Sorry, but, no, I'm not going to play "Tweak 20,000" in order to get this crap to run. If it was pirated or hacked, I could see why I would need to tweak on it to get around the DRM in order to run it. But I shouldn't have to "Format C:" in order to get these games to run, not if, as is the case, they are being sold. All I have for my money is a bunch of 1's and 0's that I can't use.

Like Ian, I installed the game and the update. Then double-clicked the desk-top icon for the game. Then Windows honked at me and told me it was missing some Audio3x.dll file. And that's as far as it ever got.

So all I'm saying is that, as is always the case with software, it won't always run on everyone's machine and if it doesn't, the purchaser, not the developer, is the one who gets screwed. As the old saying goes, screw me once, shame on you...

And as the thread in the Unmechanical Forum called "dll_missing" demonstrates, I'm not the only one who's had this problem.

'Nuff said. Buyer beware.

Now you are just being rude.

the .dll file you are talking about is windows codec - u can get this free from the K-lite codec pack or similar.

UPDATE 2 - the Audio3x.dll is not part of the game install (just been through the folder), which means it's missing from your Windows.

Ian, I could not find right information on Audio3x.dll with google. How do you know it is part of K-Lite codec?

Well, that's a major problem right there. You don't double click the exe. You need to use the GoG provided desktop shortcut, which supplies various settings and parameters to make the game work correctly. Also, never install a game under "program files". So many problems with older games can be solved simply by installing them in C:\games, or any other user created directory of your choice.

I found a thread (sorry closed it) on a forum that stated it.

I'd agree with you if you weren't only pointing the finger at GOG. Show me another games retailer, digital or otherwise, which can promise "out of the box" success first time, every time these days. That should be the case, granted, but why are you picking on GOG ? I can't be doing with all these games industry fanboys and will go toe-to-toe with the cringing lickspittles even if their knowledge of the industry is superior to mine and I end up "losing" the argument, but I can't understand why you would attack GOG in particular when the problems you are experiencing would probably be the same if you'd tried to download and install the same games from a different retailer ?

I totally agree with you about the utterly pathetic and often extreme "solutions" which are often offered if you go through the "normal channels" or get a reply from a fanboy / troublemaker. Reinstall Windows just in order to get your game to work properly even though every other game works properly on my machine ? The people who come up with such "answers" need a serious kicking.

See, Duskwolf, nothing personal but this is the kind of crap that drives me nuts!

The game is a program with files but don't install it in the "program files" folder?!? If the game can't run there, why didn't the installer ask me to create a "Games" or a "GOG" folder? Why does the GOG-written installer program put the game right where it (supposedly) won't run?!?

Use the "Z" key for Enter?!?

Don't execute the executable file?!?

How in the hell is anyone suppose to ever figure any of this out when none of it makes sense?

Not installing a program in Program Files where you want to have control and UAC not bitching is basic. PF is managed by the OS and it bitches at you if you try to do any changes to it.

Using Z key depends on the game, that is common in japanese pc games such as shmups, but that is dependant on the game, if you did not read the game's documentation that's another thing. I am gonna assume that treasure adventure works like that (to be fair, the only games I remember with that kind of control schemes are japanese shmups and platformers.

Is your computer a windows 8 machine? Because I-ve read that those can have issues with GOG titles. Win7 64 bit user here, never had any issues with gog releases.
Well, Hotline Miami crashed from time to time but that is Hotline Miami and widely documented.

Edit: Read documentation, google, do research. If something does not work instantly there surely is a fix somewhere on the net.
... Most of the time. I still have not been able to get Sacred 1 (steam version) to not chug on my laptop.

Actually, GOG has gotten lots of complaints about the Program Files folder and has slowly been updating their installers to install to C:\GOG Games. The reason behind this is ever since Vista, Windows puts a lot of weird security restrictions on the Program Files folder which can cause lots of older titles to not work 100% right.

Z Key to enter is just that one game, is it that big of a deal?

Not really sure what he's talking about when it comes to the .exe files. Unless you're going into the install directory and directly launching the game's .exe?

Edit: Ninja'd by a cat in a tie, I'm okay with this.

Theo, I'm not just picking on GOG. There are some game and software developers that I will never, ever buy from again because they take the approach of using consumers (those who buy their software) as their beta-testers. And then they fix their product only after enough people have complained. They don't really care that much because they know their product will be obsolete in 6 months anyway. It is all about the $$$.

So it is certainly not GOD only. But it just seems to me that, given the thread on the "Unmechanical" forum, this problem has come up a number of times and GOG has never bothered to remedy it. If they can't fix this title, they should pull it. Check me out on this. See if I'm lying. I certainly wouldn't go to all this trouble if I was happily playing away at "Unmechanical." I guess I need to get Ian to ship me his PC. :)

according to this website - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/answers?tId=bee85f1f-6073-470c-9b19-707b46b8fd5c

it shows a system using Audio3(x).dll, wher (x) is "D" etc for each part of the sound device driver.

The recommendation is to go to "Device Manager" and see if you have any "!" marks against your sound device. As it says "differnet systems use many different files to run sound.

The solution could be as simple as re-install your "device drivers" for your sound.

I am sorry, but I have go to bed - good luck, I will check on your thread tomorrow.

EDIT - to take your point from your post above this 1 - as far as i can tell, it's not an issue with the game, but with the numerous different audio drivers for all the numerous different devices that produce sound - whether it be onboard/sound card/usb etc.

The not installing in program files is to avoid the "security features" in the newer operating systems. Most of the games were not around when Vista, 7, or 8 came out and thus have problems with the security built into the new OS. To avoid the problems install in c:\games. Yes, GOG could create an installer that defaults to C:\games and I do believe they are working on defaulting most of their updated installers to "c:\GOG games". I am unsure if they will be doing this to all their games or just only future and updated versions of their games.
If you think some of these steps are hard, you really missed out on the DOS and WIndows 95 days of gaming.
People here on this forum and the GOG guys are really helpful when you have problems. It may take a few of troubleshooting steps, but it is well worth it for experiencing the games of our youth DRM-free.

Well I've never even HEARD of Unmechanical personally (shame on me) and the number of forum threads must be few ? That's unfortunately how it is and I sympathize if that's a favourite game of yours. There ought to be a solution, however, if GOG is selling the game as being supported by your operating system. I do sympathise, though, it isn't how it should be, but that's just modern computing and modern gaming for you : it's not what it should be. I'm wondering whether it will get better or worse in the future but I just don't know.

I don't think GOG is (very) guilty of trying to sell games which simply don't work very well, though if I didn't know better I might suggest the possibility that some of the games it puts on offer are games with "known problems". My personal experience of buying from GOG so far, though, has been a very good one. That's my honest opinion.