Have you tried running it in compatibility mode?
 
Right-click the executable, Properties, Compatibility tab.
 
Crash fix patches.
 
 

downloaded "patch" did not seem to make a difference. The compatibility mode was tried for all four settings with negative results. Any other ideas?

New error message as follows:
 
 
Unable to load function: FT_Thunk (KERNAL32.dll)
 
 
Any ideas?

Try with or without compatibility mode and try the various ones.
 
95,98,2000

Compat tests 95 and 98/ME give above error message.
2000 and NT, as well as running without the Compat test, give error message: "Wrong Disk Inserted"
 

Might want to try a NOCD patch. Try megagames.

i have this game i had downloaded a bootleg copy off the net it works exelent on my winxp it was designd to run on vista hence vista games on box there is an app out there dont know what its called since it instals it on my winxp black editon v4.10 disk but if u can trak it down it can patch the exe file to run as vista if ur using vista then idk also check ur video card to make sure its compatible....note compatibility mode wont work cuz all the modes are out of date and will not work.....we want quality not piece of shit hardware

Hi Everyone
 
This is a solution to the Shadowman no disc, and direct x failure in xp service pack 2
 
First my story: I really loved the game but was unhappy with the graphics on play station still I worshiped the game, final I lost he game, and always wanted the PC version because the DEMO graphic looked so much better. I played the DEMO in XP! So ordering the disc from Germany on ebay, I hoped it worked on xp….
 
Horrified, with al these problems, (but he DEMO worked) So I began trouble shooting with no result, and trying the compatibility over and over.
 
The readme file warns not to insert the demo files into the acclaim folder in program files, installed from the purchased disc.
It does not work, but what does work is uninstalling shadow man completely, installing the demo first and installing the game over the demo, something happens, and the demo allowed the shadowman exe to work! First copy the disc files to a folder on desktop (do not install directly form the disc)
 
Its so crazy it works. I also used compatibility settings and fooled around with exe substitutes for shadowman and the 3Dconfig file. But I belief it’s the demo files that did the trick. I spent 2 week getting it running….the demo is on fileplanet and the .exe replacements files are on gamecopyworld, it think that the name. The replacement exe did not work for me in South Africa.
 
Why does it work then, if you know the CD manufacturing industry you’ll know that the game cd was made before the demo, before the game launce they realized the mess up big time and only fixed the DEMO, to boost sales of the PC and Playstation version. I also noticed that the direct 3D is turned off by the installation, dxdialog in windows folder. So turn it back those setting back on. I also have admin rights.