Author Topic: FF7 XP not working...... (Read 14274 times)

Mustangmatt · « **on:** 2007-04-17 17:31:57 »

Hello everyone. I've had FF7 since it first came out on PC. I've beat it several times, but I recently ran into patches/mods that change the quality of the models and so forth. I've always been a HUGE player/fanatic of the FF series. Here's my problem; I install FF7 on my XP machine, I copy all the FMVs over to the HDD from all my 3 discs and change the registry path. I apply the "1.02" patch, overriding both *.exe files. I run the game. Blank, dark, black screen. I hit my ENTER key and the start menu comes up. I use my 10-key pad to arrow to New Game. I hit ENTER again. Nothing. Black. Nothing. So I exit and I run the video patches. Disabled the TruMotion codec like needed. Run the game again with the nVidia/TNT 640x480 like stated in the documentation. Still nothing. I can get as far as seeing the start menu, but if I select New Game; nothing. I'm really itching to play the revamped/overhauled version of my sweet, sweet old FF7. MUST HAVE FF7!!!

But, if anybody has an idea as to what the problem may be. LET ME KNOW ASAP!!!

THANK YOU!!!!

- Matt

SmasherHell · « **Reply #1 on:** 2007-04-17 18:25:35 »

Blank screen appear instead of videos, well you don't have TM20 decoder or something disable it...if you have Ace Mega codec pack (if not, I suggest you to install it...), in the Ace dashboard you have to check "TrueMotion 2.0 video decoder" your game should work (I think, it works fine for me)

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #2 on:** 2007-04-17 18:28:29 »

I have the K-Lite codec pack installed and the TrueMotion is disabled.

SmasherHell · « **Reply #3 on:** 2007-04-17 18:52:08 »

Then enabling TrueMotion codec should fix your blank screen during video =)

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #4 on:** 2007-04-17 18:57:51 »

Well it is definitely a FMV problem. I did a clean install just now. Did the 1.02 patch. Set the graphic settings. Fired FF7 up and I could hear the intro video skipping, my screen was blank, and my computer rebooted. Very strange. Copied the FMVs over to a directory on the HDD and changed the registry. Turned TM on and then fired the game up. Couldn't see or hear intro video, but when I hit ENTER, I did get to the Start Menu and could select New Game. After that, blank screen. It does the same thing if I enable or disable TM. I ran the YAMP patch for the cut-scene skip. Ctrl+S worked, it put me at some dialogue. I hit ENTER to get past the dialogue. It went away like normal, but the whole entire screen is still dark blank. Now I can't see anything at all, but I can hear the first sfx of the train steam pressure. Ideas?

IT WORKS, but the framerate is crazy fast. Guess I'll be playing it uber fast now.

B Tizo · « **Reply #5 on:** 2007-04-17 21:58:42 »

Perhaps it would help if you told us exactly what patches you have installed, and possibly the order you installed them. Some of the patches only place nice when installed in certain order, or at least that is what I have found. Also, installing the video codec from the install CD itself will probably help you. As far as the crazy frame rate, there are some patches done by dzuigo that can possibly help with that. Hope you're having fun break back into the game!

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #6 on:** 2007-04-17 22:23:01 »

Well, great! Now I'm stuck at the part where Cloud is hanging on to the broken walkway (after the 2nd boss blows up). It isn't frozen. Cloud is still animating and the music is still playing, but now I can't get passed it. Using none of the buttons work.

I've installed the 1.02, resolution patches, YAMP, HQ cloud, and the NPC patch.

dziugo · « **Reply #7 on:** 2007-04-17 22:25:25 »

If Ctrl+S skips the FMV but gets you a black screen, hit Ctrl+D. Also, press Ctrl+S only once

Then there won't be any speed-up.

As for the FMVs not playing correctly - drastic one, but usually helps. Uninstall all of your codecs before installing TM2.0 (you can install them later). Reboot might be necessary.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #8 on:** 2007-04-18 02:20:51 »

So uninstall my K-Lite codec and uninstall DUCK? I'm confused now.

I uninstalled my K-Lite and the TrueMotion Compression Toolkit. I installed the codecs that came on my FF7 Install DISC. I still don't see Intro nor can I get past the end of the 2nd Boss. Cloud just keeps hanging there, while the animations/music loops, even if I use Ctrl+S/D. Argh!!

dziugo · « **Reply #9 on:** 2007-04-18 07:28:29 »

Ctrl+S is not a substitute, it's for the FMVs that actually play, but crash at some moment.

As I said, uninstall all of your installed codecs (you probably didn't bother to use regsvr32, so just the one listed in Control Panel->Add/Remove), then reboot might be a good move, then install TM2.0. If the one from the Install CD doesn't work, install the upside-down movie fix. At some point it will work, and then you can install your codecs back.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #10 on:** 2007-04-18 16:07:40 »

Never heard of a RegServ32 command. When you say TM2.0, where is that exact version? Is that the version of my Install DISC? Sorry for all the hassle, but playing FF7 means alot.

dziugo · « **Reply #11 on:** 2007-04-18 16:15:00 »

If you've already installed the one from the Install CD, check if the upside-down movie patch (from The Great FF7 F.A.Q. in this forum) works.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #12 on:** 2007-04-18 17:39:58 »

Ok. This is becoming seriously stressful. I removed any codec I could from Add/Remove. I 'installed' the DirectDraw from my FF7 INSTALL disc. I guess it is installed now. Launched FF7, FMV still missing. Installed DUCK, launched FF7, FMV still missing. Installed the upside-down patch, launched FF7, FMV still missing. I did it in that order, exactly. I've been trying to find where all of these installed, but I'm having no luck. DUCK was installed in C:\DUCK. There isn't any *.exe files under that folder. So I don't understand how to configure it, or if I should. Shortly, I'll be bald-headed. This is so frustrating, but I'm keeping my cool and trying to follow the advice here on the forum. PLEASE HELP!!!

dziugo · « **Reply #13 on:** 2007-04-18 18:22:08 »

There is still a filter which "thinks" that it can decode those videos

You can try "radlight filter manager" to check what's the name of that other codec and change the priority of the TM2.0 filter, but people say that this program is bad and might make some harm to your system. Whatever happens, you're most likely on your own.

Qudeid · « **Reply #14 on:** 2007-04-18 20:41:00 »

I'm running K-Lite Mega Codec Pack..
here is what I did... I installed the Pack, then opened the ffdshow configurator and disabled TrueMotion there (is somewhere on the top of the options.. just search it). Then I installed the TM from the Upside-Down patch. And it is working.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #15 on:** 2007-04-18 23:01:54 »

So you installed K-Lite first, then ONLY the upside-down patch? Can someone please get me a detailed picture or a step-by-step way of disabling the codec? I think I'm doing it right, but maybe I'm not. Did you also install DUCK? CONFUSED!!!

I'll try updating my video card drivers; however, last time I did that, my DVD-ROM wouldn't recognize DVDs and WMP wouldn't play movies anymore. <crosses fingers> BTW, it is a 256MB Radeon 9600 PRO AGP. Well, WMP plays movies still after the driver update; so that is a good thing; however, FMVs still won't play. Now I'll try an update of DirectX. DirectX update didn't do anything either. Honestly, do people struggle with this as much as I am? If we figure this out, this needs to be documented. Now I'm trying to work with the "radlight filter manager" and I'm seeing TM2.0 installed I believe. What merit do I assign it? I gave it a merit of +255, assigned the merit, and then rebooted. Fired up FF7 and no FMVs. Is this hopeless?

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #16 on:** 2007-04-18 23:52:57 »

Is it okay to have FRAPS installed? I've had it installed for along time. Should it cause any errors?

Been browsing http://forums.eidosgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=70 but nothing is working.

I removed any TrueMotion from my system32 folder. Uninstalled K-Lite Codec Pack, uninstalled FRAPS, uninstalled TM Compression Toolkit. D/Led the tm20dec.ax from that forum. Placed it in my system32 and then ran "regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\tm20dec.ax". Rebooted just to make sure. FMVs still didn't work. This whole time since I authored this thread, I was able to view the FMVs from the movies folder on the CDs in WMP, if that makes any difference. This is just stressing me too much.

dziugo · « **Reply #17 on:** 2007-04-19 05:51:27 »

You change merit to "what?" +255? Also, you would also need to check what's the merit of the codec that is actually trying to play those movies. Uninstall TM2.0 and check with WMP (File->Properties) or the GSpot Codec Information to find that other codec.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #18 on:** 2007-04-19 16:44:19 »

WHOA!!! That is weird! Instead of playing the movies on the FF7 discs, I played the ones I copied over to the folder I remapped in the registry. They are up-side down now.

I right click on one of the movies and hit properties. Under Video Compression it says, "DVGigaAVICodec". When I play the video in WMP, I go to the properties and the for the video codec "DirectVobSub (auto-loading version)" is listed. In my taskbar it shows, DirectVobSub. Hmmm...we're on to something!

dziugo · « **Reply #19 on:** 2007-04-19 17:01:53 »

Unregister it for now (regsvr32 /u dvobsub.ax) and see what's next.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #20 on:** 2007-04-19 19:45:35 »

Ok I did that. The movies are being played by TM now. There are the right side-up now also. FMVs still don't show up though.

dziugo · « **Reply #21 on:** 2007-04-19 21:36:44 »

Mmkay. Install the upside-down movie patch again. Reboot. Doesn't work? Uninstall the filter (regsvr32 /u tm20dec.ax), reboot and install the patch one more time (this time without installing the movie player from the install cd).

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #22 on:** 2007-04-19 21:58:22 »

Ok, I uninstalled/unregistered the 'tm20dec.ax'. Now when I try to play the movies, it can't play them. So obviously that codec was needed to play the movies. Ran the USD patch again, opened up a FMV in WMP, and the movie is showing again. It is running the codec "TrueMotion 2.0 Decompressor".

dziugo · « **Reply #23 on:** 2007-04-19 22:18:51 »

Reinstall FF7 (you only need to backup the "save" folder). Don't touch any codec for now. Post back.

Mustangmatt · « **Reply #24 on:** 2007-04-19 22:23:49 »

Do I install the 1.02 patch too? And only install the game not the Movie Player, correct? I installed the game only and now waiting on further instructions.