Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support => Topic started by: Amarus on June 03, 2011, 08:46:06 am

Title: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Amarus on June 03, 2011, 08:46:06 am
First off before I start the "please help me I am a serious noob" thread, let me say that I have original boxed versions of both FS1 and FS2 and the silent threat expansion for FS1. I had been wondering for years whether or not Freespace 3 would ever come out and my Dad back in '04 said it would not be because the producing company went under. I was heart broken, so you can imagine my excitement to know that there is a community that keeps this game alive! It truly is one of the best ever made. I appreciate all the work you do here, and thank you for putting up with new people like me.


With all that said my mod experience is limited to the Mechwarrior Living Legends mod for crysis so please do not assume that I know what I am doing because I most likely do not.

I have one issue, after reinstalling retail FS2, and running the 3.6.12 installer and installing "the works" two times I get the same response.

"The program can't start because OpenAL32.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem."

Now I have indeed reinstalled the program, but to no effect. Is there something I have done wrong or am I just not doing something right? I looked for a place to download just the .dll file but could not find one. Any help you all can offer would be most appreciated.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Herra Tohtori on June 03, 2011, 08:50:10 am
OpenAL is audio library that FS2_Open (and other games using OpenAL) needs to interface with your sound card and produce sound.

You need to basically get the small installer from Creative's site (http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/default.aspx) and run it [EDIT: Or, like Matth and Zacam posted, find it in the FS2 directory after running launcher; it should be the same installer regardless of source]. After that, OpenAL will work for all applications using it (much like your video card drivers provide OpenGL for 3D applications).


Also, welcome to Hard Light Productions!  :)


If you have any other questions, please be sure to read this thread first (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=56279.0) - it has a comprehensive list of most common problems with FS2_Open.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: MatthTheGeek on June 03, 2011, 08:53:25 am
If you have installed the game through the installer, you should have an OpenAL installer in your game dir. Execute it.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Zacam on June 03, 2011, 08:53:35 am

"The Program" not being FSO or anything, but OpenAL itself.

The Installer should have placed a copy of the OpenAL installer in your FreeSpace directory. Try running it.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Amarus on June 03, 2011, 09:10:57 am
Thank you for the kind words, support and quick responses!

I will get on it asap.


[EDIT:] I believe that did the trick, when I used the launcher it booted up the 3.6.12r.exe file no problem and launched me into FS2, now I am figuring out how to load the mods. Thank you all for your help. Now to check the wiki to see story line wise which I should play first :D
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: The E on June 03, 2011, 09:49:38 am
Loading mods is easy, you just have to open the Launcher, go to the aptly named "Mod" tab, select the mod you want to play, and off you go. Just remember to select that mods' campaign in the campaign room.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Luis Dias on June 03, 2011, 10:44:25 am
There are a lot of fan made campaigns that are pretty good out there. Someone should make a poll of the "best" campaigns so we can direct newcomers to that page and make them aware of the best ones judged by the community...

AFAIAC, my personal favs are the two Blue Planet campaigns, Derelict, Vassago Dirge, and why not good ol' Inferno.... start with those and there's plenty more:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70582.0
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: mjn.mixael on June 03, 2011, 10:55:01 am
There are a lot of fan made campaigns that are pretty good out there. Someone should make a poll of the "best" campaigns so we can direct newcomers to that page and make them aware of the best ones judged by the community...

AFAIAC, my personal favs are the two Blue Planet campaigns, Derelict, Vassago Dirge, and why not good ol' Inferno.... start with those and there's plenty more:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70582.0

We've had this discussion many, many times... Not gonna happen. Just suggest your favorites and include links.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Luis Dias on June 03, 2011, 11:00:18 am
That's what I did ;).
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Amarus on June 04, 2011, 09:56:44 pm
Gentlemen, thank you very much for your kind support and opinions. After I posted that Edit I launched myself into the first Blue Planet Campaign...masterfully done I must say! I was completely taken aback at the ending, but things like that are to be expected in the crazy universe of freespace. I look forward to the voices being done for the second blue planet, so I have put that on hold for now. I am now currently playing derelict, another fun campaign. I wish I had found this sooner, 12 years of regret for what could have been was obliterated like the Capellan Sun, in a matter of moments.

Cheers to all of you, see you in space.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Luis Dias on June 06, 2011, 09:44:08 am
You'll be blown away by BP:WiH.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Amarus on June 06, 2011, 10:07:28 am
I played the first mission and shelved it until it gets voiced...man I would love to voice some of these campaigns :P

But the idea that the GTVA is the bad guy is gut wrenching to me :(

But the campaign looks amazing!
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: General Battuta on June 06, 2011, 10:11:20 am
I played the first mission and shelved it until it gets voiced...man I would love to voice some of these campaigns :P

But the idea that the GTVA is the bad guy is gut wrenching to me :(

But the campaign looks amazing!

It could be anywhere from months to years before it's done. You might just want to go ahead with it.

And there are no bad guys.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: Amarus on June 06, 2011, 10:29:13 am
I get that, kinda like the battletech universe...infinite shades of grey.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: magallaher86 on June 01, 2016, 02:41:42 am
Hey, check out this library Bad link removed. There are lot of dll files to download. Also you can find there how to install them.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: The E on June 01, 2016, 03:40:02 am
Even if that were a good link to follow (it's not, sites that just distribute dlls like that are not to be trusted under any circumstance), the fact that you're replying to a topic that is 5 years old makes me suspicious. Please prove that you are not a bot.
Title: Re: Missing OpenAL32.dll, and a couple questions
Post by: jr2 on June 01, 2016, 05:20:25 am
Oh this should be good. 

/me grabs popcorn


(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oqwzgw-9rSc/hqdefault.jpg)