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Offline Johnny1984  
#1 Posted : Saturday, November 12, 2011 12:56:13 AM(UTC)
Johnny1984
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Joined: 11/7/2011(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Germany

To all the people out there, desperately trying to install and play the ORIGINAL Red Alert 95 with the original game discs WITHOUT having color or installation trouble:

I GOTTA PRESENT FOR YA !

Installing and running „Red Alert 95” + expansion discs (add-on discs) on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit version / Windows XP

Note:

This guide is thought to install and run the ORIGINAL “Red Alert95” on Windows 7 Ultimate / XP WITHOUT experiencing the weird color problem (mixed up / wrong displayed colors). Sometimes it happens that the game crashes or freezes. For that reason, I highly recommend to save your state / game frequently not to lose your mission progress.

As I am translating this from German into English, I do not know which name the “ALARM” folder has on the English CDROMS. I suppose it is called “RED ALERT”, "ALERT" or similar.

I am not responsible for any error or damage to your hard disc or operating system, which occurs by usage of this guide.

Guide for Windows XP-users:

1) You will need all original discs (except the 2nd main disc of the game)
2) Insert the “Red Alert 95” disc 1 “Allies disc) into your DVD/CDROM/BLURAY drive.
3) Copy the “INSTALL” folder on your hard disc. Most suitable is the path C:\WESTWOOD\ALARM (Rename the “INSTALL” folder to “ALARM”)
4) Double click on “Install Icon” (to install the icons for the startup menu)
5) Insert the “Counterstrike” mission disc to your CDROM drive, and then go to the “SETUP” folder. Inside it, there is a folder called “INSTALL”
6) Copy all the three files which are inside it to your “ALARM” directory and execute the file PATCH.EXE.
7) A DOS window appears, where “nothing found” / “cannot be found” ( I don’t know the exact writing, because I only own the German version) is written
8) Type “cstrike” (without the “) and the computer is beginning to update the installation.
9) Next double click again on “Install Icon”.
10) Insert the “Aftermath” mission disc and proceed as described in step 5. The difference is, that PATCH.EXE is now auto-executed. At last, click again on “Install Icon”
11) Execute the “RA95” on compatibility mode for Windows 95/98 and check the box at “de-activate visual designs”
12) Open the folder where your “Red Alert 95” is installed, double click on RASETUP and configure these settings: Screen resolution 640 x 480 and check the boxes at “buffering in hardware memory” or something like that and “allow hardware-filled blits”
13) But what is that? Are you experiencing the color problem? Don’t worry, I have developed a solution. Just use a .bat file instead of the RA95.exe. This will – only for the time during which you play the game – stop the “explorer.exe” and after leaving the game, just press the “Enter” button and the “explorer.exe” will be restarted automatically.
14) Use the attached bat-file for it.
15) Just copy the file in the “Red Alert” folder and execute it instead of the RA95.exe
16) If there appears a message saying if you would like the software with unknown author to do changes to your computer, click “yes” or “ok”. (If the message appears in German click “Ja”; I don’t know whether the bat-file is related to the language of the operating system)
17) Before starting the game, the game disc / mission disc has to be inserted.

Have fun !


Guide for Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit users:

1) You will need the Virtual PC plugin for your operating system
2) Start the Virtual PC
3) Follow the steps 2 – 17
4) Copy the “ALARM” or “Red Alert” folder from your virtual hard drive C: to your “real” hard drive C:
5) Have fun !

Important note for all users:

After having finished the installation, you can copy the files, which are inside the “ALARM” or “Red Alert” folder or the whole folder to any destination desired by yourself on your hard disc. Check all the boxes in the compatibilty mode of the RA95.exe including this one for the administration mode. Change the compatibility settings to Windows 95/98. If in the bat file, the boxes for the compatibility mode aren't checked yet, do that also. You only have to execute the mentioned bat file instead of the .exe.

!! ATTENTION !! The bat file has to be inside the destination folder of "Red Alert 95" to work.

I own the German version, for that reason, I cannot guarantee if it works for other language versions also.

Normally, this way, it should work without causing trouble.

Greetings comrades,

Johnny1984

Edited by user Saturday, November 12, 2011 1:27:40 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

File Attachment(s):
RA95.bat.zip (1kb) downloaded 220 time(s).
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Offline Wolfa  
#2 Posted : Sunday, November 13, 2011 2:26:10 AM(UTC)
Wolfa
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Joined: 10/6/2011(UTC)
Posts: 12
Location: South Africa

This looks good, I however just installed the game as you would normally do it. I am running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, and have been playing C&C Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert 95 by just installing the games as you would normally, and then right clicking on the short cuts or main exe and going to compatibility mode, for Tiberium Dawn I have just selected it to play under Windows 95 mode, and it works fine, however for Red Alert 95 I have selected Windows 95 in addition to running in 256 colours and 640x480 resolution (for some reason it helps, not like the game doesn't run in that resolution anyway). I have never experienced game crashes.

However, here is two games that ought to be looked at for us modern day old Command and Conquer players if you like to have a more modern feel (like higher resolutions and better game play) to your classics.

The Dawn of the Tiberium Age (Tiberium Dawn, stand alone game)
http://dta.cncxs.com/download

I downloaded some Red Alert version somewhere which was basically Red Alert 95 using Tiberium Dawn's engine (and AI), with better resolutions etc. But I forgot where I downloaded it from or what it's actually called, but it worked nice compared to RA95 original. But anyway, here is RA95 high resolution patch:
http://hifi.iki.fi/ra95-hires/

I know this is all about playing the original RA95 with no enhancements etc, not to mention it not being about C&C TD, but I just thought I'd put some stuff on here for interest sake.

Edited by user Sunday, November 13, 2011 2:26:41 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I want to say one word to you, just one.... Red Alert!
Offline Johnny1984  
#3 Posted : Sunday, November 13, 2011 4:50:33 AM(UTC)
Johnny1984
Private
Joined: 11/7/2011(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Germany

Ok. Thank you for the feedback and the links. I know I am a bit late with this description, but the *.bat file was normally used for another game. I just modified it, so I could use it for Red Alert 95 also.

This guide was worked out just for fun, resulting from boredom caused by a long period of unemployment as a consequence of heavy sickness of myself. If anyone is interested in trying it, feel free to download the *.bat-file.

I can guarantee that there is NOT a virus in it, because I checked it before with my anti-virus tool.

Edited by user Sunday, November 13, 2011 4:53:14 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Offline Wolfa  
#4 Posted : Sunday, November 13, 2011 9:56:29 AM(UTC)
Wolfa
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Joined: 10/6/2011(UTC)
Posts: 12
Location: South Africa

Well nice work! I have not tried it yet since my RA95 works fine as it is (when the colour mess up happens (happens maybe every 5th time I enter the game) I just exit and go in again and it's fixed), so I'm going to use your file anyway to see how it works.
I want to say one word to you, just one.... Red Alert!
Offline Johnny1984  
#5 Posted : Monday, November 14, 2011 12:20:49 AM(UTC)
Johnny1984
Private
Joined: 11/7/2011(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Germany

How did you manage to run it ? I downloaded it and copied the folder into the installation directory of Red Alert 95 and I started it up. How do I notice if it works? Can you explain the different changes of the patch?

Edited by user Friday, November 18, 2011 2:46:21 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Offline Wolfa  
#6 Posted : Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:11:16 AM(UTC)
Wolfa
Private
Joined: 10/6/2011(UTC)
Posts: 12
Location: South Africa

Johnny1984 wrote:
How did you manage to run it ? I downloaded it anc copied the folder into the installation directory of Red Alert 95 and I started it up. How do I notice if it works? Can you explain the different changes of the patch?


Are you talking about the high resolution patch? I myself have not used it before but it seems to be a working patch (too many reports of it working on forums etc.), there might be a application or notepad file you could run or open that should allow you to change the resolution RA95 runs at as I do not recall ever being able to change the resolution in game (unless the patch adds such a option in game)

The reason for this is that RA95 on it's default low resolution has not bothered me since I played it for memory sake (and I run a desktop resolution of 1920x1080), so you can imagine this is RA95 resolution at it's worst, but like I said, just played it for old times sake. I will post you a RA95 mod which I have played last, which has the capability of up to HD resolutions, and much better AI, once I can remember what it's called, I just have to search my computer, but I'll find it and post it here.

Otherwise if your talking about the very patch you posted on here, then I'm not sure what to say, thought you knew how it works etc. (I have not tried it yet)

Edited by user Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:13:44 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I want to say one word to you, just one.... Red Alert!
Offline Johnny1984  
#7 Posted : Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:23:53 AM(UTC)
Johnny1984
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Joined: 11/7/2011(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Germany

Yes, I am talking about the high resolution patch. Seems as it has been a misunderstanding.
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Installation guide for the original Red Alert 95 for Windows XP / 7 Ultimate 64-bit users (The Red Alert)
by Johnny1984 11/12/2011 12:56:13 AM(UTC)
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