Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: barney on July 11, 2009, 06:52:24 PM
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This program is the most frusterating thing on the face of the earth. I installed it successfully on my hard drive along with several WHDLoad games. What do I do next? Is there a command I type in the shell to get a game started? What is the command to start a game? Anybody have the answer I would appreciate it. Thanks.
Barney
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Once you've installed WHDload, download a couple of games from http://www.whdownload.com and unzip them, then just double click the .slave file in the game directory.
There's probably more functionality to WHDload, but this is as far as I've gotten.
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That didn't work tone007. I double click the .sla file, and a "execute a file" windows comes up asking me to "enter command arguements". There must be somthing I am missing.
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Hm. Extension should be .slave if I'm not mistaken. Did you uncompress the games on the Amiga or a PC?
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the game is on the amiga hard drive perfectly, I think my problem is that i didn't configure WHDLOAD at all. How do I set up the settings in WHDLoad so games work? Am i supposed to first start whdload then click on the .sla game icon, or is WHDload always running in the background ready to start?
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Woops, I had it wrong. Don't double click the slave file, double click the name of the game instead.
Running the WHDload install should be all you need to do, the tooltype or whatever in the file will call WHDLoad.
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the game is on the amiga hard drive perfectly, I think my problem is that i didn't configure WHDLOAD at all. How do I set up the settings in WHDLoad so games word. Am i supposed to first start whdload then click on the .sla game icon, or is WHDload always running in the background ready to start?
If your extension is called .sla, you haven't installed the game correctly. Unpack the archives on your Amiga instead of a PC, and doubleclick the icon in the drawer.
WHDLoad doesn't need to be configured, it's just an "executer" for slaves. All it takes is for the WHDLoad file to be placed in C: (or any other system path). Configuration is done in the WHDLoad.prefs file, but the program works fine with the default prefs file.
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SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET man!!!!!!!!!! This program is awesome. It worked fine that time. No more loading from floppies!!!!!!!!!!
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One more small question though.....how to I exit the game back to the Workbench desktop?
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It's posted on the splash screen when you start the program.
Remember to register if you haven't already, it's by far worth the small amount it costs.
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I am still having several issues with this program. I would love to register if only it would actually work. Now, only about 20% of the programs work. Some programs don't even have a data folder with the program icon in it. Sometimes a program does run and sometimes it doesn't (locks up my system). When I power on my system, is there anything I have to tweak in WHDLoad before I run any programs? Also, everytime I lick on the program icon, an "execute a file" windows comes up asking me to "enter command arguements". This is starting to disturb me.
Barney
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Where do you get your games from and how do you unpack them?
The reason for games not running is most likely because your computer doesn't meet the requirements; the games requirements can be seen in the readme.
Again, if you have to enter a command to get it started, you either have uncompressed the archive wrongly or have gotten a badly created archive.
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I get my downloads from here http://www.whdownload.com/. My system has 9mb. Amiga 2000 w 2630 accelerator. 2091 scsi.
When I download them from the website, they are in zip form. I unzip them from the pc before I burn them on a cdrom. I guess i could unzip them from the Amiga if I knew how to unzip "zip" files. What should I try next?
And I also have kickstart 3.1 and running Magic Workbench.
Barney
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I've found some games won't work unless you boot your system up in PAL mode, since you have 3.1 ROMs you may be able to do that in the early boot menu (hold both buttons while booting.)
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Have you checked that the files on the CD hasn't been made into 8.3 format? Get an unzipper from http://www.aminet.net instead and unzip them on the Amiga instead.
The archives on http://www.whdownload.com contains all the icons and files needed to run the program, so I believe the files burned to CD isn't in the correct format.
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I can't use pal mode. I am using an AGA 2000 scan doubler with lcd flat panel. Also, is it necessary to have your df0: operational. I just noticed that when I insert a disk in the DF0: drive, instead of displaying the disk icon, it displays "DF0:????". Does this mean my floppy is dead?
Also, I am using a cocolino ps2 mouse adapter and an adapter to allow me to use a regular pc keyboard. This may be an issue also. The funny thing is that some of the games worked fine.
Also, is it possible to open a "Zip" file on the amiga?
Barney
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I can't use pal mode. I am using an AGA 2000 scan doubler with lcd flat panel. Also, is it necessary to have your df0: operational. I just noticed that when I insert a disk in the DF0: drive, instead of displaying the disk icon, it displays "DF0:????". Does this mean my floppy is dead?
Also, I am using a cocolino ps2 mouse adapter and an adapter to allow me to use a regular pc keyboard. This may be an issue also. The funny thing is that some of the games worked fine.
Also, is it possible to open a "Zip" file on the amiga?
Barney
The Microway flickerFixer's inability to do PAL is going to be a real impediment for games - the vast, vast majority of Amiga games are PAL. Does your LCD have a composite input you could use? Granted, the 2000's composite out is black and white and looks awful, but it'll at least be functionally PAL.
To switch a WHDLoad game to PAL, just add PAL to the game icon's tooltypes (from the Icons->Information menu)
Regarding your floppy drive, is the disk you inserted a game disk? Most game disks show up as DF0:???? due to copy protection schemes. Pop in a known-working, system-friendly disk, like a Workbench disk. If you still get DF0:????, your floppy is either in need of a massive cleaning or is broken altogether.
For using .zip files, see doctorq's direction to Aminet. Most (all?) unzip programs are shell-based. A GUI solution requires a bit more effort to get set up.
The Cocolino and keyboard adaptor should have zero effect on WHDLoad.
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I don't think the pal issue is the problem. All the games I've selected are ntsc games. It isn't that the game begins and then turns black or anything. It is that when I double click on the icon, it brings up a small rectangular "execute a file" window comes up asking me to "enter command arguements". It almost looks like the program doesn't know where to look to start. Do I need to direct the icon to associate itself with WHDLoad?
Barney
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Another funny thing I saw is when I tried to run "the Pawn", I got an error message stating "error during "resload_LoadKick", Invalid kickstart image". What kickstart image am I supposed to be using and where is this kickstart image located? Thanks.
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I don't think the pal issue is the problem. All the games I've selected are ntsc games. It isn't that the game begins and then turns black or anything. It is that when I double click on the icon, it brings up a small rectangular "execute a file" window comes up asking me to "enter command arguements". It almost looks like the program doesn't know where to look to start. Do I need to direct the icon to associate itself with WHDLoad?
Barney
Again, don't unzip the games on your pc, but unzip them directly on your Amiga. There are unzip-programs to be found on Aminet.
More important: calm down and check the things mentioned in the thread without any mood swings (you seem to change quite rapidly between 'WHDload sucks' and 'WHDLoad is great' and back again). Relax, take a breath and count to 10.
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Ok I will attempt to unzip on the Amiga. Does anybody know what unzipper works best? Aminet is overwhelming me with all their options. Which is easiest to use? Thanks.
Barney
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If you're getting errors about Kickstart images, the solution is to RTFM :). Any game that requires a Kickstart image will have this in the readme:
The game requires an installed A1200 or A4000 Kickstart 3.1 image.
The kickstart image must be located in the directory "Devs:Kickstarts" and
must be named "kick40068.A1200" (resp kick40068.A4000).
The image can be extracted from a A1200 (resp A4000) with tools like 'GrabKick'
or similar which can be found on aminet.
If the image is of wrong version or altered in any way WHDLoad will quit with
an appropriate requester.
Additionally the file "kick40068.A1200.RTB" (resp "kick40068.A4000.RTB")
must be installed in the same directory as the kickstart image.
It can be found in the archive "util/boot/skick346.lha" on aminet.
...or something equivalent for Kickstart 1.3.
If you're getting an "Execute Command..." requester, you're probably doing something wrong. An installed WHDLoad game directory typically contains:
-Game.slave
-Game.info (which will appear as simply an icon called "Game" on the Workbench
-Either a directory called data or files called Disk.1, Disk.2, etc.
-A Readme and Readme.info
All you have to do is double-click "Game" and it should start right up.
Post the output from a 'dir' listing of one of your game directories so we can see what's going on. I agree with others that something's going wrong in the extraction process.
Also possible, but incredibly unlikely, is that Game.info is configured badly. It should be a Project type icon (not Tool), with default tool WHDLoad and one of the tooltypes should be SLAVE=Game.slave. If you have OS3.9, you can change it to a Project icon directly from the Icon Information window, otherwise load it into SYS:Tools/IconEdit and change it from the menu there.
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Ok I will attempt to unzip on the Amiga. Does anybody know what unzipper works best? Aminet is overwhelming me with all their options. Which is easiest to use? Thanks.
Barney
They're all equally easy/difficult to use - from the shell. I use this one (http://aminet.net/package/util/arc/unz542xA). Extract it and copy UnZip to C: (ignore everything else in the archive for now). Just run it and it'll tell you how to use it.
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Ok, unzipper file "unzip" dropped into the C: on DH0: What is the next step?
Barney
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Ok, unzipper file "unzip" dropped into the C: on DH0: What is the next step?
Read the manual. What else?
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Do I need ot have a kickstart image in the DH0:, Devs, kickstarts folder? I attempt to run and it states I need one. I hope I can find this kickstart image.
Barney
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I attempt to run and it states I need one.
Read your own message carefully and then think about it.
Your computer states it needs a certain file without which it can not perform the task you require it to do. And you ask if you need that file? What do you think? That your computer is making fun of you and creating random error messages just because it likes it that way?
Come on barney, you seem to stampede through the topic without thinking or reading carefully. You ignore about 95% of the tips given and give hardly any significant feedback on what you have tried yourself.
Software needs getting used to. Some software needs adjusting according to your liking or to the hardware you have.
WHDload has a manual which you should read carefully, as you should also read any ReadMe files accompanying the WHDload-games you download. All the info you need to run WHDload is either in the manual, in the ReadMe of the specific game or already in this very topic. Try a little harder to understand what you're working with.
You're using a machine from the early 90-ies, designed in the 80-ies and it needs a different approach compared to the current 'next-next-next-ok-run' generation. You have to find out things yourself.
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Ok, I have tried everything suggested on this thread and I didn't ignore any of the advise given. Sorry if I didn't get back with every detail of what I discovered but I have been quite busy lately.
Now I understand the reflex answer is to "read the manual", but I can't tell you how many times I have still come up not finding the answer. Simply put, there are many knowledgable people out there that can sum up how to use this entire program in a few simple sentences.
On the other side of the coin, I did in fact "read the manual" but I was still no closer to the answer than before I read it. What it came down to was 2 files that I needed to have installed the in the Kickstarts folder. One of the files, I did find mention of in the manual and the other file I discovered by accident after a 2 hour google search. Over all, the manual is helpful in many ways but If a person can't get the thing running in a tolerable amount of time, they are going to say "forget it" and move on.
I would have loved to see a clear, visible page that said: here are the files you need. Put these files in "this location" and this is how to run a game..
Oh well, I did finally get it working, so I guess I can stop complaining how. Thanks everybody for the help.
Barney
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What it came down to was 2 files that I needed to have installed the in the Kickstarts folder. One of the files, I did find mention of in the manual and the other file I discovered by accident after a 2 hour google search.
Out of curiosity... what exactly was this second file you needed?
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You need the requested kickstart image for the game install and an accompanying .RTB file that can be found in the skick package on Aminet.
It's in the manual. Just had to say that... ;)