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Joined: Feb 2003
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Lynn Offline OP
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A new patch for Beyond Divinity is available. It removes the Starforce protection, fixing a number of problems players have been reporting including Windows Vista compatibility. Click here to download it.

Joined: May 2004
apprentice
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MAY YOU NEVER USE STARFORCE NEVER NEVER NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!

Thanks devs for the final patch of goodness that deserves to be praised <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

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My question now is, can the game be installed without infecting one's system with Starforce in the first place? Perhaps with an alternate installer? If so, I may finally pick BD up after all these years.

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If you install the game and run the Starforce removal program (see here) before rebooting (perhaps delete the '..Beyond Divinity\StarForce Driver Installation' folder and check the Windows temp folder) that should probably prevent the drivers from being installed.


Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

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apprentice
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Starforce ONLY gets installed if you run the main game EXE.. Hence why some people had to reboot after they ran the main exe file <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

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...that should probably prevent the drivers from being installed.

"Probably" doesn't exactly fill me with hope. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> I'll certainly take a look at what you mentioned if I end up purchasing the game, but I really need a definitive answer (preferably from the devs) before I do so. I've heard a lot about Starforce over the years, and it just doesn't seem worth the gamble.

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Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Thanks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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Starforce ONLY gets installed if you run the main game EXE.. Hence why some people had to reboot after they ran the main exe file <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

How sure are you of that? Has it been definitively confirmed anywhere?

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apprentice
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How sure are you of that? Has it been definitively confirmed anywhere?


edit : i wish to make an appology , i just installed beyond divinity and it said

Starforce - " PLEASE REBOOT YOUR COMPUTER TO COMPLETE SETUP "

Now im pissed off i haven't starforce on my computer since well over a year!
Im going to warn everyone else to avoid the game still , cause it still installs starshit without authorization.

=============================================


EDIT 2 : When it said i should reboot to complete setup (DONT CLICK OK)leave it open - i did a CTRL+ALT+DEL and looked for the starforce initiation.. And i saw something called DRIVERINIT or something. I shutdown that task and as yet i can't see starforce on my system

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This is exactly what I was worried about. As great as it is that the game itself is now Starforce-free, a custom installer would be nice as well. Hint, hint. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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You do not HAVE to reboot your computer when the installation asks you to...

Just let that reboot window sit unattended , run the patch file (1.49) to remove the copy protection. Delete folder: "C:\Program Files\Larian Studios\Beyond Divinity\StarForce Driver Installation" and THEN only reboot your computer.

Starforce will not be installed. - I just tested it to confirm this.

P.S. blooduk - you are quick to jump on your high horse - i am sure that you could have figured this one out if you took a moment to think before you posted angry messages.


Your existence alone, is excuse enough for the creation of the entire universe… Il you my darling Jeanne-Dré 
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I would just like to report that the Lucky Cap(that the talking skull turns into) disappeared from my inventory in all of my savegames. I thought that maybe I had just sold it somewhere, but I went to a savegame before I had met any merchants(even the Imp at the beginning), and it was gone! It was a nice cap, but I do not feel like starting over from that point again. Poop. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

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apprentice
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P.S. blooduk - you are quick to jump on your high horse - i am sure that you could have figured this one out if you took a moment to think before you posted angry messages.


Btw i edited my post as i decided to test it myself , i then made the appology there was NO need for you to even mention my name!

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My post was made before you edited your post... but sorry.


Your existence alone, is excuse enough for the creation of the entire universe… Il you my darling Jeanne-Dré 
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apprentice
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My post was made before you edited your post... but sorry.


Apology accepted <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

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I just upgraded to Windows Vista and now I can't even start the game. ARGH!!!!!

Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Canada
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What happens when you try to start the game? (nothing, error message, crash...)

Did you install the patch before or after upgrading to Vista?

Did you run the Starforce removal program (see here) to remove the drivers after you installed the BD patch?

In Windows Explorer, can you browse to the 'Beyond Divinity' folder and double click on the div.exe file to start the game directly?

You could try a clean re-install of the game and patch, using Lady Rain's advice above to avoid having the Starforce drivers try to install.
Zip or otherwise backup your saved games folder to another location first, just in case. Each save is a separate subfolder in the '..\Beyond Divinity\savegames' folder; the 5 'bd_act#_start' folders are created/updated by the game/patch, and do not need to be backed up.

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Easiest way to install Beyond Devinity on Vista:
(in otherwords the easy way to bypass all the extra obstacles that Vista has)

1. Copy the content of both Cd's into a folder on your hard drive (this is not mandatory - but it makes the installation much faster and avoids crashes due to crc-check failures. Even though my Cd's are both perfect, i had CRC-check errors on all my installtion attempts until i copied it (with NO errors interestingly enough) to the hard drive).

2. Right click on the "BeyondDivinity.exe" file and select Run as administrator. (also not mandatory, but it bypasses ALL security obstacles)

3. WAIT (yea this one is mandatory <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> Vista inspects the code of the whole 700MB file before it allows it to run - so on some computers it will take a while.

4. Allow any security questions that come up. (this will depend on what you did in point 1 and 2)

5. Before you click on Finish, take the tick out of "create desktop icon". (not compulsory, but this option caused an error on 2 out of my 3 installation attempts - not fatal but annoying).

6. say no to the prompt to install DirectX. (Vista does NOT like older versions on DirectX - dont even try it)

7. IGNORE the prompt to restart your computer. (Until point number 12)

8. Download the patch 1.49 (if you havnt already)

9. Right click on "BeyondDivinityEnglishPatch1.49.exe" and select Run as Administrator (again to bypass security obstacles)

10. when the patch is done installing, DO NOT RESTART the computer yet.

11. Delete the folder "C:\program files\Larian Studios\Beyond divinity\starforce driver installation\"

12. restart your computer (finally).

13. Go monster bashing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


Your existence alone, is excuse enough for the creation of the entire universe… Il you my darling Jeanne-Dré 
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stranger
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now worth the money <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

thanks for that fix <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Joined: May 2007
K
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<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />Hiya Lynn
I have downloaded the 1.49 patch and when i go to install it, it says "this is not a good game version" as you can guess this is getting me upset as this is the third time i have downloaded it with the same results and to top it all i am on dial up connection so it takes forever. Could you please tell me what is wrong if you can or where can i go for help thanks.

yours
Kazza

Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Canada
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When run, the patch checks the registry for the install path and language version, and gives the error you stated when it does not find the expected information. Do you have the North American or UK English version of the game?

In Windows XP, if you installed the game from an account without administrative privileges, that might prevent the registry entries from being created. A recent system restore or an over aggressive registry cleaner could also be the problem, in which case re-installing the game from an account with administrative privileges should help. If Windows boots straight to the desktop, you just have one account, and it has administrative privileges.

Also, you can email Larian (support@larian.com) to get a vbs file that can create the required registry entries. A description and a reg file that works for the UK / North American version is near the end of this topic.



Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

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stranger
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hiya
Tryed what you said lynn, i have now got the patch to work but it still does not let me get the key from tax to get into the dungeons for the summoning book in act 4. I reinstalled the game put it into a different directory copied my saved games and opened the patch. Started the game and he gives me the key, but it is not there in my inventory and when i go back to tax he repeats the same thing gives me the key but i never get it HELP i am now screaming at him LOL please please help.

yours
Kazza <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />

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