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Post by dee127 on May 7, 2021 15:09:44 GMT -5
Hi there,
I just got a Windows XP computer (CORRECTION: It's Windows 10 Pro) for my autistic son so I could download his favorite game, Petz II and actually play it. I've always had trouble getting it to work on any other Windows OS.
I have two separate discs for Catz and Dogz. They finally downloaded fine and played initially, but when I go to click on the different types of petz in either the adoption center or the playpen, the game crashes. No sound. It just freezes for a couple of seconds and then I'm out of the game. :-(
I don't suppose anyone knows how to fix this or has had this issue before have they?
I tried uninstalling the games and then reinstalling them one at a time. The first time I did that, I got the Catz disc to work! So I thought there must be something wrong with the dogz disc. I installed dogz, and it went back to crashing when I try to pick the breed. I've uninstalled and re-installed both discs both separately on multiple occasions and I haven't gotten either to work properly since that ONE time. Phooey!
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
ADDITIONAL INFO: I noticed that a lot of people in these threads say to save the petz files somewhere other than Program Files. Well, I saved my program in Program Files. Do you think it would help if I saved them elsewhere?
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Post by lobb on May 7, 2021 16:01:33 GMT -5
I'd definitely try installing them somewhere else, like documents. It seems like the various Petz games have issues with being installed in Program Files, but I don't really have any experience with Petz II. I searched and found someone having a similar issue: petzforum.proboards.com/thread/65021/petz-ii-keeps-crashingSeems like it might be a compatibility problem with Windows XP. You could try the things suggested individually and in combination (running as administrator, trying compatibility modes) and see if you've got better luck than that user. If not, it seems like the solution is to run it on a virtual machine or computer with Windows 98. I hope you manage to get it to work, let us know how it goes! Also, have you tried it in any later versions of Windows? It's weird because I've had issues with old games that now run well on Windows 10, and games that don't work on Windows 10 at all, so it seems a bit hit or miss.
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Post by dee127 on May 9, 2021 14:35:23 GMT -5
I'd definitely try installing them somewhere else, like documents. It seems like the various Petz games have issues with being installed in Program Files, but I don't really have any experience with Petz II. I searched and found someone having a similar issue: petzforum.proboards.com/thread/65021/petz-ii-keeps-crashingSeems like it might be a compatibility problem with Windows XP. You could try the things suggested individually and in combination (running as administrator, trying compatibility modes) and see if you've got better luck than that user. If not, it seems like the solution is to run it on a virtual machine or computer with Windows 98. I hope you manage to get it to work, let us know how it goes! Also, have you tried it in any later versions of Windows? It's weird because I've had issues with old games that now run well on Windows 10, and games that don't work on Windows 10 at all, so it seems a bit hit or miss. Thank you for your response. I checked out the link you shared and yes, that is EXACTLY the problem that I am having. I wonder if they ever found a solution. I definitely have a few suggestions at least! Thank you so much for your help. I'll let you know what happens. :-D
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Post by Valiant Shadows on May 10, 2021 1:48:36 GMT -5
Quick 1am suggestion that I really should've posted before - I'm not sure how effective it is on older systems, but it's worth a shot. I have the Petz II running in 64-bit Windows 10 under these conditions and so far it has let me adopt, call out, and play with pets without crashing. -Installed into a documents subfolder -installed Sherlock Software's PetzA -Autorun as administrator -Run in compatibility mode for windows 95 -Reduced color mode to 8-bit (256) color*-Avoid resizing the window/changing the resolution *PetzA is a fan-made mod for Petz II through 5 that allows players to "cheat" pets' needs and take out more thab two petz at a time, but the mod is incredibly useful for improving Petz games' comptibility and preventing a few crashes. If you're trying to teach your son responsibility through Petz II, I'd advise against adding this mod, but otherwise it is a must-have. Running in reduced color mode will make the pick-a-pet images upside down and odd-colored, but it won't affect the pets or toys. Running on a virtual machine would probably be more stable, but this might allow you to run the game until someone else comes by with virtual machine knowledge.
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Post by dee127 on May 10, 2021 9:27:59 GMT -5
I learned how to set up a Virtual Machine. Earliest OS I had was XP Professional x64 edition. I have no idea how to the Petz II app onto it.
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Post by lobb on May 10, 2021 10:27:42 GMT -5
Could you give us more details about the issue you're experiencing? Which software are you using to manage your virtual machine? You'll probably need to configure the sharing options (to share certain files from your regular system with the virtual machine) and make your Petz II one of the things shared between the two, but the specifics probably depend on the program you're using.
That said, if you're having trouble running Petz II on Windows XP in general, running it on a Windows XP virtual machine probably won't make a difference. Based on the other thread, it sounds like Windows XP has issues with P2, so you might need to run it in compatibility mode even on the virtual machine. It's worth a try because these things can be hit or miss (someone might have 0 issues, another person might have trouble getting things to run) but if it still doesn't work, I'd look into setting up a virtual machine with an earlier version of Windows.
How does Petz II run in newer versions of Windows? It sounds like it's at least workable in Windows 10 from Valiant Shadows's comment, so trying it out in newer versions might help if nothing else does. Hopefully someone who's tried can give you some feedback on which systems are best.
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Post by dee127 on May 10, 2021 16:46:54 GMT -5
I can run the program several different ways. I get different responses. Each of these are 8-bit, and I have the "Run as administrator" box checked.
Windows 95 - "Petz could not run because of the following error: C:\users\admin\DOCUME~1.EXE The Petz program MUST be named 'Petz II.exe' in order to run correctly. Please rename the program to 'Petz II.exe.
Windows 98/ME - Same
XP Service Pack 2 - Program opens, petz can come out. Choose a breed - Shuts down
XP Service Pack 3 - Same
Vista - Same
Windows 7 - Same
Windows 8 - Same
Sometimes things change if I put it on 16-bit. Again, this is with "Run as administrator" box checked.
Windows 95 - "Petz could not run because of the following error: C:\users\admin\DOCUME~1.EXE The Petz program MUST be named 'Petz II.exe' in order to run correctly. Please rename the program to 'Petz II.exe.
Windows 98/ME - Same
XP Service Pack 2 - Program opens, petz can come out. Choose a breed - Get to choose one breed. Put that pet back and try to choose again - Shuts down.
XP Service Pack 3 - Program opens, try to choose breed, shuts down
Vista - Same
Windows 7 - Same
Windows 8 - Same
It happened this way before installing PetzA and after. :-(
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Post by lobb on May 10, 2021 17:17:06 GMT -5
Where are you installing the game? On Windows 95/98, try to rename the file to Petz II.exe, it sounds like it was automatically renamed something else at some point. Have you tried NOT running the game as an administrator? If it's installed in your documents folder (instead of Program Files or similar) it shouldn't be necessary. Sometimes it can actually cause issues when you're playing older games -- don't ask me why, because other older games run better with it on!
EDIT: There's another thread here where people are talking about getting Petz II to work. It seems like which .exe you're using and the version of PetzA might have something to do with it.
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Post by dee127 on May 11, 2021 12:19:08 GMT -5
Where are you installing the game? On Windows 95/98, try to rename the file to Petz II.exe, it sounds like it was automatically renamed something else at some point. Have you tried NOT running the game as an administrator? If it's installed in your documents folder (instead of Program Files or similar) it shouldn't be necessary. Sometimes it can actually cause issues when you're playing older games -- don't ask me why, because other older games run better with it on!
EDIT: There's another thread here where people are talking about getting Petz II to work. It seems like which .exe you're using and the version of PetzA might have something to do with it.
The same things seem to happen whether I run it as an administrator or not. I've run every combination of compatibility mode, color mode, screen resolution, and I've run it as an administrator and not as an administrator. Still no luck. :-( I will check out the link that you sent me. Thank you!
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Post by ✬MsWildiful✬ on May 14, 2021 19:38:31 GMT -5
I hope that link helps you! It's been a while since I've run Petz 2, and it would still crash sometimes. If I had a trick up my sleeve, I would share it with you, but I can't think of anything that hasn't already been suggested. Good luck
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