DOS to Windows Deluxe Edition Patch
This page explains how to convert a DOS copy of Privateer 2 to a native Windows Privateer 2 (like the Windows 95 Deluxe Edition). This patch works with all DOS versions of Privateer 2.
C:\DARK, overwriting existing filesGAMEFLOW.IFF from the DOS
game to your Windows gameDARKFIX.EXE (or DARK.EXE
if you did not apply the P2 Enhancement Patch)
As far as I know, there are two versions of Privateer 2 for DOS: The original
release version 16.0 (Commercial) and the patched version 17.0e (Buffalo Wings).
My DOS CDs for example are the German version of 16.0. The Windows version is
version 17.0e. The official DOS 17.0e patch patches the DARK.EXE
and the GAMEFLOW.IFF files. Where the patched DARK.EXE
is not used in this patch (the patch ships with a DARK.EXE for
Windows), the GAMEFLOW.IFF is used and must be compatible.
| DOS 16.0 (Commercial) | DOS 17.0e (Buffalo Wings) | |
|---|---|---|
| English | DOSBox + p2patch.exe → 17.0e | OK |
| German | DOSBox + priv2ger.zip → 17.0e | OK |
So if your DOS version is 16.0, you need to use DOSBox to install the DOS version, then apply
the correct patch for your language to get your DOS version to 17.0e and then
you can take the GAMEFLOW.IFF from your updated DOS version in
combination with the Windows patch here.
These are the SHA1 checksums of GAMEFLOW.IFF for verification:
| GAMEFLOW.IFF | SHA1 | Size (b) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.0 English | 43d85caf116a9e5bac0e9c96ff7bb19cdd39de12 | 146.762 | No, use patch |
| 16.0 German | 514000fdeb7ef68f96663a9965634610f126ddf7 | 148.350 | No, use patch |
| 17.0e English | 293b9c293497d3bb47c352c875f1a4c157a7defd | 146.810 | Yes |
| 17.0e German | c4a9e50967b58c0d0ba55a9fe41db741211d8f47 | 148.416 | Yes |
For the curious, the only changes in the IFF file are additions of 4 strings
to the INIT.TEXT chunk:
TWO BUTTON JOYSTICK THRUSTMASTER JOYSTICK CH FLIGHTSTICK PRO JOYSTICK INVULNERABILITY
When trying to use GAMEFLOW.IFF v16 with DARK.EXE v17,
it crashes when trying to display the options dialog (new invulnerability button)
or when trying to display the joystick calibration dialog (joystick names),
to fix this, apply the patch and use the 17.0 version of that file.
Sometimes (ex when you press ALT+X) you have to answer a question with your keyboard. If you don't have the English version of Privateer 2 DOS (I have the German version for example), you'll have to press "Y" for the positive answer (no matter what the "yes" is in your language), and a "N" for the negative answer (the "no" in your language).
If you have problems using your throttle on your joystick, simply reinstall Privateer 2 without throttle support. This saves you from dealing with the (slightly buggy?) throttle handling in Privateer 2 Windows.
If you have got problems getting your sound/music working on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, try to set compatibility mode: Right-click on the dark.exe file and chose "preferences", then go to the "compatibility" tab and check the compatibility mode. Selecting either Windows 95 or Windows 98 should work for everyone.
If you copy the files GAMEFLOW.IFF and INSTALL.IFF
from your original Privateer 2 version (in your language), you will get the
installation interface and the game interface in your language, and not (up to
now) in English.
GAMEFLOW.IFF