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The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery Help

The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery's original requirements:

MS-DOS 5.0 or Windows 3.1 or greater
486/33 (Pentium recommended)
2x CD-ROM
8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended)
20 MB Hard drive space (maximum install)
SVGA 256 colors
Windows compatible sound card or 100 % SoundBlaster compatible
Mouse
 

Installation Problems

Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within comes with both Windows and DOS versions. Though some might find the Windows version easier to setup, the DOS version can be played in DOSBox which allows you to avoid any speed bugs that you might find in the old games, but more importantly, will allow you to enjoy the game even if you upgrade to a version of Windows that run the Windows version (i.e. some versions of Vista).

If you must run the Windows game, use Enrico Rolfi's (Endroz) new installer (Endroz's GK Patches & Tools) that installs the Windows version with all the patches for the The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery including his No Interlace Patch. His installer also has the advantage of allowing you to installing to and running the game entirely from the hard drive. There is also an option to let you create a single DVD to replace the 6 CDs. No more swapping out CD during game play. It is possible to install the DOS version into this Windows only install to have these advantages, but still use the DOS interpreter for DOSBox.

Like many of the later Sierra games, The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery has installation problems.

Problem - AutoRun Hangs:
When you first insert the CD, the AutoRun will start and seems to lockup.

Solution:
It is just searching your system for a previous installation. You can safely quit the AutoRun and just open the CD to run the installer. (Right click on the AutoRun button on the task bar and choose Close or use Ctl+Alt+Delete to end task. You can also hold the shift key down when you insert the CD and hold it until the PC reads it.)

Problem - System Test Crash:
The installer crashes when running the system test with this error:

SETUP caused a General Protection Fault in
module _SETUP.EXE at 0004:6357.

Choose close. SETUP will close.

You can't rerun the setup without ending the process using the Task Manager (Ctl+Alt+Delete) or rebooting.

Solution:
Skip the system test. You will still be able to install the game.

Audio Problems

Audio problems are common in the later Sierra DOS SCI games. There's no single fix for all these games. You can try the Windows version, if running on 32-bit Windows.

Problem - Poor Quality / No Sound (Win9x and XP):
The game has no sound or the music is of poor quality.

Solution 1 (preferred):
Play the game in DOSBox. It also will work with the MT-32 sound module, if you are fortunate to have one.

Solution 2:
Use VDMSound. The game work well with VDMSound. The sound will be as good as your audio hardware, and as with DOSBox, it works with the MT-32 sound module.

Solution 3:
Play the game with FreeSCI, a third party Interpreter for Sierra's early SCI games.

Solution 4 (DOS/Win9x):
Install DOS drivers for your soundcard. Without DOS drivers installed you won't have sound in a DOS window in Windows 9x. If you can't find DOS drivers for your soundcard, there is an alpha (developmental) version of VDMS that you can try.

Speed problems

Many of the Sierra VGA games have timer related bugs. These bugs can also be avoided by playing the game in DOSBox. Even the Windows versions can be played in DOSBox if you install Windows 3x in it, first. If you can't or don't want to use DOSBox, you can try using a Slowdown Utility.

Game Specific Bugs

Many of the The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery bugs can be fixed by using Enrico Rolfi's (Endroz) new installer that installs the Windows version with patches for the Gabriel Knight bugs. Note that the Windows version will not work with some versions of Windows Vista. These users will have to install the DOS version in DOSBox.

Problem - No PLAY button at start of game:
After using the SHP Gabriel Knight 2 DOSBox or the Gabriel Knight 2000 HDD/DVD installers or manual full hard drive install, there is no "PROLOGUE" or "PLAY" buttons and there is no music.

Solution:
The game is not looking in the right place for needed resources. Use this patch.

Problem - Out of Memory:
"Out of memory" message at Schloss Ritter in Chapter 4.

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Error 99:
When switching to CD #2, you receive"Error 99: Error Loading Resource 122v56"

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Dead End:
There is a "dead end" that occurs when player exhausts dialogue with Leber before visiting Ubergrau's office for the first time and then can't get back to Leber to ask about "Black Wolf".

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Blinking Border:
Neuschwanstein border does not stop blinking even after player has heard every tour tape.

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Missing "Lost Opera" Topic:
Georg does not have "Lost Opera" topic if player hasn't clicked on "Letter to Conductor" in the Museum but has exhausted topics with Frau Miller, then cannot get back to the Museum.

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Holy Water Lockup:
Grace can get holy water only once. In the Priest's Office at Altotting when trying to LOOK at the BASKET with the holy water in it. You may experience a lock up in the game that will require you to reboot.

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Thrashing CD drive:
Some experience a "thrashing" or continuous hard drive or CD drive reads, during game play.

Solution:
Apply the Gabriel Knight II: The Beast Within 1.11 update.

Problem - Black Bands on Movies:
The movies have black band running across them, as if there are missing scan lines. (Example)

Solution:
Apply Enrico Rolfi's (Endroz) Gabriel Knight II No Interlace Patch. (Example)
 

Gabriel Knight II & XP

Gabriel Knight II is relatively easy to install and play on WindowsXP. Note that the game also has a patch.

Also, new installers will setup the game on XP/Vista that also allow you to play the game completely from your harddrive or burn all six CDs to a single DVD. Both also inclued Endroz's "no interlace" patch that improves the visual quality of the videos in the game. Note: Windows 64-bit users will need to use the DOSBox installer from SHP.

 

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