annoying Bugs, mostly, in Temple.DLL on XP Pro SP2

!!! This is NOT to use with installing Toffee or Toffee Pro. !!!

*** This is ONLY to install plain ToEE out-of-the-box, patching plain ToEE through to the current MODs

*** and is also to do a from scratch install of Windows XP that will run ToEE

Do the following with reboots as prompted.

for a K7 Socket A motherboard, a Abit AN7 nVidia n2 motherboard and Windows XP

install Windows XP with the default settings
use the CD disk that came with the nVidia motherboard and let it install the nVida Windows drivers from CD
install the ATI Display Driver from the ATI CD disk that came with the Radeon video card
install the latest BIOS - flash the motherboard BIOS using Abit uGURU (in Windows, not DOS)
apply SP2 for XP
download and install the latest nVidia nForce Windows drivers
download and install DirectX 9c
download and install the ATI Catalyst 5.7 version Display Driver and Control Panel (for Radeon video cards only)
download and install the RADtools video update from Bink and Smacker (ToEE related)
download and install the Miles audio player update from Miles Sound System (ToEE related)
download and install any driver updates for any addon PCI audio cards
download and install any driver updates for any DVD Drives/Writers.
* I had to download and update the firmware for my new DVD Writer and had to install its Windows drivers, again - no driver uninstall
** CD Drives/Writers are probably okay with using the drivers from SP2 being applied
*** I did not use an addon PCI audio card

install ToEE
install Patch1
install Patch2
install Co8 Fan Fixes 3.0.4
install Livonya's 1.5.1 Beta MOD
install ShiningTeds new voices
install ShiningTeds MOD 1.2.1
use Humble PC patch {to prevent NPCs in party like Fruella and Otis from snagging the good stuff}
use the PC Count Patch v2 {for using 6, 7, or 8 PCs or using less PCs to use more than 3 NPCs}

Note: For Windows XP computers, please use one module of 1 GB DDR memory [on boards that use DDR memory]. Use the fastest DDR you can have according to the motherboard FSB (Front-Side Bus).
- If your motherboard is FSB400, use DDR400, PC3200 in slot DIMM3.
- If your motherboard is FSB333, use DDR333, PC2700 in slot DIMM1.
- If your motherboard is FSB266, use DDR266, PC2100 in slot DIMM1.
- If your motherboard is FSB200, use DDR200, PC1600 in slot DIMM1.

 

It's a combination of things that all need to be right for the game to play its best. To answer your question, how much RAM (in MegaBytes) is installed; what the brand of RAM is [its design and chips used]; and how many sticks of RAM [how it works with the motherboard architecture] are all probably the largest percentage of the total equation.
* I think it is okay to say here that poor RAM works poorly and better RAM works better. If you have a good brand of memory and use one stick of the maximum memory for one slot, that is the best situation.
** Hint: Never put a Porsche engine in a go cart. The same applies to computers.

- You have to have a motherboard with its BIOS flashed to the latest revision for the least CPU problems and data handling problems and also have the latest Windows drivers for XP running on top of it that allows ToEE to be capable to run more smoothly. I found that a motherboard with a nVidia chipset works better than when compared to an older, but somewhat similar motherboard with a VIA chipset when both are updated with their latest Windows drivers.

- You have to have a powerful enough video card with the latest Windows drivers. I would suggest a minimum of a AGP Radeon 9200 version with 128 MB RAM (not the 64 MB version), but, actually, would recommend something more powerful like a Radeon 9600 Pro or a Radeon 9800 Pro with either 128 MB or 256 MB RAM on the video card.

- XP has always been the worst memory hog in the Windows family of operating systems. XP handles what it uses in memory very well and exceptionally clean, XP just needs more RAM than other Windows operating systems, plain and simple, except for the new Vista which requires even more RAM. I found that using just one stick of PC3200 RAM, 1 GigaByte DDR400, works best, rather than two sticks of 512 MB DDR400 of RAM. The memory changes were the final step of perfecting how ToEE video plays.

- And finally, there are BIOS settings that can be changed [tweaked]. Here are the most important settings, if these settings are available to change on your motherboard BIOS.
* do not overclock. [IMO - If you want something faster, buy a better board and CPU and faster RAM.]
* disable - system bios caching
* disable - video bios caching
* disable - fast AGP writes
* increase the bios AGP aperature size [When using 1 GB DDR RAM, I set my AGP aperature to 256 MB even though my AGP video card has 128 MB RAM on it.]
* modify the AGP speed, 8x/4x/2x [I left mine at 8x on the nVidia board, compatible w/ video card.]

 

You will notice I never mentioned the hard drive in this thread. That's because nothing ever had to be done with the hard drive. Having said that, for maximum performance, I would recommend you use a newer 7200 RPM large hard drive (like 40+ GB), not a 5400 RPM drive (like 20- GB).
* 7200 RPM means the disc in the drive spins at 7,200 Revolutions Per Minute.

What brand should be used [you wonder]? What is important is its U number, meaning the maximum frequency it transfers data in bursts rated in MegaHertz. The other important factor is the buffer size.
* Western Digital sells EIDE 7200 RPM U100 [max 100 MHz burst - Parallel ATA] drives. Large WD drives typically have a 8 MegaByte buffer.
* Maxtor sells EIDE 7200 RPM U133 [max 133 MHz burst - Parallel ATA] drives. Large Maxtor drives typically have a 2 MegaByte buffer.
* Seagate sells EIDE 7200 RPM U100 [max 100 MHz burst - Parallel ATA] drives. Large Seagate drives typically have a 2 MegaByte buffer.

All three are good. All three make good drives. I've seen all three have bad drives from the very day the drives were received. I've seen all three produce drives that become defective with bad sectors and, eventually, die.
* It's just like buying a car with regard to lemons, except you're more likely to buy a good hard drive than to buy a good car.

What do I do when buying a hard drive [you wonder]? I plan on buying a Western Digital hard drive, unless there is a big sell with a reduced price on a hard drive for a different brand and I save 20+ dollars. It's not rocket science. Just pick one and buy it as long as it is 7200 RPM.

 

I, personally, would recommend the following.
- preferrably, would suggest a nVidia motherboard...recommend AMD-type CPUs and Socket A FSB400 boards, Abit or GigaByte brand motherboards (Asus boards tend to cost more) *** [please do NOT buy a Shuttle board to install & play games on!]
- a minimum of 768 MB RAM and, preferrably, 1 GB RAM. [You should set the AGP Aperature in BIOS to 128 or 256 MB.]
- a 7200 RPM 40+ GB hard drive
- a minimum of Radeon 9200 or GeForce 5500 and, preferrably, Radeon 9600 or nVidia 6200 or more powerful AGP video card
- a minimum of 3+ channel audio--normally, 5 or 6 channels are integrated on a new motherboard--and a good set of inexpensive speakers