS system folders may potentially cause issues with a system?Should not unless you overwrite something.
I really want to try this game but I have Win7 64-bitDOSBox + Windows 3: http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?p=433350

[Eagle of Fire]

So are you saying that placing the DLL's both from the game download and WinGv1.0 into the OS system folders may potentially cause issues with a system?

I don't think there is any harm either as long as you copy a fresh file and that you don't overwrite one which is already there.

Re-reading the thread, my understanding of what is happening is that the game is forwarding the OS to a specific file which doesn't exist with the default installation. Providing the required file seem to work.

I don't see why someone should be afraid of adding new files in a driver folder as long as, like I just said, you don't mess with the files already there which are actually needed for the normal operation of the OS.

[Guest]

Thanks for your responses. I did try putting the DLL's in the system32 folder, apart from trying the sysWOW64 folder. I only read about that here after trying the system32 fix in the main games thread, and the previous quoted message put doubts in my mind whether I should be. I will try that first and if not have a go with the DOSBox solution. I have no experience with it though, so I will have to do a lot of reading up on it first.

[Japo]

In 64-bit editions of Windows, 32-bit programs see the \windows\syswow64\ folder as if it were the \windows\system32\ folder--which only 64-bit programs see as such. If you read instructions on how to run a 32-bit program on 32-bit Windows, in order to try it on 64-bit Windows, just replace "\system32\" with "\syswow64\". Likewise, regarding the registry, replace "HKLM\Software\" or "HKCU\Software\" with "...\Software\WOW6432Node\".

The \windows\system\ folder has no significance, since Windows 9x I think. "System32" does not mean 32-bit (any longer)--actually on 64-bit Windows it means the opposite--and what people find more confusing is that the 32-bit files are in \windows\syswow64\. The "system32" was conserved as the main native system folder for compatibility (read the article linked below if you're curious), but even so the naming is not very fortunate: maybe they should have called the other folder "system32really" instead of "syswow64". By the way "WOW64" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WoW64) means "Windows [32-bit] on Windows 64-bit".

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff955767.aspx

This game has to be 32-bit, even if it's for Windows 3.1, otherwise it would never run on x64, no matter how many files you copied. According to MobyGames (http://www.mobygames.com/game/grand-prix-manager-2) it was released for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 (which for some reason is called simply "Windows" in MobyGames). There was a 32-bit extension for Windows 3.1 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Win32s).

[Eagle of Fire]

Great piece of info Japo. Did you dig this after I mentioned it on the other thread?

[Japo]

Which thread? :) I knew the gist of it and I found that article in Google while looking for info on the old \windows\system\ folder, which I wasn't sure about.

[Eagle of Fire]

In the TTD game thread I theorized that our registry file was not updating the right registry file for Windows 7 users, leading the game to remain "uninstalled" inside the OS.

I actually thought that the auto-updater was simply targeting the wrong directory but with your explanation it all become very clear. The auto-updater still target system32 as it should but should be targeting syswow64 instead since TTD is a 32 bits program.

[Guest]

Whoa Japo, thats very confusing indeed. I have always assumed that the sysWOW64 folder was the location of the extra 64-bit files needed for the 64-bit OS, when in fact, like you say its the opposite. I've never needed to know before, just seen the 64 in the folder name and assumed that. My lesson for the day!

[Japo]

In the TTD game thread I theorized that our registry file was not updating the right registry file for Windows 7 users, leading the game to remain "uninstalled" inside the OS.
Didn't see that thread. The registry is another matter, but there's the same situation. In 64-bit Windows, 64-bit programs see the registry normally. But 32-bit programs see virtualized locations, e.g. "hkey_local_machine\software\wow6432node" instead of "hkey_local_machine\software\". "hkey_classes_root\wow6432node\" instead of "hkey_classes_root\", etc.

All this allows 64-bit and 32-bit programs to live alongside, even both versions of the same program.

I'll add all this to the Troubleshooting FAQ when I have a little time.

[Guest]

Putting the game DLL files into the sysWOW64 solder worked like a charm.

So glad I can play this again, I was terrible at it when I was younger, now I get to give it another go. Only querk I get is that whenever I go to do a test drive, whenever a driver crashes during testing, the game freezes. That's very minor though as I just save the game every time before a test run.

Thanks for all your help!

[rob110]

IM PRETTYY USELESS WITH DOWNLOADING FILES ETC IF ITS TO TECHNICAL BUT I NEED HELP HAHA

IVE JUST FOUND MY OLD GRAND PRIX MANAGER 2 CD AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN PLAY THIS ON A MACBOOK PRO?

ANY HELP WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED

[Smiling Spectre]

Game is Windows 32, so it definitely cannot be played natively, or thru DOSBox. But I have no idea if Win32 virtual machines exist on Mac, and are they able to play games, sorry.

(Also, I would suggest to use less CAPS FOR YOUR MESSAGES). Looks somewhat loud, you know? :)

[DaveTheMan]

I used Virtual PC to Install Windows 98 and I installed Grand Prix Manager 2 on that.

Works Fine