(c) Paul Gardiner 2002-2011
These are the Tomb Raider installation instructions for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.  If you have Windows 98 or ME, you should read the original installation instructions, which cover those versions of Windows.

For the most recent versions of Glidos to run under a 32bit version of Windows, you need install only Glidos and Tombraider.  Nothing else need be installed.  For 64bit versions of Windows, you additionally need a special version of DOSBox, downloadable from the same page as Glidos. If you run into any problems try the support page.

Download and install Glidos

Just go to the download page and click the link to the latest Glidos_vXX.exe file, save it to disc and double-click it to start the install process.  The installer will put a shortcut on your desktop, unless you tell it not to.  You may have to install Glidos using an account with administrator privileges. If you have a 64bit version of Windows, you also need the special version of DOSBox also on that page. Glidos must be configured to use DOSBox: start Glidos, click the "Adjust..." button, click the "DOS" tab and select "DOSBox" under "Dos emulation".

Install Tombraider

Use the preconfigured Tomb Raider and Unfinished Business installation from here.  Download and install this archive, and you will be all ready to go.  It contains a copy of Tombraider configured exactly as needed for playing under Glidos.  Don't use any other way to install Tombraider - no installers, or patches.  Note the archive does not contain the game content, and hence does not provide a way to play without buying the game.

Run Glidos and play Tombraider with high-quality graphics

We're there!  Just double-click the Glidos shortcut on your Desktop, select Tomb Raider and click the "Start game" button.  Be careful not to let the game autostart when you insert the CD; always start the game with the Glidos button.  You can use the "Adjust" button to select full-screen mode and change the resolution. You may need to run Glidos from an account that has administartor privileges. 

Install high resolution textures, enhanced audio and enhanced movies

Glidos provides three enhencements to Tombraider.  There's an audio pack that is useful in two ways.  It provides the background music that is missing on some versions of the Tombraider CD, and it adds extra effect sounds at key points in the game to match the Playstation version.  To use the audio pack, just download it from here, install it and use Glidos's "Adjust" button to set the Redbook setting under "Audio & Movies" to "Use Audio pack".

Similarly there is a FMV pack, which provide higher quality Movies. To use the FMV pack, just download it from here, install it and use Glidos's "Adjust" button to select "Use FMV pack" under "Audio & Movies".

There are also texture packs available from the Tombraider Xtra site.  These vastly improve the look of the game.  There are various versions, created by different authors. To use a texture pack, just download it, install it and use Glidos's "Adjust" button to select it (Make sure you don't have "Use old-style texture pack" checked.

Buy Glidos to get rid of the spinning logo

You shouldn't run into any problems with Glidos when playing the first two levels of Tombraider, but as you start the third an annoying, spinning logo will appear.  The hope is that you like Glidos enough that you would like to contribute $10 to its further development, and that the spinning logo is sufficiently annoying to make you get around to doing so.  For details of how to get rid of the logo, take a look at the purchasing page.
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