Loaded onto windows XP, installs okay, but the timer is missing so I don't get any patients. Anyone have any idea?

How do you get from "installs ok" to "where are the patients"? :P

First, did you manage to start the game? How far are you, on the first map? Just started the game? Tried restarting the game? Running in VM or real hardware?

Also, why are you running a DOSbox game on WinXP?

The game is an old favourite of mine and ran quite happily on windows 7, just installed it from the disc and off it goes. But I have now got windows 10 and it won't play at all, so I dug out an old laptop with windows XP on it. It ran on this with no problems before.

Anyway.... loaded the game with no problem, starts okay, can make up my rooms etc., no problem. Then I noticed that the timer was missing from the bottom left of the screen and no patients were coming to the hospital. I have run this game into the ground on many occasions because it is my favourite game. But now.. for some reason, the timer has disappeared! I have never had to run this in dosbox, it plays fine just by installing it to the hard drive.

I suppose you have put all the basics? Do you have a GP office? Does it have a doctor inside?

You also need a reception to let patients in. Do you have a reception desk? Did you hire a receptionist?

(Cool related story: during my playthrough, in some hospitals closer to the end there would be times things became a little hectic. I would then sell the receptionist's desk to keep new patients from coming in until I had reworked the hospital into something more manageable )

Lastly, did you click the timer or at least let it run out? I suppose you must have already because you say it is not where it is supposed to be (to the right of the money display and management buttons).

I am able to everything - make rooms, get doctors, handymen, reception desk and receptionist, increase my loan, set policies. I have uninstalled and reinstalled three times now and every time - the timer is missing, not there, disappeared, gone for walkies, lying with the fishes, whereever it is - I can't find it and without it, no patients come to my hospital. I cannot think why this game has now decided to not load the count down timer - it is a problem that should NOT be happening. I have played this game on XP, Vista and windows 7 and at no time was the clock missing.

In spite of the game being run in DOS?


Have you tried using the source port, CorsairTHX?

Do you have the receptionist sitting... I mean, standing at her desk? Or is she drifting by the grounds?

Hmm Windows XP, I gotta try loading it on a VM and see if I can get TH running. Maybe I can reproduce the error.

You just see a white space where the clock is normally there, right from the start of the game?

Just to be clear - it IS GOG's version you're installing, right? What version number has it?

Maybe he is using a CD version or something. Isn't properly patched or something. Would check on the net if there are any downloadeble patches incase of cd version.
Also is win xp sp3 version or not?
Is xp fully updated and tried compability modes yet?
I only have the game on gog and played it through dosbox. Didn't know i didn't need to use dosbox, kinda doubt it works properly without dosbox, since i maybe tried and was asking for cd..

Edit: usefull info in https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Theme_Hospital try if you can get it to run with steps on your modern windows or xp.

You replied to the wrong post. I am not the OP. :)

Hah, I was confused by that too! They must have changed the quote number by accident.

Ehem... hehe... what the....

The post is correct, so either the forum is turning against me or I've somehow switched the quote numbers when I removed the upper two quotes.

In any case, I stand joltfully corrected. :P

Let's try this again, without failing too much... again. What version number are you using? Did you install the GOG version?

I see what you both did there ;-)

Edit: now I'm wondering who will receive a notification, the owner of the post of which I clicked the Reply button or the outermost quote's poster.