Integrated Intel graphics and EAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Hi guys,

I have an old Pentium 4 Windows XP PC with integrated Intel extreme graphics 2 and I was helping to play EAW on it for the nostalgia. I followed what most folk on here say to do as in RIP the game from the disc to a folder then install 1.01, 1.20, 1.28, 1.28c, 1.28d then 1.28e which fixes my 7217 problem i originally had. But i have a new problem and I was helping someone on here would be kind enough to help me out. The game starts up but the intro movie is blacked out but i can hear sound though and if i hit ESC and skip the intro movie the main menu pops up but the bottom half of my screen is missing. This doesn't happen if i click on Instant mission though the screen then appears fine during combat. But I can't see everything at the bottom half of the main menu and not being able to see the intro is kind of annoying as well. Does anyone know how to fix both the intro movie and the missing bottom half of the menu screens?

Also, this PC is connected to a monitor with a resolution of 1280x1024.

Any help would be greatly apprenticed.

Edited May 22, 2022 by TheRandoGuy

[MarkEAW 63]

The issue maybe with the Integrated Intel Graphics. Sounds like you need a Wrapper program to try to get it working.

Not sure which one, been to long since I worked on this.

https://eaw.neocities.org/troubleshoot.html#wrap

That link is some partial help.

 

EDIT: after a few hours i was able to remember some things. Since you have Intel, then maybe your going to need nGlide wrapper for EAW. Also a directdraw wrapper for the main (menu) screens.

Please read my site for help, if you have more questions, just post them here.

Edited May 23, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Hi Mark thanks for reply.

Before i messaged on here originally, I Installed nGlide wrapper but that alone didn't fix it, unless i have to configure it in a certain way? But i did what you also suggested and downloaded directdraw wrapper from www.bitpatch.com. Any idea where i should put all these directdraw wrapper files? I've never used this before.

Edited May 23, 2022 by TheRandoGuy

[MarkEAW 63]

This is what I have:  https://eaw.neocities.org/troubleshoot.html#wrap

You do need a DD wrapper however for the screens. The in-flight screen you will need nglide or perhaps a Direct3D wrapper. nGlide should be fine for the flight screens to cure in game problems.

You set your resolution in the EAW.INI file (try 1024x768) also you have to set Glide mode in the EAW.INI or in the menu config screen in game.

Usually for a wrapper program you dump the files into the games EAW folder.....you gotta read up on some of this. https://eaw.neocities.org/
EDIT: I just look, the ddwrapper you got (http://bitpatch.com/ddwrapper.html) has 2 or 3 files...it said to add them to the game folder. I remember vaguely using that one program. It solved some problems I had on Win7.

 

Keep reading and testing, ask whatever you want.

Edited May 23, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

I can't seem to find a Direct3D wrapper. But i put all wrapper files you mentioned before in my EAW folder. I also tried the D3Dwindower on your website and it seems to have fixed the menus but not the intro. I can't seem to be able to keep the Glide option in graphics settings selected either, it auto switches back to software. Might be because my nGlide app doesn't really support XP I might have to find an older version maybe? I'm not really that tech savvy, but how do you set Glide in the EAW.INI?

[MarkEAW 63]

https://eaw.neocities.org/eaw-ini.html

Thats to my EAW.INI Help doc.

But it sounds like your nGlide isn't working correctly or at all.

So I'm thinking the game defaults to software mode. Or maybe you have a readonly ini file?

Get rid of nGlide if you want and try openGlide: OpenGLide_009rc7.zip

https://sourceforge.net/projects/openglide/files/OpenGLide - Binaries/Release 0.09 Alpha/

or download the non portable version, the nGlide with an installer, and read the readme/website as to how to install it.

Read my site over, start with the first help document then goto the next etc...If you need help while im away.

 

OH, I highly doubt you'll get the movies to work. Try reading my install help doc and download the empty or small size movies CDF file......

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Alright man thanks.

Just an update when you see this. I was actually able to indirectly fix the intro/videos by setting up the D3Dwindower window mode options by ticking the following: DDraw color emulate ON, DDraw color convert ON, DDraw primary Bit ON, DDraw emulate ON, DDraw auto bit ON. I left DirectX DDraw1-7 ON, Direct 3D ON & GDI ON. Now the intro & other videos play lol. But if i had to choose i'd rather be able to actually play the game then have the videos.

Apparently nGlide is still being supported on XP too.

I also tried to change the EAW.INI DisplayDevice from 0 to 1 after i uninstalled nGlide and dumped the Open Glide files to the EAW folder. But it still switches back to software ingame & it changes back to 0 in the INI file too... if i dare to try an see how it is under software when i click instant mission the game crashes to windows and gives an 0x00000fd error. Not like i want to play it under software anyway.

Edited May 23, 2022 by TheRandoGuy

[TheRandoGuy 0]

EDIT: I noticed if i turn off DirectX 8-9 Direct 3D in the D3D Windower i get Glide ingame and it saves when i select it. Buuuut... my menu goes half missing again >.<

[MarkEAW 63]

All this should be all done real quick, the swapping of the wrapper programs and such. Like swap, run and check if its working.

OpenGlide should work fine.

a DirectDraw wrapper should help to for the menus.

Just forget about the movie, I did think if you configured for the movie, the flight screen would mess up, or run real slow.

If I'm right 0 is for Glide mode in the EAW.INI file.

 

Hopefully you read some of my help documents in order and learned about the placement of the game folder and no compatibility settings need to be set with the shortcut to the game.

Your on WinXP, little testing on my behalf for that OS, mostly the help was derived from others and little testing.

 

So with the wrappers set as I recommended in my help documents, does your game work menus and flight screen? (I was confused on if its working or not).

 

[TheRandoGuy 0]

I've come to the conclusion that the D3D windower won't do Glide or Direct 3D for me wrapper or not. I say this because when i don't use it and load in to the game (with half a screen) the graphics settings menu allows for Direct 3D or Glide and it saves. But crashes when i select instant mission. The wrappers don't seem to do anything honestly. The only (soft of) success I've had is with a EAW 1.20 setup & with D3D windower and the game set on software mode which avoids the 7217 error. This game is a pain in the ass. 

I noticed the D3D windower has a setect DLL, what is this for?

[MarkEAW 63]

Hmm, you didn't read the instructions on my site. 

You'll need to link the dll with the D3D windower program. Thats is the main part of the wrapper that drives the DD.

Your really missing out not reading and following the steps in my help documents!

The 7217 issue is non existent when EAW is setup correctly with a DD wrapper program, that's an old error that the wrappers correct on all of them, with any version of the game. There is one issue which may ruin it with that error, if you run eaw.exe without a wrapper sometimes windows (Im not sure if its also winxp) will write a registry entry, then when the wrapper is loaded it will produce that 7217 error incorrectly, because of a conflict.
(And nobody uses software mode, its either DirectDraw/Direct 3D or DirectDraw/Glide.)

 

Start with the first Help Document at my site with a cup of coffee or anything with caffeine and read. It won't take long. You can probably follow the instructions perfectly since you been dabbling with the game so far.

In the past the Intel integrated graphics finds freedom in a dd wrapper and a glide wrapper, It works better than windows alone in most peoples cases.
Yes your on WinXP but that's not a deal breaker......you just have to read and follow, then I can help properly. 

The questions you ask and the conclusion you came too show me that you need more education on the topic. Please read my site.

I'll still answer your questions, but without doing the work from the help docs, you just won't get it. Tons of work has been put into the docs btw.....they could use more work...but anyhow get reading! :)

 

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Bro I did read the help section. I tried all the wrappers none worked i tried messing with the INI file changing the DisplayDevice from 1 to 0. I can't seem to find the "Troubleshoot Help Document' for Wrapper Program info" on your site too. I even tried the GOG version which works on my windows 11 PC btw, but it gives me that annoying that 7212 error even with a DD wrapper on my XP machine. I'd save myself the effort and a day and just play the GOG version on my Win11 PC if had more desk space for a joystick rather then go through a headache. But yeah Like i said im not that tech savvy lol. But anyways i think i'll give up on this and not waste anymore of your time either. Thanks for everything though.

[+gerwin 451]

2 hours ago, TheRandoGuy said:

. I even tried the GOG version which works on my windows 11 PC btw, but it gives me that annoying that 7212 error even with a DD wrapper on my XP machine.

For what it is worth. I have this laptop with Windows XP and intel Graphics (i3-2310M), and decided to quickly try the GOG version of EAW on there.

Their latest installer is setup_european_air_war_1.20_(45828).exe.

(The GOG installer is doing something with DirectX 9 redist and also some command prompt commands which quickly popped up an disappeared again. Edit: firewall.cmd?)

To my surprise it works OK out of the box. Movies, Menu's, 3D hardware rendering.

By default it was configured to use Direct 3D through their wrapper. This gives a rather poor frame-rate. Also when I change FSAA in dxcfg.exe things go wrong, so I had to set that back again.Instead I selected Glide in the game menu and that gives a way better frame-rate, through nGlide that is.

Edited May 23, 2022 by gerwin

[rwatson 26]

Are you using the GOG version or installing from the disks ??https://www.gog.com/en/game/european_air_war

[MarkEAW 63]

You don't need to give up. But if you want to that's okay too.
It could take about 30to45 mins to test various settings after reading the help docs.

Troubleshoot is right off the main page, wrapper info is in that page.

The GOG version is easier to setup, it has a GOG Direct Draw wrapper and a portable version of nGlide.

The GOG eaw.exe is a super update compared to the stock eaw.exe BTW. they updated the direct x/dd stuff inside it. More info at my site......

It just seems your all over the place instead of sticking to instructions that work.

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Hey Mark, I know i gave on EAW awhile ago but I decided to give it EAW another go and I had a bit more success with it. I found a download on SimHQ of eaw1.28efullversion-3-1-2017 and best thing is that it gives me Direct3D right off the bat and i got Glide to work by using the OpenGLide_009rc7 found on your website and seems to work with eaw1.28efullversion-3-1-2017 files quite well. But... I still needed the D3D windower to fix the main menu screen. The DD wrapper doesn't fix the main menu. I read that there is a way to combine both OpenGlide & DD wrapper but you don't seem to mention how to do that,  unless i missed something regrading that. Anyway, As I've said before OpenGlide works but when i quit out of a instant mission, campaign or whatever the game crashes back to windows instead of that end mission clipboard screen, so i now I have this issue. Also, is there way to get rid of the D3d windower toolbar at the top of the screen while playing, in other words make D3d windower full screen? if that's even possible.

Thanks

[MarkEAW 63]

eh. Yeah I never did try to get two foriegn wrappers to work. (Windows 10 displays the DX menu screens perfectly but your on Intel GPU so forget that)). Someone else here may have used two different wrappers.

All I can say is use the English version of the D3DWrapper1.88
D3DWindower 1.88 - (menopem, NamelessVoice) - http://www.fileplanet.com/198137/190000/fileinfo/D3DWindower-English-version/
It might be on my mediafire account also.

So maybe use the D3D mode (its in the EAW.INI file, open with notepad) for EAW and the wrapper normally takes care of the menu screens and the flight screen (the screen you fly in).

or possiable drop the openGLide in the EAW folder (make sure to set Glide in the EAW.INI) and launch with the D3DWrapper.

 

I've heard of the toolbar showing up, the D3DWrapper does have a setting for window mode or full screen. 
But with Nvidia there video drivers allow for full screen or two bars on the side of the screen. I belive I have written about that on my site. I know your using Intel though.

Keep posting what happens and I'll see if I can investiage further. :)

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by MarkEAW
added some info

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Ya i used the English version of D3Dwindower found on your website. There is a setting in D3D called windowed mode so i tried unticking it but the toolbar is still there. I think it's called a toolbar... it's basically the bar has Minimize/Restore/Close on the top right hand corner of the screen. I don't know what it is but DD wrapper doesn't do anything for me as far as menu screens go. And yeah, the crashing after i exit out of a mission i can't seem to get my head around why it's doin that. If i switch to Direct3D there is no crashing but but ingame kinda stutters a bit. Glide is defo the way to go.

Edited July 7, 2022 by TheRandoGuy

[MarkEAW 63]

Hmmm, your on WinXP and a Intel GPU.....thinking.....

 

You might want to try a diffent wrapper. The menu screens use DX/DD, the flight screen uses DX or Glide.

Your using a good Glide Wrapper, I like it for EAW, since it restores fog and terrain shimmer is reduced. This outputs to OpenGL with your system aperently has.

Anyhow its the Intel GPU causing the problems. It sucks with DX, even wrapped.

Might need something like DXWND to get it to support virtual video card outputs APIs on WinXP, like openglide does to openGL.
Right now I can't remeber which one it is. I'm think all or most of the wrappers up convert to either DX8 or DX9..so I'm not sure.

I know some people have gotten EAW to run with Intel GPUs with Wrappers, so its not a lost case.

 

Try the GOG version, the eaw.exe has been modified, it comes with a GOG Wrapper for DX, it wont run without but you may have more luck on WinXP/Intel chip that way.

Run EAW in Glide mode with openglide(or the included nGlide) and see if the the GOG wrapper will work for the menu screens. Hopefully freeing you to use the glide wrapper.
 

Edited July 7, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

UPDATE: I got rid of that toolbar thing by keeping window mode switched off on D3Dwindower and also disabling DDrw primary bit option seems to do the trick. So, the only issue left is just the crashing after exiting a mission. I tried the GOG version awhile ago, but unfortunately it gives me that annoying 7217 error. I did look at DXWND earlier today but i'm not sure how to use it for EAW.

[MarkEAW 63]

Hmm, I don't think my instructions included DDrw primary as a checked item....odd.

Anyhow......

Usually a CTD after returning from flight is returning from a Campaign and the Movies try to play. Is your MOVIES.CDF in the game folder small, like 1kb or 233 megs?

Should be small or "empty" to avoid that paticulur crash.

Maybe the saved missions are corrupted or read only.
However I never did experience that one.

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by MarkEAW

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Hello Mark,

I'm pleased to report after months of trail an error i finally fixed EAW and it runs beautifully on my retro XP PC. Okay so I fixed the after mission screen crashing issue by using a program found on your website called: DxWnd. I selected Directx 7 and selected the GDi renderer setting on said program and voila!! it now works and it's actually playable. DxWnd also helped me fix another nostalgic game from my childhood as well. Anyway, i just wanna say thanks for all your help mate! 10000000+ rep

[MarkEAW 63]

Thats great! I feel better, glad you persited and didn't give up completly.

Have fun. 

[TheRandoGuy 0]

Well it was short lived Lol. It plays fine i until i press the T key on my keyboard to find the closest enemy aircraft then it shutters hard. I feel like this game is trolling me at this point Lmao

[MarkEAW 63]

Aw geez. You are having many issues that are not common. This T one is another new one to me. :(

Does the DxWnd work with WinXP properly? I don't seem to have that in my link description for it. Maybe thats part of the problem??? IDK