Why hasn't anyone replied to this sooner?
 
Okay. You need to be running the 1.1 Dos version of the game, since the W95 ver doesn't work in XP.
 
Here's a quick step-by-step guide to get everything up and running from the setup program onwards:
 
1. Download and install VDMSound.
 
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/vdmsound/VDMSound-2.0.4-WinNT-i386.msi?download
 
2. Install and then locate MINST.EXE on your Mech2 CD, right click on the .exe and choose 'run with vdmsound'.
 
3. Continue through the setup program (and ignore any errors it throws at you, use autodetect for the sound card settings.
 
Whenever you wish to run Mech 2 you must do so by running the mech2.exe with vdmsound.
 
If you want CD Audio and Hi-res graphics you need a few more files:
 
Nolfb (can't find this atm but i can email it to you, its only a few k in size)
 
Sapucdex, can be downloaded from:
 
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=1715
 
To install nolfb just extract the .zip file into your mech2 folder and create a .bat file in the same folder containing the following:
 
nolfb.com
mech2.exe
 
Save the file and run it with vdmsound.
 
To enable cd audio support extract sapucdex to your windows\system32 folder and then you need to edit a few files:
 
Firstly autoexec.nt (which is also located in your system32 folder). Edit with notepad or a similar program and replace the line:
 
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
 
with
 
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\sapucdex.exe
 
Finally add "REM" (no quotes) to the line beginning something like:
 
Set blaster = A220 I5 etc..
 
e.g.
 
REM SET BLASTER = A220 etc...
 
 
Save the edited file.
 
Now locate autoexec.vdms (it's in the folder where you installed vdmsound). Edit this and again replace the line ending with mscdexnt.exe with sapcdex.exe as before.
 
Everything should work ok now, if not just tell me and we see if we can sort something out.
 
If you want to run Mech2 from a shortcut on your desktop, edit the .bat file I mentioned earlier and put dosdrv.exe above the other two entries then make a shortcut to this file on your desktop. (no need to run the new shortcut with Vdmsound now)
 
Phew! Hope that helped.

Thank you very much for that guide, me along with everyone that played mech2 on Mplayer thank you greatly!
 
The Mech2 community has been trying to figure out a solution to that for 3 years!!!
 
Let me note for those that have netmech 95 do not lose hope, netmech dos is available to download for free!
 
http://www.3dgamers.com/games/mechwarrior2/downloads/
 
Make note that mechwarrior 2 win 95 version must be installed before the netmech dos works.
 
To install MechWarrior 2 Win 95 version on XP you must do the following:
 
1. Go to the program compatibility Wizard. Start - > Programs -> Accessories - Program Compatibility Wizard
 
2. Insert MechWarrior 2 CD
 
3. Run the Wizard and select that you want to use the program in the CD Rom.
 
4. Select Windows 95 on the next section.
 
5. Next Section check box the disable visual themes.
 
6. Finish off the wizard and run the mech2 installer.
 
Now after installing mech2 make note that the win 95 game will never run period. From here however you are able to install the netmech dos from http://www.3dgamers.com/games/mechwarrior2/downloads/
 
Follow the instructions in the previous guide and everything should work perfictly. *modifying step 2 and using the downloaded netmech with VDM Sound.
 
Now you should be able to play it on http://www.kali.net after you have completed the guide.
 
Of important note the 1024 x 768 resoultion in netmech dos is selectable, however it will crash the game if you use it, so make sure to use 640 x 480.
 
Anyway, if anyone want a game of either the win95 version, 3dfx version, mercs, or dos netmech please feel free to e-mail me at bpmmpd@im4god.org!

Instructions for Getting it setup correctly for play on kali.net
 
Now basically, what we need to do is simply make a bat file with dosdrv.exe, nolfb.com and netmech.exe to get this to work.
 
If you don't know how to make a bat file here is how.
 
1. Open a Text Editor
 
2. Paste this in there.
 
dosdrv.exe
nolfb.com
NETMECH.EXE
 
3. Save It to the netmech directory making sure to save it as a .bat file. You can name it anything you like.
 
4. Test it to see if it launches correctly by running the bat, if all goes will you should get into the first netmech screen then be able to exit. If you do not have the noflb.com you can download it from here http://advsys.net/ken/nolfb.zip .
Make sure to extract nolfb.com to the netmech dos directory.
 
Now For Kali Setup:
 
You should already have you drive scanned for games and netmech.exe being detected for netmech dos.
 
1. Right click the netmech dos icon and go to the propertys.
 
2. Now in the path select the .bat file you made.
 
3. Launch in a game through kali and see if it launches correctly.
 
It is as easy as that!
Hope this helps someone!
 
-Sir MMPD Radick

Hey guys
We'll I've done everything you all have said and it worked almost perfectly. The game at least runs now, but the only problem is I can only play in the Instant Action/Call of Trial, and I really really want to play on the alliegences. So, when I click to go into the alliegence, the game takes me thru the intro movie for that alliegence, but then when its just about to open the alliegence room, it exits to the desktop, no error. So, I went into DOS mode and went into the game that way. Well, now when I go into that way, it will go past that alliegence intro movie, and it will open the alliegence room, but it will freeze, no mouse or arrow keys will work, and everything is like in negative art. I tried to make a boot disk but it gives me an error when I do, and nothing seems to work. I've tried using Compatibility Wizards (even under DOS), got the DOS 1.1 Patch (which by the way, fails without any error as well, in DOS mode), and all my drivers are 32 bit! I made sure all my screen settings were the required settings, nothing seems to be working. If anyone can help me, I would be greatly thankful.
 
Thanks!

well dunno what to tell ya, since I do not have the actuall dos version of mech2 to try it I cannot comment much. I only have the dos netmech which is above, and thats not much help for the single player.
 

 
I will try my Dos GBL cd and see if maybe it is the same as the origional mech2.
 
Dual Boots are still the most simple and effective method to playing mech2.

Well, I have tried every GBL, Mercs, and Mech2 all dos versions today, the final results are as follows.
 
GBL, Mercs run flawlessly without any problems and will run without VDM if you can get past the CD problem.
 
MechWarrior 2 however is a different story entirely.
As in the previous post by Ramsey0500 it will not run except for the TOG. For all intents and purposes however it is perfict for online play on kali, but useless for singleplayer.
 
I was able to get the whole entire game running today, but it was in very poor shape. I Hex edited the MechWarrior 2 exe so that it does not need a cd in order for dos box to accept launching the game. I was able to use every menu and the whole game in entirety, but it was so slow it was unplayable.
 
My System specs are pretty high so I know it is not a CPU problem.
 
I do know that it is possible to get a very playable single player through XP for mechwarrior 2 through Microsoft Virtual PC, however that software costs a bundle to buy. 30 day trial tho if ya want a quick run through the game. It will run mech2 win 95 version without any problems, least on my system.
 
Anywho, I suggest picking up a copy of DOS mercs, DOS GBL if ya want to play a mech2 game...
 
And again netmech dos for mechwarrior 2 does function without any problems with VDMS sound and the rest of the tweaks on this page.
 
Sorry that this is not much help, but that's all I could figure out in a day.

One comment and a question...
 
I'm going to try running this with VMware (because I happen to have a seat for it) were there any special considerations to keep in mind for running this with Virtual PC? Is there any specific platform that is "best" for MechWarrior Win95? Win98SE?
 
Also, assuming failure and that I just want a "Mech Warrior"-like shoot-em-up... Are there any suggestions for more current games? Heavy Gear?

Well there are of course the Mech sequels. Mechwarrior 3/4. Of course you can't compare Mech 4 to Mech 2 since they are so different (Mech 2 being good overall, Mech 4 just good graphics).
 
Heavy Gear is another good one.
 
 
As for Mechwarrior 2/Mercs under VMware/VPC. The problem there is that SFX under VMware/VPC is TERRIBLE. If you have a high-end PC (2.5GHZ+) then you will want to play Mech2/Mercs under Dosbox. Information on how to run Mech2/Mercs under Dosbox is at http://vogons.zetafleet.com and DosBox is at Http://dosbox.sourceforge.net

i was able to play MechWarrior 2 fully with the DOS install under XP - and yes, i was even able to go to the clan halls and play each clan's single-player missions, as well as ToG.
i have a soundblaster live! card, and it does a great job of emulating old soundblasters. so, when i used to try to play the game i could only play ToG - and it worked perfectly with full sound and no modification. however, when i tried to go to a clan hall, the cutscene would play and then it would exit.
i decided to try NOLFB, and now it works without a hitch.
so, using ONLY a batch file with NOLFB and MECH2, i am able to play the game under XP (No VDMSound at all).
this helped:
http://www.mektek.net/forums/index.php?a...668176ac2fdfe3a
but that thread is essentially this one.
 

LOL! Compare VDMSOUND/Dosbox/Real DOS with Mechwarrior to XP sound emulation and you will see that VDMSound/Dosbox/Real Dos are FAR superior.
 
You may have listened to a few quick sound samples and deemed it worthy but trust me.....it's not.

Hey,
 
I'm really glad I came across this forum, since I've been trying like crazy to get my old copy of Mechwarrior 2 : 31st Century Combat Win 95 pentium edition to work forever.
 
Basically, I am running under windows XP Home edition. I've tried changing my mech 2.exe properties to allow for win 95, with no success. Basically the window closes before the game can fully launch. I only see a blank window for a moment, and then back to desktop. I tried running it with Virtual as was suggested by another poster, but I cant really figure out what I'm doing with it. I actually think I used DOS instead of win95 as the OS, like a true newbie.
 
Anyways, will Virtual PC work with the win95 version, on winXP home edition? If so, are there any instructions on how to do so? Or does anyone know a more "idiot-friendly" way to get mech2 working? I only want to play single player games, btw, so netmech isnt necessary. Thx.

Oops, quick update,
 
When I run Virtual PC, it asks me to:
 
"Reboot and select proper boot Device, or insert boot media in selected boot device."
 
I assume this is saying i should restart and try to run win95 from disk..or something, problem is, I no longer have my win95 disk.
 
uhh, I hate that MS made it so hard to run old programs on new OS's. Especially since I'm a complete computer newbie.

Mech2 & Mercs for Win95 cannot be run in NT4/2000/XP due to a directx incompatibility somewhere.
 
The only way to run Mech2 & Mercs under native Windows is to use the Dos version. (I think I may have heard of someone getting the Voodoo version working but I am not sure.)
 
Now if you want to emulate the Windows version of Mechwarrior then you need to use either Virtual PC or VMware.
 
Before you can get Mechwarrior going you first have to install an OS in Virtual PC or Vmware.
 
Virtual PC/Vmware is basically another computer, so whatever actions you need to take to get an OS on a Real PC are the same actions you need to do on a Virtual PC.
 
IIRC, the 95/98/ME CD's are not bootable. You'll need to insert a bootable floppy disk with CDROM support to boot the virtual machine, mount the physical 95/98/ME CD and then install 95/98/ME.
 
Once you get 9x install, Then you may install Mech2/Mercs. If you install the latest updates for each game DO NOT install Direct3D when the updates ask. VirtualPC/Vmware do not support Direct3D.
 
 
After all this trouble Mech2/Mercs will run....but the sound will be terrible (Virtual PC/Vmware have terrible sound support). Your better off using DOS mech2/mercs in NT4/2K/XP NTVDM, or using Dosbox (You'll get superior sound but you'll have to run in a lower resolution), or running the game in Real Dos.

Damn. Its gonna be pretty hard finding a DOS version of a game that old, unless its become abandonware. Thanks for the help.

When you do find a copy read this:
 
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=7728
 
I wish I had all the different versions of Mechwarrior. Then I could simply run a windiff against them, find out what's different and then it would be simple to simply upload whatever files are needed for whichever ver of Mechwarrior a person had. The versions of Mechwarrior aren't that different. Unfortunately, it is pretty hard to get the copies unless you resort to downloading them off the net or scoure ebay/internet for hours.

Originally posted by dosfreak:

Quote:When you do find a copy read this: 
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=7728
 
I wish I had all the different versions of Mechwarrior. Then I could simply run a windiff against them, find out what's different and then it would be simple to simply upload whatever files are needed for whichever ver of Mechwarrior a person had. The versions of Mechwarrior aren't that different. Unfortunately, it is pretty hard to get the copies unless you resort to downloading them off the net or scoure ebay/internet for hours.
 
have you ever been here: http://www.geocities.com/k_lupinsky/ ?
in my opinion, that is the most useful mech2 site on the internet. read the FAQ.

Of course, but the site isn't helpful for 2000/XP users.

Originally posted by dosfreak:

Quote:Of course, but the site isn't helpful for 2000/XP users. you and i seem to be sharing similar goals; recently a friend and i picked up our aging copies of mech2 and were like "we never played netmech." so, i did a boatload of googling and figured a few things out. for the past week or so we have been playing netmech with eachother on kali, using the dos version under XP.
my current goal is to collect all the 3d enhanced versions, release their special files online, and install win9x on a partition. then i would like to run them (with or without older video hardware (lots of experimentation with glide wrappers, etc)), and play netmech online with my buddies, 3d-enhanced-style.
i think at that point i will release a nice webpage that tells people what to do to in order to join us. i call it "the 10th anniversary mech2/netmech revival movement!"
i never played titanium, and would like to - but ive heard mixed things about it, like that it just doesnt bring forth the same "feel" as the original and 3d enhanced versions.
if these things sound cool to you, go here:
http://s7.invisionfree.com/odm/index.php?showforum=6
and make a post to just let me know you are interested. you seem to know what you are doing. thanks!
 
ps - i am hooby

Hey all,
 
I've just picked up Mercs (never really liked 31st Century as much) again after several years, and sound wasn't working UNTIL: there's a batch file in the mercs directory called "setsound.bat", and it lets you choose your soundcard. I have some random onboard card on my asus k8v, but it still detects it as a SoundBlaster (compatible). After running this, I am able to simply run "mercs.exe", without any nolfb or vdms at all! The sound is a little choppy, but it's still there! (I updated to 1.1, but I don't know if it matters.) Just thought this might help at least a few of you - most of you seem to be trying to run 31st Century. Anyway, good luck!

NOLFB is required with some video cards when entering missions, since that initializes the 3D portion of the game. (In both Mech2/Mercs)
 
It's also required in Mech2 when the screen where you enter your name pops up. Otherwise the screen will freeze. (Again only with some video cards).
 
 
VDMSound with SHSUCDEX is required if you want Mechwarrior 2\Mercs audio as close to the DOS version as possible. SHSUCDEX is required for CD audio under NT4/2K/XP.