SWOTL CD-ROM FAQ

I'm sorry that you've encountered so many problems with SWOTL CD. 
Unfortunately, this is an older game (1990), that we sold the rights for 
to Mindscape [formerly "The Software Toolworks"]. As part of this 
agreement, Mindscape is to handle all technical support for this new, CD 
version of the game. It appears that the CD version of the game, in 
particular, has problems running in Windows 95. We here at LucasArts are 
not aware of the possible solutions to this problem or what the nature of 
the problem is, due to the programming changes that Mindscape made to 
SWOTL when releasing this new CD version of the game. We have been in 
contact with Mindscape ourselves, but they have not been able to provide 
us with any suggestions that we may pass along to customers. We apologize 
for this, but due to the circumstances involved, we have no choice but to 
refer customers who have the CD version of SWOTL to Mindscape for 
assistance.
- Eric / LucasArts

Well, that "answer" isn't great, but remember, it was someone else who screwed up a good thing. I'll try to be more helpful with the few "fixes" listed below. Please understand that I have only just obtained a copy of the CD-ROM version and so I have not tried all of these techniques out. If you know of something else that works, I'd love to hear about it! (My "best" answer has always been to scrap the CD-ROM and get the Air Combat Classics set instead, but you can effectively do that with my first suggestion listed below!)

One more confusing thing about the CD. I have noted that the CD-ROM version and the Air Combat Classics version (ACC) both report that they are version 2.2, and with the same date! However the files are not identical. In fact, you must have all the *.OVL files from the same set as the SWOTL.EXE file you are using (that is, they must all show the same file date.) If you decide to follow the advice in the next section this will take care of itself. But, when you press the [Alt][V] command during a mission you will see the same message as before you "upgraded" your copy. Don't worry...
 

I finally got a copy of the SWOTL CD so that I could try this out for myself. Prior to this I was depending on input from other users, such as Jack Woolf, who gave me the most valuable information. He told me that by using the "ACC upgrade" patch he had only two modifications to make. My experiments have lead me to believe it is even easier than that! Here's what I've found so far:

1. Use the CD to do a "Full Install" of SWOTL onto your hard drive.

(OR, just COPY the entire SWOTL subdirectory from the CD to your HD using DOS or Win95, or...)
2. Install the ACC "patch" by replacing the files in your SWOTL directory with those in the ACCSWOTL.ZIP file.
3. Make a SW.BAT file to run SWOTL. If you "installed" SWOTL from the CD simply edit the single line in the SW.CFG file to add "SWOTL" at the beginning. Or write this single line file yourself with any text editor. Either way, it should look something like this:

   SWOTL V S 5 Y N Y 64
Your settings may differ based on how you want SWOTL to run. (See the section in the SWOTL FAQ about the SW.BAT file for more info on what all those settings are.)
Save the file as SW.BAT and you are all set. From now on you will use SW.BAT to start the game. If you used the install program from the CD you can delete the TASK.BAT file since you won't need it anymore!

That's all there is to it (as far as I can tell...) You can now safely set your CD aside and enjoy SWOTL without it! (Please note that for purposes of the information found at this site, you will no longer be using the "CD-ROM version" but rather the "ACC version.") I have noted a few other minor points I'd like to mention as well:

• You can delete the \SWOTL\EMPTY subdirectory.
• The \SWOTL\CM subdirectory contains the "custom missions" from LA for the "Official Add-on Aircraft" but they need to be in the main \SWOTL directory to be accessible from the custom missions menu.
• The \SWOTL\HF subdirectory on the CD contains the SWOTL Manual. You can continue to access it from your HD with the UPSHOT program, or turn it into a plain text file, readable with any word processor, buy using the following method:
• Open the Manual with UPSHOT and press [Alt][F]
• Set the pages you want to convert as "0-298"
• Give the file a name, like MANUAL.TXT

Of course, if you use the above method to eliminate the need for the CD you will also eliminate all the potential problems with the add-ons as well!
 
 

I have also found that you can simply "fool" the program into thinking you have JOIN.EXE by naming any "empty" file with that name. You can make one with any text editor, or by simply typing this at the DOS prompt:
   COPY CON JOIN.EXE
Now press [SPACE] or any other character and then [ENTER]
Then press [CTRL][Z] and you have a 1 byte file called JOIN.EXE
Several people have told me this "fake file" works well.
 
 

How to make a boot disk for the CD/ROM of SWOTL.

1. Using the Setup Disk of Dos 6, I formated an A: Floppy Disk after booting up in this Dos Setup disk. Since I had both 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" Drives and both Dos Version 6, this came in quite handy.
2. Copied Join.exe Subst.exe, but had difficulty with Append.exe, which is for Dos Version 6.22 For this I created a subdirectory on my HD and copied Expand and Append.ex_ into this subdirectory. Expanded Append.exe and copied it onto my boot disk returned to A: Drive.
3. Copied Autoexec.dos and Cofig.dos onto this boot disk and changed their names to Autoexec.bat and Config.sys.
4. Copied the necessary files to work my CD/ROM and Mouse, plus those needed for Memmaker.
5. Rebooted my Boot Disk in A: Drive
6. Started Memmaker, but left my floppy disk in when it asked both times to remove it.
7. Once having the necessary conventional memory, I was set to start SWOTL CD/ROM. Went to D: Drive(my CD/ROM Drive) and typed SWOTL. It asked where I wanted to put SWOTL. I choose A: Drive as my Data Disk. It asked if I did and that was what I agreed to. Then it is loaded in the regular way that it did in Dos Version 6. But you need to only allow a much smaller Data space for camera storage of the camera film. Once it is full the next time, SWOTL will remove this camera data and you'll be ready to again run SWOTL CD/ROM.

The following is an excerpt from a message written by Doug Crowe, (72411.115%40compuserve.com. OR dcrowe%40telogy.com) Questions about the content should be addressed to the author.  I take no responsibility for its accuracy (or editorial comments.)

Wow! What a bummer! SWOTL CD doesn't run from WIN 95. Why?, Well MindScape apparently came up with some way out in left field method (Hah. Hah. they used documented DOS features and utilities) to attach the CD drive to the "data disk" using APPEND.EXE. I suspect that their intention was to guarantee that the SWOTL CD was in the drive too, shades of copy protection schemes of bygone eras.

How to fix. Apparently APPEND.EXE still does what it is supposed to do, except not from the command line. I wrote a new batch file called RUNLUFT.BAT

  SETVER 
  C:\UTIL\APPEND D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY
  COPY APPEND'S.BAK *.$$$ 
  SWOTL.EXE V S 5 Y N Y 1008

I will explain each line, line by line.

Line 1: SETVER
This installs another great DOS TSR idea. SETVER lies to programs in its list, and tells them that the current DOS version is whatever is in SETVER's list for that particular program. SETVER.EXE is in the WINDOWS directory, and right out of the box it tells APPEND.EXE that it's 6.20. (My path includes C:\WINDOWS, so I do not need to include that part.)

Line 2: C:\util\append D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\empty;
C:\util is where I put my 6.20 DOS APPEND.EXE. The rest if this command is copied right from TASK.BAT. Since I cut right to the chase, and only call APPEND.EXE once, it behaves.

Line 3: copy APPEND'S.BAK *.$$$
This is what convinced me that MindScape is playing copy protection games. TASK.BAT creates a file called APPEND'S.$$$ which has the output from the command APPEND. The command APPEND is supposed to make APPEND.EXE see that it is already installed and then write out the appended directory list. Instead APPEND just says "APPEND ALREADY INSTALLED". Well the string "D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\empty;" is what is supposed to be in APPEND'S.$$$. SWOTL.EXE erases APPEND'S.$$$, so it has to be re created every time. APPEND won't do it, so we have to. Further more, the program CDGAMES.EXE recreates TASK.BAT every time. So it looks to me like they tried to come up with some half-baked DOS method of forcing CDGAMES.EXE to run, and it appears to have some way of checking that is is on a CD drive. The bottom line is that they have forced that CD to be there.

Line 4: SWOTL V S 5 Y N Y 1008
The planes, The planes! Copied right from my task.bat. The V is VGA, I think. I have no idea what anything else is.

My APPEND'S.BAK file (You must have this file for the "fix" to work.) D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY;

Create a shortcut to C:\LUCAS\SWOTL\RUNLUFT.BAT. The SCREEN PROPERTY is FULL SCREEN The program PROPERTIES are Cmd Ln: C:\LUCAS\SWOTL\RUNLUFT.BAT. Working C:\LUCAS\SWOTL. Everything else is default, auto, etc. When I double click the short cut the game starts. Not the CDSHELL that asks you about historical notes, and all that. I suppose that they are lost with this method. When I leave the game I get a message about my pop application is ready, and I can hit CNTRL-C when finished. (WOW!) I hit CNTRL C and I am back to WIN 95. (Never really left!)

I found some additional explanations by the author at Dennette A. Harrod, Jr's SWOTL-CD Win95 Page. and have copied them over here. Further updates MAY be posted at Dennette's page so I suggest you go there if you want to look for more info.
The most recent info is listed first...

Dec 12, 1996

Here is a debug method that should aid in getting your SWOTL CD to run. The basic concept is to execute runluft.bat one line at a time, and check that the right DOS things happened.

1. Start a MSDOS session (START > PROGRAMS > MS-DOS PROMPT), and change directories to your SWOTL directory. (Usually lucas\swotl
2. Type SETVER | MORE, watch for APPEND.EXE being set for what ever DOS version you got it from (like 5.0 or 6.2 ... etc.). (see 5: below to make sure setver is loading)
3. Copy your APPEND'S.BAK to APPEND'S.$$$ - make sure the file is there.
4. Type YOUR EXACT APPEND install line. Mine is now

C:\UTIL\APPEND E:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY
c:\util is where my append.exe file is; e: is the present drive letter for my CD (different from the examples below).
5. Type MEM /C/P. You should see a list of all installed DOS drivers, etc. Append must be there. My DOS 6.20 APPEND uses 9040 bytes of conventional memory. If it isn't there then step 4 failed. Probably append.exe isn't where you think it is, or the version in setver is wrong, or setver isn't installed. Setver will show up too, if it is installed.
6. If steps 2-5 check out, and you have all the syntax correct, then the game should play.
Type SWOTL.EXE V S 5 Y N Y 1008 and off you go! (If this doesn't work look in your task.bat and use the line with swotl.exe from there)

p.s. (Nobody has ever mentioned having a different command line)

Aug 20, 1996

Have gotten more enquiries about how to use my method.

The file that I mention APPEND'S.BAK is a file that you create. It has to mimic a file that append.exe would create if it operated properly under DOS 7.0. When the original TASK.BAT executes the line
"C:\TEMP\APPEND D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY"
it is telling DOS (via APPEND.EXE) to search the D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY for files that applications attempt to open. The "D:" in front of "\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY" is the drive letter of your CD ROM Drive. When the original TASK.BAT executes the line
"C:\TEMP\APPEND > APPEND'S.$$$",
in previous DOS versions APPEND writes its report listing the APPENDED paths to the file APPEND'S.$$$. SWOTL looks for that file and then erases it. RUNLUFT.BAT mimics that feature of APPEND.EXE that no longer works by copying the file APPEND'S.BAK that you create to APPEND'S.$$$. You create APPEND'S.BAK with the correct path to your CD ROM DRIVE. A typical computer will have the CD ROM be the D: drive, and the path will be D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY. This is shown in my examples, as I have a C: hard drive and a D: CD ROM drive.

Also not clear below, is how to set up SETVER. SETVER is a software patch to fool older programs that think you have the wrong version of DOS. Many programs check for the DOS version when they load. WIN '95 DOS is ver 7.0. Some programs will refuse to run. APPEND.EXE is one of them. WIN '95 automatically installs SETVER, and probably sets it up correctly. However if it isn't set up correctly SWOTL won't work. Here is how to check.

First READ CONFIG.TXT in your WINDOWS directory, about AUTO/NOAUTO. Make sure that you are in AUTO mode, or that your CONFIG.SYS explicitly loads SETVER.

Next, after you are sure that SETVER is loading; from WIN '95, START > PROGRAMS > MS DOS PROMPT then at the DOS PROMPT type
SETVER | MORE
(this won't work from START > RUN)

You will get a list of the files, and the version that SETVER reports to those programs. APPEND.EXE must be in the list, and with the correct version. If the version isn't correct type SETVER /? for instructions on how to fix it. Then I think you should restart WIN '95 (if you change the version in SETVER)

Now there has been some confusion about the inclusion of the semi colons at the end of some of the paths in my examples. I have tried both ways, and both work. For an update, of the latest files, that work (just played the game 5 minutes ago) I will use the power of windows to suck my present batch files into this text file.

RUNLUFT.BAT:
C:\UTIL\APPEND D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY
COPY APPEND'S.BAK *.$$$
SWOTL.EXE V S 5 Y N Y 1008
C:\UTIL\APPEND ;

APPEND'S.BAK:
D:\LUCAS\SWOTL\EMPTY

Feb 5, 1996

More feedback that the method works for others. In case it isn't clear below, APPEND.EXE is not part of the WIN '95 release. You have to use the version that came with your last version of DOS.

Jan 24, 1996

I have gotten feedback from others that my method worked for them. Just to add this comment. I set up runluft.bat to be in the same directory as SWOTL.EXE.

Jan 20, 1996

Below is a text file that I started posting in early Dec, 1995. It explains how I run the SWOTL CD ROM from within WIN 95, and my theories on why it works. The basic concept is that the game is copy protected in a way that involves using an old DOS utility, APPEND.EXE which appears to mis-behave under DOS 7.0. However it does work well enough to play the game, if the way APPEND is used is modified. My method requires the use of the CD still, although it seems to me that that can be defeated. The text below is original, and there is an error. The line in RUNLUFT.BAT "setver" does not install setver, and does not need to be there. SETVER must be installed at boot up time. A default WIN '95 installation automatically loads SETVER. Read the file CONFIG.TXT in the WINDOWS directory for details. To see if you already have SETVER installed run a MSDOS prompt, and type SETVER. If it is installed you will get the list of programs that SETVER spoofs, and the version # that it reports. WIN '95 ships with an APPEND.EXE, but the other two files that SWOTL wants to install you will have to dig up out of your older DOS. I do not know if SWOTL uses them to install, it doesn't use them to run.

Good luck, if you try my idea, I would appreciate a report on if it works, or not. I am interested in perfecting this method, and may be able to be of further assistance. I can be reached at two INTERNET addresses ("telogy.com" is better during the business week.) 72411.115 at compuserve.com or dcrowe at telogy.com