Please be more specific:
-- What still won't work?
-- How does it not work?
-- What does "everything" that you've tried include?

I know this thread is rather old but I found the fix that should work for users running Windows XP Professional (and maybe Vista Professional). I went to the compatibility tab in the properties menu of the realMyst icon and clicked on "Allow non-administrators to run this program" and from then on the game has loaded without a problem. Hope this helps all those who are having issues. Thanks.

Okay, I found the fix for realMyst, but it's not for "noobs". I'm going to assume you know your way around XP, and how to follow instructions. If not, then this forum isn't really for you now, is it? There are a couple of programs you need, and some steps to take. I'll try to keep it simple.

What you need (all from Microsoft, all free):

MSXML 6.0
SQL Server 5 Express
Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0

Install those, using basically "defaults", and then open "Compatibility Administrator", found in the Start Menu. "New Database(1) [Untitled_1]" should be high-lighted, or click on it. Now click on "Fix", and fill in the boxes - Program: realMYST Vendor: Mattel and then browse to the realMYST folder and select "realMYST.exe". Click Next, select "None", and click Next. Now select "CorrectFilePaths", "EmulateGetDiskFreeSpace", and "GlobalMemoryStatusLie", and Next. Select "Size" and "Checksum", and Finish. Back at the main window, save your "sdb" file, preferably in the realMYST folder.

Now, open Folder Options in Control Panel, and go to File Types. Find "sdb" and click "Change" and associate it with "Appfix & AppHelp Installer". Now you can add the "sdb" (software database) to the registry simply by double-clicking it. (The one you saved in the realMYST folder.) Note: to uninstall, open the Command Prompt, go to the realMYST folder, and type this exactly: sdbinst.exe -u "name" where "name" is the name of your sdb file. The quotes are needed.

Right-click the realMYST icon, and set compatibility to Windows NT. This is the way I did it, but it could maybe be done in the Compatibility Tool, step one where I said "None". I also turned off "Visual Themes".

Back at the Compatibility Tool, you should have a listing for realMYST.exe on the right side now. Select it, and click "Run". Now browse to the realMYST.exe and select it. Click "Okay", and your game *should* work now.

You'll need to run the Compatibility Tool each time you play realMYST, so what I did was create a shortcut to it, and then called it realMYST, and changed the icon to the realMYST one.

Have fun, good luck, and if you have any further suggestions please don't be shy.

sk8puss

sk8puss, I got up to the part where you said to make he file extension known to "AppFix and AppHelp Installer" but I can't find that. Where is it?

quote:

Originally posted by TomahnaGuy:
sk8puss, I got up to the part where you said to make he file extension known to "AppFix and AppHelp Installer" but I can't find that. Where is it?

Srry it took so long to get back. I found it in Tools->Folder Options, in the File Types tab. If .sdb isn't listed then make a "New" one for it, then use the "Change" (or it may say "Restore") button to find and link it to the AppFix thing.

That said, I'm still having some trouble too. It works, then doesn't, then I make ANOTHER sdb and it works, or doesn't. I dunno. I think turning off Visual Themes and Disabling Advanced Text (realMYST icon Properties->Compatibility). Again, I dunno...

I'll stay on it and try to get back here in a timely fashion.