WHDLOAD not loading games

[Taff64]

Hi! I am new to this board but have been an Amiga and C64 fan since the 80's.
I have recently purchased off Ebay a CF Hard disk as a replacement harddrive connected to the IDE port which comes pre-installed with all the games, WHDLOAD, roms etc.
The issue I have is with the M-Tec T1230LC 4mb accellerator I have installed.
When I start the Amiga up, everything boots from the CF into workbench and I can see the folders with the games.
When I go into a game folder and click on the icon to run the game however, all that happens is the hardrive light flickers for about a milli-second then nothing happens. Occasionally I get a black screen after trying to run a game which has the fatal exception error flashing in yellow at the top of the screen.
I then removed the acellerator and then tried to run the games again. The AGA games now attempt to run but obviously wont due to needing more memory. The non AGA games now run and work fine apart from the ones that also need extra memory.
My question is, is there a problem with my acellerator? I have read that there are compatibility problems with certain acellerators.
My setup is a genuine plain A1200 (not Escom) with 3.0 roms. I have tried the acellerator on a friends A1200 who also has the same CF installed but it has the same problem.

Thanks!!

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Taff64

Hi! I am new to this board but have been an Amiga and C64 fan since the 80's.
I have recently purchased off Ebay a CF Hard disk as a replacement harddrive connected to the IDE port which comes pre-installed with all the games, WHDLOAD, roms etc.
The issue I have is with the M-Tec T1230LC 4mb accellerator I have installed.
When I start the Amiga up, everything boots from the CF into workbench and I can see the folders with the games.
When I go into a game folder and click on the icon to run the game however, all that happens is the hardrive light flickers for about a milli-second then nothing happens. Occasionally I get a black screen after trying to run a game which has the fatal exception error flashing in yellow at the top of the screen.
I then removed the acellerator and then tried to run the games again. The AGA games now attempt to run but obviously wont due to needing more memory. The non AGA games now run and work fine apart from the ones that also need extra memory.
My question is, is there a problem with my acellerator? I have read that there are compatibility problems with certain acellerators.
My setup is a genuine plain A1200 (not Escom) with 3.0 roms. I have tried the acellerator on a friends A1200 who also has the same CF installed but it has the same problem.

Thanks!!

Ouch, it came preloaded with a pirated WHDLoad key, Workbench and kickstart roms.

Anyway, nearly all games should work fine, apart from getting some OS flashing. I didnt have many problems with my A600 running with 4MB RAM.

[Graham Humphrey]

Well, he didn't say it came with a pirated keyfile. If it did then that will almost certainly be the reason the games aren't working properly and it should be deleted.

[terexuk]

I have the same mtec card which run everything no probs albeit with 8mb sim

Try reseating the sim on the card or swap with another sim if you can.Also check the max transfer of your cf card.

[roy bates]

i would go with terexuk on this plus try to clean all contacts on simm and on the port where the accelorator plugs in.
btw does the memory show on workbench.

[Taff64]

Thanks for all the kind replies. Not sure if its a pirated key but surely if it was then the non AGA games would not work without the acellerator installed? There are quite a few people selling these CF cards on Ebay with everything pre-installed and none mention any issues with a pirated key.
I have done a system check and it says there is 8mb installed. I have also cleaned the pins on the card but still the same.
As for reseating the sims, the sims are not a slot type and are soldered to the board. There is no FPU installed which is the only slot empty.
Makes me wonder if the board is a bit iffy. Starnge thing is is that it works perfect with floppy based games!
Looks like I am gonna have to sell some of my old C64 hardware to buy a new one. Any recommendations?

Thanks

Taff

[Graham Humphrey]

So do you have a keyfile then? Remove it and see what happens. They can cause some odd issues (and you really ought to buy your own keyfile anyway if you use it regularly). You may as well try it.

[Taff64]

Originally Posted by Graham Humphrey

So do you have a keyfile then? Remove it and see what happens. They can cause some odd issues (and you really ought to buy your own keyfile anyway if you use it regularly). You may as well try it.

Thanks for the reply Graham. I am a bit lame on how to use some of this software on an Amiga. How do I delete the keyfile and what issues does WHDLOAD have without one?

Thanks

Taff

[Galahad/FLT]

As Graham has said, if the keyfile you have is a known pirated key, Wepl the guy who wrote WHDLoad, adds those keyfiles to an internal blacklist inside WHDLoad.

It could be that the keyfile you have has been used multiple times before and has been reported.

WHDLoad doesn't just reject the key, it causes games to not work properly, and quit and generally makes WHDLoad unstable.

Try deleting the key to something unrelated to a whdload key file and then try running games.

You'll note straight away that you'll get a nag screen, but, other than that, all games should be stable with only minor affectations such as saving game not possible, but there shouldn't be any bugs that you are experiencing.

[Graham Humphrey]

Originally Posted by Taff64

Thanks for the reply Graham. I am a bit lame on how to use some of this software on an Amiga. How do I delete the keyfile and what issues does WHDLOAD have without one?

Thanks

Taff

It should be in the S: directory (usually) named 'WHDLoad.key'. If you rename it to something else WHDLoad won't read it as a result.

If you're using Workbench, go into your Workbench partition, select "Show All Files" from the Window menu, and find the S drawer, it should be in there.

Without a key it will function fine - you do get a nag requester that you can't skip without it and have to sit through every time you start a game, but the majority of games will work without any issues. A small number need registration to work and some need registration to save things like high scores.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Graham Humphrey

It should be in the S: directory (usually) named 'WHDLoad.key'. If you rename it to something else WHDLoad won't read it as a result.

If you're using Workbench, go into your Workbench partition, select "Show All Files" from the Window menu, and find the S drawer, it should be in there.

Without a key it will function fine - you do get a nag requester that you can't skip without it and have to sit through every time you start a game, but the majority of games will work without any issues. A small number need registration to work and some need registration to save things like high scores.

As graham said,

It can also be in the devs: and C: folder too.

[Taff64]

Originally Posted by Graham Humphrey

It should be in the S: directory (usually) named 'WHDLoad.key'. If you rename it to something else WHDLoad won't read it as a result.

If you're using Workbench, go into your Workbench partition, select "Show All Files" from the Window menu, and find the S drawer, it should be in there.

Without a key it will function fine - you do get a nag requester that you can't skip without it and have to sit through every time you start a game, but the majority of games will work without any issues. A small number need registration to work and some need registration to save things like high scores.

Found the keyfile in the C directory and renamed it. Unfortunately I get the same result with the acellerator installed
Looks like it has definately got problems

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Taff64

Found the keyfile in the C directory and renamed it. Unfortunately I get the same result with the acellerator installed
Looks like it has definately got problems

What happens when you actually launch a game.

If you found a key, its obviously using a dodgy keyfile.

[roy bates]

ok heres something to check
go into your devs drawer and see if you have a drawer named kickstarts.
then if you do click once on the game icon you want to play then go into the icon info,and experiment by adding the following into the icon info:-NOMMU or NOVBRMOVE and then save.
btw which games are you trying to play.
also i recomend regeristing the game its well worth the money.
if you want to remove the key files remove these:-
whdload.key
whdload.key.bak
whdload.key.bak.bak
whdload.key.liesmich
whdload.key.lisezmoi
whdload.key.readme

[Taff64]

Originally Posted by FOL

What happens when you actually launch a game.

If you found a key, its obviously using a dodgy keyfile.

When I actually launch a game without the acellerator installed, some of the non aga games run perfect. The others bring up the normal lack of memory errors.
However when the acellerator is installed you click on the game icon and the hard disk light flashes briefly then nothing happens, it just stays on the workbench screen. You don't even get the WHDLOAD pop up window.
I doubt if the problem is the keyfile as the seller stated that all the games have been tested and run. I am not connected to the web on the amiga so the keyfile cannot be checked.
The version of WHDLOAD is 16.9 and states it is registered.
If it is my card then can anybody recommed a good replacement? I have seen a few for sale on Ebay.

Thanks

Taff

[Retro1234]

Seems unlikely to be the key file if the games run without the accelerator connected.
The same games have problems with the card? but run without the card?
some tooltypes might help

Originally Posted by Taff64

Thanks for all the kind replies. Not sure if its a pirated key but surely if it was then the non AGA games would not work without the acellerator installed? There are quite a few people selling these CF cards on Ebay with everything pre-installed and none mention any issues with a pirated key.
I have done a system check and it says there is 8mb installed. I have also cleaned the pins on the card but still the same.
As for reseating the sims, the sims are not a slot type and are soldered to the board. There is no FPU installed which is the only slot empty.
Makes me wonder if the board is a bit iffy. Starnge thing is is that it works perfect with floppy based games!
Looks like I am gonna have to sell some of my old C64 hardware to buy a new one. Any recommendations?

Thanks

Taff

The SIMMs soldered to the board this is strange?

Right so possibly a hardware issue - there were some new accelerator made dont know if anyone can suggest one.

Ive come accross a number of key files many the same even here on eab especially on CD32 stuff - that seem to go over looked and can confirm various strange results when testing. If its says registered its still using a key file if its got the .bak file its probably not black listed.
You should realy delete this key and consider buying a legit one. Possibly send this key to the author?

The use of these keys is frowned upon and buying these CF full of games is also as they offten contain Keys and stuff from unknown sources and charge over the odds trying to make a quick buck.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Taff64

When I actually launch a game without the acellerator installed, some of the non aga games run perfect. The others bring up the normal lack of memory errors.
However when the acellerator is installed you click on the game icon and the hard disk light flashes briefly then nothing happens, it just stays on the workbench screen. You don't even get the WHDLOAD pop up window.
I doubt if the problem is the keyfile as the seller stated that all the games have been tested and run. I am not connected to the web on the amiga so the keyfile cannot be checked.
The version of WHDLOAD is 16.9 and states it is registered.
If it is my card then can anybody recommed a good replacement? I have seen a few for sale on Ebay.

Thanks

Taff

The key can be checked without being online.

Two ways

Firstly, when the WHDLoad text box appears onscreen telling you what game is about to run, at the bottom it will say who WHDLoad is registered to.

The other way is to use an editor, and look for an email address which is normally not encrypted in the keyfile

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Boo Boo

Ive come accross a number of key files many the same even here on eab especially on CD32 stuff - that seem to go over looked and can confirm various strange results when testing.

Bert allowed this, as the CD32 version of WHDLoad will only run on a CD32 and doesnt require a keyfile.

[Taff64]

Not sure what to do really but thanks for all the help. My mate needs to buy an acellerator so will see how it works on his machine. If everything works then i'll probably buy a new one too. I have checked the feedback on the guy who has sold them before and there has not been any complaints..

Taff

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Taff64

I have checked the feedback on the guy who has sold them before and there has not been any complaints..

Thats cause they dont care about helping bert and other WHDLoad authors.
You should email bert the name that appears so he can black list.