Links 2003 not working with Windows 10

[Mailman]

The thing that still has me scratching my head is the intermittency of when Links loads. When it does, it works well. Exit the game and start another session with or without rebooting or changing any settings leads to this merry-go-round of being unable to start it consistently.

[Lobofan]

The thing that still has me scratching my head is the intermittency of when Links loads. When it does, it works well.

Hmmm . . . question: do you shut down your system when you're done for the day or with your session? If so, does 2003 run the first time when you turn the computer back on? Or do you leave your computer on continuously?

[Jimbo]

You've probably seen it but the folks at Microsoft are about to "deep six" Windows 10 support.

Thanks Bill...

[Lobofan]

Thanks Bill, yes, I have seen that MS is discontinuing Windows 10 support later in the year. Won't be an issue for me until I upgrade/buy a new computer since my rig won't run Windows 11. Once I do one or the other, then I'll worry about getting 2003 to run on that. Just gonna enjoy 2003 now while I still can.

[Mailman]

The thing that still has me scratching my head is the intermittency of when Links loads. When it does, it works well.

Hmmm . . . question: do you shut down your system when you're done for the day or with your session? If so, does 2003 run the first time when you turn the computer back on? Or do you leave your computer on continuously?

Yesterday saw an abortive attempt to fire up Links until I realised that the display settings in the registry were not as I thought they were. So later on I put it back to 1920x1080 (mode 14) and it fired up after less than 5 attempts via LinksLauncher. PC shut down for the night. This morning I had changed nothing but checked the registry to see that the display was still set at mode 14. Took a while again to restart Links via LinksLauncher but it did after what seemed like an eternity (5-10 mins). Exited the game and left the PC switched on. Again took a while to restart Links via LinksLaucher but again it did. Tried a different tack of starting via LinksMMIII now pinned to the taskbar (rather than LinksLaucher) both before a reboot and after a reboot. Not instanteous but at least it did start via LinksMMIII. Still searching for that elusive key that starts Links up reliably every time without my recourse to hitting the re-start/shutting down running processes route.

I have tried with and without a modified Videocard.txt file but Links is picking up and identifying my 4060Ti GPU either way. I know you stated that you had changed your Videocard.txt file but did you change any of the videocard configuration parameters for your particular GPU ? ?

[Adelade]

Did you try installing Links on both of your SSD and HDD (separately)?

Excuse my language but what you describe about how it wont launch until after multiple times sounds so effing weird. I dont know too much about computers but the only thing I can think of that it reminds me of is when systems struggle at the end of their lifespan and might start up on the 10th try or whatever because the first 9 tries raised the physical temperature enough.

[Mailman]

Did you try installing Links on both of your SSD and HDD (separately)?

Excuse my language but what you describe about how it wont launch until after multiple times sounds so effing weird. I dont know too much about computers but the only thing I can think of that it reminds me of is when systems struggle at the end of their lifespan and might start up on the 10th try or whatever because the first 9 tries raised the physical temperature enough.

I have 2 x NVMe drives, 1 x SATA SSD, 1 x HDD

The dual boot OS's are installed on the sep NVMe drives. So when I boot up in Windows 11 - i.e. seen by Windows 11 as Drive(C) - the other dual boot drive can be seen as being Drive(M) and basically vice-versa if I boot into Windows 10. I very much doubt that physical temperature is the factor as my temperatures within the case are very decent (GPU seldom above 35C and CPU seldom above 50C). All drives reporting low temperatures in the 20/30's.

So I have installed Links 2003 onto the Windows 11 NVMe drive - a 2 month old WD 2TB drive (Links loads intermittently) and tried to install Links onto the Windows 10 NVme drive - a WD 500GB drive (which has not yet properly installed i.e. run for the first time populating the registry completely).

I may try another attempt soon at installing Links on the SATA(SSD) or the HDD on Windows 10 seeing as it has not yet installed on the 500GB NVMe drive.

[Titus]

I have a new PC, and I can only confirm the problem with having to restart Links several times before they finally work.
Nothing dies.
Links is currently running with Windows 11 (Mode 12), but without Mode 14.

[Adelade]

I very much doubt that physical temperature is the factor as my temperatures within the case are very decent (GPU seldom above 35C and CPU seldom above 50C). All drives reporting low temperatures in the 20/30's.

I wasnt speculating about too high temperatures, but rather too low, if anything. Anyhow yes I highly doubt it too, but then what is it?

[Lobofan]

I have tried with and without a modified Videocard.txt file but Links is picking up and identifying my 4060Ti GPU either way. I know you stated that you had changed your Videocard.txt file but did you change any of the videocard configuration parameters for your particular GPU ?

To my knowledge I had not changed any of the videocard configuration parameters when I first got 2003 to run (I have since monkeyed with anti-aliasing and a few other settings but changed them back since I didn't see any appreciable difference in the display quality). And I say "to my knowledge" because I was trying all kinds of things at the height of my effort to get 2003 to run. I can confirm that I did change the Videocard.txt file (but my sense is that that didn't have an effect one way or another) and my registry display mode is set at 14; I believe that is all I did after I unwound all my prior efforts and started over with a clean 2003 reinstall. But again, I could be wrong - those two days when I was doing all this stuff is kind of blur at this point.

That said, happy to check any of my settings etc. Just let me know what you'd like me to check.

Took a while again to restart Links via LinksLauncher but it did after what seemed like an eternity (5-10 mins)

Again took a while to restart Links via LinksLaucher but again it did

Not instanteous but at least it did start via LinksMMIII

When you talk about "took a while", "not instantaneous", etc., here are you referring to the number of attempts or the amount of actual time (i.e., clock time) that it takes 2003 to finally start? I ask, because if the latter, that actually reminds me of what I was seeing about three years ago before my (former) hard drive crashed and burned (not literally of course). Programs would sometimes start fine, other times not . . . hardly happened at all at first, then got progressively more commonplace, until finally one day I couldn't even boot up . . . any chance your hard drive might be on its way out? Have you noticed what you're seeing with 2003 when you try to run other programs?