How do you install Flashback?

[Skumball]

Hi all. I have a harddrive emulating fine on WinUAE and have downloaded a number of hdf's, mounted them, then copied them to my main hdf containing Workbench. Question is, I downloaded the Flashback hdf but it will not run from the harddrive. It comes up with:

please insert volume HD0

when I hit cancel it says:

unable to open your tool HD0:c/iconx

I got the file from planet emu and have noticed a readme which is in french, presumably because Delphine is a french company and not because Planet Emu is a french site. Anyway, I understood the gist of it: something to do with copying the files to a specifically named harddrive, but I don't want to create a drive specificaly for Flashback!

Any help appreciated!

[Drake1009]

Not sure, but it looks like it's a problem with your setup. Apparently it tries running Iconx from the c directory on hd0:, if your IconX isn't in that directory on your setup then it won't work like that. You could just mark the icon, right click and select file information then remove the path before IconX and save that change. If your path is setup correctly it should work.

If the HDF file contained a directory called c then this is most likely the case. the image held enough of the workbench files to run the game. IconX allows you to execute scripts based on a click of an icon (afaik).

If the changing doesn't work open a shell (should be in tools I think), go to the directory (apparently you need to know how to use the cd command) and type execute filename, you'll notice if you do a DIR in the directory that the icon is called the filename.info and there's a file with just the plain filename. the .info file is the icon and the IconX command in it tells workbench that when you click the icon it should execute the file with the name (without .info)

This might not be 100% correct though as I haven't really read anything about it. I just got it working and from my observations made certain conclusions.

[Amiga1992]

Originally posted by Skumball
It comes up with:
please insert volume HD0

when I hit cancel it says:
unable to open your tool HD0:c/iconx

Do as Drake says, but mate the default tool "c:iconx" instead of "iconx"... because if iconx is not in your path you will get another error. It could also happen that iconx is not located at c:. if that's the case, just look for it and change the path accordingly.

Should work fine now unless, the script inside has lots more lame absolute paths in it. In such a case post here again (because I think there must be some assigns in there in order for Flashback to work). we could like taking a look-see at the script... go to the shell as Drak says and type type scriptname... this will show you the contents of the script (more than probably 4 assign lines and then the real executable)

[RetroMan]

There is also the posibillity that your HD is named DH0: instead of HD0: If so just do an ASSIGN HD0: DH0: and you´re set

[Skumball]

OK, I changed the path to point to iconx and it seems like its going to work: the windows all close down and the screen goes white and then... nothing.

I have called the harddrive HD0 but it is called DH0 in the boot options. Do I point to HD0 or DH0? I have tried both in the path anyway so i guess it doesn't really matter, they both fail to work.

Anyway, it seems to run a program called Endrun which has the same effect when I actually click on the icon of the same name. I double clicked flashback.exe and it says 'i need explode.library V4+'

plot thickens

[Drake1009]

Probably some dependancies which aren't there. Check the original HDF file for the file. I'm guessing there's a libs directory there somewhere, just copy everything from that to your libs:, don't overwrite anything though.

If that fails as well, may I suggest you find a properly cracked disk version and install from there? All english versions I've managed to find haven't been cracked properly. I found 1 working version of the game, that was the french version but translated (french version is given away by the passwords). That one had an installer on the disks with it, just load workbench and run the installer off the disk. It should take care of the libraries and proper assigns for you.

I do remember having problems even when it was installed though. Something about the screen going crazy sometimes when you run the game. If that's the fact, if you're running an A1200 hold both mousebuttons on bootup and select to load with no boot sequence. That'll give you a shell wherethrough you can load the game (with the execute command), it should run without any larger graphics problems if you do that, and you should have more available memory as well.

[Skumball]

Thanks Drake. I'll probably just stick with running from floppies unless I can find the proper cracked HD version. I'll post here If I have any luck finding it. Cheers !

[Drake1009]

I can upload the disk version I have which can easily be HD installed.

If you HD install it you have about double the amount of animations, it's worth it if you want the cutscenes and lower loading time.

[Amiga1992]

Yeah screw that HDF, install it yourself from the floppies. It will work much better

[Skumball]

Thanks Drake, if you could upload those files itd be great. Is it easy to install?

[Drake1009]

Intallation instructions from memory :

1. Boot workbench
2. Insert disk 1 (or was it 4)
3. Open disk icon
4. Click on the install icon
5. Type in path
6. change disks as asked to
7. Enjoy game from HD

Dang that's a lot of steps. I'm sure most windows users would've gotten stuch at the part where it says "type"

Ok it's in the zone now. Fully cracked version, tested and completed this version so it shouldn't have any uncracked password checks like most of the other versions I've found lying around the net.
In english but if you need codes find those for the french version.

[Skumball]

Thanks for the upload Drake. I loaded up disk 1 in workbench but there is no install icon. What do I do? I checked the other disks but it seems as if disk 1 is the main one. When I had my a1200 I never found the need to use workbench much as I didnt have a harddrive. Treat me as a workbench n00b

[Drake1009]

Hmm I'm fairly sure there's an install icon somewhere. Let me find it. I'll edit this post once it's found.

Ok that's the problem. Turns out it wasn't one of the games that had it that simple.

What you need to do is start up a CLI shell. Go to a directory on your harddisk and type "Makedir flashback" (You could make the dir yourself through the graphical way instead, that way you'll have an icon for the directory.

Then type df0:
from there type copy df0: insert hd directory path here ALL
do this for all disks wether they're in the first drive or you have them in different drives (of course if they're in different drives you should switch out df0: with the drive name of your choice.

When all 4 disks have been copied you need to type "endrun flashback" from the directory to start the game.

I don't quite recall how to make a script to start the game and associate an icon with it though but I'm sure someone can quickly and painlesly tell you how to make a script to run "endrun flashback" from the directory.

[Skumball]

OK I opened up Shell, went to my flashback dir and typed 'endrun flashback'. But it's the same as before, the windows close down and the screen goes white and then nothing happens. Do you think it's my WinUAE config? I can email it to you if you want, or put it on the zone. It's for version 0.8.22 r1.

[Drake1009]

Well it wouldn't help me too much as I use 8.21r1 (been using that since I started testing game compatibility for my next cd). I could attach my config which works for me. But I'm afraid it won't do that much difference.

What window were you referring to though? I used it as far as getting to the main menu through emulation and had it working all the way through my A1200.

[Skumball]

the windows in workbench. They all cose down 1 by 1 then the screen goes white.

Lol this is harder than i thought. Shall we leave it be as this thread is becoming huge

[Drake1009]

This isn't a huge thread. It's more messy if we keep making more and more threads. Doesn't look like that to me when loading up the installed Flashback on my emulation.

What kind of stuff do you have installed in the Workbench setup you're running with?

[Skumball]

here ya go :

[Drake1009]

I was thinking more along the lines of what you have installed of other programs.

[Skumball]

i used the hd installer for workbench 3.1. So I have all the usual Workbench stuff. I also have quite a few hdf game files in my games directory. That's about it.