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The Dagger of Amon Ra Help

The Dagger of Amon Ra's original requirements:

MS-DOS 5.0 or Windows 3.0 or greater
286 or better
2x CD-ROM
640 KB RAM
3 MB Hard drive space, 15 MB recommended
VGA
Thunderboard, Pro Audio Spectrum, AdLib, Sound Blaster, MT-32 Compatible, General Midi, Sound Source
Mouse

 

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, first.

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.

Problem - Unable to initialize your audio hardware:
On starting the game you get the message:

Unable to initialize your audio hardware

Solution 1 (preferred):
Play the game in DOSBox. Even the Windows version can be played in DOSBox if you install Windows 3x in it, first.

Back when computers came with a "Turbo" switch (a sort of speed switch,) Sierra's workaround was to turn off the Turbo switch to start the game, after which you could turn the Turbo back on. If you have your cycles in DOSBox set too high, you may still encounter this problem. You can mimic the turbo switch solution by lowering your cycles (Ctl+F11) before starting your game. You may raise the cycles back up after the game starts (Ctl+F12).

Solution 2:
Patch the old audio driver with GOSiERRA or SBSIERRA.

Solution 3:
Use the updated driver,AUDBLAST.DRV (sb16drv.exe)

Solution 4:
Try installing the Windows version

Problem - Only First Digitized Sound Effect Heard:
With some SoundBlaster 16 ASP sound cards, only the first digitized sound effect is heard.

Solution:
Apply this patch

Speed problems

As with many of the Sierra VGA games, The Dagger of Amon Ra has some speed bugs. These bugs can also be avoided by playing the game in DOSBox. If you can't or don't want to use DOSBox, you can try using a Slowdown Utility.

Here is a list of problems with solutions/workarounds.

Problem - Endless Driving Bug:
Everytime you get in the taxi and tell him where you want to go you just drive on and on.

Solution #1 (preferred):
Apply this patch by NewRisingSun. (You may still want to play the game in DOSBox.)

Solution #2:
Play using DOSBox. Even the Windows version can be played in DOSBox if you install Windows 3x in it, first.

Solution #3:
Use a Slowdown Utility.

Problem - Moving Painting To Reveal Safe Bug:
You can only open the painting once. If you remove the picture in front of the safe once and you close it, you can't open it again.

Solution #1 (preferred):
Apply this patch by NewRisingSun. (You may still want to play the game in DOSBox.)

Solution #2:
Play using DOSBox. Even the Windows version can be played in DOSBox if you install Windows 3x in it, first.

Solution #3:
Use a Slowdown Utility.

Solution #4:
You can still finish the game without opening the safe but to have a perfect score, you have to restart the game.

Problem - Error 5:
In Act 5 with Mr. X chasing, when Laura opens the transom over the door and goes into the mummy room the game gives this error:

You did something that we weren't expecting. You don't need to do it to finish the game. Error 5

Solution #1 (preferred):
Play using DOSBox. Even the Windows version can be played in DOSBox if you install Windows 3x in it, first.

Solution #2:
Click only one time on the glass. then get off, and continue running to the Egyptian exhibition. If this does not work, don't run to the middle, go slowly by way of the corners.

Solution #3:
Use a Slowdown Utility.

 

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