[lobisomem]

After 3 years not playing FSopen because of work problems, i decided to come back, knowing that there were  a huge improvement. Then i took my FS2 cd´s to install a fresh copy and download the installer, however my win 7 machine doesn´t do that. I doesn´t even open the autorun. I tried doing it manually, however it doesn´t work, and after trying to run it in a compatibility version,  windows says that the application is incompatible.
Anyone know how to install FS2 in win 7?
Kindly

[potterman28wxcv]

I would suggest you to buy the GoG version installer ; not sure if there's a way to install it manually from the CD

[The E]

There are unfortunately no easy and simple ways around this. The original installer FS2 shipped with was a 16-bit application, and MS removed the ability to execute those from Win 7 forward.

The options you do have are:
-Try using 7zip to extract the data from the installer. There shouldn't be that many files in there; IIRC, most of FS2's data files (the .vps and movies etc) are all uncompressed on the discs.
-Use a virtual machine running Windows XP
-Use a Linux machine with wine installed to extract the data
-Buy the game on GOG or Steam

[deathspeed]

Could it possibly be a damaged/deteriorated CD?  I installed FS2 from CD onto my Windows 7 64-bit machine a few years back with no issues, although I cannot install X-Wing Alliance because of the 16-bit installer incompatibility.  Or maybe my disc has a 32-bit installer?

[The E]

Could it possibly be a damaged/deteriorated CD?  I installed FS2 from CD onto my Windows 7 64-bit machine a few years back with no issues, although I cannot install X-Wing Alliance because of the 16-bit installer incompatibility.  Or maybe my disc has a 32-bit installer?

It could be. I am honestly not sure whether the original installer was 16- or 32-bit.

[jr2]

If it's a 16-bit installer, you could always download a Win'98 virtual machine image, run that in VirtualBox, Install FS2, extract the files from the image.

Yeah, pain in the butt.  Honestly, I'd just buy it on GOG.  It's worth it.

[Yarn]

From what I can tell, the installer is 16-bit, but some versions of 64-bit Windows (including my copy of Windows 7) include a hack that replaces it with a 32-bit version when it's run.

Apart from cases like that, 16-bit programs will generally run under 32-bit Windows but not 64-bit Windows. I think this is still true with Windows 8.1.

Only some of FreeSpace 2's files are stored uncompressed on the CDs. The rest are found only in the CDs' InstallShield CAB files, which very few programs can open. (Almost all programs that claim to support CAB files really only support Microsoft CAB files, which use a different format.)

[Mongoose]

Wasn't Goober/someone potentially working on enabling the FSO Installer to extract files from the retail disks?  Or am I just imagining that?

[jr2]

Goober was.

If the ball ever got rolling faster for WineonWindows, you could just use that and all would be well.  (Wine runs Windows programs on Linux, the would be handy for running 16-bit programs on Windows that doesn't support that any more.)

[lobisomem]

Extracting the files is a far more dificult task than i´m able to do... Will FSinstaller work on a steam version of it? I had troubles trying to by an expansion set in steam of a game that i have already installed, cause it was not recognised. I didn´t know how to deal with GOG... is it similar to steam?

[jr2]

GOG gives you access to a single file (for FS2 anyways) to download and run to install the game.  (That's unless you decide to use the GOG Installer for which there is an option on the website; I haven't used that, it might be easier or harder, not sure.)  There is no DRM (aka nothing snooping around trying to make sure you didn't steal it and it will install on any machine that you copy the file to without hassle).

Yes, the Installer would work on the Steam version of FS2.  Steam is a bit more restrictive as you have to have Steam and be logged into your account to install.  The Steam install of FS2 also has a bug that (last I remember) requires the user to download and run a .reg file to patch the user's registry, as the Steam FS2 install doesn't do this correctly.

I would honestly go with GOG.  They also have many older games that are patched (correctly!) to work with modern OSes (like a lot of the Star Wars games, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, XvT, X-Wing Alliance, Rogue Squadron, a bunch more that aren't space sims, just to name the ones in the Star Wars universe, plus a lot of the Wing Commander series).

If you have a choice between getting something on GOG or Steam, pick GOG every time.  I like Steam and have a ton of games with them, but GOG is better as far as making sure their games actually work.

If you are stuck and need help getting your version of GOG FS2 to install, I'd be happy to guide you.


For a start, once you've purchased it on GOG:

[lobisomem]

Thanks! i´ll look for it!
FS2 is never an old experience, i´m never tired of it

[SmashMonkey]

GOG gives you access to a single file (for FS2 anyways) to download and run to install the game.  (That's unless you decide to use the GOG Installer for which there is an option on the website; I haven't used that, it might be easier or harder, not sure.)  There is no DRM (aka nothing snooping around trying to make sure you didn't steal it and it will install on any machine that you copy the file to without hassle).

Yes, the Installer would work on the Steam version of FS2.  Steam is a bit more restrictive as you have to have Steam and be logged into your account to install.  The Steam install of FS2 also has a bug that (last I remember) requires the user to download and run a .reg file to patch the user's registry, as the Steam FS2 install doesn't do this correctly.

I would honestly go with GOG.  They also have many older games that are patched (correctly!) to work with modern OSes (like a lot of the Star Wars games, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, XvT, X-Wing Alliance, Rogue Squadron, a bunch more that aren't space sims, just to name the ones in the Star Wars universe, plus a lot of the Wing Commander series).

If you have a choice between getting something on GOG or Steam, pick GOG every time.  I like Steam and have a ton of games with them, but GOG is better as far as making sure their games actually work.

Just to chip in my $0.02 here, I purchased FS2 on Steam and then downloaded FSO. No issues for me at all.

[jr2]

Did retail run fine for you, or did you have to manually patch?  I'm curious as to if they fixed their release.

[The E]

Did retail run fine for you, or did you have to manually patch?  I'm curious as to if they fixed their release.

They didn't fix it per se, but they did put out a .reg file you need to run in order to make it work.

[jr2]

That's what I meant.   Did they fix it to not require manual .reg file patching or not.    Do they at least have some way of notifying the users besides the game not working (aka does the user have to dig in and fix the game themselves or is there some assistance)?