I wasn't sure if I should make this topic since this game is pretty my abandonware. But I also didn't want to register for yet another site to provide possible solutions to the installing and running the enhanced cd version.

The main reason I'm doing this is so others don't have to waste hours in trying to solve this like I did. And I'm also going to dumb down the info as much as I can to avoid any misunderstandings.

The version I ended up downloading contained 2 files:

LORDCD.bin
LORDCD.cue

[Note: These instructions require DOSBOX (ver. 0.74) and most GOG dos games come with DosBox in the folder]

After a lot of research and trial and error (and frustration lol) here's how I installed it:

Step 1. Create a new folder in your game hard drive (usually C:\) for your dos games; I created C\DOSGames

Step 2. Copy the files LORDCD.bin and LORDCD.cue to this folder.

Step 3. Start DOSBOX

Step 4. At the Z:> prompt, type in: mount c c:\dosgames\ and press Enter key

Step 5. At the Z:> prompt, type in: imgmount d "c:\dosgames\lordcd.cue" -t iso and press Enter key

Step 6. At the Z:> prompt, type in: d: and press Enter key

Step 7: At the D:> prompt, type in: install and press Enter key

[Note: It may still install fine if you put c: in Step 6, but some reason it didn't work for me]

At the start of the install you have to make a few selections and here are the ones that worked for me. I don't recall the exact order of the selections:

- SoundBlaster Pro

- Mouse

- Choose the folder location and name (default is C:\LORD-CD) ; I chose to rename it to C:\LOTR1, since I have the 2nd game on my drive also.

[Note: Even though it says C:\LORD-CD, it's actually creating the new folder in my C:\DOSGames\ folder. That's because when you did the mount c c:\dosgames from Step 4, this became the active folder location until you exit the current DOSBOX session. So don't type in C:\DOSGames\LORD-CD or the final location will become C:\DOSGames\DOSGames\LORD-CD]

- Install game files to hard drive (you also have a selection to install game files and movies together, BUT I'd advise against it as I'll explain further down. Don't worry, you will still get to play the audio and movies!)

(Note: The install of the game w/o the movies took me about 6 or 7 mins. approx. BUT the install w/ the movies took me over an HOUR!! And I installed it 3 times trying to figure out why it still wouldn't work)

Step 8. Once it reaches 100% install, a message will pop up to say this. Just press Enter to get back to the D:> prompt.

Step 9. At the D:> prompt, type in: exit (this will bring you back to the desktop)

If all installs properly, you should have the following:

- A new game folder (mine was C:\DOSGames\LOTR1\
- GAME folder and LORD.bat file (or one more folder called MOVIES, if you chose to ignore my advice =P)
- All these should be in the LOTR1 folder or whatever you named it.

There are two ways to start the game using DOSBOX. Manually starting it or using a desktop shortcut.

[Note: To make it easier for yourself, I'd also copy or move the files LORDCD.bin and LORDCD.cue from your dos games folder to your new Lord of the Rings Vol. one game folder. Example: I moved mine from C:\DOSGames\ to C:\DOSGames\LOTR1\]

MANUALLY starting game using DOSBOX:

Step 1. Start DOSBOX

(Note: I usually have a shortcut on my desk. If further help is needed setting up the icon for fullscreen or to point to the correct .conf file, let me know)

Step 2. At the Z:> prompt, type in: mount c c:\dosbox\lotr1\ and press Enter key (or whatever your game folder name is)

Step 3. At the Z:> prompt, type in: imgmount d "c:\dosgames\lotr1\lordcd.cue" -t iso and press Enter key

Step 4. At the Z:> prompt, type in: c: and press Enter key

Step 5. At the C:> prompt, type in: lord and press Enter key (this should bring you to the games' title page. If people need help from this screen, let me know)

Congratulations! You just started the enhanced version of the game with music and all the movies!

NOTE: For the desktop shortcut version, I'll have to go back to my other drive later and take come images so I can attach it here. Will have updated hopefully by tomorrow. It's a hot swap drive that I can't use dual boot on so that's why I have to wait until later when I have more time.

If anyone experiences any problems, please leave a comment below and I'll look into it.

This should work for other cue/bin file combinations also, enjoy!

Update2: (22-AUG-20)

Starting the game using a DESKTOP Shortcut:

Step 1. Create a .conf file. To do this open a new notepad file.

Step 2. Add the following lines in the line in the exact order. (I'll be using my game folder names in this example)

[autoexec]
@ECHO OFF
mount c c:\dosgames\lotr1\
imgmount d "c:\dosgames\lotr1\lordcd.cue" -t iso
c:
cls
lord
exit

Step 3. Click File and select Save As.

Step 4. In the Save as type: drop down list, select All Files.

Step 5. In the File name: line I'd suggest "lotr1.conf" (w/o the quotes) as the name- I named this to keep it simple, but name it whatever you want, just put .conf as the extension.

Step 6. Save the file to the main installation folder. Mine was C:\DOSGames\LOTR1

[Note: If you ever want to open the file later, just right click on the file and select Open with and Notepad as the program to make it easy to edit]

[Note2: If you used a copy of the .conf file that came with GOG Dos games like I did, then it's likely called "dosbox_hn_single.conf" or something like that]

Step 7. Make a copy of any desktop item you have and change the following lines:

Step 8. In the Target: line, type this in: C:\DOSGames\LOTR1\DOSBOX\dosbox.exe "..\lotr1.conf" -fullscreen - noconsole -c exit (Additional note on Step 8 below)

Step 9. In the Start in: line, type in: C:\DOSGames\LOTR1\DOSBOX and select OK

[Note: Essentially all you did was tell the shortcut in Step 9. "Hey this is where my DOSBOX folder is" and in Step 8. "Hey this is the .exe file I want you to start up and this is the .conf I want the .exe file to use once you start up". Pretty simple once you do it a time or two]

Congratulations! You just created a desktop shortcut to the enhanced version of the game with music and all the movies without all the hassles the poor slobs had to go through doing it manually!

[Note of Step 8: I keep a copy of the DOSBOX folder in the main game folder LOTR1. It's such a small program I don't mind and makes my life easier when setting up .conf for individual dos games. But if you're familiar with DOSBOX, then feel free to change it to that location and make sure to change the "..\lotr1.conf" to the exact location of the .conf file]

Final Note:
This game was installed on a Windows 7 Pro 64-bit SSD drive that has the network card disabled. So I have no clue if this works in Windows 7 Home, Windows 10 Home/Pro or any other Windows systems.

Thank you for the guide!

At the DOSBox forum you can find guides on how to setup DOSBox and install games: https://www.vogons.org/viewforum.php?f=53

Man, that game. Probably the first RPG I ever played. I had pretty much no idea what I was doing and I kept getting wiped out. It would be fun to see it here, along with all the other LotR/Hobbit games.

I saw JPG and PNG files being attached here and there. Maybe reducing the size helps.

Size is one possibility. The other is to make sure the file extension is lowercase. For some reason the forums don’t acccept files with upper case extensions. So name it:
abc.jpg
Not
abc.JPG

I saw what the installer is doing. It simply copies some files. I don't know why this takes several minutes.

Here is a different route to avoid the install process:

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparation:

I. Download and install WinCDEmu (an open-source CD/DVD/BD emulator)
https://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/

II. Read the short tutorial for mounting ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS/MDF, CCD, IMG images with WinCDEmu:
https://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/tutorials/mount/


The freeware Virtual Clone Drive by Elaborate Bytes is an alternative.
https://www.elby.ch/en/products/vcd.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Installing Lord of the Rings Vol. 1 with these files:

LORDCD.bin
LORDCD.cue

1. Mount the image by using LORDCD.cue with WinCDEmu.

2. Create a folder for the game. I will use "C:\GAMES\LOTR\" as an example.

3. Copy the files in the folder "GAME" on the LOTR CD to the folder created in 2 (92 files).

4. Unmount/eject the image.

5. Create a folder for the CD image: "C:\GAMES\LOTR\CD\"

6. Copy or move "LORDCD.bin" and "LORDCD.cue" to the folder created in 5.

7. Open DOSBox and type the following sequence of commands without the "" at the Z:\> prompt:

"mount c C:\GAMES\LOTR\"

"imgmount d C:\GAMES\LOTR\CD\LORDCD.cue -t cdrom"

"c:"

"setup"

8. Setup:
a) "Continue with the SETUP instead"
b) "Sound Blaster Pro"
c) "Mouse"
d) It should already correctly say "Movie path: D:\MOVIES"
e) "Save and Exit"

9. The game starts with "TITLE.EXE".

Return of the king???

Unfortunately Interplay canceled the production of the Volume III or 3rd game of this 1990s series. It would have been nice, oh well these things happen. Your version is certainly easier on the eyes than mine lol. Thanks for putting up an alternate solution. It's good for people to have multiple ways to solve these issues.

There's a really nice walkthrough someone released a few days ago for Volume I (on gamespot? I think lol) and it seems like this person is a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, so really very structured.

That did the trick!

That .JPG was indeed the problem, so I changed it to .jpg and that solved it. Seems the Snipping Tool program by default saves the extension all in CAPS or is that a Windows thing?

Anyway, thank you. :)

I meant there is a game Return of the King

I get through the title screen and get a message on a scroll saying :"To view the movies, you must have the Lord of the rings CD in the Rom Drive. Make sure CD drivers are loaded properly."

anyone else seen this?

I have tried imgmount to D using both the iso and cdrom switch

Just to clarfy: Did you mount to D: in DOSbox, and were you mounting the bin or the cue file?

yep in dosbox, the cue file - i actually solved that issue, but now its bitching about the music - ugh

I remember an Interplay CD with demos included with it's BattleChess game. One of them was LOTR, or some part of it. Never made sense to me, i remember running in different directions and things going on and Frodo and... well i didn't know what LOTR was so i didn't care much.

Though i wonder if it's the same one....