Running Links 2003 on W11, one minor problem left

[Oortcloud]

Hi

I played Links LS 1997 back when that game was new. I recently decided to start playing Links 2003.
I started to follow this instruction:

1. Mount the ISO, and choose: setup.exe to install
2. During the install, choose Custom and add everything.
3. Copy and paste RUKSHUK.exe to the installation folder. When it asked to overwrite...say Yes.
4. Put the TWO patches in the install folder, then run them both by double clicking them. (Links2k3_nvidia_win7_FINAL.exe and Links2k3_107_Final.exe)
5. In the install folder there is a sub folder called COURSES. The .crz files are the courses...
...you can download courses and just drop the .crz file in the COURSES folder.
6. To run the game just double click the desktop icon...
7. On the fist run, go to Options > Graphics Settings, and for Device, choose your vid card. For Display Mode, choose: "Window" and the highest resolution/32 bit option you can, in the drop down.
8. The Player files are in: C:\ProgramData\Links 2003
9. The SAVE files are in: C:\Users\<user name>\Documents\Links 2003

I got the game to run after some trial and error but it rendered really slow at every shot. Also crashed from time to time.
I found this solution to the very slow rendering: https://lspn.net/community/viewtopic.ph ... 278#p70042
When setting SKY parameter in Regedit to Blank the rendering is fast as ever.

Game was now running OK but there was still some graphical glitches. And the game crashed at some courses when the game rendering a new position. I think this is some of the problem when I have a AMD graphics card. See viewtopic.php?p=19042#p19042

Then I read about this dgWoodo thing here viewtopic.php?p=7232#p7232. I did try it out and all the glitches are now gone an no crashes at all.

Now I have one final small problem left.... It is about the sky in the game. If I choose any of the skies the game renders extremely slow at every shot. When I do the Regedit thing the problem goes away. OK, I can live with that. But when playing tournaments with Changing conditions the game changes from for example "Breezy" to "Gusty" and the greens to whatever. When this happens I do run into this slow rendering thing again. I have to exit game, go to Regedit and set the Sky parameter again to blank. Back into game and everything runs ok until the next time conditions changes.

Well it is a minor problem, and I do understand that I can easily edit tournaments to not have changing conditions or simply live with it that from time to time I have to regedit my way out of it....

But I am curious to if you can use the skies without problem? How? Is it only me? Have I missed something?

Sorry for this wall of text

//Martin

[Adelade]

Which GPU model do you have?

You could test removing (cut out and save as backup somewhere) all sky files in your Links 2003\skies folder except for the Clear.crz one.

Or perhaps deleting them all, including the Clear one. Try both ways.

Then try add some new ones, perhaps the problem was simply that your old sky files were simply corrupted in some way. I cant find a good link at the moment to anyone sharing their whole sky library (didnt Armand use to have his available somewhere?), but you can find some of Daniels newer ones here for example: viewtopic.php?p=6208#p6208 [Edit: Found the better thread: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=70]

You seem to be using the CD version of the game, some people say that the download version has less risk of issues, as for whether that is true or not with regards to your specific issue - who knows. Download version can be found here: https://www.linkscountryclub.com/prosho ... ad-version.

[Oortcloud]

I will try both. Tomorrow. First Sky, then Download version.

//Martin

[Duck Hook]

Good luck to you mate.

I am so not looking forward to windows 11....

[Oortcloud]

Which GPU model do you have?

I have an AMD 7900XT GPU

You could test removing (cut out and save as backup somewhere) all sky files in your Links 2003\skies folder except for the Clear.crz one.

Or perhaps deleting them all, including the Clear one. Try both ways.

Then try add some new ones, perhaps the problem was simply that your old sky files were simply corrupted in some way. I cant find a good link at the moment to anyone sharing their whole sky library (didnt Armand use to have his available somewhere?), but you can find some of Daniels newer ones here for example: viewtopic.php?p=6208#p6208 [Edit: Found the better thread: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=70]

You seem to be using the CD version of the game, some people say that the download version has less risk of issues, as for whether that is true or not with regards to your specific issue - who knows. Download version can be found here: https://www.linkscountryclub.com/prosho ... ad-version.

Small update so far.
Removing all Skies and adding any of the one you linked me to doesn't change anything for me. Still very slow rendering when using a Sky.

Tried the downloaded version of the game and it behaves exactly the same.

But I have a small progress though. If I empty the "skies" folder from all files, as you suggested Links runs without problems. I just reached a tournament in my Links career where the conditions changed after eight holes. And there is no slow rendering at all. The sky obviously not changed but I can just continue playing. No need to exit game an go into Regedit.

So my minor problem is even more minor now. I simply can't use any sky files or even have them in that folder.

Martin

[Slattery]

"I am so not looking forward to windows 11.... "

Tell me about it. I'm hanging off upgrading in case Links 2003 no longer works. I think I'll keep my current PC for Links 2003 and get a new one for W11 at some stage

[GoBucks]

If you were to do a search on sky issues, I am willing to bet that they pre-date W11. Probably as far back as the beloved XP.

[Oortcloud]

If you were to do a search on sky issues, I am willing to bet that they pre-date W11. Probably as far back as the beloved XP.

Probably so...
I'll keep playing it without sky files at all.
I think it is hardware related though. I did a quick test on my laptop (W11 too) and there is no problem with slow rendering and the skies.

//Martin