@Szwendacz if it were so easy then @fuchsiii wouldn't go through all the effort to version-manage and dynamically switch between different #wine versions.

• Because there's a lot of #Oddware and old, clasic games between #98SE and #Vista that doesn't run in either #VMs nor #DosBox nor #Proton & #DXVK well.

Also being dependent on #Valve isn't a good idea for #RetroGaming because to get Proton running one's kinda forced to have #Steam up and running.

• And don't even get her started on #cringe architecture like #Win32 games that have a #Win16 #InstallShield, which if #Microsoft hadn't specifically accounted for that scenario, whoudn't even install on #Win64.

Right now she's contemplating on what workaround for the "#WorksOnMyMachine" / "#WorksOnBareMetal" problem can be used and having setup some #BareMetal to do some testing and reverse-engineering / debugging stuff with a clear "is" vs. "should" compareable setup.

• Cuz as much as she's a #classic #ThinkPad #fangirl, do you think she'd collect hard-to-maintain legacy stuff like #T60's jist for lulz?

Sorry if this seem a bit vent-ish...
I've just seen a lot more behind the scenes development re: her wine hacks and found your post quite #demotivating...

• But I can't spoil that much more as of now...

I kinda wanted to make fun of this Realtek installer from (checks notes) 2023, but honestly the Windows 95 nostalgia is hitting me hard.#installshield #windows95

Kann jemand ein Tool empfehlen, mit dem man Installationsdateien erzeugt? Es darf ein paar Euro kosten. Ich hab hier ein uraltes #InstallShield, aber das läuft nicht mehr auf aktuellen Systemen. Die kostenlosen sind immer sehr eingeschränkt und lassen sich nicht signieren.

Fixing a Broken Game Installer By Sheer Force Of Will

These days, we seldom purchase games on physical media. Even when buying titles from yesteryear, we usually download them from an online service. Some of these older games haven't been properly ported to their new delivery platform, as [Slortibort] found out. Thus, it was time to dive into the game files and sort the problem out.

The game in question was the Hammers of Fate expansion pack for the base game Heroes of Might and Magic V. [Slortibort's] partner bought it from Ubisoft, and ran the installer. However, the installer would report that it couldn't find the original files from the base game, and fail to start.

Fixing the issue was no mean feat, requiring use of the Sexy Installshield Decompiler to dive into the guts of the installer to see what was going wrong. In the end, it came down to some registry key shenanigans, but the route of how [Slortibort] got there is well worth the read.

It's a fine example of some of the issues around moving games to digital distribution; proper attention must be paid to do it right. Even then, there's always the risk you'll lose your games down the track. There are benefits, of course, but there's always a tradeoff to be made.

#games #mischacks #game #heroesofmightandmagic #installer #installshield #ubisoft #videogames