Posted March 31, 2021
How to get Hellfire to work in Multiplayer.
This guide will have all of the steps to get Diablo Hellfire, unlock the secret levels and uncompleted classes, unlock the multiplayer menu in-game and get LAN games working.
Step 1 Own Diablo 1 and Hellfire.
The easiest way to do this at the time of me writing this guide is to buy it from gog.com of course to actually play multiplayer you will need two copies and have to do these steps on both machines.
Step 2 Install Diablo 1 and Hellfire
Step 3 make sure Hellfire is patch 1.01
You should be able to tell on the lower left side of the Hellfire title screen. If it is not 1.01 and you are on a 32 bit version of windows you can use the patcher exe that I included in my zip or you can download it from or from [url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~spaz/downloads.htm]here. If it is not 1.01 and your on 64 bit windows then I am unsure of a fix at this time other than the gog version currently appears to install as 1.01
Step 4 Copy the unlock files into your Hellfire directory.
These are a modified hellrui.dll and command.txt If you own the GOG version then the location to copy them to will be C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo\hellfire if your on 64 bit windows or should be C:\Program Files\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo\hellfire on 32 bit.
The files are included in my zip file in the Unlocked Files folder. You can also download them from [url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~spaz/downloads.htm/]here[/url] if you scroll down and look for hacked hellfrui. If for some reason that link is down and you don't have the files search the internet for Hellfrui.dll and for hellfire command.txt
Important: Place the files and overwrite if necessary into the Hellfire location not just Diablo
Step 5 Copy the ipx files into your Hellfire directory
These will later allow your windows computer (tested on Windows 10) to use the ipx protocol. I have included these files in my zip file in the ipx for multiplayer folder. You can also download them from http://www.solemnwarning.net/ipxwrapper/
Important: Again place them into your Hellfire location not just Diablo
Step 6 Run directplay-win32.reg or directplay-win64.reg
depending on if you're running a 32 bit version of windows or 64. Then click yes or allow when it asks about editing the registry. This file should be located in your hellfire directory after Step 6
Step 7 Right-click hellfire.exe go to properties then compatibility and choose run as administrator and click ok (possibly also choose a compatibility mode.)
I saw a bug where a player could not save on multiplayer without running as admin due to the way hellfire stores its save game like a system file.
Step 8 Enjoy: Run the game and choose multiplayer and then ipx
ZIP File
Here is a link to my zip file containing all the necessary files other than the game itself of course.
P.S.
I wrote this guide because it took me some time to figure out how to go from having never played Diablo Hellfire before, to having it working with multiplayer over LAN on two computers. I do not know if a better guide is out there but I ran into partial information and broken links.
Also apologizes if I posted this in the wrong place.
I hope this guide will be useful to someone.
This guide will have all of the steps to get Diablo Hellfire, unlock the secret levels and uncompleted classes, unlock the multiplayer menu in-game and get LAN games working.
Step 1 Own Diablo 1 and Hellfire.
The easiest way to do this at the time of me writing this guide is to buy it from gog.com of course to actually play multiplayer you will need two copies and have to do these steps on both machines.
Step 2 Install Diablo 1 and Hellfire
Step 3 make sure Hellfire is patch 1.01
You should be able to tell on the lower left side of the Hellfire title screen. If it is not 1.01 and you are on a 32 bit version of windows you can use the patcher exe that I included in my zip or you can download it from or from [url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~spaz/downloads.htm]here. If it is not 1.01 and your on 64 bit windows then I am unsure of a fix at this time other than the gog version currently appears to install as 1.01
Step 4 Copy the unlock files into your Hellfire directory.
These are a modified hellrui.dll and command.txt If you own the GOG version then the location to copy them to will be C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo\hellfire if your on 64 bit windows or should be C:\Program Files\GOG Galaxy\Games\Diablo\hellfire on 32 bit.
The files are included in my zip file in the Unlocked Files folder. You can also download them from [url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~spaz/downloads.htm/]here[/url] if you scroll down and look for hacked hellfrui. If for some reason that link is down and you don't have the files search the internet for Hellfrui.dll and for hellfire command.txt
Important: Place the files and overwrite if necessary into the Hellfire location not just Diablo
Step 5 Copy the ipx files into your Hellfire directory
These will later allow your windows computer (tested on Windows 10) to use the ipx protocol. I have included these files in my zip file in the ipx for multiplayer folder. You can also download them from http://www.solemnwarning.net/ipxwrapper/
Important: Again place them into your Hellfire location not just Diablo
Step 6 Run directplay-win32.reg or directplay-win64.reg
depending on if you're running a 32 bit version of windows or 64. Then click yes or allow when it asks about editing the registry. This file should be located in your hellfire directory after Step 6
Step 7 Right-click hellfire.exe go to properties then compatibility and choose run as administrator and click ok (possibly also choose a compatibility mode.)
I saw a bug where a player could not save on multiplayer without running as admin due to the way hellfire stores its save game like a system file.
Step 8 Enjoy: Run the game and choose multiplayer and then ipx
ZIP File
Here is a link to my zip file containing all the necessary files other than the game itself of course.
P.S.
I wrote this guide because it took me some time to figure out how to go from having never played Diablo Hellfire before, to having it working with multiplayer over LAN on two computers. I do not know if a better guide is out there but I ran into partial information and broken links.
Also apologizes if I posted this in the wrong place.
I hope this guide will be useful to someone.
Post edited March 31, 2021 by heromedel