Win 7 and XP (64 bit) civ 2 MGE and TOT issues (Fix inside!!)

So here's my deal.
I'm using Windows 7 64bit (Ultimate)
I have Civ II ToT 1.1
I'm installing the game without any problem.

Without the 64bit-patch the game freezes when founding a city and when i try to save/load and also sometimes when i reach the part when I write my leader name.

WITH the 64bit-patch I have no problem starting a game, no problem founding cities but when it comes to load/save i get problems.
If I install to the default directory (C:\Program Files\Microprose\Test of Time) I can't save/load AT ALL, doesn't matter if I'm in a game or in the menu.

If I install to another directory I can save/load, BUT I get a graphics bug after I load the game (see picture). If I save the game in another directory than the install-directory it will result in a crash when trying to load it.

:confused: Help?
 

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Do you have the write permission on the Program Files folder? In Windows 7, Standard users are denied the Write permission on the Program Files folder for security reasons. Check that. Also, try running ToT as an administrator. When installing old games that save their files to the application's folder instead of the user profile, consider creating a special games folder, eg, C:\Games, and installing them there, as a matter of course.

The reason you're getting all these weird effects is because you're not saving your games in the correct subdirectory. It looks like you're saving them in the main Test of Time folder - which happens to contain a load of obsolete legacy files. Civ2 is reading these files when you reload a game. If the program can't locate critical game files, it will crash. You need to be saving your games in the folder applicable to your game type, eg, Original saves in the Original folder, Midgard saves in the Midgard folder, etc.
 
Hi, everyone.

I've run into something with Civ 2 MGE, and I thought I would make sure that this patch would resolve it before I applied it. Now, for the details:

I am currently running Civ 2 MGE on 2 Vista Home Premium 64-bit systems:

System1
-------
HP Pavillion DV7 laptop
4Gb RAM
AMD Dual-Core CPU

System2
-------
Dell Studio desktop
8Gb RAM
Intel Quad-core CPU

When I run Civ 2 on the HP, everything works fine. I haven't even applied any patches to it, and it just works (just lucky, I guess?).

But on the Dell, I found this interesting behavior - I start the game, and hit 'b' to tell my settler to build a city, and the game just crashes. BUT, if I go to the Commands menu, and choose Build City, it works... My problem is that I've been just hitting 'b' for so long, that I forget, and end up crashing the game by accident... Is this something that MasterMindX's patch will address?

I have seen other posters talking about the game crashing when a city is built, but they did not specify if they were using teh Commands Menu, or the 'b' keyboard shortcut. So I thought I would verify if this is typical flakey behavior due to running on a 64-bit OS or not.

Many thanks in advance

VG
 
i can't download the patch, the link is broken :/ anyone can rehost it elsewhere?

thanks
 
I have seen other posters talking about the game crashing when a city is built, but they did not specify if they were using teh Commands Menu, or the 'b' keyboard shortcut.
I think most players use the keyboard shortcut. Yes, the patch fixes this.

i can't download the patch, the link is broken :/ anyone can rehost it elsewhere?
Uploaded it to the Downloads section. If MastermindX returns and objects, I'll pull the file. Download here.
 
My host has been down over the weekend. It is back online now. Original link should work as a charm. ^_^
 
First of all, many thanks for the patch! I do agree it deserves a sticky.

That said, I still have questions. :)

I have classic Civ2 (disk version 1.08 or 1.09) as well as the MGE and ToT versions from the Chronicles edition. The new computer has a Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit operating system. Needless to say, classic Civ2 fails to install (or run when simply copied over from the old XP laptop that I can still access in secure mode).

I was able to install the Chronicles versions except for the Indeo Video drivers. The install program says that it will now install them, but fails to proceed. That left me with the "no video" problem that other posters had reported, until it was solved unexpectedly by installing Age of Empires which seems to use the same type of videos. (I'm mentioning this because someone else here might still have an AoE disk, but regards it as a youthful mistake now and would never dream of installing it again ... it has its uses.) As far as I can tell, I am only left with the build-city-crash and the inability to run classic civ2 (my preferred version).

... which brings me to my questions:

(1) Does the patch help with the Chronicles version? Mastermind said it's already based on the exes included in Chronicles, so my problem might be a different one than the one addressed by the patch. (Again, I can run the game, so I don't seem to have the general 64bit compatibility problem that is fixed by the patch.)

(2) What is currently the best advice about classic Civ2?

There is talk about Virtual PC and XP Mode, but from the comments I have read, this route is open only to those who have Windows 7 Professional and the performance is not satisfactory. I have been pondering to use DOSBox (which I have to use anyway for Civilization 1, Railroad Tycoon and Colonization) to install Windows 3.1 and install and run Civ2 from there. I have no clue how to do this exactly and getting the 3.1 files from there original floppies copied to a computer that no longer has a floppy drive seems like the least of the problems involved.

Any help in this respect will be much appreciated. With Civ2 MGE as a safety net it seems like a minor concern, but the semblance of diplomacy and the nicer civilopedia that comes with classic Civ2 are something I would hate to let go off.
 
I am not sure if this will help, but here goes.

Do you have a computer that will let you transfer the whole directory of an installed game onto a jump USB drive? I have TOT and it will run fine from a jump drive, even though the game is not installed. I still have to have the CD in the drive. DOSBox may not recognize the USB drive, but XP Mode may.
 
Thank you for responding.

The transfer is possible. In fact, it's what I had to do with Imperialism. That game, but not its setup program is compatible with the 64bit question. In that case the USB drive was just for transport before copying on the hard drive of the new machine.

I had no need to try that with MGE and ToT because (apart from the build crash) they work fine from the hard drive, but I did try it with classic Civ2, so that game currently sits on a USB drive. I cannot run it from the new machine because of the 64-bit incompatibility.

As you point out, I seem to need some virtualisation to make it work. I was hoping that someone already went down that road on a Windows 7 Home machine and knows whether it works and how to do it best.
 
As expected, the build crash is fixed by MasterMind's patch for the Chronicles versions of MGE and ToT. Thanks again.

I managed to install Civ2 2.42 under Windows 3.1 within DOSBox. It works fine.
 
OK so after I found MasterMindX's patch extremely successful I found myself building Collossus and the PiP video screen popped up....black... i was completely frustrated but continued to play. Well the short version is that u have to download this http://www.free-codecs.com/indeo_codec_download.htm or an equivalent to watch them. OH this gives u the "Microprose" intro video as well!
 
I have the original made in 2000 Civ II. I am technology junky and have upgraded to Windows 7. Every version of windows since this game has come out I have not had a problem playing, until now. :cry: I love this game and have been jonesing to play it especially now that laptops have a ten keypad allowing me to play the game.

Here's the problem. Insert Cd into drive and select autorun.exe about 2 seconds later I get:
The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need an x86 (32bit) or x64 (64bit) version of the program, and then contact the publisher of the software.

Please help what do I do? I am a junky but not a techie!
 
I have the original made in 2000 Civ II. I am technology junky and have upgraded to Windows 7. Every version of windows since this game has come out I have not had a problem playing, until now. :cry: I love this game and have been jonesing to play it especially now that laptops have a ten keypad allowing me to play the game.

Here's the problem. Insert Cd into drive and select autorun.exe about 2 seconds later I get:
The version of this file is not compatible with the version of windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need an x86 (32bit) or x64 (64bit) version of the program, and then contact the publisher of the software.

Please help what do I do? I am a junky but not a techie!

You must have the 64 bit version of Windows 7. Civ 2.42 can not be installed because it is based on 16 bit DOS which can not run in a 64 bit environment. If you change to 32 bit Windows 7, it will work. The only issue I have found is that the music will not transition after one piece. I resolved the issue by using old parts to build a 32 bit XP pc as a backup and civ playing machine. Civ2 MGE will work with a patch on 64 bit W7, but I find the AI to be so hostile that it is no fun.
 
Hello MastermindX,
I have a Windows Vista 64 bit laptop, and I tried using your patch, but it says, "Error: File Civ2 ExeName does not exists" And it also says, "Error: Operation aborted".

Well, how can the file exist when that is what the patch is for? I am not able to download the game to my laptop so of course the file does not exist. How do I get pass this? Thank you.
 
That is not what the patch is for. Which version of Civ2 do you have? Note the thread title.

I'm not sure about the version because it doesn't say, so I'm guessing it's the original. It just says, "Civilization II The Ultimate Version of the Best-Selling Strategy Game." And it is by Microprose.

This is the cover except Sid Meier's name is not listed on it:


So is there a way I can get this to run on my Windows Vista 64 bit?
 
That is classic (or vanilla) Civ2, not MGE (Multi-player Gold Edition) or ToT (Test of Time). It is 16-bit software and will not install on 64-bit versions of Windows. This must have been mentioned at least half a dozen times in this thread alone. However, there are other ways and means:
Catfish said:
Currently, the only way around this problem seems to be virtualisation software (eg, Windows Virtual PC/Windows XP Mode, VMware and VirtualBox) or dual-booting with a 32-bit version of Windows. All except for Windows XP Mode (available for Windows 7 Professional or higher) will require a spare 32-bit Windows licence.
 
well... I'm not sure it deserve a sticky, after all, not much people with WinXP64 out there. Plus, how many of them are still playing a 10 y.o. + game? And with Vista just around the corner... we're a dying breed.

Of course, if the same patch is required in Vista, it's another story! ^_^

Though I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. It was my first (successful) software patch/hack. Not that I've tryed many...


Have fun!

Mastermind
TheMaster_mind@hotmail.com

Well I'm using XP 64 pro and am brand new to the CIV games and decided to try CIV II
so I for one am grateful for what you've done and I hope the fixes are still available and work

TIA
 
Civ-2 2.42 will not work because it is a 16 bit program that can't run on a 64 bit system. Bummer, it is my favorite. I hate the hostile ai on mge.

You need civ2-MGE. Apply the latest patch to MGE, then run the mastermind patch and you should be good.

thanks....arrrgh
now I find this.....couldn't even get CIV II to install on my XP 64 pro system
did just install on a nice zippy XP system I have at my wife's desk
which means I can check the game out basically
but won't be playing it there....
her desk and chair sucks

looks like I blew it getting this instead of MGE
I read about the PIA AI on MGE and read recommendations to instead buy CIV II
*bonk*

oh well........on the bright side
I'm only out $15
I might still go ahead and get CIV II MGE
but more likely will move on to CIV IV

thanks
 
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