How to Play King's Quest Collection on Modern Systems

[Zig]

Shameless sticky request mods?

After years of having an itch to play through KQ series again, I was able to get most to work with Steam's DOSBox install for the collection. KQ1-KQ5 mainly. There were color issues and sound problems that really bothered me. I still remember the games as if I played them yesterday. Yesterday being; on my old early 90s Windows 3.1 with 64Mb of RAM, during a time when you had to type "win" to get to Windows, I had less issues.

The issues really start when you want to play KQ6 and KQ7 the way you remembered playing them outside of Dos using Windows for voice acting and HQ videos. Then you have to start setting up a virtualbox, finding an old XP disk and key to install only to run into different issues. Currently KQ7 is still played in DOSBox but there is a fix to allow the videos to play.

How do you figure out how to get around all these issues?
- You don't have to Sierrahelp.com has already made a fix for the game!

How to do this:

Purchase and Install King's Quest Collection on Steam.
Go to http://www.sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Patches-Updates-Games/KingsQuestUpdates.html
Download "King's Quest Collection DOSBox Update (KQCollectionDBUpdate)"
Run the program and point it to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\King's Quest Collection
(optional) Select the directories for DOSBox and ScummVM if you have it installed
Go to the new folders KQ1-KQ7 in your steam folder
Create shortcuts for the programs or launch from those folders.
Press Alt+Enter to go to fullscreen mode.
Donate to Sierrahelp for creating support for such an old game!  Donation link can be found on the bottom of every page on the site listed in step 2 :D
**Note**  Some installations you'll need to copy the new "DOSBox" folder installed in "C:\Program Files (x86)" and paste it into "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\King's Quest Collection" then rename "DOSBox" folder to "dosbox-0.63".

Enjoy!

If this helps comment below! If you have suggestions to the guide you can also comment. I would love to hear them!

[krystalprincess]

My security program detected threats on the file and wouldn't let me open it.

[SportyHeadShot]

Sure wish I could play kq7.......

[Zig]

@krystalprincess, it downloads the update from sierrahelp.com You may have to disable your anti virus to allow the connection to patch the files.

@culace001
http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Patches-Updates-Games/KingsQuestUpdates.html
What issues are you having?
Did the download patches not work for KQ7?
Did you follow the guide?
At what point did it fail?
Do you get an error, if so, what is the error?
Does it launch?

Originally posted by culace001:

Sure wish I could play kq7.......

I sure wish your post was more descriptive.......

[SportyHeadShot]

Originally posted by Teh Zig:

@krystalprincess, it downloads the update from sierrahelp.com You may have to disable your anti virus to allow the connection to patch the files.

@culace001
http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Patches-Updates-Games/KingsQuestUpdates.html
What issues are you having?
Did the download patches not work for KQ7?
Did you follow the guide?
At what point did it fail?
Do you get an error, if so, what is the error?
Does it launch?

Originally posted by culace001:

Sure wish I could play kq7.......

I sure wish your post was more descriptive.......

Ive tried all the different patches and guides, moving the movie files, renaming the movie files, putting everything into a different folder and launching from the reccomended icons rather than through steam.

[Zig]

While that is more descriptive it is incredibly non-descript. It’s like me telling you my Cake tastes like apples but I didn’t use applies. I put stuff in it and mixed it properly and even poured it into different pans and tried multiple ways to bake it but it still tastes like apples.

I've uploaded a video that may help you or at least guide you to a solution. At this point I think the entire KQ folder is bad for you. Who knows what guide was followed and files were renamed at this point.

1. Uninstall KQC
2. Remove folder KQC from steam\common folder (or rename it)
3. Redownload KQC
4. Follow the patch instructions on this page.

Video:
https://youtu.be/mKO_OdUAVxM

[DemonSeed]

It is NOT safe to download arbitrary packages and install them on your computer unless
1) The site is trusted (i.e. identity verified and connection is secure)
2) The package downloaded has been signed.

Otherwise it's possible to get hit with malware and viruses. Valve needs to provide official patches or a place from which to download these fixes securely.

[Rayvolution]

Originally posted by DemonSeed:

It is NOT safe to download arbitrary packages and install them on your computer unless
1) The site is trusted (i.e. identity verified and connection is secure)
2) The package downloaded has been signed.

Otherwise it's possible to get hit with malware and viruses. Valve needs to provide official patches or a place from which to download these fixes securely.

Oh that's just being silly. There are tons and tons of old games with unofficial patches. You should be careful on the internet, not paranoid. :)

[Caligo Clarus]

Grab some more aluminum foil for your hat bro.

BTW, this is not a Valve game. They have nothing to do with patches and so on.

[Words @TNEQL]

Originally posted by BrandeX:

Grab some more aluminum foil for your hat bro.

BTW, this is not a Valve game. They have nothing to do with patches and so on.

This is true, and I'm a patient enough person that I'm happy to figure out how to make something work myself, but...

There is a certain other site out there, which I'm sure everyone knows the name of, that goes out of its way to ensure that the games on its service are patched in such a way that they will reliably run on modern systems. I appreciate that Valve prefers to be hands off with most things, but it really shouldn't be too much to expect that if a developer is going to put their games on a distribution platform that they make sure it... you know... actually works.

Let me stress, that's the developer's responsibility, not Valve's. But Valve shouldn't allow a game to go up if it can't even pass basic quality assurance.

[Caligo Clarus]

Someday none of the games here will run on a then current PC. Same as for GOG. What then? Should all the old games from WIndows 10 era and lower, that no longer work on Windows 25 (or whatever) no longer be sold, what about people who are able to figure out how to make thjem work on their own and still want to buy them? Back to the days where old games aren't available digitally and just pirate them (aka abandonware)? Even that doesn't get it in to your Steam library.

[Words @TNEQL]

I agree.

But this collection was added to Steam in 2012. Windows 7 has been around since 2009. At the very least, it should be patched to work properly on the operating systems that exist at its time of release.

[Jimmy Gibbs]

Buy from GOG if you want modern system support.

[Words @TNEQL]

Good argument.

[LJChronx2]

Originally posted by Jimmy Gibbs:

Buy from GOG if you want modern system support.

Do the GOG ones really work better? How are they on Windows 8.1? Cuz there on sale there too.

[moggymogg]

Worked like a charm, thank you Teh Zig!