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How does the Sierra install identifies the disk

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:18 pm
by Rakeesh
I am trying to install an old Sierra DOS game through DOSBox. Since my pc doesn't have a floppy drive, I have the floppy files in .zip format.

I mounted a folder c:\oldies\a as drive a: and copied inside the files of the first .zip file. I typed install, chose setting and begun to install.

Things went fine, until the time the program asked me to put 'the disk labeled as Disk 2'. No problem, I managed to empty the \a directory, copied inside the files of the second .zip and 'refreshed' DOSBox by ctrl-F4.

But no matter what I do, the box pops up again and again.

I wonder whether the install program determines the disk 'inside' by checking the files, or by checking the label.

If it checks the label, I know that I can label the virtual disk with the mount command, but then, how should I label them (Disk1, Disk_1, Disk01?), and how can I swap the disk in DOSBox while I am running the installation?

Thanks!

Re: How does the Sierra install identifies the disk

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:29 pm
by Collector
With the sierra floppy games it was usually just a small file placed on the disk. I can't think of a Sierra game that used the disk label. There are some Sierra installer helper files that don't work quite right in DOSBox, but it is usually isn't a show stopper. When installing a multi-disk game you may need to refresh the "drive cache" (in the DOSBox README) each time you change the contents of the mounted folder.

That aside, Is there no SHP installer for the game? I have an installer for almost all of the SCI and AGI games. What game are you trying to install?

Re: How does the Sierra install identifies the disk

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:33 pm
by Rakeesh
Earthsiege expansion disks

Actually I found a workaround: I noticed the program called unchunk.exe which works as

Code: Select all

unchunk resource.000 c:\destination
and voila!

I performed it with resources 001 and 002 and the program is so convenient that it resumes files left half by the previous resource.*

I'd like to ask if unchunk was a mass-distributed program, or used only by Sierra

Re: How does the Sierra install identifies the disk

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 4:13 pm
by Collector
I think that the problem with that one is more of a matter of the batch file used for installation, which can be fixed by modifying it.
Rakeesh wrote:I'd like to ask if unchunk was a mass-distributed program, or used only by Sierra
I'm not sure about that.