NHL 99
Page Last Updated: 2/11/17
Windows 7/8/10 Installation Guide
Table of Contents:
Notes About This Page
1. Copy Game Files from CD (64-bit Only)
1. Copy Game Files From CD (64-bit Windows Only)
Like NHL 98 and NHL 2000, NHL 99 will throw up an error when the user attempts to install it inside of a 64 bit Windows version.
This does not mean the game is unplayable -- it just means we need to bypass the setup program and copy the game files off of the CD manually and add our own registry key.
***This part is ONLY necessary for 64-bit Windows users! If you have a 32-bit Windows edition, you should be able to install the game as normal by running SETUP.exe, which can be found on your game CD in the SETUP\ENGLISH folder. Once you've installed the game, safely proceed to step 2. :)
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To begin, insert your NHL 99 CD and open it in File Explorer. Highlight the "NHL99" folder and select copy.
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Next, I strongly recommend you create a path on your hard drive called C:\Games\Sports. What you want to do is paste the NHL99 folder inside the "Sports" subfolder, so that the game path ends up being -
C:\Games\Sports\NHL99.
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It's not a requirement that you follow my directory structure, but doing so will make following the rest of this guide much easier.
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At this stage, your NHL99 folder should look like this:
Notes
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**For the sake of brevity, this guide assumes you have some intermediate-level knowledge of Windows, File Explorer, folder structure, and the registry. It will often tell you 'what' to do as opposed to 'how' to do it. If you need help with how to perform any of the actions described, please leave me a note on the message board and I will be happy to walk you through.
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**It should also be noted that these instructions are intended to be used with the English language version of NHL 99. They *may* work for other regions, but this is not at all guaranteed. Come to think of it, the English version isn't guaranteed to work either. ;-)
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2. Install Registry Keys
Next, we need to install the registry keys for the game. The keys include information which needs to match your version of Windows (32 or 64 bit) as well as your CD-ROM drive letter. For convenience I am providing multiple versions of the key here.
If you intend to make use of the no-cd crack, you must download the no CD patch version of the key.
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64 Bit Windows Keys
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (No CD Patch Version)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter D)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter E)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter F)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter G)
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32 Bit Windows Keys
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (No CD Patch Version)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter D)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter E)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter F)
Download the NHL 99 Registry Keys (CD ROM Drive Letter G)
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Once you've downloaded your key, you can simply double-click on it in Explorer to add it to your registry.
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A couple of notes before you install the keys:
*I have the game set up to make use of Glide graphics, so make sure you have the nGlide glide wrapper installed on your system beforehand.
*There are lines of particular importance contained within the .reg file, which, if they are incorrect, will cause the game not to load. They are
"Game Directory"="C:\\Games\\Sports\\NHL99\\"
"Install Dir"="C:\\Games\\Sports\\NHL99"
These entries MUST point to the directory you copied the game files to. If this is anything other than C:\Games\Sports\NHL99, you will have to open the .reg file in notepad and change this line to reflect where you have the game directory installed.
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3. Install the Database Patch
Next, we need to install this compatibility patch. This sprays a couple of bugs the game suffers on newer systems.
Unzip the files to any folder and run "PatchInstall.bat".
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4. Install the EA SPORTS patch and/or no cd crack (optional)
These are not required in order to play, but are highly recommended. The official EA SPORTS patch for the game includes several fixes and AI enhancements for the game:
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Download the NHL 99 v1.1 Patch by EA SPORTS
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After you've installed the patch, you might want to consider downloading this no-CD crack to save some wear and tear on your nearly 20 year old CD. Unzip the new NHL99.exe to your game folder to replace the original. There is also an additional registry key included in this zip, but you do not need to install it, so long as you've already installed the registry key from step 2.
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Download the NHL 99 v.1.1 no-CD crack (author unknown)
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5. Configure nGlide
Once you installed nGlide, it should have added an nGlide folder to your start menu. Inside that folder is the nGlide configurator, and it is important to spend a moment or two using it before you fire the game up, as this program is what will actually be controlling your graphics output, rather than the in-game settings.
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The most important setting here is the screen resolution. By default, this is set to "by app" which means NHL 99 will control what you see - you will be limited to the 3 or 4 resolutions NHL 99 supported at release.
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By specifying a custom setting here, you can improve the game's visuals drastically -- just be sure to use modes your monitor supports. "By desktop" is typically a safe setting, as it will set the game to whatever resolution you use on your desktop.
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The other options can safely be left on default settings, but you may wish to turn off the 3Dfx logo splash screen which pops up every time you start the game. This logo is great for testing purposes, as when you see it, you know nGlide is working properly. After you've seen the screen for the 10th time, though...:)
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After applying your settings, cross your fingers and try to launch your NHL99.exe.
6. Additional Troubleshooting
If you run into problems, take heart -- you won't be the first or the last. 99 can be a VERY finicky game, but there is usually a fix available.
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The first thing to try is setting the NHL99.exe to Windows 95 compatibility. If that doesn't help, set it to Run as Administrator as well.
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If you still have issues, or if you wish to leave a comment, please visit the message board.
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