GK series - travel size

[Jules]

My sister and I used to play Sierra games together when we were little but she's never played the GK series. When I fly up to PA this summer, I want to bring the series with me so she can play them and since I don't want to bring all those disks (especially since they may get crushed in luggage transit) I want to burn them all to a CD or DVD. What's the easiest way to do this?

First, her computer has Vista. Second, I have all three games installed on my XP machine. I see the GK2 installer mentions a DVD but how exactly does it work? Will the three disks (one for each game) consist of the game where I copy the contents directly to her machine and play or are they installers where it installs all three games to her machine? Is there one for GK1 and 3?

[Collector]

After installing the game with the installer just run "DVD Prep Wizard.exe". It will prepare the game's folder to have the right structure for a DVD, complete with a new AutoRun and new setup file. After you run the wizard all you have to do is to burn the contents of the folder to a DVD. The folder will no longer be usable to play the game, but the game can be reinstalled from the DVD, either with a minimal install where the DVD is required to play or a full install to the hard drive with no DVD required for play.

Since it is you, give me a little time and I will make packages for the other two to make new discs. That way you will only have to take three discs to your sister to for all three games.

[Jules]

Aww thanks, Collector. I really appreciate it.

I'll try out the DVD Wizard when I get home, if I still have it.

[Collector]

I now have one for GK3, but I need to clean it up a bit, first. It should not take me too long for GK1.

[Collector]

Here is a disc wizard for GK1. It is 42MB because it contains some extra material that your sister may enjoy. Download the latest SHP GK1 installer and do a clean install of the game. Then copy the downloaded wizard into the installed game's folder. You will need your original disc before you run the wizard as it needs some extra files from the CD that the installer does not copy to your hard drive. You will also need to be connected to the internet so the wizard can download a zip of the latest DOSBox for the new disc.

Just run the wizard from the installed folder. The wizard is not needed on the new CD, but if the wizard fails to delete itself, manually delete or move the file from the folder so you do not burn it with the rest of the files.

The installed folder is now ready for you to burn to a new CD. It includes a new installer for the disc, a new AutoRun that works on modern PCs, a PDF of the graphic novel and GK related videos. Just use Nero or whatever burning software that you use.

I'll have the one for GK3 uploaded for you in a couple of days. If there is any demand for it, I can make more wizards to do modern repackaging of other Sierra games. Any requests?

[MusicallyInspired]

What an interesting project. I'd be interested in them for sure. I did something similar each series and than a couple discs of "misc" Sierra games. On my discs I had every (different) version of every game in a series. So on my King's Quest disc I had KQ1AGI, KQ1SCI, KQ1 SMS, KQ1 Apple II/gs, KQ2, KQ2 Apple II/gs, KQ3, KQ3 Apple II/gs, KQ4 AGI, KQ4 Apple II/gs, KQ4SCI V 1.000.111, KQ4SCI V 1.006.004, KQ5 Disk, KQ5 Disk EGA, KQ5CD, KQ5 NES, KQ6 Disk, KQ6 CD, KQ7, and the AGDI/IA remakes (though a DVD isn't big enough to hold all this and the different versions of the AGDI/IA remakes which all have alternate graphics).

[BBP]

Your link shows a "deep-linking not allowed" page, and I can't find the disk wizard through the website.

[Collector]

Your link shows a "deep-linking not allowed" page, and I can't find the disk wizard through the website.

You must be using IE. This is an odd quirk with IE and phpBB that has come up before when I directly linked to the INNRevival installer. Try it with Firefox.

[Collector]

Here is the wizard for GK3.

GK3 DVD Prep Wizard

Let me know how it goes with these utilties, Jules.

[Jules]

I somehow managed to successfully create both burn-ready folders for GK1 and 2. I didn't try GK3 yet because it's almost midnight here. When the prep wizard finished for GK1, a checkbox asked me if I wanted to run it again.. which I thought I just finished doing. Not sure if that was necessary or I overlooked something? I also had to manually delete the prep wizard from the GK1 folder. GK2 went hunkey dory.

I'll burn the disks tomorrow since my eyelids are tired and are about to hit the keyboard.

Collector, you are one marvelous programming whiz!

[Collector]

The Checkbox was to delete the wizard. I have a new version that deletes it without using the NSIS Finish Page run command to avoid confusion. Let me know how the AutoRun strikes you.

[Jules]

I left it checked and I still had to delete it manually. Is that what you meant?

[Collector]

Doesn't matter. It would have been deleted after a reboot. It just isn't needed on the CD. The new version should handle it better.

[Jules]

Here is the wizard for GK3.

GK3 DVD Prep Wizard

Let me know how it goes with these utilties, Jules.

Do I need to do a clean install with this one (like I did with GK1) or am I good to go with this wizard.

[Collector]

It would probably be OK, but it never hurts to do a clean install. That way any extra files like temp files, error messages, etc. won't get burned to DVD.