StarCraft fix holy cow!

I am working out a method so Squall's fix can be made generically to any affected 256 colour game, so then its easy for newbs. I already worked out how to capture DirectDraw IDs, and its very easy to extract the filename only from a complete Windows path, and then stuff it into Registry keys.

The issue is working out how Windows generates the application's name for the Compatibility key. I have a hunch is related to window class ID, but not 100% sure since it will take some time to make sure if its true, OR if its possible to just add any name in there and it applies the fix regardless. If possibility 2 is true, shouldn't be too hard writing a patcher that does it.

EDIT: Okay, wrote the patcher. Tested on Starcraft and Warcraft II BNE. Only works on Windows 7 x64, it is also a 64bit application, too. Source code in C is included.

mudlord said:

I am working out a method so Squall's fix can be made generically to any affected 256 colour game, so then its easy for newbs. I already worked out how to capture DirectDraw IDs, and its very easy to extract the filename only from a complete Windows path, and then stuff it into Registry keys.

The issue is working out how Windows generates the application's name for the Compatibility key. I have a hunch is related to window class ID, but not 100% sure since it will take some time to make sure if its true, OR if its possible to just add any name in there and it applies the fix regardless. If possibility 2 is true, shouldn't be too hard writing a patcher that does it.

EDIT: Okay, wrote the patcher. Tested on Starcraft and Warcraft II BNE. Only works on Windows 7 x64, it is also a 64bit application, too. Source code in C is included.

I used the Patcher on my 32 bit system running Pro 7.... StarCraft Now runs like a dream thank you....

Was it only meant to work on a 64bit system??

It looks like he is having problems with his site. I checked the link, and got a 404 error. Going to the site root yields the following, meaning that the site is there, but has no content.

Until Mudlord website comes up again I uploaded the patcher to a filehoster.

Edit: For some reason this board now censor the filehoster mediafire.
When I got the time I upload to Microsoft Skydrive.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=D034BBE083742AB4!127&authkey=!AACgEId3o4wp0bM



Edit: Added the originial patcher as attachments because the filehoster sometimes goes offline.

Added a second russian directdraw patcher.

Description:

===============================================================
DirectDraw Compatibility Tool
===============================================================

[ Program purpose ]

DirectDraw Compatibility Tool is designed to fix color palette corruption
in the old games (Fallout, Age of Empires, Worms Armageddon, Theme
Hospital and other from the second half of the 90th).
Corruption occurs because of incompatibility between graphical
interface Windows Aero and games intended to work with DirectX 7
DirectDraw or an older DirectX version. Both Windows Vista and
Windows 7 have built-in compatibility tools for such games. But to invoke
compatibility mode there should be information about specific exe-file in
the corresponding part of the registry. DirectDraw Compatibility Tool allows
to completely automate process of compatibility rules creation.

[ Program functions ]

DirectDraw Compatibility Tool has two operation modes:
- create compatibility rules for a given game;
- save compatibility rules to the reg-file.

'Apply' button allows to automatically create compatibility rule. When
field 'Pathname of the target exe-file' contains desired game, on button-
press it will be analyzed and corresponding rule will be formed. If problems
where caused by incompatibility on DirectDraw level they should cease
immediately after rule creation. But it's probable that there are some other
problems which have to be solved with different tools or could not be
solved at all. For example Worms Armageddon version 1.3 doesn't run
under Windows 7 x64, meanwhile version 3.6.29 processed with the
Compatibility Tool runs smoothly under that OS.
If 'Pathname of the target exe-file' is empty, button 'Apply' will open the
file selection dialog.

'Create reg-file' button allows to export compatibility rule as a Windows
registry file. This file could be imported into the registry manually or
distributed along with the game. I need to admit that reg-files are different
for 32- and 64-bit Windows (64-bit version has keys in the additional registry
brunch). In the case of the automatic rule creation ('Apply' button)
DirectDraw Compatibility Tool detects Windows version itself. Manual
application of the reg-file from the 32-bit Windows most probably will not
give a positive result on the 64-bit OS but reg-file from the 64-bit Windows
could be used on the 32-bit OS version seamlessly. In the latter case one
redundant registry key will be created.

[ Supported games ]

Updated list of the supported games will be published on the DirectDraw
Compatibility Tool web-page. Click 'homepage' link in the upper right
corner of the program window to get there. If you managed to solve
problems with a game which is not in the list, you could help the project
leaving a comment on the site.
At the current moment color corruption has been fixed for Fallout 1,
Fallout 2, Worms Armageddon (version 3.6.29), WarCraft 2 Battle.net
Edition and Theme Hospital. This method should work for Age of Empires
as well but has not been really tested.

[ From author ]

Hope I made a life of an old-gamers and fans a little easier. Any
comment and suggestion are welcome, especially since the program
homepage is my blog.

Copyright 2010 Galogen
English Localization by ALCHEMIST