Command & Conquer graphics issue [ Edited ]

[bestestnamest]

Hi, I've recently started playing the old Command and Conquer, or at least I've been trying to do so, but I've run into a few problems with the graphics of the game:

1. Most of the cutscenes only play the audio while showing me a black screen (the pattern here seems to be that the game can't switch from a menu screen or in-game screen to a cutscene, but when going from one cutscene to the next, it plays as intended).

2. The more pressing issue is the fact that when i tab out of the game and back in, I'm met with a game screen that's half filled with vertical black lines, and all menus are replaced with black boxes.

I've tried every concievable way to make the game run in window mode, as well as every concievable combination of compatibility settings, but so far nothing has worked. I looked at this thread before posting: http://answers.ea.com/t5/C-C-The-Ultimate-Collection/Info-How-to-run-older-Command-amp-Conquer-title...
I have not been able to attempt the last of the recommended fixes, as the options.ini file not only does not exist, but my documents folder contains no folder relating to Command and Conquer. There is an ini file in the game folder, containing a paragraph called [options] I tried editing this paragraph in the recommended manner, but it didn't help.

I'm at my wits' end here, so I really hope someone can help me fix this. 

EDIT: Tried running Tiberian Sun, but there is a similar issue, although here it has nothing to do with tabbing out: When I click anything other than "sneak peek" or "exit" on the first menu screen, the game seems to go to the approppriate screen, but without actually changing screens. What I mean is, the game stays on the same screen visually, but when I move my cursor around I can hear the sounds from mousing over different options on the next screen.
This is obviously not the same exact thing, but it does seem like both games can run just fine, but can't show the proper visuals. Is there any way to force the game into window mode?

[Nyerguds · Accepted solution]

@bestestnamest

Uhh... when you say "the old Command and Conquer" the only game that comes to mind is the very first original. And none of these issues sound like ones I've heard from the original C&C1. And the options.ini stuff is already for Generals, halfway the series; when you talk about the older games I kind of assume you mean the old Westwood generation; the first four.

Also, even the older C&C games up to and including Generals already span a whole decade of different targeted operating systems, so their issues vary very widely, so please specify exactly which issues you have with which games.

That said, Command & Conquer 1, Red Alert 1 and Tiberian Sun have all been upgraded with community-created unofficial patches that fix a lot of their bugs and compatibility problems. For Red Alert 2 there's a more general patch that solves a lot of its graphics problems. You can find them here:

Command & Conquer 1:

• Nyerguds' C&C95 v1.06c revision 3 patch (which also adds bonus missions originally exclusive to the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of the game)

Red Alert 1:

• Funkyfr3sh's automatic Red Alert 1 patcher/installer (The thread also has briefing videos for the expansion missions, converted from the Playstation version of the game)
• Nyerguds' main.mix cleanup for TFD/TUC (Not really needed, but cleans up about a gigabyte of unnecessary files in the RA1 folder. Unpack in the game folder, run "patch_main.bat", let it finish, and then delete the files you extracted.)

Tiberian Sun:

• Funkyfr3sh's Tiberian Sun patch

Red Alert 2:

• The graphics system patch DDWrapper is known to solve a multitude of graphics problems, including the "black screen" issue.
  Download the zip file and extract "ddraw.dll" and "aqrit.cfg" into your game folder. Then, open the configuration file "aqrit.cfg" in Notepad, change the "ForceDirectDrawEmulation" option to 1, save the file, and try running the game again.
• If you still have problems with RA2 even after this, I advise installing the CnCNet installer for RA2/YR. It comes with a bunch of automatic fixes, and has a configuration tool which offers more choices in graphics fixes than just DDWrapper, so if one doesn't work you can just try if some of the other options do the trick.

As for the alt-tab issue... general consensus is simply "don't tab out".

[Nyerguds · Accepted solution]

@bestestnamest

Uhh... when you say "the old Command and Conquer" the only game that comes to mind is the very first original. And none of these issues sound like ones I've heard from the original C&C1. And the options.ini stuff is already for Generals, halfway the series; when you talk about the older games I kind of assume you mean the old Westwood generation; the first four.

Also, even the older C&C games up to and including Generals already span a whole decade of different targeted operating systems, so their issues vary very widely, so please specify exactly which issues you have with which games.

That said, Command & Conquer 1, Red Alert 1 and Tiberian Sun have all been upgraded with community-created unofficial patches that fix a lot of their bugs and compatibility problems. For Red Alert 2 there's a more general patch that solves a lot of its graphics problems. You can find them here:

Command & Conquer 1:

• Nyerguds' C&C95 v1.06c revision 3 patch (which also adds bonus missions originally exclusive to the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of the game)

Red Alert 1:

• Funkyfr3sh's automatic Red Alert 1 patcher/installer (The thread also has briefing videos for the expansion missions, converted from the Playstation version of the game)
• Nyerguds' main.mix cleanup for TFD/TUC (Not really needed, but cleans up about a gigabyte of unnecessary files in the RA1 folder. Unpack in the game folder, run "patch_main.bat", let it finish, and then delete the files you extracted.)

Tiberian Sun:

• Funkyfr3sh's Tiberian Sun patch

Red Alert 2:

• The graphics system patch DDWrapper is known to solve a multitude of graphics problems, including the "black screen" issue.
  Download the zip file and extract "ddraw.dll" and "aqrit.cfg" into your game folder. Then, open the configuration file "aqrit.cfg" in Notepad, change the "ForceDirectDrawEmulation" option to 1, save the file, and try running the game again.
• If you still have problems with RA2 even after this, I advise installing the CnCNet installer for RA2/YR. It comes with a bunch of automatic fixes, and has a configuration tool which offers more choices in graphics fixes than just DDWrapper, so if one doesn't work you can just try if some of the other options do the trick.

As for the alt-tab issue... general consensus is simply "don't tab out".

[bestestnamest]

I was talking about C&C1 and Tiberian sun, and the patches you mentioned fixed everything, thanks a lot! Now I can enjoy a full dose of nostalgia

[Nyerguds]

@bestestnamest

Ahh. Your mention of the options.ini threw me off. You wouldn't believe the amount of people who come asking about "Command & Conquer" and mean Generals 

Anyway, I'm glad the fixes helped you out