FletcherFox on 6/9/2021 at 02:48
So, I’ve got a bit of a dilemma. I’ve got CD copies of Thief 1 and 2, with Gold and Deadly Shadows on the way. I’m trying to install and run them on an old Dell running Windows XP, in the hope that I can play them at least mostly unmodded, but I’d really rather not have to pull out the discs every time. I was wondering if there was a way around the CD-ROM. I saw there was a thread on this about 18 years ago for TDP, but the solutions suggested there haven’t worked for me.
trefoilknot on 6/9/2021 at 03:27
When you say unmodded, do you mean you want to play OldDark versions of them? Or do you just mean you don’t want any graphics/gameplay mods added in?
If the latter, you can buy the whole set on Good Old Games for about $10, and then just use TFix Lite to get a faithful install thatll run fine on just about anything. If you’re dead set on using the CD versions, sans NewDark, it is certainly possible but will likely involve much more hair pulling to get it working right.
EDIT: I can’t help you with Thief 3 as I don’t play it at all.
McTaffer on 6/9/2021 at 04:49
As far as I know, Tfix, T2fix, and the T3 Sneaky Upgrade all bypass the disc once you have them installed. All my installations are from discs but I've never used the discs themselves beyond the initial installation process. Each of those patches has options (like Tfix Lite as has already been mentioned) that keep the original feel of the games. IIRC Deadly Shadows didn't need to use a disc once installed on my old XP machine so you might not even need to use anything there.
FletcherFox on 6/9/2021 at 07:51
Quote Posted by trefoilknot
When you say unmodded, do you mean you want to play OldDark versions of them? Or do you just mean you don't want any graphics/gameplay mods added in?
Ideally the former, as I'm trying to get as close to the original experience as possible, hence the Windows XP PC (I couldn't find anything older on short notice or in budget). If not, I guess I could try TFix Lite, but IIRC, I had a tough time getting that to work on my Windows 10 PC for TDP without it just... Adding in the Thief Gold versions of missions for some reason? So, for example, it had all the extra missions removed, but there were mages in the Lost City and half the talismans just weren't there. I did find a workaround, but it was a bit messy and had a few problems...
EDIT: Also worth noting, a lot of software isn't supported on XP anymore, such as Steam, which is why I'm going with the CDs in the first place. Haven't touched GOG in a while, but you can just download installers right from their site rather than going through GOG Galaxy, right?
vfig on 6/9/2021 at 10:14
Quote Posted by trefoilknot
If the latter, you can buy the whole set on Good Old Games for about $10, and then just use TFix Lite to get a faithful install thatll run fine on just about anything.
the gog releases already come with tfix lite (newdark 1.26 i believe). the steam releases on the other hand are still olddark with ddfix and no cd check.
they both only offer thief gold, but (
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140679) you can use goldtodark to restore the tdp mission set.
but see also (
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150643) this discussion on using tfix to install ddfix with olddark exes alongside the newdark exes, it might tell you what you want to know about using your cd versions.
Quote Posted by FletcherFox
Haven’t touched GOG in a while, but you can just download installers right from their site rather than going through GOG Galaxy, right?
you still can, yes.
FletcherFox on 6/9/2021 at 19:03
Thanks for the info, Vfig! I'll look into and try all this as soon as I can and get back to you with the results!