Freak Show - Issues with QuickTime 1.1.1

[archdukegordy]

Hi guys,

So I spent the entire day learning how to work DOSBox and I've ALMOST got the game working (it's called Freak Show) but I've run into a problem.

This is a game that's being run on Windows 3.1. I have the game saved as an .iso file and I have it imgmounted to the E: drive. A folder with all the Windows 3.1 files is mounted as the C: drive.

Basically, I have the game "installed" on DOSBox, and the setup.exe file for the game itself also installs QuickTime 1.1.1 for Windows. Now, the problem here is that, when running setup for the game, it says I already have QuickTime installed. However, when I click the icon to play the installed game, it tells me that I still need QuickTime, and that I should refer to the game's Read Me for instructions. Looking at the Read Me, there aren't really instructions for installation, but it talks about a file called QTW.INI that you can edit for compatibility's sake.

This is what QTW.INI says.

; The following lines are used to tell QuickTime for Windows
; how to address your computer's video card.
; In some cases, the line Optimize=driver may be changed
; to read Optimize=hardware. This may provide faster operation
; of QuickTime for Windows' MOV files.
; If, however, the program appears to "lock up" or otherwise
; stop running, you should change the line back to read
; Optimize=driver again.
; To uncomment a line, remove the semicolon (;) in front of it.

[Video]
Optimize=hardware

[Override]
DREF=no

And this is what I copypasted from the Read Me.


MODIFYING QTW.INI FOR COMPATIBILITY
NOTE: Modification of the QTW.INI file should be done at your own risk.
Typically one does not need to make any modifications to this file. For some
compatibility issues, modifying the file will make video or audio cards work
properly, but with reduced performance. Be sure to make a backup of the QTW.INI
file before modifying it.

The most common modification to the QTW.INI is to change the [Video] setting to
Optimize = Driver. This may resolve severe compatibility problems with a
specific video card but will also reduce the performance of Movie playback.

Once, again modify at your own risk.

[Video] (in order of priority)
Optimize = Hardware (default)
Driver
BMP
RAW
DIB

[Video Optimize]
This is not used

[Override] // group
DREF = no or yes {NO forces QTW to use the file as self referencing, useful for
QT 1.0 files}

[Data Handler]
CDROM Xfer Rate* = [integer] ranges from 100 to 600, where number is in K,
default is 328.
CDROM Seek TIme* [integer from 0 to X] where x is 100 to 350 in ms for average
seek, default is 200.
CDROM Block Size = [integer, expressed in K] default is 8, range is 1 to 64.

Max Open Files =[integer] default is 64.
Max Consumers = [integer] usually same as Max Open Files. You can have multiple
consumers per file.
Max Cache Size = [integer] expressed in K, default is 128, ranges from 64 to
512.

Disk Xfer Rate = [integer] same as CDROM Xfer Rate, default is 300.
Disk Seek TIme [integer] expressed in millisecon s per average seek, defgault
is 35.
Disk Block Size = [integer, expressed in K] default is 16, range is 1 to 64.

Network Xfer Rate = [integer] same as CDROM Xfer Rate, defalut is 250
Network Seek TIme [integer] expressed in millisecon s per average seek, default
is 40.
Network Block Size = [integer, expressed in K] default is 16, range is 1 to 64.

Floppy Xfer Rate = [integer] same as CDROM Xfer Rate, default is 18.
Floppy Seek TIme [integer] expressed in millisecon s per average seek, default
is 100.
Floppy Block Size = [integer, expressed in K] default is 2, range is 1 to 64.

[Sound]
Requested Rate = [integer] ranging from 5000 to 44000 (has to be exact rate for
MPC cards)
Actual Rate = same possible rates as requested

* Set dynamically by QuickTime for Windows, based on what it senses as the
CD-ROM speed.
few lines of
background, then a few lines of movie, and so on. The reports also state that
the image is also shifted

So I'm assuming something has to be done with this file. I've messed around with the file a bit but to no avail. I've tried changing Optimizing=hardware to driver, as well as adding all the extra information and putting the recommended default values in the integer fields.

Anyway, if you have any experience with QuickTime in situations like these, I would greatly appreciate the help!

[Smiling Spectre]

I have no experience of tuning QT, but I would suggest to uninstall QT (or delete QT files from Windows dir) then reinstall it again from your image.

[archdukegordy]

Hello! Thanks so much for the quick reply.

So, I somehow got the game to work. I think it had to do with the way I organized my files. I had a fully set up DOSBox game that I had downloaded some time ago that included the game, Windows 3.1 and a configuration file to make the setup easier for beginners like me. As I was organizing folders to mount the C drive for Freak Show, I duplicated Windows 3.1, put that in a folder, and then put my other game folder (which still included Windows 3.1) beside it. So maybe it had something to do with the duplicate Windows?

What I ended up doing was taking the files that the image created during installation, and put that in the folder with my older game. I deleted the duplicate Windows 3.1 as well, mounting the original folder for my other game as C drive. I also mounted the image to the E drive just for safe measures.

I'm still not exactly sure what was causing the problem, but it works now, so I guess that's something. :max: Anyway, thanks for your suggestion!

[Smiling Spectre]

During installation old quick time simply scanning _all_ windows dirs in seek of it's files. So yes, 2 windowses with different sets totally could result in confusion. :)