I have just completed a new installer for Gabriel Knight 3 that will work on newer Windows. Recently I have noticed people on different forums having issues with the installer that shipped with the game. I have also been seeing various threads where people trying to get the game to run in wide screen are recommending a registry edit. This is something that should only be be done by people that know what they are doing. The default resolution for the game is 640x480, primitive by today's standard and will unnaturally stretch the screen sideways on wide screen monitors. several issues that many have had with the game on XP/Vista are fixed by copying all of the data files to the game's directory. Finally, the codec, mpeg2dmx.ax, has been known to cause conflicts with GK3.

This new installer will copy all data files to the game's installed folder, using the "day123.brn" file from disc 2 (which seems to be corrupt on some copies of disc1) and will allow the game to be run completely from the hard drive with out need of the CDs after the game is installed. The installer will detect the resolution that is current being used and set that game to use that resolution if it is supported by the game. It includes a utility that will allow you to safely change the resolution without manually editing the registry. For those that encounter the mpeg2dmx.ax conflict, I have also added a batch file that can be used to start the game with mpeg2dmx.ax disabled and will re-enable it when the game is closed.

Speechless.

Thanks, you are a saviour! Now I can safely update my system!

Thanks Collector!

Too awesome! I'll give it a shot!

Edit:
Score so far:
The start-up screen says "relevent". Sorry, I'm one of those nit-pickers.

Using the regular Install, whenever I started up the game I only heard the Sierra tune, and I had to click the screen in order to get the matching vid.
After using this installer and the immediate startup from the installer, the Sierra intro vid hung. The film played choppy and the sound looped. When I clicked the screen, this was restored and the vid continued playing regularly.

I set the GK3 resolution before playing to my screen resolution, 1440 * 900.
The introduction video played at half-screen, and the Timeblock 1:10-12 screen showed half-screen.
The game played full-screen. The graphics looked very dark and nasty, so I changed to the Software Renderer and set the Gamma higher.
The Mosely-vid was blinking half-way: although the sounds were still playing, the screen would occasionally flash black. I didn't have this in any other video.
The rest of the timeblock played smoothly, the saving went well, the quitting went well, and the Timeblock 1:12-2 image was full-screen.

Edit 2
Just played through the second timeblock. I started GK3 through the desktop icon and noticed no hitches.

Unfortunately I did get the Unexpected Shutdown (in the details Vista calls it a Bluescreen error) I always get after playing GK3 whenever the PC goes into sleep mode or when you try to switch it off: it restarted itself.

By startup screen do you mean when you would normally see the Sierra logo video? I don't get anything that says "relevant". If this video is not playing normally, you may have a codec conflict. See if this AVI will play outside of the game.

It sounds like you have something that is trying to steal focus from the game. Turn off any unneeded programs or processes running in the background like screensavers and make sure that any AV software is not trying to do a scan at the same time. Resolution is the only graphics settings that the installer changes from the default, so users will have to make any changes needed to suit their tastes and systems.

As far as the reduced size of the videos goes, that is a result of the increased resolution and the game not scaling the videos. The only fix for this would be to RE the game, which is beyond my abilities.

The word "relevant" is in the first text-block that appears on screen when you use the installer.
The Sierra logo plays fine when I start it up in Explorer.

On a side note, I've discovered that "flying" does work now, when you're holding the left and middle mouse buttons.

Try starting the game with GK3.bat in case you might have the mpeg2dmx.ax problem. If you get anymore BSODs, take note of the information given. It will usually finger the culprit responsible.

I started the game with GK3.bat today, and I don't recall any problems with running the Sierra vid. I played comfortably for a while, then saved and shut down...
And there was this window in the screen:

The second line says: "The system cannot find the file".
The last line says: "Press any key to continue".

Then you don't have mpeg2dmx.ax on your system. That command promt window is normal. You don't need the batch file.

OK... so... what do I do now? The Sierra vid got stuck again when I checked this morning.
I also noted on the last two sessions that the audio of the game runs through during the Timeblock screens, eg at the 2:5-10PM screen I heard Grace slam the bathroom door.

On the bright side, on my Dino and with the regular install I always had timing issues. The line "It was quite a performance now that I think about it" would invariably start a little too early on either PC, but not with this installer! Also I always had problems in the bit where Mose and Gabe get on the Harley with my Vista, but not now! Also I don't have the door-answer-before-knock or answer-phone-before-it-rings anymore.

Some of the timing issues might have been addressed by the full HDD install, i.e. no CD accessing. I have not really done that much with this installer other than to have it copy the entire game to the the hard drive and add the resolution utility. A number of problems that some had with the game were fixed by copying the .BRN files, especially from disc 2, to the game's folder. There is no patch for the game and I don't really know this engine, so what I can do to fix further problems with it will be limited.

HI

i just tried to use the gk3 installer and got the blank screen with sound then lockup issue. upon using the batch file it says it cannot find mpeg2dmx.ax but unlike the guy above me it still locks up. sure enough upon lookin in my ststem folder that file is not present but there is a mpeg2data.ax file. note the vif files play fine in windows media player
any ideas?

thanks

Try renaming mpeg2data.ax to something else and try running the game. If that works, the batch file can be edited to work.

Hey!
i finally got to play GK3.
I have download the installer from here
I have 2 questions, if you can help me..

1. do i must use the bat file? if not, and i copied it, will it cause damage if i use it?
2. which resolution can i use with the configure file? i picked one but it didnt work and i had to use the default 640X480..my computer is 1280x1024.


thank you!!

The bat file only temporarily renames a codec file while the game is being played. It will cause no harm and is only there if you have issues with certain kinds of crashes. it is of less effectiveness than it once was, as codecs have changed.

The game should be able to handle 1280x1024. As you found out, the game will revert to 640x480 if it can't do a certain resolution.

oops... only now i saw you answered.
first- thank you!!
second- all the movies are for some reason at small window at the center of the screen and not at full screen.. why is that?