It runs well for a minute or so before crashing and giving an error message. I have tried to install 1.1 but it says it cannot find the old file. I am running Windows XP home edition. I'm not sure how to fix this. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help.

Some questions:

1. What's the exact wording of the error message you get when realMyst crashes?

2. Is your PC a desktop or a laptop?

3. Is your PC more than about a year old?

4. If it's a desktop, have you ever cleaned the dust out of the inside of the case? Or, if it’s a laptop, have you ever cleaned the dust out of the case vents and fan ports?

Hello,

The message is the standard one:

Realmyst has encountered a problem and needs to close.

My computer is a homebuilt about 18 months old. It is clean and not overheating. I run many games/sims without issues. The error seems to occur when I turn in the game. I tried patching, but I get a message saying it cannot find the old file. Someone else reported this same problem. I have tried playing with the compatibility settings and my video card settings. I am running a nV 7800gtx.

I was wondering if it was possible to manually apply the patch. I have been able to unpack the individual files.

This game looks quite good. Pity it keeps crashing.

Thanks again for the help.

Suggestions:

1. If you haven’t already done so, update your sound and video drivers.
-- The latest sound driver should be available from your sound chipset or motherboard manufacturer's website.
-- The latest NVIDIA driver is ForceWare 93.71. Install this driver as detailed under Installing NVIDIA Drivers in Myst Masterpiece Edition and realMyst: Installing Video Drivers With Win XP. Be certain to install or re-install the latest end-user runtime release of DirectX 9.0c as part of the driver installation.

2. Use Windows Compatibility Mode to run realMyst. See How to use the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP and How to Use Windows Application Compatibility Mode for details. As a first pass, try the "Windows 98 / Windows Me" mode.

3. [Removed to minimize confusion]

4. If you accepted the install defaults, realMyst is installed in C:\Program Files\Mattel Interactive\realMYST Interactive 3D Edition.
-- a. Log into Windows with full Administrator privileges and close all open applications.
-- b. Click on Start > Run.
-- c. Browse… to \realMYST Interactive 3D Edition, and double-click on realMYSTSetup.exe to put it in the Open: box.
-- d. Click on OK to run the program.
-- a. Under 3D Hardware, be certain that NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX [Direct 3D T&L HAL] is showing and the Direct 3D radio button is active.
-- b. Set Screen Resolution to 800x600 16 bit.
-- c. Set the Texture Quality slider to Low.
-- d. Un-check the Full Scene Anti-Aliasing box.
-- e. Click on OK to close realMYST Setup
-- f. Play realMyst.

5. Try changing general video settings. Note what you started with, so that you can go back to those settings if desired.
-- a. Log into Windows with full Administrator privileges and close all open applications.
-- b. Right-click on a blank area of the Desktop, then click on Properties in the resulting drop-down menu.
-- c. Click on Settings > Advanced > NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX. You should now be looking at the options or setup menu for your video chipset.
-- d. Mostly, you want to set 'off' as the default, or 'controlled by application'. If there's an Advanced selection button, click on it to see more menu choices. In particular, set:
----- 1. Anisotropic filtering (AF) and antialiasing (AA) 'off' or 'controlled by application'. If AF or AA optimization are choices, set them to 'off' or 'none'.
----- 2. Trilinear optimization to 'off', 'none', or 'controlled by application'.
----- 3. Vertical sync to 'controlled by application', or 'off' if it's initially set to 'controlled by application'.
----- 4. Image setting midway between 'performance' and 'quality'.
-- e. If you change any settings, don't forget to click on Apply or Save. Then exit to the Desktop.
-- f. Play realMyst.

6. Reset your virtual memory paging file size. Before changing your paging file settings, note what you started with, so that you can go back to those settings if desired
-- a. Log into Windows with full Administrator privileges and close all open applications.
-- b. Click Start, right-click on My Computer, and then click on Properties.
-- b. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
-- c. In the Performance pane, click Settings.
-- d. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
-- e. In the Virtual memory pane, click Change.
-- f. Under Drive, click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.
-- g. Under Paging file size for selected drive, click Custom size.
-- h. Change Initial size and Maximum size to the proper value in megabytes.
----- 1. For 256 MB of system RAM, set to 640.
----- 2. For 512 MB of system RAM, set to 1280.
----- 3. For 1024 MB of system RAM, set to 2560.
-- i. Click Set, and then click OK.
-- j. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box. Close everything back to the Desktop.
-- k. Reboot, log into Windows with full Administrator privileges, and close all open applications.
-- l. Play realMyst.

7. Close all unnecessary background applications and processes, then play realMyst. Use Windows Task Manager to close everything except for Explorer.exe, Ctfmon.exe, and whatever your hardware needs:
-- a. Close your Internet connection and all open applications.
-- b. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del once, and then click on Task Manager.
-- c. Click on the Applications tab.
-- d. Click on the desired application to highlight it.
-- e. Click on End Task.
-- f. Repeat this procedure until all unnecessary background applications are closed, including your anti-virus program and software firewall.
-- g. Click on the Processes tab.
-- h. Click on the desired process to highlight it.
-- i. Click on End Process.
-- j. Repeat this procedure until all unnecessary background processes are closed. If you aren't sure which processes can be safely closed, check out the AnswersThatWork Task List Programs index. The most common tasks are described, and which ones are essential and which can be safely closed are noted.
-- k. WITHOUT rebooting, play realMyst.

Heimdall
Semper ubi sub ubi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Heimdall G,

Thanks

So far, I am still stuck trying to patch. When I run the patch, I get a message saying: Patch error. Old file not found. However, a file of the same name was found. No updates since the file contents do not match.

Any work around for this problem.

Thanks again for the help.

Maybe I’m missing something here….

[Removed to minimize confusion]

Isn’t that the patch workaround you’re asking for?

Heimdall
Semper ubi sub ubi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Heimdall G,

Sorry, some clarification is in order.

I was able to extract the patch files to a separate folder, but not run the exe that unpacks the individual files and overites the game. That's when I get the error message.

When I extracted them to a separate folder I didn't find the dll file you mentioned. I think this gets unpacked by the patch exe. Sorry about the confusion.

Let’s give the patch one last try, even though it may well not solve your crashing problem.
-- a. Open a Windows Explorer session and browse to C:\Program Files\Mattel Interactive\realMYST Interactive 3D Edition.
-- b. With Windows Explorer set to display details (click on top taskbar Tools > View > Details), look at RealMYST.exe.
-- c. For the patch installer to work, RealMYST.exe must be 337 KB, date modified 11/20/2000 at 4:56 PM.
-- d. If this isn’t what you have for RealMYST.exe (maybe 1749 KB, date modified 6/17/2001 at 5:31 PM?), uninstall realMyst using Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs.
-- e. Reboot, and re-install the game.
-- f. Check C:\Program Files\Mattel Interactive\realMYST Interactive 3D Edition for the proper RealMYST.exe size and date modified, then apply the patch.
-- g. Play realMyst.

If that doesn’t help, try the rest of my above suggestions.

No luck with the patch. The exe is actually 1712 kb modified 10/13/2000 reinstalling does not seem to change this. I have tried all the above suggestions with the exception of turning off a lot of services. Guess I will have to try that next.

Thanks anyway, but I think I am SOL. It is hard to get old games to run on new systems.

Nope, no luck at all. I've tried all the above change with the same results. I can run all over Myst Island, but as soon as I turn to look at the library doors or many of the buildings, the game crashes. I could run around the island all day, but as soon as I try to enter a building ....crash! Very strange. Is anybody able to run realMyst on Windows XP with a nV PCI-e vid card? It seems like all the suggestions are hit or miss, trial and error .

Thanks again for the help.

“It seems like all the suggestions are hit or miss, trial and error .”

Hmmm. Well, if you’re referring to my suggestions, not really. They’re the result of a large amount of experience and knowledge of Win XP, the individual’s PC/system, and what has worked for others with the same or closely-related problem.

Good luck, though. Maybe someone else will post a magic bullet for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Heimdall G:
“It seems like all the suggestions are hit or miss, trial and error .”

Hmmm. Well, if you’re referring to my suggestions, not really. They’re the result of a large amount of experience and knowledge of Win XP, the individual’s PC/system, and what has worked for others with the same or closely-related problem.

Good luck, though. Maybe someone else will post a magic bullet for you.

I just meant that trying the suggestions was hit or miss. No offense intended. I appreciate you taking the time to help. I will try the suggestions more systematically.

Any progress?

I have been looking at these forums for hours, trying to get realMyst to work. At first, it was a problem with getting it up, without the black screen and returning to the desktop, as I have read so many have a problem with. Disabling the visual themes fixed this, great! Now I can go play, wrong! Upon the introduction movie, where the box lands, there is a big white square. I was sure something was up, but to make sure it wasn't just a poor design choice, I continued. The movie/pic, whatever, I don't know, inside the linking book was white also. Upon linking into Myst, I immediately survey my surroundings, only upon turning left, oops! Game crashes. I try again, same. Again, same. So I try to explore, continuously getting a crash, at what I thought was to be random points. Upon further experimentation, I have learned the library is the source of this. Every time the door to the library is within view, however far away, crash! I have downloaded the Omega driver, multiple video codecs that have been recommended. Still, I have the white spaces, and the crashes. Any help?

Sounds like you have a video driver problem, or maybe a hardware problem. However, this isn’t the topic in which to address your particular problems.

Please start another topic (aka “Discussion”). In this new topic, post a DxDiag report and your problem statement as above (including more details, if you have any). To post a DxDiag report in a new topic:
1. Press keys (win) + R, or click on Start > Run.
2. Type dxdiag in the box.
3. Click OK.
4. Let the blue bar in the lower left corner of the Dxdiag window finish crawling and disappear.
5. Run all of the tests you can on the Display, Sound and Music tabs. Do not neglect to do this step!
-- a. On the Display tab, click on the Test DirectDraw and Test Direct3D boxes, and follow the resulting instructions.
-- b. On all of the Sound tabs, click on the Test DirectSound box, and follow the resulting instructions.
-- c. On the Music tab, click on Test DirectMusic box, and follow the resulting instructions.
6. Click on the Save All Information button.
7. Close the DxDiag utility.
8. Now you have a DxDiag.txt file on your Desktop, or in the location where you have saved it.
Copy *ALL* of the contents of this file to the Windows Clipboard:
-- a. Double-click on the file to open it.
-- b. Right-click anywhere in the text, then click on Select All in the resulting menu.
-- c. Right-click on the highlighted text, then click on Copy in the resulting menu.
9. Paste the contents of the file from the Clipboard into a new topic:
-- a. Log into the Forums and go to the Myst and RealMyst - tips, hints, tech help and general discussion page.
-- b. Click on the New tab at the top of that page, then click on Discussion.
-- c. Type a title into the Subject: box.
-- d. In the Message: box, type in your problem statement plus additional details. Be as descriptive as possible. Then press Enter.
-- e. Position the mouse cursor at the left margin and one line down from your problem statement, then right-click.
-- f. Click on Paste in the resulting menu.
-- g. Click on Post Now.

If the manufacturer and exact model number of your PC aren't shown under 'System Information' (System Manufacturer and System Model) at the top of the report, also include that information in your post. Or, if you built your system or it was put together locally for you, include the manufacturer and exact model number of your motherboard.

Heimdall
Semper ubi sub ubi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Heimdall G,