New Tool for Troubleshooting Sierra Games

[Collector]

I put together a small tool to gather information for troubleshooting Sierra games and the SHP installers. Usually when some have trouble with the Sierra games or with the installers, it is because of user errors or variations in systems or the original media, such as different versions of the game, damaged/corrupt media, etc. There is only so much that I can do about these issues without probing the user for enough information to identify the source of the problem. This can take some time over a message board, especially if the person is a computer neophyte. Often when I ask for a file listing of the directory I am given a screenshot of the folder with the registered extensions hidden. Sometimes they don't even know how to describe where their game is installed.

This new tool will gather most off the information that I need to troubleshoot, even if the user knows little about PCs or the games.

HelpInfo.exe

(156.28 KiB) Downloaded 525 times

Just drop it in the installed folder and run it. It will generate and open a text file with most of the relevant information that can then be copied and pasted here. It is small, only 156 KB, so I will soon be incorporating it into the SHP installers. The ones that will be included with the installers will be able to gather even more information about the game.

Even if you are not having trouble with one of your Sierra games, please give it a try and post your results so I can see if it finds all of the information across different versions of Windows, etc.

[Qbix]

This is when running it from my downloads directory.

[Collector]

I guess that I should suppress the UAC message for Windows earlier than Vista. Was this through WINE? It didn't join the files it should have, so there is missing information. It should have listed the files in the exe folder. If there were no other files, it should have at least listed the tool itself. The CD drives didn't get listed, either.

[Qbix]

This was with wine, the cdrom thing might be accurate, but my downloads directory is not empty.

Anything specificly you want me to search for ?

[Collector]

It creates a file with some basic information about Windows, the user account and DOSBox version. It should then enter game information from the uninstall entries in the registry. It will then join on the game's RESOURCE.CFG and the customized dosbox.conf from the game's folder. Lastly, it should add on a file listing of the game's folder. It seems to break where it concatenates the files. I suspect that it is something that does not play nice with WINE.

This is what I get when I run it from my installed Conquests of Camelot folder.

info.txt

(1.53 KiB) Downloaded 510 times

As you can see, it gives me most of the information that I would need to solve a user's problem, short of something like the possibility of corrupted files. I am adding some warning messages to it when it finds something amiss, like a missing config file, outdated or missing DOSBox, etc. I may add detection for a message if the game has been installed in a system folder.

Here is one from an updated version for Conquests of the Longbow with error messages.

info2.txt

(1.85 KiB) Downloaded 487 times

The dosbox.conf and the RESOURCE.CFG files are missing from the game's folder.

[Jules]

Good idea, Collector.

[Collector]

I see that you did not run it in the folder of a game. You will get more information if you run it inside the folder of one of the games. I have been thinking about this a bit and decided to expand it somewhat, turning it into a diagnostic tool. It will not only gather basic information, but if it finds something amiss or anything that could present a potential problem, it will make suggestions on what to try. I am also going to make it more generalized, so that it can be used on the different games without alteration. I will move some game specific information that I had intended to incorporate into the tool to a small file that the tool can read to get more complete information about the game without dumping anything more into the registry. New versions of the installers can add this file.

Here is a new version with some of the new features that I mentioned. It also doesn't display references to details that don't apply to the version of Windows that it is being run on, such as UAC information on XP.

DiagnosticTool.exe

(169.6 KiB) Downloaded 519 times

[Qbix]

Code: Select all

Any issues with this installer can be reported on the Sierra Help Pages Forum
http://sierrahelp.com/ If requested, please include the following information.


=================================== System Info ===================================

Windows XP  - 5.1.2600.2 32-Bit English
Service Pack 2
Administrator Account

CD-ROM Drives = done   


=================================== DOSBox Info ===================================

DOSBox Path = C:\Program Files\DOSBox\DOSBox.exe
DOSBox version 0.73 **See note below**

* Your version of DOSBox is outdated. The current version is 0.74. Please update
  DOSBox by downloading the latest from dosbox.com or rerun the installer and let
  it update it for you.


==================================== Game Info ====================================

Display Name         =  Not found. Has the game been installed?
Game Path            =  C:\Program Files\GOG.com\Kings Quest 4-5-6\Kings Quest 4 
Game Version         =  Not found
Installer Version    =  Not found
Start Menu Directory =  Not found
UninstallString      =  Not found


=================================== RESOURCE.CFG =================================

When the tool exits. Explorer pops up with the current directory in place

[Jules]

I put it in, C:\SIERRA\Quest for Glory Collection

So you're saying it has to be placed inside one of the individual game folders then?

Edit: I placed the new one inside the QfG4 folder...

info.txt

(2.23 KiB) Downloaded 489 times

[Collector]

Qbix, it seems to break on WINE with the file joining. I have it merge the two config files with the first one that it creates. It is just using the old MS-DOS method of joining files. Without a Linux setup with WINE, I am not sure how to address this, though anyone on Linux is less likely to need extra hand holding with getting a game going. The one disadvantage is that it means that some of my floppy game installers won't work under Linux, as some rely on this ability.

Jule, it looks like the dosbox.conf file is missing for QfG4, but the file listing shows it is there. It is probably just the dummy file. Run the config tool and try again.

[Jules]

Okay, how about this?

[Collector]

Yeah, that's it. I can see every bit of information that I would usually ask if you were reporting QfG4 was nor working. I could determine that you would probably not be having issues because your user account, What kinds of compatibility issues because of the OS, that you had a slightly out dated DOSBox, nothing wrong with either of your config files, proper mounting in DOSBox, game version as well as I can see all of the files in the game's base directory and folders. If I need a list of the files in one of the sub folders I can have them move the tool to that folder and rerun it. I could make an abbreviated version the only lists the files or see if there is a way to have it list the files recursively. If I need more information, like DirectX version, audio and or graphics hardware, drivers, etc, I could ask for a DxDiag report, which has far more information than what I would usually need and is mostly irrelevant for DOS games in DOSBox.

This will be a great help, especially when I start incorporating the info file into the new installers. At a glance I have more information than what I would have from a series more than a half dozen posts, especially with computer illiterate newbies. Not to denigrate anyone, but getting the necessary information from some people is like pulling teeth. With this I can get all of the basic information to solve the majority of problems with an exchange of just two or three posts. After I had the new user that was having trouble with the Phantasmagoria installer use the first version of the tool and I was able to determine that he was having trouble with his CD emulation software instead of the installer with just one post after I had him post the results.

[Collector]

Here is what i have, now. The game is a little cooked to make it provide more information than any one game would to the tool, like both DOSBox and ScummVM information, Compatibility Mode settings for a DOS game, etc. If any information does not apply to a game, it will not be listed.

Code: Select all

Any issues with this installer can be reported on the Sierra Help Pages Forum
http://sierrahelp.com/ If requested, please include the following information.


=================================== System Info ===================================

Windows 7 Professional - 6.1.7600.2 64-Bit English
Service Pack - None
Administrator Account
UAC is Off

CD-ROM Drive(s) = J:\ ; Y:\  
Alcohol 120% is installed.
DAEMON Tools Lite is installed.


=================================== DOSBox Info ===================================

DOSBox Path = C:\Program Files (x86)\DOSBox\DOSBox.exe
DOSBox version 0.74

Your version of DOSBox is up to date.


================================== ScummVM  Info ==================================

ScummVM Path = C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe
ScummVM version 1.1.148874

Your version of ScummVM is up to date.


==================================== Game Info ====================================

Display Name         =  Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood 
Game Path            =  C:\Sierra\RobinEGA 
Game Version         =  1.000
Installer Version    =  2.0
Start Menu Directory =  Sierra\Conquests of the Longbow- The Legend of Robin Hood EGA
UninstallString      =  C:\Sierra\RobinEGA\uninst.exe
Compatibility Mode   =  WINXPSP3 256COLOR 640X480 DISABLETHEMES DISABLEDWM HIGHDPIAWARE RUNASADMIN


=================================== RESOURCE.CFG =================================

 videoDrv  = EGA320.DRV
 soundDrv  = ADL.DRV 220
 audioDrv  = AUDBLAST.DRV 220
 joyDrv    = NO
 kbdDrv    = IBMKBD.DRV
 mouseDrv  = STDMOUSE.DRV
 memoryDrv = ARM.DRV
 minHunk   = 220K 


=================================== dosbox.conf ===================================

[sdl] 
output= overlay 
fullresolution= 0x0 
windowresolution= 800x600 
fullscreen= false 
autolock= false 

[DOSBox] 
machine= ega 
captures= "C:\Users\me\AppData\Local\DOSBox\capture" 

[render]
aspect= true 
scaler= normal3x 

[cpu] 
core= normal 
cycles= 10000 

[autoexec] 
cls 
@ECHO OFF 
mount c "C:\Sierra\RobinEGA" 
c: 
cd \ 
SCIDUV.EXE 
exit 


================================ ScummVM Batch File ===============================

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVMsub\scummvm.exe" --path="C:\Sierra\RobinEGA" 
--savepath="C:\Sierra\RobinEGA" --aspect-ratio -g3x -F sci


=================================== Game  Files ===================================

140.SCR
140.TEX
1535.TEX
180.SCR
185.SCR
700.SCR
704.SCR
710.SCR
803.SCR
994.SCR
ADL.DRV
AUDBLAST.DRV
AUDDISNY.DRV
AUDNONE.DRV
AUDPRO.DRV
AUDPS1.DRV
AUDTANDY.DRV
CMS.DRV
Conf.exe
DiagnosticTool.exe
dosbox.conf
EGA320.DRV
GAME_DAT
Gobliiins.bat
IBMKBD.DRV
IBMPS1.DRV
info.txt
INSTALL.EXE
INSTALL.HLP
INSTALL.SCR
INSTALL.TXT
Installer License.txt
INTERP.ERR
JOYSTICK.DRV
LBPAT_README.TXT
Longbow_NRS.TXT
Mask.exe
MCGA320.DRV
MT32.DRV
New Installer README.txt
PROAUDIO.DRV
README.TXT
RESOURCE.000
RESOURCE.001
RESOURCE.002
RESOURCE.003
RESOURCE.CFG
RESOURCE.MAP
Robin.ico
RobinHR.ico
SCIDUV.EXE
STD.DRV
TANDY320.DRV
TANDY3V.DRV
TANDYKBD.DRV
uninst.exe
VERSION