Introduction | Determining Game Version | Game Patches | Installing Patches | Patch Facts | Add-ons & Patches | Tools & Patches

Get Official Patches at 3DRealms Duke3D - All Duke3d 3DR patches done by Joe Siegler

All patches and tools are available from RTCM in the download section:
"duke3d-patchs" or "src-eduke-patchs" and "src-eduke-source" etc...

Why this guide? Well there are a few problems with most if not all of the 3DR patches and installers. Primarily the installers may only look for the game in the default install location, this is noticeable with the Revised or Window installers. Also the installers don't do a CRC check on the files, they look for a specific size of the files, date and time. However WinME and up (including DOSBox EMU) write the present/current date too the files, making patching impossible...

1. Startup duke3d.exe, once you launch read the TOP line in the red bar. The version number is displayed there. If you have the Wal-Mart/'Parental Lock' version or similar restrictions, it will indicate this in the TOP line in the red bar.
2. OR load up your dn3dhelp.exe file and read the top line
• v1.3d indicates: 'Duke Nukem Atomic v1.3d Technical Help'
• v1.4 indicates: 'Duke Nukem Atomic Technical Help'
• v1.5 indicates : 'Duke Nukem Atomic v1.5 Technical Help'

• Note: ONLY the Official patches are supported by 3DRealms. The patches marked in bold are the Official patches.
• Note #2: The EDuke v2.0 installer is supported by 3DRealms.
• Note #3: Any patch marked REVISED indicates that it was repacked by Joe Siegler to work on newer systems with Windows installers instead of the old DOS ones. Meaning you won't get the run time error problems.

The left column is your CURRENT version of your game, the right column indicates the patch required or suggested for your CURRENT version. Once you update your game come back to this chart and select from the left column your new CURRENT version of the game. Until you applied the maximum patches you could for your version.

Here is a small chart indicating some various patches that users have adopted as the FIX for there problems. Some of the files are not available officially.  You'll have to find them on your own or contact 3DR to help you out.

Quick Notes about the versions of Duke3D

Make sure you read everything that is displayed, and read carefully.

• Have a newly installed Duke3D game present. An untouched directory
• Apply Official patches first such as adult unlocks then game updates
• Apply the PCI sound patch (only if required) (NOT required for ISA sound cards or DOSBox EMU)
• Apply the Music CD patch (optional)
• Clean up the patch files and any files that where backed up.
• Run setup.exe and reconfigure. Note: see Patch Facts below

• Saved games are not compatible after the update.
• Recorded Demos are not compatible after the update.
• In some cases the duke.cfg will be deleted during the update, you may need to reconfigure after the update.
• In other cases the duke.cfg file can be automatically updated via running the setup.exe the first time after the update.
• Some install programs may not run correctly on faster machines.- runtime error
• The PCI snd patch will not effect saved games, demos, duke.cfg compatibility.
• The Music CD patch will not effect saved games, demos, duke.cfg compatibility.
• Most Official patches require you to have your CD in the drive.
• The REVISED 3DR Window patches only let you install too the Default directory.
• You may need to double check and make sure your patch has actually patched your game. 3DR patches tend to just dump the patch to the Duke directory without actually running the patch. Run it from their after the dump.
• With any Windows version above WinME users may find that some patches, in particular dnsepat.exe (even the old ones) will not work correctly. The patch will run but the patching process fails. You need to find a Windows95/98 or DOS system and install the game on there and patch it, then copy the exe to the newer Windows system. If Win95/98 is not available try WinME. I'm not entirely sure why the patch fails, it indicates that the original exe is not really an original, but it is. Special note: The date of the patched exe should remain the same, duke3d.exe (Dated 12/11/96 1:50pm) When patched on WinME or newer systems the date may actually be the present/current date of when you patched it. This may cause future patching problems.

Be advised that SOME TC's or Mods alter a few settings in the game.exe in order for the Conversion to work properly. In most cases the exe is backed up before the modifications are made. Other conversions may "reset" the game.exe after it is done running or uninstalled, which ever the case maybe.

In some cases you will find that the cheat codes will not work properly or at all the way they where intended. If used they may temporarily corrupt the Conversions playability and performance. These TC patches will not disable or turn off any previous official patches that may have been applied.

Online Play Note: There's been some reports of Kali not letting you run some modified game.exes this includes the official PCI snd patch. Not all online services check to see if the game.exe is modified.

As you may know, there are many programs to create custom patches. There are several in the RTCM "duke3d-patchs" Download section. You will find "Generic" tools and Tools that are designed solely for duke.exe modifying. As indicated above, a few TC groups have used these methods, primarily patching was done to tailor the game.exe slightly to enable features designed by the TC groups. Such as altering the Episode names and switching flags for global sounds. This method was used very frequently by Shadow Warrior mod makes as they had very little control over the game since there where no cons.