Return To Zork
Setup Walkthrough

Requirements:
486
4MB RAM
Double Speed CD ROM
Sound Card
Mouse

 

Return to Zork did not require very much effort in the setup procedure, I found. 

The General Drill 

updated printable version

 

Whenever I start a new game, especially an "older one"; I have always made it a habit to make sure my system is clean. (So let's clean house) Our cleaning products?? No, I'm not talking about special Orange Sprays or Pine smelly disinfectants! I'm referring to the "3 Musketeers" of WINTEL Systems. They are: "Disk Clean Up", Check Disc (the old Scan Disc in pre XP Windows based systems) and Defrag. 

First, Let's do a Disk Clean Up (Don't know how?) GO to-->Start-->All Programs--> Accessories--> System Tools-->Disk Clean Up. Empty out what you don't need ( you'll be surprised at what you can accumulate!) Shut down all extra programs. (for those of you who know how to do this part...just skip onto the next area of the "Setup".) For those of you who don't, the easiest way to terminate your TSRs (terminated but staying resident programs, also known as 
background applications") is to right click on each of the little icons in the lower right portion of your "Tool Bar" (located near your clock), As you right click on each of them you will get the option to either "exit", "close" or "unload". Do this for each of them. Then, if you have a Screensaver go ahead and disable it. 

If you haven't done the "Ole' Scan Disk"...(in XP it's called "Check Disk") and Defragged recently here is a good time to do it. Go to-->My Computer-->Local Disc "C" ("C" is mine but your Local Disc maybe assigned another letter)-->Right Click-->Properties-->Tools-->"Check Now..." ->Make sure that both boxes are checked--> 1.)Automatically fix file system errors and 2.)Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.-->Click Start. You can follow this same path to locate your Defrag program as well or use Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->System Tools-->Defrag Hard Drive. 

Check your system by doing a "Ctrl, Alt & Delete", this will bring up "The Task Manager", If you have closed out all Windows Programs, the field under "Applications" will be blank. 

(Leave the field marked "Processes" alone. Yep, I know there are lots of interesting files in there...but your really better off not touching anything in there unless you really know just what you are doing.)

You might want to check on your Video and Audio Acceleration at this time, make sure you set the video at the 3rd notch from the right --> and audio should be set to 1 notch to the left (I find that this is the best setting for this adventure on MY system. Yours may be different, but this is always a good place to start and you can increase or lower them as you see fit after the game is installed.) 

You also might want to set your Display and resolution to 800x600/16bit/100Hz. Right Click anywhere on your Desktop-->Properties-->Settings-->Advanced-->Adapters-->List all Modes-->Then choose your preference from the cascade menu. Click -->OK--> OK--> Apply-->OK. 

I know this seems like a bother, but if you take the time to make sure your system is sparkling on the inside, you'll have less headaches later. Remember a healthy XP is a happy one. 

You will also need VDMSound and Launchpad. (If you don't already have them installed on you system. You can find the information on "My Computer Specs" page under "Utilities". Download and install then come back to this page.)

Everything Installed???? good.


...and there is also a patch: rtzcd12.zip this is an updater for the original version. it addresses some of the sound issues.

The Set Up

• Put the CD into your default CDROM Drive.
  
• My Computer-->Your CDROM Drive-->Right Click-->Explore-->
  Locate the file "Install.exe"--> Right Click-->follow the chart below:
  
  

  Program-->	Run-->	Maximized
  	Close on Exit-->	Uncheck Box
  Memory-->	Conventional Memory-> (leave box unchecked) ems memory--> xms memory--> (Leave box checked) dpmi memory-->	total = Auto initial envrnmnt = 4096 16384 16384 16384
  Screen-->	Check-->	Full Screen
  MISC-->	foreground-->	uncheck "allow screensaver
  	mouse-->	check exclusive mode
  Compatibility-->	Compatibility mode-->	no option checked
  	Display Settings-->	check-->256 colors check-->640x480 check-->disable visual themes
  	input settings-->	check-->turn off advanced text services for this program

• Click Apply. Click OK.
  
• Now Right Click once again on this file. Choose "Run with VDMS"
  as each screen pops up follow the paths below:
  Press Enter-->Enter-->Spacebar-->Enter-->
  
• The screen will tell you that it will install the files to-->"\RTZ-CD"--> Press Enter--> Soon there will be a screen which asks you if you'd like to launch the game from "Windows" -->There should be a "YES" after this question-->Enter 
  
• (...If there isn't, Press-->Space Bar-->Enter.)
  
• Press Enter again-->Enter-->You will then be prompted to setup your system sound configuration-->Try using Creative Labs SoundBlaster (since you'll be using VDMS and that is what it emulates)-->Press -->Enter-->view the readme and your done. Press any key to continue -->do it one more time to exit out of the XP's DosBox.
  
• Now Locate the patch you've Downloaded and unzip it to "C:\RTZ-CD" folder. Overwrite all files as prompted. 
  
  
• Go to-->My Computer-->C:\RTZ-CD-->RTZ.Bat-->Right Click-->Properties-->Compatibility-->follow the chart below: 
  
  table1

  Compatibility-->	Compatibility mode-->	remains unchecked
  	Display Settings-->	check-->256 colors check-->640x480 check-->disable visual themes
  	input settings-->	check-->turn off advanced text services for this program

 

• Click Apply Click OK
  
• Right Click-->on "RTZ.Bat"-->Choose "Send To:"-->Choose "Desk Top"-->Close out of all Windows-->
  
• Locate "RTZ.Bat"-->on your Desk Top-->Right Click--> Properties-->Choose Shortcut-->Select Run-->Choose--> Maximized.
  
• Choose-->Change Icon-->Browse-->Click on the "Little green arrow on the folder" to the right of where it says "Look in"-->let this arrow take you throughout your systems hierarchy until you find "Local Disk C". Then scroll down and locate-->"RTZ-CD" folder-->Double  Click-->Choose-->"RTZ.ico"-->Choose--> Open-->OK-->Choose-->Compatibility-->make sure that all boxes are checked, with the exception of the first box, which should be left blank.
  
• Click Apply Click OK-->you're done!
  
• To play the game-->Right Click on your Desk top Icon--> Choose-->Run with VDMS (no musical note).

Enjoy!

...Inferno

Note: If you find that when you run the game with VDMSound and nothing happens you'll have to edit your .bat file here's a copy of mine, just replace everything inside the < > symbols:

< @echo off
C:
cd \RTZ-CD
LOADHIGH DRIVERS\sblaster

DIR D: > nul
MADECD RTZCD -O -X -L -M:DRIVERS\PCSPKR -P:D:\ -F
DRIVERS\sblaster u >

NOTE: While playing the game, I noticed that I was getting a few freezes and crashes back to the Desk Top. I decided to increase my files size in my CONFIG.NT from files=40 to files=100. The result is no more crashes.

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