Tried everything again after clearing my registry keys.
Unlike Alyza, I'm going to ask you to do this again :/
Using the native installer on the install disc I chose maximum but it finished before ever asking me for any of the other discs, so it seems not to work
This is totally normal, part of 1990s era copy protection and disk resource constraints. Once installed, the game is designed to look for disk 1/2/3 in the CD drive on start-up, and play the FMVs from the CD rather than the hard drive. Don't worry, later steps will deal with this.
so I used Tom's installer, which seemed to work fine except it gives you an error if you choose anything other than the default path.
Except the default path makes life hard for mods because \Program Files\ and \Program Files (x86)\ are system protected folders. That's why the tutorial tells you to avoid installing there.
But then I downloaded the conversion tool, which seemed to mostly work but gave me a file not found error though it didn't say which file.
Again, normal. I'd have to look at the underlying code and my FF7_GC.log to see exactly what it's doing there, but I think it's part of the "Which version do you have?" checks.
Then I tried copying the 7th Heaven tool into the folder (which, again is C:\Program Files (x86)\Square Soft, Inc\Final Fantasy VII because Tom's installer wouldn't let me pick anything else) and it loads but the Aali driver option doesn't do anything when I pick it. And when I exit out and run it again this is the error message I get. Do I need to try manually moving it somewhere else? If so do I need to manually modify the registry keys?
...error...
Ok... like I said, while Alyza advises that the converter will offer to copy the folders and reset your keys, I think it's easier and safer in the long run (given MSFT's propensity to break crap during monthly patch cycles, more on that shortly) to uninstall everything, re-run the registry cleaners, then reinstall using the normal installer, choosing the "Maximum" option, and giving it a non-default folder like C:\Games\FF7. I help a couple of the coder types with testing when they need someone who can actually replicate processes and errors, so here's what a typical "Install from scratch" cycle looks like to me...
1. Clone a fresh virtual machine from my base library (snapshots are great within a testing tree, but for each new process, it's easier for me to start from scratch just to be sure)
2. Install FF7 with the original installer (unless I'm actually testing an alternate). Options as you go along are
Screen 1 - Install DirectX 5, Install DirectShow, do not install Yamaha (This is the default)
Screen 2 - Maximum Install
Screen 3 - Destination Folder = C:\Games\Final Fantasy VII
Screen 4 - Program Folders = Final Fantasy VII (This is the default)
Reboot now (Because, well, crap back then just did these sorts of things. Actually, crap *still* does this sort of thing because it's, well, crap. Linux and BSD don't make me do this
)
3. Manually create C:\Games\Final Fantasy VII\data\movies (The game converter will tell you it's been done for you, but there's an order of execution bug where it doesn't create it until after you tell it this exists, and this can cause headaches. It may also be one of your "File not found" messages.)
4. Mount the dummy FF7DISC1.ISO file.
5. Run the converter. Make sure you include quotation marks when typing in your game and movie paths!!! Here's what the game converter is doing:
- Identifying where to look for a "game" CD
- Apply the v1.02 patch, install aali's OpenGL driver, set registry keys for some stuff
- Throw an error (System can't find file)
- Run FF7Config and set new registry keys. This is super important!! If you run FF7Config outside the converter, your keys will break and the game will crash. If you ever decide to change sound settings, you need to do it by re-running the converter and choosing "Overwrite" when prompted at the start.
- Splice in a couple of DLLs needed for mods to work, and a patch that lets you play with any FF7 CD, even the dummy one from the 7H tutorial.
- Offer a laptop keyboard patch to make playing on a lappy easier (Since there's no numeric keypad on those)
6. Install whatever version of 7H I'm either testing or using as baseline, along with whatever mods I'm enjoying or testing.
7. Create a 7H shortcut on my desktop, with the 'Run as Admin' compatibility flag set
8. Play time!
(Sometimes after setting the "Run in 640x480" compatibility flag on ff7.exe... this seems to always be needed on Win10, but not always on Win7. Don't ask me why)
Now, about MSFT and breaking crap (and why I suggested redoing from start rather than copying/moving with the game converter)... On nearly every patch Tuesday, MSFT somehow breaks something, usually our registry keys, and causes the game to fall flat on its face when just the night before everything had been running smoothly. In most instances, all that's needed to get running again is to run the game converter again (so keep it handy!), and choose "Overwrite" at the beginning of the process, then complete the rest of the steps as you normally would.