HowTo: Get your voices working!

[Akdor 1154]

Made this thread to simplify the whole 'but I've installed three hundred mb of codecs and reinstalled five times but I still can't hear voices' problem:

Basically all the voices are in one huge long sound, which is in Windows Media Audio format. In some (or possibly many) circumstances, the game can't read it, for reasons known and unknown. So, if you get this file and make it a plain old wav file, should it work? Yes.

If you can think for yourself but just need a little more info, the file is x2/mov/00144.dat.

A warning: the file is about 1.8 GIG(!), so make sure you're not low on free space. I've tried converting it to mp3, but this stuffs the code that selects which bit of the file to play, so no workies there. We're stuck with Plain Old PCM for the moment.

If, on the other hand, you (can't/don't want to/are too lazy to) think for youself, you can follow these simple instructions:

1) Download dbPowerAmp from http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm (it's freeware; the only shareware thing is the mp3 encoder which is on a thirty day license. Everything else is free as in beer.) Install it.

2) Download the WMA codec from http://www.dbpoweramp.com/codec-central-wma.htm. Install it.

3) Load Windows Explorer (click My Computer on your desktop). Go to Go to C:\Program Files\Egosoft\X2 - The Threat (or wherever you installed x2 to) and open the folder entitled 'mov'. In it there should be a file called 00144.dat. Rename it to 00144.wma. If the file is only called 00144 (with no extension), go to Tools menu -> Options, click the View tab, and in the big list, uncheck 'Hide extensions for known file types'. Click OK; the file should now be called 00144.dat. Rename it to 00144.wma.

3) Load up dbPowerAmp Music Converter; you should get a Go to C:\Program Files\Egosoft\X2 - The Threat (or wherever you installed x2 to) and go into the folder entitled 'mov'. Open 00144.wma.

4) In the 'Converting 1 File To' dropdown, choose 'Wave'. In the channels dropdown box (in my version it's the third one in the row of three), select [Same as source]. For Output To, select Same as Original.

5) Click Convert, and wait.

6) Back in Windows Explorer, find 00144.wav and rename it to 00144.dat. If having three letters at the end of a file to tell you what type of file it is scares and disturbs you, you can always go back to that 'hide extensions' checkbox and check it again.

7) Run the game!


If there are any questions then just reply.. no promises I'll be around though; I'm not a regular here.

Love, Jarrad.

[CBJ]

Useful enough for a link to this thread to be added to the the FAQ entry. Thanks.

[Akdor 1154]

NP, thanks for the recognition.

Just realized that it IS possible to use an mp3, so long as it isn't VBR. Presumably the fact that each segment can be a variable time is screwing up the seeker. Will update first post accordingly.

[Kamen]

Well I am trying to apply this fix, and just had a "now THAT is just plain freaky" moment.
While browsing the mov folder, I moused over one of the dat files, and instead of the usual tooltip with file info popping up, this popped up instead.

explorer.exe - Application Error
The exception unknown software exception (0x0eedfade) occured in the aplication at location 0x7c812a5b

I was then treated to the unpleasant experience of having my explorer.exe do a flush and restart (just explorer, not the PC). I poked around and a few other dat files for other applications did the same thing, so its not an X2 issue, but I know some better techs than I lurk on this forum and was hoping someone might have a lead for me. Any ideas guys?

[stevenrigby]

Thanks Akdor 1154. it works a treat. I have had this problem on and off for years the only other way I found that worked, untill I install a new codec, was to reinstall Windows.

[paprsek]

I played X2 for years without any issue until installing it on my new laptop only to find the voices were gone. I followed this thread to convert 00144.dat file in mov folder to wav format. Voices are now back. Thanks a million.

NOTE
dbpoweram's WMA 10 Pro for XP CoDec installation threw up an error about "Error running dbconfig.exe"; fortunately, it did not affect the conversion to .wav

[Tim_Gilchrist]

If any one has a working 00144 MP3 could they upload it to a file server site such as FileFront, as I am having trouble trying to get the dBpoweramp to convert the whole file.

At the moment it gets to about 5hours 2minutes and claps out .

So if anyone has a working MP3 file could they upload it somewhere, please .

Thank you, in advance.

[Player.]

I dont thin uploading it would be a legal thing to do....

[Tim_Gilchrist]

I dont thin uploading it would be a legal thing to do....

Too true .

Well why don't Egosoft make a new patch for the game that includes this file.
As every time there is a new WMP release, people have got to go and figure out ways to solve the problem. If this file replaces the faulty one, then this solves the problem .

[pjknibbs]

The file in question is HUGE. There can't be many people who would be willing to download a 300Mb patch, which is how big it'd have to be to include the entire sound file.

There are sound conversion utilities other than dbPowerAmp out there...maybe you should try one of those.

[Tim_Gilchrist]

I have got a working 120Mb 00144.mp3 file (00144.dat) file (Love my WavePad).

This could be put into a optional patch for those who are having voice troubles.

[Try_lee]

I know this is an old topic, but I need some clarification.
You say that the file should be over 1Gb, however in the copy I've downloaded from steam it's only around 125MB. A HUGELY different size, wouldn't you say?

I've tried re-downloading the file from steam, and it's the same size again. Am I reading this wrong, or is the steam download just simply corrupted, or what?

Edit: Nevermind! I'm just retarded. Sounds now work fine, without missing out playing the start of the speech.

[Ambers94]

I do know too that this thread is old, but I don't have the 00144.dat file, where to get it?

the file isn't on the CD either...
The file is just away for 1 month...

[macca44]

I also have the Steam version of X2. Could anyone confirm it the 122 MB 00144 file is the right one?

[Belgarath]

If I remember correctly, the file will be about 15 times bigger when you convert from WMA to WAV. So, a 125MB file will convert to about 1.8GB or so because it will no longer be compressed. That's why, if you're short on Hard Drive space, you should try the other fixes before you do this one.

[macca44]

Mine is 122 by default.

[Ambers94]

But for me, the file is missing

[macca44]

that is soooo weird. HAve you tried contacting official support or sth?

[Belgarath]

You know, I just noticed that I don't have a MOV folder at all. I, of course, don't have working voices, probably because the sound files are not there at all. Using Vista Home Premium and the Normal install would not work. I had to copy all the files from the CDs to my HDD and then patch it up. I guess I could install it on my XP computer and then move it to the Vista PC and see if that works. It's the only thing that I can think of.

[macca44]

do simulator voices work now?