Why Was the Demo Crippled for W2k Users?

[bastardo]

Why was an OS checker built into the demo, to prevent us w2k users from playing it? Why was that done?

I can understand making it clear that there is no official 2k support. But why on earth would you prevent 2k users from even trying to run it, officiall support or no?

W2k and XP share the same kernel. It's hard for me to believe that the demo just won't run on w2k. But, thanks to that OS check that was built in, I'll never get the chance to find out for myself, will I?

Why is that?

[Druidika]

Tranj said that Windows 2000 doesn't support several core components that CoH requires: http://forums.relicnews.com/showpost.php?p=1626817&postcount=14

[bastardo]

Thanks for responding, Druidika! I appreciate it.

I previously came across the link you posted when I did a search here to find out why there was an OS check that prevented the demo from running on win2k. I got back several hits, and they all led back to that exact same link and that exact same explanation.

The problem with that explanation - "There are several core pieces of tech that we use that don't support Windows 2000" - is that it doesn't actually explain anything.

For instance, what "core pieces of tech," is he talking about, exactly? "Core pieces of tech" sounds very important and, well, technical, but without specifics it doesn't tell me much of anything.

The reason I'm suspicous is because several other games and pieces of software - a recent driver by Creative for their Xfi card, for example - also come with OS checks that prevent them from being used on anything but xp.

But, again using the Creative drivers as an example, some win2k users like me discovered that if you modded the drivers to disable the OS check, then they worked just fine on win2k.

Isn't that strange? In other words, the only thing that prevented them from working, was the OS check itself. But we never would have discovered that, if we hadn't figured out a way to disable it.
So, knowing that xp and win2k share the same kernel, and knowing that software disabled for use with win2k often can and does run just fine on win2k, I can't help wondering why win2k users are being prevented from testing the Company demo on their machines.

Why wouldn't Relic just state that Windows 2000 is not supported in the readme file and leave it at that? Why prevent win2k users from even trying to run it?
I mean, what's the worst that could happen? It reformats our hard drive? Melts our video cards? What?

I'm willing to take that chance. Or I would be, if I could figure out how to disable the OS check.

[Mac_Bug]

It's not a matter of not liking an OS. More likely it is because CoH uses some API calls that is new to Windows XP and the upcoming Vista. In short, the game will just not work on your computer with windows 2000, OS check or not.

[bastardo]

"It's not a matter of not liking an OS. More likely it is because CoH uses some API calls that is new to Windows XP and the upcoming Vista. In short, the game will just not work on your computer with windows 2000, OS check or not."

Thanks for responding, Mac_Bug!

I didn't meant to suggest Relic just doesn't like win2k as an OS. More that Microsoft has a financial interest in pushing win2k users to buy xp. For instance, the recent RTS Microsoft released had an OS check that prevented it from being run on win2k. But I've read that if you find a way to disable the check, you can run it just fine on win2k. I'm sure if you asked them, Microsoft would have said that there was some technical reason why the game couldn't run on win2k, even if that technical reason turned out to be the OS check itself.

If I try to run the demo, and it just crashes back to windows, or even crashes my machine, because I'm running win2k, then fine. But if there is an OS check that prevents me from even trying to run it, then that's not fine.

Do you see the difference?

[Clonesa]

Wasn't there a similar scandal over Doom3 and Windows 9.x? The only thing stopping it from running on Windows 9.x was a stupid check that people quickly hacked out of the exe :P

[ceejayoz]

IIRC, early in the beta someone edited out the check from Company of Heroes, and the game didn't work on Windows 2000 anyways.

[Mac_Bug]

If the game does not work on Windows 2000, then it makes no sense to let you install and crash because their tech support will be flooded with complaints about how the game doesn't work on their computer.

[bastardo]

"If the game does not work on Windows 2000, then it makes no sense to let you install and crash because their tech support will be flooded with complaints about how the game doesn't work on their computer."

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I think you should read my thread more carefully. I have repeatedly suggested that they adopt the same stance other developers have taken--win2k is not supported by our game. Therefore we will offer no technical support for it.--and leave it that. Yes, some 2k owners might still complain, but so what? Most would be happier with that response rather than an os checker that prevents them from even attempting to run the game.

On a side note, I just got another xp only demo to run: The system requirements listed online for the game El Matador include xp only. And when I tried to run it, it instantly game me a dx-related error message. I experimented with removing various files from the game, and after I took out a dinput.dll file, it ran perfectly.

I'm hoping there might a similar way to mod Company. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

[Mac_Bug]

There is a difference between testing solely on localized Windows XP and therefore not support any problems that may come up in 2000 ( as likely in the case of Microsoft), as opposed to using technologies such as API calls that are available only to Windows XP and having the game not being able to run on 2000. Tranj's response seems to imply the latter, so again, assuming that is the case, then you should read my response more carefully.

[bastardo]

"IIRC, early in the beta someone edited out the check from Company of Heroes, and the game didn't work on Windows 2000 anyways."


Well, I guess that settles it then. Too bad for me, since I really want to try this demo, and there's no way I'm going to pay for xp with vista around the corner. Oh well, at least now I know there's no reason to bother even trying to get the game to run on my os.

Thanks for responding.

[ÜberJumper]

bastardo:

XP's pretty cheap nowadays, no reason not to pick up a cheap upgrade copy, especially since you can then get a discount on Vista. Also, I think there's a free 120 day eval copy of XP (maybe 64 bit) on the MS Website.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Windows-XP-Home-FULL-EDITION_W0QQitemZ180020731869QQihZ008QQcategoryZ41887QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[lex]

bastardo, I know how you feel. I still run and like W2K.
It's easy to get around the installer... just install it from the command line as an admin (it thinks it's a network install)

msiexec /a path:filenameof.msi

So it'll install fine... but doesn't run on W2K because of at driver detecter dll missing and missing components from an nt dll.

So unless we coff up an OS install, we won't be playing it. However, this ios only the 2nd app I've not been able to install on W2K even if they say it must be XP.

Lex
(1/2 bastard too!)

[ÜberJumper]

http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?p=1741828#post1741828