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[Tool] DirectDraw Compatibility Tool 1.01 by galogen 2023-09-27

A Tool to Fix the Graphics of the Fallout Games

  1. Felipe
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    DirectDraw Compatibility Tool
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    [ 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.
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