Larian Studios Forums Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis (English) Technical problems First Aid : when Div2 does not start or crashes

We want to stress the importance of certain obligatory steps in getting Divinity II to work if it doesn't.

Most importantly: stop playing with a NoDVD crack. People that are playing with a NoDVD crack will experience strange behaviour because we've put in some fun little "features" when the DVD check fails. These are not bugs. If you are playing with a NoDVD crack, do not waste our time with reporting what is going wrong.

If you are experiencing behaviour similar to playing with a NoDVD crack, but you *are* playing with the normal EXE and with the DVD in the drive, check the DVD disc and your disc drive, and contact SecuROM support: http://www.securom.com/support_enduser.asp?t=1

On to the first aid kit

If you are having trouble running Divinity II (e.g. it crashes, doesn't even start up, freezes, you get error messages, ctd's...), there are four very important things you must take care of. Normally, they are being taken care of by the installer, but making sure everything happened correctly is a good first step towards finding the reason of your problem (i.e. eliminating the "normal" causes).

1. DirectX 9.0c : update it. If you're on Vista, download and install it.

Even though DirectX 9.0c is always called that, there are different versions of it. Every couple of months, Microsoft releases updates to DX9.0c and they haven't changed the version number in any of these updates. So whether you have the version of 2004, or you have the up to date version of 2009, there is no way of knowing what "version" you actually have without looking at the dates of your DirectX dll files.

For our game, you need to at least have the version that was released in February 2007. Of course, other games may require newer versions, so the safest is to download and install the latest version Microsoft offers on their website here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...yID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3

If you don't want to download it, you can also install the version that came with the DVD. Explore the Divinity II DVD and start the following program:

[DVDROMDRIVE]:\Support\directX\DXSETUP.exe

Again: there is no way of knowing whether you have the correct version of DirectX9.0c because the version number has been 4.09.0000.0904 for five years already... So don't say "but I have the latest version", just install it

Vista users: you have DirectX 10 but that does NOT mean you have DirectX9.0c! You need to install this too!

2. Make sure you have the PhysX drivers installed that we shipped
with the game OR the latest PhysX drivers that you find on the nVidia website:

Get the latest here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_system_software.html

Or install from Divinity II DVD: [DVDROMDRIVE]:\Support\PhysX\PhysX_9.09.0428_SystemSoftware.exe

A second very important step to get PhysX installed right: run the following exe from the Divinity II DVD:

[DVDROMDRIVE]:\Support\Larian\PhysXRegInstaller.exe

3. Make sure the Visual C++ redistributable files are installed. You can install them from our DVD:

[DVDROMDRIVE]:\Support\Visual C++\vcredist_x86.exe

That's it. If that doesn't help, you may want to try uninstalling the game and reinstalling again (maybe even after a reboot after the uninstall) cause apparently that has helped people here as well...

4. Drivers Drivers Drivers

Always make sure that you have the latest drivers for all your devices. Graphics cards are of course the most important ones, but also check for new drivers for your sound card, chipset, and even CPU (e.g. if you have an AMD processor: install the AMD CPU optimizer and the AMD processor driver).

It has been reported that using applications such as Driver Sweeper helps: uninstall drivers, run Driver Sweeper (or a similar app), then reboot and install drivers.

Remarks:

1. If the game does not start up but you see its process running in the task manager, there is an issue with SecuROM. If you notice such behaviour, please contanct Securom. Follow this link for more information: http://www.securom.com/support_enduser.asp?t=1

2. The game does _NOT_ require the .net framework. Don't let anyone tell you this. You may install it if you wish, but it won't help the game in any way.

3. The game does NOT require any special codecs (unless you messed around too much with Win installation or codec installation). The game uses WMV. Do not start installing codecs if people tell you to to get this game working. This might even make everything worse.

WMV is supported natively by Windows XP Service Pack 2 and up. (Only if you have stripped your Windows installation or if you have not updated Windows Media Player lately, you may not have support for WMV, but normally you should.)

It has been reported that some people cannot run the WMV's in-game because they have a chaotic collection of all kinds of shady codecs and untrustworthy codec packs installed. Let's face it: codecs are wild anarchy. If your game crashes when starting up, or after creating your avatar, remove all codecs you have on your pc, and then re-install Microsoft's WMV Codec pack just to make sure.

If you really cannot live without codecs, you can trust the K-Lite codec pack, but you have to be able to configure it correctly.

Confirmed and solved issue: UNABLE TO SAVE GAME SETTINGS

Description: happens if your Windows username has non-latin chars, so, the path to D2 working dir looks like:
X:\Users\%gibberish%\AppData\Local\Divinity 2\

(P.S. In XP "Users" is "Documents and Settings")

Solution: change your username, use latin chars only.

It does not help (in XP at least).
Changing user name in "User Account Management" changes the name only remaing directory name intact. While the game doesnt like "wrong" characters in the directory title. So you need to do something with the directory: (1) create a new user with a "correct" name from scratch OR (2) rename c:\Documents and Settings\%User%\Local Settings\Application Data\Divinity 2\ so that %User% has latin characters only and replace one of ../ProfileImagePath registry key in some specific place so that it points to that new directory. That #2 way is rather risky and not recommended for newbies. It requires logging on a separate adminstrator account (different from one you gonna change) and some computer knowledge or you can break something.

If people are having crashing or graphical problems and are running Windows Vista or Windows 7 and the above tips don't help there are a couple of things you can do that may help. You set the compatibility modes "Run as Administrator" and "Disable Desktop Composition" and hopefully that will help.

Instructions
Right-click on the Divinity II: Ego Draconis icon on your desktop
Click on Properties in the menu that pops up
In the Window that comes up click on the Compatibility tab at the top of the Window
On the Compatibility tab click the box next to "Disable Desktop Composition"
(For Vista and Windows 7 users) Also click on the box next to "Run as Administrator"
After that click on the Apply button at the bottom and you are done.

PS. On my gamerunning as administrator allowed missing resolutions and character creation options to reappear. (I was able to go above 1280x768)

I would suggest the first one since it is easy and all you have to do is copy everything (except for a few files that won't copy) from the previous profile to the new one. (most things should work in the new profile)

List of threads about "sluttering" issues:

1. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=393894#Post393894

2. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=392513#Post392513

3. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=392919#Post392919


Read it first, perhaps some advice can help you.

[GFX-issues]:

If you have similar issue - check if Textures.dv2 in your ../Data\Win32\Packed\ folder.
Reinstall the game otherwise.

Well my gf bought the game yesterday and it doesnt want to work, Securom says that it has wrond ddvd or cd in, while it is the original one in it. It does run if I eject the dvd and then put it in again. But then it crashes at a later stage.

You cannot transfer your obligations to you clients to a third party Software, either you bring me a solution that i run and it works or you give a refund.

I am not too computer literate and you cannot expect me to try to tweak stuff that you should have brought out correctly in the first place.

We should move this to a new topic (there is a button to start one at the top left of the topic list in each forum), to keep the 'first aid' topic focused on general solutions and troubleshooting tips.


Does the copy protection detect the DVD when you eject and re-insert it, or does the game just start? I think there is a icon displayed onscreen when no DVD is detected (I don't have the game yet).

Do you have a different optical drive you can try the DVD in? Apparently Securerom can be picky about which drive it will use if there is more than one, and I've seen people recommend using the lowest drive letter optical drive.

If you are getting a Securerom error, it is hardly an attempt to transfer obligations to suggest contacting Securerom's support.

No non-trivial software program can run perfectly on every possible combination of hardware and software. Larian certainly has an obligation to fix serious bugs and where possible resolve conflicts, but problems can be caused by many things they have no control over (hardware faults, drivers, anti-virus, virus, spyware, etc). I'm not trying to make excuses, it is just realistically you can not expect everything to always 'just work' perfectly on any remotely open system.
If you never want to tweak anything and don't want to learn anything not directly related to what you are using your computer for, then you may wish to consider getting an XBox for gaming.

Bulabash
...
...
Is is hard to realize that this thread is NOT for general DISCUSS or CONVO?!
...

2mods: remove 3 latest posts please >_>

there's a bug where the game crashes on startup if I'm running two monitors (using both dvi plugs on the videocard, not on a triplehead2go or anything like that)

edit: I'm running windows 7 x64 and the videocard is a nvidia gtx 295 on the latest nvidia drivers and physx.

Ugh,why do you keep post unrelated info? :< If you want to report a bug, make separate thread.

mods? please? :P

who are you and why do you care? you're making more of a mess in this thread than anyone with your pointless drivel.

...
Why do you keep posting?
Can you stop your offtop please?
SENSE. make some.

Hi
I have successfully installed Divinity 2 but when I click in the start icon the game will not launch. I get no error message
I am running Win7X64. I have tried starting as admin and in XP compatibility mode.
I have uninstalled an reinstalled twice made suer I have the correct directx, driver etc
I even went thru has removed all references to the game from the registry between installs
If I have task manager open when I try and launch I can see the divinty2.exe appear in the in the processes list and it stays for about few seconds then disappears.
Any ideas please or should I just take it back for a refund
Also when I install and I have installed about 6 times now. The setup program does not automaticaly stop when the insatll is finshed.
that is the game installs. I click on the finsh button let it install direct x which it does fine and click finsh fot that and the I have the setup program still running in teh back ground. I left it fro over 1 hour last night. When I go to close windows it give me a message that it is waiting for a response from Setup.exe and the only thing I can do is forced it closed
System Specs
CPU Intel E6750
Ram: 6Gb
OS: Win 7 home premium
Video: 8800GTx

Can you *@#%&#% read the thread a bit carrfully?
THIS.IS.NOT.A.DISCUSSION.THREAD!!!

wow kein, you need calm down. i noticed in a lot of posts your reaction is less then desirable. Thank for helping us ppl out, but the way you go about at times....

Ok I just bought this game and I have been having the same problems as lots of ppl apparently, where it gets to after the river scene it just freezes! Now I have tried everything on this forum, and then some. My computer has the recommended specs, but my video card is double the recommended. It is Nvidia. But what I don't understand is how a company can release a game that doesn't work. Now I have a $50 dollar coaster! If anyone knows who I should contact to get my money back, as I understand that it is now open and I can't return it to where I bought it. Very frustrating to say the least. Ty and sorry for my ranting.

I did everything that this post suggests and my game keeps freezing. Charachter will run in place and the only way out of the game is to alt tab and then close in the task manager.

I am running:
XP sp3
dx 9.0c
GeForce 9800GT
amd athlon 64 x2 4200+
3 gig ram

Hi,
i'm writing you directly because i am helpless and answers.
I bought divinityII ego Draconis and the installation was well executed.
to launch the game, I see the generic enters the game.
Important, my error does not occur in the same place game.
So I exchange a few sentences with the order and the surprise ....
no command of the game responds, no inventory, no menu, nothing, the other 2 characters you see their legs but are blurry on the spot, they stalled, the rabbit so it runs on the spot?
I made the 1st aid kit available on the forum but no result still the same error, sometimes I manage to go a little farther in the game.

My Config:
AMD64 X2 dual Core X5200+
Mb Abit KN9
DDR2 800mhz Super Talent 2x2GB
VGA Sparkle GeForce 7950GT 256bits 512MB GDDR3 and now because i think my vgacard defect >
VGA TWINTECHGefroce 9500GT 512MB DDR2 pciexpress 16x.
Drive space C: >35GB

Installed and desinstalled the game several times.
Installed the last version NPhysX Nvidia +DirectX + Driver Nvidia WHQL 195.62_desktop_winxp_32bit_international_whql

Some programs they are responsible for bug? Steam PunkBuster?

I launch the PhysXRegInstaller after installation software.
My name in the game is MERLIN .

I don't understand the problem...

Please HELP ME ....
I have posted message in French forum but not answer and many gamers have this problem
Best regard,