Even with a No CD patch, The House of the Dead is a finicky old dog. Here is what to watch for:
: Right-click the new shortcut and select Properties .
House Of The Dead 1 - how to run on 64bit (Win8.1 in particular)
: Use a 32-bit Generic Installer (like InstallShield 3) to run the setup, or manually create registry entries to point the game to your installation folder.
: Ensure you performed a "Full Installation" so all assets are on your hard drive.