Flyboy's Longbow 2 Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/+ Fix (V3)

Details

Here is the latest release of my previously named 'Longbow 2 Windows Vista/7 Fix'.

My now famous Longbow 2 Windows Vista/7 Fix is essentially the English language version of Longbow 2 in an 'installed' state (game folder copied), with the patches and general stability fixes already applied. Useful if you have trouble installing the game or patches. Note that you still need the original game CDs or images to play.

Version History

* Version 3 (Feb 2015)
- Updated name of fix package to include other versions of Windows that it works on, to "Flyboy's Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/+ Fix".
- Updated and much more extensive documentation to reflect new fix name, install procedure, new additions, problem solving, etc.
- Added a companion extras folder with commonly needed fix files and game documentation, etc.

* Version 2 (Mar 2013)
- Ditched the installer package format as some users experienced problems running that (due to the installer needing DLL files that not everyone had, so it seemed).
- Released as a simple ZIP archive package (with added bonus of being able to manually extract individual files and not have to go through the whole 'install' process again).

* Version 1 (Nov 2009)
- Initial release of "Flyboy's Windows Vista/7 Fix".
- Released in fancy EXE installer package format.

Please see included 'Fix-Readme.txt' file for much more detailed additions and updates!

Download

FLY-LB2-WIN-FIX(V3).zip (254 Mb)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3u3wi7rh2u40xbl/FLY-LB2-WIN-FIX(V3).zip

Please note that the core of this package... the installed game... has not changed. Therefore, if you already have a previous version of this package you'll not really benefit from getting this one. All extras included in this new version can be acquired separately. Just thought I'd warn you in case you don't have a good internet connection or are on limited data usage!

I LOVED LB and LB2 back in the day. Still got the whole game sets for both, enshrined. Thanks a million!

...now, if only I could get this game to recognize my Saitek x65...

Works no problem on my W7/64 but no controllers seen.

All I can do to fly is use the auto pilot.

I don't know much about controller issues, but for a start make sure that you only have one game controller plugged in and that it's the primary one in Windows Control Panel.

Ok on Win 8.1 with nvidia 780 and Nglide , the sim is working. But it still crashes on exit, and the USB controller are read in wrong way. even if left aloen as controller, my MS FF2 throttle gives at most 58%

I have no real experience with Windows 8.1, and unfortunately the game does still crash upon exit for many people. Strange about all these controller issues. The collective only putting out 5x% has been documented before. Here's a link to a page on my website that briefly addresses this (see bottom entry)...
http://digitality.comyr.com/flyboy/lb2/fixes.html

Thanks a lot Flyboy!!!

Downloading it (even if I have the old version)

Thanks again Flyboy! Once again it seems you saved me!


I got my new pc on December. Since then I've been playing LB2 without any issues (apart from not been able to use the Win Compatibility DB on Win 8.1).

Recently I started getting nothing by crashes. I downloaded your new files, copy the contents of your LB2 folder over mine and so far, I haven't seen any crashes yet.

I have one small question: With your version, the terrain seems darker. Not bad, but darker than I am used to. Is this due to some of the tweaks you made? I read the Fix-Readme.txt but couldn't find anything related to it.

Hi Punisher, pleased to hear your game is running OK again. Perhaps all it took was a simple re-install.

I have done nothing to the terrain... I've modded no game files at all except the CA.INI where I added the backdoors fix. It must be something on your end.

Hi again Flyboy

Weird. I used the backup form my previous pc and I get the "lighter" terrain color. I switch to your copy and I get the "darker" terrain color.

Anyway, seems I spoke too soon. It works fine if I play just one mission but if I play more than one (or replay the same mission), it crashes again.

It may be an update but not sure if Windows or video driver. Trying to find out, I switched to the nvidia drivers from December (when I got the PC) but it still crashes.

Well that's weird about the terrain colors, are you sure you don't need your eyes testing?

Sorry to hear about the crashes coming back. What glide wrapper are you using? If you're using an older version of one, perhaps you need to get a newer or latest version?

I am using dgvoodoo 1.5 as it is the latest-stable one for me. Will check a n ewer version.


Update, Tried
- dgVoodoo 2.42: No go, get some d3d11.dll error.
- nglide (latest version) still crashes after ending a mission.



Another update:
Tried dgVoodoo 1.4. Played several missions without crashing. If I keep the view straight, it seems OK, but if I put the nose up, but the sky textures above the cockpit line seems to "vibrate" all the time and the sun looks like a square, unlike with dgVoodoo 1.5.

Still using the version 2 fix with no problems..

The version 3 fix contains the same core files... the game in an installed state and patched, etc. V3 just adds updated documentation, separate fixes off my website, etc.

I can't dload it from the main link.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3u3wi7rh2u40xbl/FLY-LB2-WIN-FIX(V3).zip

PM sent.

Thanks for the Update #3! I also updated my german instructions and linked to the new file.

Cool. You're keeping the German players happy, I see.

I just recently tried the V3 fix, along with Phoenix's fix and the LB2 color bat file on Win7 64bit, a pair Radeon HD7970's graphics cards, and a Core I7 processor. My experience has been this:

Using dgVoodoo 1.5 beta the following happens:

With DirectX7 API enabled Longbow2 has 2d cockpit rendering problems, but does not crash on exit.

Using the DirectX9 API Longbow2 renders perfectly but crashes on exit. No graphics artifacts in either the 2d or 3d cockpit. The game ran at the max resolution of my monitor (2560x1080) but consistently crashes on exit.

So I tried the latest dgVoodoo glide wrapper v2.45. I haven't been able to get it working. Longbow2 crashes when starting a mission. The menus come up fine but when starting a mission it crashed to Windows.

So I am going to try other glide wrappers (Zack's, nlgide to name a couple) to see if they work any better with my setup.

If anyone still reads this thread and has any thoughts on what to do further I would appreciate any ideas...

Thanks

Hi Walt, I don't check here too often now so if you'd like any input from me specifically, it may be best to e-mail me or send me a PM (in which I'll get an e-mail alert).

Yeah you will notice varying levels of compatibility between dgVoodoo versions. The latest 2.x versions are made utilizing new hardware, but they don't seem to be terribly backwards compatible. I've had no luck at all with the newest versions of dgVoodoo. You will also get different degrees of success when transitioning from the menus to the actual mission, as the 2D menu screens and 3D game world use different game engines.

I'm honestly so out of the loop now I don't even know what to recommend!

Hi Flyboy!
wow, your LB2 download sounds great - so it is the full game ready to go? do i need to install my copy of lb2 for it?

also the dropbox link flashes up has having malware/virus in it

Hi Agathosdaimon,

I downloaded the dropbox file and it is safe. False positive on the part of your AV software prob. To play the game you will still need the disks or ISOs from the discs since LB2 wont run without a disc loaded. I think it reads the voices (com channels) off the disc while the game is running. The main reason Flyboy is offering the install folder is because the patches that must be applied are old 16-bit executables and won't run in a 64-bit environment which means you can't upgrade the game correctly. LB2 doesn't really need to be installed, it can be run just from the folder.

Hope you get it working.

I decided to mess around with LB2 again, and using the Database Fix and dgVoodoo I was able to record the first few missions of a new campaign. There were no high bitrate videos of LB2 on YouTube. So I thought it would be fun to create some videos complete with the mission planning and results scenes.

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvVN8usIXRQLFjB_ugcPHw

Question on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/+ Fix

I am a little confused on the correct procedure to install.
Instruction #5 states: “5) Insert game CD1 or mount the image for game CD1”

Later on, the instructions state:

Note that when installing the original game from the game CD/image, the game's default install path is 'C:\Janes\Longbow2'. If you wish to rename the fix's game folder of 'LB2' to 'Longbow2' and locate it in a 'Janes' folder on the root of drive 'C:', that should still work perfectly fine!

So my question is: Do I install the original disk or just keep it in the drive so it can be read?

Could someone explain the Note paragraph?

I haven't played this in some time, but as I recall, you can install and play one of two ways:

1) Install from the original CDs, and then swap disks when playing the game, depending on which CD the game needs. This is the least preferred method, due to long loading times and wear and tear on your precious CDs.

OR

2) Copy the original CDs to ISO files on your hard drive, and mount the ISO files with Daemon Tools (or similar program). Then put the original CDs away for safekeeping. Install from the mounted ISO files, and mount the ISO files with Daemon Tools each time before you play. Longbow will think it's using the original CDs. No CD swapping required.

Hi Sobe, BirdDogICT is right. Just use the CDs or ISOs for playing the game. If your using this "Fix" and installing as per the instructions you don't need to run the installer from those CDs. What you are doing is just copying the root folder of LB2 onto your computer and running the game that way, without truly installing it. People are having trouble installing the game and running the patches due to newer 64-bit systems, and this fix bypasses that by having the entire root directory available to be copied to your computer as if you had actually installed the game. The CD or ISO of the CD is only needed to unpack Terrains and call up vocal tracks during gameplay.

As for what Flyboy meant in the "Note" he was just pointing out that for people who want the installation folder to be in the same location as if you had installed from the CD then rename his 'LB2' folder to Longbow2, then create the folder 'C:\Janes' and move it into there. That way it looks as if you installed the game from the CDs because the root folder is in the exact same location as if you had done so. This however is not necessary.

Hi guys, just thought I'd pop in as there seems to be some activity surrounding my LB2 fix package. I don't visit here very often nowadays but will always answer questions and concerns if I can even still remember the answers! If you shoot me a PM I'll get an e-mail about it and it'll prompt me to help you out quicker. Thanks to those of you who have been answering people's questions on my behalf.

YAY! Flyboy!! He's ALIVE!!!

Good to see you old friend. Hope all is well.

Eugene

Hi Eugene, good to see you.

I've gone through a fair few negative life events this year, but things are looking up and I think I'm finding my feet again.

Does anybody know if this fix works in Windows 10 x64?

Yes, but don't forget to disconnect all but one controller. I have not tried to combine controllers in target to see if that will work. It does in Janes F15.

I tried and it doesn't. With PPJOY.

Canadair
Did you try with the target software combining all the controllers into one virtual controller?

Success with getting LB2 to run on my Lenovo Y500 laptop - dual 650m video, Win 10 Pro x64, 256gb SSD boot drive

After many failed attempts with the following:

1) DgVoodoo 1.5 and 1.4 - Sound loop crash, keyboard and joystick loss after a few minutes
2) Zeckensack - similar
3) Direct3D mode - seemed to run well, but no MFD's

I finally tried nGlide. While I do still get occasional crashes, this has been the most stable set up and I have run 30+ minute missions and landed and completed the mission properly. Seems campaign mode will be viable.

Here is how I did it. I hope it works for you, but no guarantees of course.

1. Install from the original CD's to E:\Janes\Longbow2
2. Install Flyboy's fix (FLY-LB2-WIN-FIX(V3).zip) - (A copy of the LB2 folder after install, 2.09 patch, DDU on XP).
3. Tried [EXTRAS]\LB2_Crash,_GUI,_Sound_fix.zip but did not work so uninstalled it
4. Bought and installed Daemon Tools Lite (unlimted devices)
5. Tried to create ISO files from LB2 install discs using Daemon Tools - oh no! disc read error!
6. Luckily I was able to create .zip files from the install CD's and Daemon Tools will use those
7. Installed PositiveG's Application Compatibility package - WAC-LB2.ZIP - no application compatibility applied to LB2.exe
8. Installed higher res .INI file package screenres.ZIP
9. Installed nGlide 1.05 - Screen Res 1280x720, Fit to screen, Refresh rate by app, Vertical sync on, Gamma correction 1.0, 3dfx logo on (cool!)
10 Running Saitek AV8R Joystick - keys mapped and stick recognized fully.

Seems to be running just as I remember it. Can control rockets fine. To avoid crashes, I reboot between missions but that is fast as I have an SSD.

Don't lose hope folks, it is possible. Enjoy, I hope it works as well for you.