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Fixing a FUBARed dual-boot installation

Discussion in 'BG2: Throne of Bhaal (Classic)' started by SlickRCBD, Apr 13, 2014.

  1. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril

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    Remove all ads!
    I have all the Infinity Engine games installed on my trusty old Windows 98SE/Windows XP dual-boot system. It was current technology when I installed BG1 for the first time.

    I just tried to start BG2 and I got a prompt at the load screen to install, rather than letting me start the game.
    The game has been installed for years.

    On a hunch, I tried rebooting the game into Windows 98SE. The game started without issue.

    The game was installed to the same directory in the Windows 98SE partition's Program files folder on both OSes.
    Is there any way to copy the registry entries from Windows 98SE to XP to fix this, or an easy way to get it to recognize that the game is properly installed without redoing all the mods?

    What about using WinRAR to back up the entire BG2 folder, reinstall only Shadows of Amn from the CD and ToB without bothering with the patches, then decompressing the backed up folder to overwrite the game files?

    Will that fix the installation for XP while leaving it working for 98SE?

    ---------- Added 0 hours, 57 minutes and 48 seconds later... ----------

    P.S.
    Thanks Taluntain for keeping the site compatible with Firefox 2.0.20. It saved me the trouble of having to wait for the computer to reboot again back to Windows XP to make the above post.
     
    SlickRCBD, Apr 13, 2014
    #1
  2. henkie

    henkie Hammertime Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    Make the shortcut on your XP desktop refer to BGMain.exe instead of balder.exe and it should work without issue. You won't get the GUI that allows you to click play and some other options.

    It's what I do, anyway, because I only have a single installation and I copy that to other computers when I want to play on another computer or if I migrate to a new one. No reinstalls required. No registry edits required.
     
    henkie, Apr 13, 2014
    #2
    SlickRCBD likes this.

  3. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
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    Will I get to pick SoA or ToB?

    ---------- Added 3 hours, 43 minutes and 9 seconds later... ----------

    I fixed it myself.
    I thought the symptoms sounded familiar, and looked it up. It's identical to what normally happens when you try to play the game on a limited account without adjusting some registry entries. I used this old link as a guide for how to fix things that somebody posted about here long ago
    http://blog.dolphinling.net/2007/05/making-baldurs-gate-ii-run-in-a-non-admin-account-on-windows/
    and checked out the registry key mentioned there. It was missing entirely. So, I rebooted to Windows 98SE, exported the appropriate key, then rebooted back to XP, signed on as the admin and merged the exported 98 entries back into XP.
    I then fixed the permission like described in the article and I'm back in business.

    Now maybe I can get some sleep. I hope this wasn't what is keeping me awake.
     
    SlickRCBD, Apr 14, 2014
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  4. henkie

    henkie Hammertime Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    I see you managed to make it work already, but for reference, yes you can still pick SoA or ToB. This selection is in-game. The other GUI is the one that asks Play (or Install without the proper registry keys) and has an option for config.
     
    henkie, Apr 14, 2014
    #4
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