Solution To The Code 28/lsans Font Error

[ElCampeador]

Thanks very much, that worked great! Now to try Test of Time on my new computer, yay!

 

[Roderick89]

Hey! could some one help me?

I have changed my laptop with Win Vista and the game ran very well, but i had to change my computer for another with Win 7 ultimate since my laptop got fried! I don't have any issue code when loading the game. The text is just unreadable. I've tried everything about LSANS.FOT, changing name, deleting, everything! I've installed/uninstalled thousands of times! Since the beggining of the installation the text is unreadable! I want to keep playing please help me!

 

[sakkeus]

When I rename the LSANS.FOT file the game starts just fine but the menu texts are all wrong like, Exit button goes to preferences, couple of buttons go to load menus and all the others give an error telling the game couldnt load art/advisors/science_industrial_new.pcx and crashes the game so its unplayable, tried reinstalling several times already.

 

[ThisIsHughYoung]

When I rename the LSANS.FOT file the game starts just fine but the menu texts are all wrong like, Exit button goes to preferences, couple of buttons go to load menus and all the others give an error telling the game couldnt load art/advisors/science_industrial_new.pcx and crashes the game so its unplayable, tried reinstalling several times already.

Hmm, this thread seems to solve a problem that actually appears to originate from the installer, no?

I installed C3C on win7/8 by right-clicking the install cd->explore, right-click the installer exe, in properties run the installer in compatibility mode and administrator. Try uninstalling, and then see if this works. I've never encountered this problem this way.

 

[Dumbledore69]

I do not have the file Lsans.fot in the conquests folder please help

 

[Pounder]

Played this game for over a decade, no problems. Yesterday closed Civ3 by doing an end task from the task manager and the next time I went to start up the game I got the dreaded error 28.

I found this thread and deleted the lsans.fot file that I found was only in the virtual store, but the lsans.fot file was recreated every time I started the game.

I was ready to reinstall the game.

I decided to delete the whole virtual store for Civ3 and that solved my problem.

The lsans.fot file is still there, but doesn't appear to be causing any problems, hmmm.....

Hopefully this will be helpful to those who don't get the problem solved by renaming or removing the lsans.fot file.

BTW, I'm running windows 8.1.

 

[a.r.kimberly]

I wish that this worked for me! Does anyone have a solution for Civilization III Gold? I have never been able to play it and it is driving me crazy

 

[Demo102]

Played this game for over a decade, no problems. Yesterday closed Civ3 by doing an end task from the task manager and the next time I went to start up the game I got the dreaded error 28.

I found this thread and deleted the lsans.fot file that I found was only in the virtual store, but the lsans.fot file was recreated every time I started the game.

I was ready to reinstall the game.

I decided to delete the whole virtual store for Civ3 and that solved my problem.

The lsans.fot file is still there, but doesn't appear to be causing any problems, hmmm.....

Hopefully this will be helpful to those who don't get the problem solved by renaming or removing the lsans.fot file.

BTW, I'm running windows 8.1.

Hello All,

I am running Civ III in Windows 10 on start up today it updated and since then I have been unable to load the game. Dreaded error 28. Looking at the posted solution: I have no lsans.fot file. The only similarly named file I can find is LSANS.TTF. It is in the Complete directory and the Conquests directory. Is this the file I should rename? If so which one or both?
Thanks for any help!

 

[Imperialists]

Run as Admin.

 

[Kurgan117]

SOLUTION TO THE CODE 28/LSANS FONT ERROR

Hi all, I've just solved the Code 28 error problem for playing Conquests:

1. Go to your Civ3 folder
2. Go to the Conquests folder
3. Rename LSANS.FOT to -LSANS.FOT (or anything you like)
4. Play the game!

Some information: The LSANS.FOT file tells Conquests to load the LucidaSans font (used by Civ3) from "C:\BreakAway\Civ3\Conquests\LSANS.TTF". If this file isn't in this path, then it won't find the file and an error will be generated. Delete/rename the file and it will just load LucidaSans without problems.

Stupid or what?

Hope this helps anyone who is still having this problem! Atari's "support" sucks!

PS - I've re-posted this in a new thread as people seem to be having difficulty finding it. Maybe someone could sticky it?

Hey, I know I don't have many posts but I do play the game a lot. I tried the above solution multiple times and the file comes back, along with the error code. . . Yet somehow simply restarting my computer multiple and repeatedly clicking the shortcut (exiting the game and starting the game again, at times restarting my computer a second time) managed to eliminate the error code. It's worked twice so far. I have no idea how but it did. Perhaps by obstinate persistence and Talk about desperate to play the game.

 

[MPK]

Thanks for the tip on renaming the file LSANS.FOT to anything else. Once I did this my freezing screen with the endless spinning blue wheel has stopped ( 'touch a whole rainforest') ........ the ploblem I was actually trying to solve was another file labelled LSANS.TTF. ........... I had 2 Civilization folders. One was the real Civilization 3 folder and the other also named Civilization 3 contained just a folder named Conquests. Inside this conquest folder i found a file named "LSANS.TTF". ..... I manage to delete this after a bit of research. If anyone else has this problem I have a fix. ..... i downloaded something called "Unblocker" ... worked on both win7 and win10. one laptop took me 3 attempts but it still fixed the problem.

 

[MPK]

Bumping .... I never did get rid of the LSANS.fot file. But after the unblocker deleted the LSANS.ttf file and folders i had no problem, even with the LSANS.fot file there. ...... But now i have this problem on 2 other computers. I bought 2 cheap 24 inch screen computers ( cheap ). An all in one 24 inch Dell ( win 7 ) to watch Movies and the Rugby on. I also bought another 24 inch Dell Tower ( win 10 ) to play these newer high graphic card required games. Of course i also added Civ 3 to it. It seem to run great on windows 10. Note: Civ 3 on 24 inch with super graphics is great, or was till the screen froze ....

I tried every Compatibility Combination possible. The more i tried the worse it got. Then I uninstalled and reinstalled. Things were good again for a while. played over 200 turns. Then i played a new game and soon after, it also froze again. I was thinking win 10 problem, or big screen resolution problem.

Next I played on my all in one win 7. same thing... after a good period of play it froze. This freezing of the screen happens at the exact place every time. I notice when i have a city expand or when a notice appeared the screen froze. I thought LSANS.fot.

Next i made a partition on the Win 10 and put Windows 7 inside. then i uninstalled Civ complete from C drive. Then i installed Civ 3 complete inside the partition also. Worked great for quite a while. Thought i had crack it. When I stopped playing, then started playing again the next day, again the same thing happened. Yes LSANS.fot was there. i can not rename it, can not delete it. it just returns.

I have read quite a lot on this forum about many problems. lol ... has there been a new break through to fix this problem?

I do not need a no cd patch as i play Complete

Where does the problem come from?
1; Is it a civilization game problem?
2; Is it a civ 3 complete problem?
3; Is it a civ 3 conquests problem?
4; I s it a win 7-8-10 problem?
5; Does this or did this ever happen with windows XP? ... if not i make partition for XP and play on there.

I read from @Pounder deleting the whole virtual store for Civ3 to solve the problem. What is the virtual store? ..... the more i read for searched the more confused I got.

 

[tjs282]

I read from @Pounder deleting the whole virtual store for Civ3 to solve the problem. What is the virtual store? ..... the more i read for searched the more confused I got.

VirtualStore is a design-feature of all versions of Windows since Vista (released in 2007), intended to protect the vital operating-system file directory (C:/ProgramFiles/) — and its contents — from being interfered with by viruses, etc. In a nutshell, VS is a non-vital location on your hard-drive*, where any files created/ modified by any programs not (user-)authorised to write to C:/ProgramFiles/**, are stored automatically, in a mirror-directory of the main installation-location.

To minimise problems with VS, games designed for WinVista and onwards are either written/patched such that they don't self-install in C:/ProgramFiles/ in the first place — or that if they do install in that location, that they also 'know' to look in the VS mirror-directory for savegames, altered files, mods, etc.

However, neither of those conditions apply to CivIII: the Vanilla-version was first released in 2001, when the most recent 'stabilised' release of Windows was WinME (XP came out the same year), and many users were still using Win98 (because ME was awful!). Like most games of that era, CivIII's default install-location is in C:/ProgramFiles/.

But since the game's code hasn't been updated since the last patch of Conquests came out (in early 2004), this means that if the game is installed/run on any computer running a VS-equipped Windows-version, any subsequent (user) changes to the game-files, made without 'Administrator' privileges, get shunted into VS instead, where they become 'invisible' to CivIII (because its executable files don't 'know' that they should be looking at the VS location).

There are several ways round the VS-problem for CivIII, but assuming that this is indeed the root-cause of your font-problem (i.e. that you've installed the game in C:/ProgramFiles/) the simplest/safest method for non-techheads is probably just to use the Windows Control Panel ('Programs and Files' menu, I think) to find and uninstall CivIII from its current location, then re-install it elsewhere on your hard-drive instead.

Spoiler :

When you (re)run the CivIII-installer, just change the intended installation-path from "C:/ProgramFiles/[DefaultCivIIIFolderName(s)]/", to a custom-location (e.g. "C:/Games/[DefaultCivIIIFolderName(s)]/"). If that location doesn't already exist, the installer will create it for you; any installer-created shortcuts will point to the new location as well.

Having done this, you should then be free to fiddle about with any/all of your CivIII files (including the LSANS.fot file!) as much as you like, using any (non-Admin) software you like, without incurring any VS-problems at all, ever again.

This is (IMHO!) preferable to messing around with Admin properties for (potentially) multiple software-files, or partitioning your hard-drive for WinXP, just so you can install CivIII in it (which would work, BTW — but takes up extra space, and since WinXP is no longer supported/ secure, you'd also need to be damn sure you could prevent your comp from connecting itself to any other machine/ network).

*You can find your VS directory by using Windows Explorer to search your C-drive for "VirtualStore", with the option "Show hidden files" checked: IIRC, it's something like "C:/.../Local/Users/[YourUserName]/appdata/virtualstore/..."
**I was slightly surprised to discover that this list of 'unauthorised' software apparently also includes Windows' own standard onboard text-editors (Notepad and Write) — so anyone who's installed CivIII in the default location and then tries to edit their conquests.ini file using Notepad, without first giving it Admin-privileges, will be thwarted by virtual-storage as well!

 

[MPK]

@tjs282 ..thanks for the reply. I still no wiser on this virtualstore. ..... My Civ 3 path is C:\Civilization 3 Complete ... it is very direct.

I do not think this is this LSANS.fot file. I remove it before i even select Civ Content. I leave the conquests folder open when i play to check. I am still getting screen freezers. Maybe something hidden somewhere. I found an interesting tool from Puppeteer, File Explorer.

... I found this in, 'Start> All Programs> Games> Steam: Civillaztion III Complete' ... even the bad spelling. I never bought Civ 3 from steam ever. ( until 10 minutes ago )

The Partition i have on my Dell windows 10 houses an HP windows 7 installation. So never can be connected to internet. Only Dell Drivers installed.

I might give the XP in a partition a go. Same way. Put an HP version if i can find one onto the Dell. I am not worried about taking up room. Still over 1 TB left on the Hard Drive. ....

Civ 3 is still my favourite game. .... I just bought a steam version for $8 ... about $4 US ... as a back up. Seems GOG has this .fot and error 13 problem as well.

 

[MPK]

Question: Does the Stand Alone Civilization Conquests Game have this problem?

I keep hearing Complete, Complete, Complete... even myself, I put Complete on all my devices. I have a stand alone Civilization 3 Conquest game in storage. I also have a Vanilla Civ 3.

From memory the Conquest Game also had PTW on it,

 

[tjs282]

Question: Does the Stand Alone Civilization Conquests Game have this problem?

AFAIK, there is no such thing as 'standalone Conquests', since 'Conquests' is an expansion-pack, i.e. in order to install/use it, then a player must have at least Vanilla Civ3 already installed.

Spoiler :

If they only have Vanilla, then installing Conquests from disc will usually also add the PTW-content -- as you (correctly) recall. But they might also still need to patch all their executables up to the latest version: e.g. I originally bought a CD-based version of Vanilla, but it only had the original v1.07 release (final patch = v1.29) -- and similarly, when I bought a Conquests-CD, I got v1.27 of PTW, but only v1.15 of Conquests (final patch = v1.22)

FWIW, I have a Win8.1 box and a WinXP laptop, both now currently running Civ3InComplete (see below!) downloaded from GamersGate*, and I have been fortunate enough never to have encountered any of the font-problems described in this thread.

The only (minor) issue I have ever seen, is that the text on the advisor screens is printed/bordered in magenta, which suggests some kind of transparency/offset problem to me. It is still readable though, so it's never bothered me sufficiently that I spent time looking for a solution.

*After I discovered that GamersGate had taken Civ3InComplete off their virtual shelf (temporarily, as it turned out), I also re-purchased the game as part of a GOG-deal. I test-installed the GOG-package, and it appears nearly identical to the GG-version (GOG also still assures potential buyers that their version is DRM-free, does not mention Steam as a requirement for installation). I am not sure what the Steam-version includes.

I keep hearing Complete, Complete, Complete... even myself, I put Complete on all my devices. I have a stand alone Civilization 3 Conquest game in storage. I also have a Vanilla Civ 3.

'Complete' is really just a marketing term: it (originally) meant a single-package installation of (at least in theory) the final patches of the executables for all 3 versions of the game (Vanilla 1.29, PTW 1.27, Conquests v1.22), the associated ruleset-files, the Firaxis Conquests-scenarios and various extra content (e.g. the Japanese and Dinosaur units, plus various user-made maps and mods).

In practice, though, this is (now) likely only true of 'Complete' versions which were/are sold on CD. AFAIK, most/all of the current downloadable versions of 'Civ3InComplete' include all the required Vanilla, PTW and Conquests assets (art, music, text-files, etc.), but omit the executables for the Vanilla and PTW-versions*. So they are not quite as 'Complete' as they claim.

Spoiler *Related but not directly relevant here :

With the DL-versions, it is still possible to play a 'Vanilla-like' or 'PTW-like' game by running the conquests.exe and then going to 'Civ-Content' and loading (respectively) either the 'civmod.bic' (Vanilla) or 'civilization3X.bix' (PTW) ruleset. However, without first editing/resaving those ruleset-files as .biqs (using the Conquests Editor) doing so may/will result in some glitches on a procedurally generated random map: most importantly, the new Marsh terrain added in Conquests will be unimprovable (since the Vanilla/PTW terrain-settings won't include any Worker-jobs for that terrain-type).

 

[MPK]

..... my Complete version is a single Disc. It also has Civ 4 on the Disc. Be 10 years old maybe.

My conquest Game needs no Vanilla to play. I have a Vanilla Game, actually I have two. I bought one in 2001 and I never ever got the damn thing to work. For 3 years I had to continue with Civ 2 till Conquests came out. You could say i still have a brand new Vanilla game. I also have all the Civ 3 patches somewhere if needed. I do not think i need vanilla or PTW. I just use ccm 1.7 as a base for my maps. I make mods to suit my mood. Anything I need from PTW such as crossbowmen I can copy.

I went to GamersGate. Seems they in bed with Steam. So i did not get a copy. I bought the game from Gog as my gog game is from an old account on a very laptop. I am not sure how to copy or where i would put it

The new gog version froze as well. Froze before my 2nd city could be built. 2nd game got to 1695 BC ( 15 year turns ) .... bugger, was a good map and game. So I need to tell GOG their game is broke.

I found on line here in NZ vanilla with the 3 Disc. I think i will buy. See if it works.

With the DL-versions, it is still possible to play a 'Vanilla-like' or 'PTW-like' game by running the conquests.exe and then going to 'Civ-Content' and loading (respectively) either the 'civmod.bic' (Vanilla) or 'civilization3X.bix' (PTW) ruleset. However, without first editing/resaving those ruleset-files as .biqs (using the Conquests Editor) doing so may/will result in some glitches on a procedurally generated random map: most importantly, the new Marsh terrain added in Conquests will be unimprovable (since the Vanilla/PTW terrain-settings won't include any Worker-jobs for that terrain-type).

Maybe causing the glitches now. I use a ccm map, which is generated randomly. ... "hmmmm" ... so many people now have this freezing or crashing problem. I would to know where it came from.

 

[MPK]

Steam version would not open the editor. Froze the game. would not let me change Installation Path.... "deleted"
GOG froze the Game very quickly. Stop freezing after I changed the installation path to : C:\GOG\Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete ..... but the unit movements were not smooth. So uninstalled GOG version.
Got my Vanilla and Conquest CDs from storage. Seems I did need to put Vanilla first. Memory not so good these days. Took a few minutes to install ( straight onto Windows 7 ) and has been playing for 1 week without a single problem.

I guess if you have problems with Complete buy a Conquests CD.

I never had any problems with Complete till I got back from China 7 months ago. While in China I noticed my Complete Folder had mis-spelt the word Civilization. My Folder said 'Civilzation', missing an 'i' . I changed this on both laptops. Once I got back to NZ i got the LSANS problem. I did manage to fix that problem ( touch a whole tree ) . My Civ3 Complete is a single disc that comes with a copy of Civ4 as well. I checked my 2 older laptop in retirement and they both have Civilzation. All 4 from same Disc.

I just put in a new hard drive into one of my laptops. Downloaded this Complete again about 1 month ago. Not problems at all. It has the 2 LSANS files. I wonder if the spelling of the folder is an issue.

I just leave it as it is this time.

 

[abie321]

Sadly - the above workrounds do not fix the error - so Civ 3 is over then?