Any Techies out there today? Help!

Aqua-chan · #1 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 07:20 AM

Not sure whether or not this should go into here or ToB, but I imagine that this would work best.

I'll explain the problem, and pray that somebody knows a solution...

OK, I was at the last fight with Irenecus. Because I wanted to make sure that I could continue playing into ToB directly after bringing him down, I shut my game down and began the ToB Installation process. Nothing new.

Well, after ToB was installed, I opened up my Baldur's Gate game to continue the fight. I had to re-configure all that stuff, soundset, keyboard...again, nothing new.

So, I opened up Baldur's Gate. Something odd: the text on the buttons where you select if you wanted to play from SoA or directly into ToB didn't show. I ignored it, then clicked the button I knew was for SoA.

The game froze. Once, twice, three times...Then a fourth when I re-started my computer.

So, I tried to Unintall ToB, figuring that something got screwed in the install process.

It began to clear out the files, but then it began to remove SoA as well. (Bad). I didn't have a duplicate of my "Save" folder, so I cancelled the process just before the game could uninstall.

I duplicated my "Save" folder, put it on my desktop, then tried to Install ToB again. This time, nothing happened.

So, I did a look-up on the program files. Lookie what I found here! ToB Installed and operating, SoA had been successfully uninstalled .

SO, I tried re-installing it, after removing all traces of ToB. Nothing happened.

Now, here's my issues:

I can't Install Shadows of Amn
I can't UnInstall Shadows of Amn
I can't UnInstall ToB
I'm getting a headache.

I wish they had a smiley for the mood "really pissed".

I'll just have to do with this:

fable · #2 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 07:46 AM

I moved this, because it's all about ToB.

As for your problem: I suspect you still have registry entries for BG2, and these are convincing the game during installation that already exists on your hard drive. If you have a registry editor, my suggestion is to open it and do a search on "Baldur's" and "BG." All Bioware sub-directories and entries should be removed. Be sure to touch nothing else, and save your registry entries before making changes.

Then reboot, and try reinstalling.

Bloodstalker · #3 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 12:00 PM

I had a similar problem with IWD, my install froze, and same thing, no install or uninstall. I solved it with Regedit. I went to

start
run Type regedit
expand the HKEy_LOCAL_MACHINE
open the software folder from the list
In my case I deleted the "Black Isle" folder where IWD was, there should be a folder called Bioware where BG is installed. Delete it, and then install the game.

Caution, be EXTREMLY careful not to mess around to much in anything you open with regedit, as deleting the wrong thing can render your OS inoperable.

Krimmy · #4 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 03:14 PM

Wouldn't running the installer from the CD instead of the autorun(which thinks the game is installed) work?

Not sure, just thought I'd throw that out there.

Bloodstalker · #5 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 04:05 PM

Depends. In essence, if certain files are in the registry, as in a partial or inturrupted install, the computer acts as if the game is already installed. The kicker is, there isn't enough there to uninstall it in a normal way.

Either way, autorun or not, the system sees it as already installed, but can't uninstall it.

Not until the files have been cleaned from the registry

Aqua-chan · #6 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 06:11 PM

Alright, BS, I'll try it here...But if my computer crashes and explodes, then guess who's buying me a new one.

Alright... I did as your intructions directed. It's already late and I have to get my kids to bed, so I'll let you know if the Installation process works or not sometime soon...I'm having family over for the next few days (big wedding, ya know) so I may not be online for a while. Will tell you guys how everything works out.

Thanks for the help BS, Fable...anybody else I've missed.

UserUnfriendly · #7 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 10:02 PM

optimally, you should install soa, tob, then bioware patch, and balderdash patch,, and play soa all the way thru until you get to end of soa, then delete all the bif files in cache\data directory, defrag the drive and transition...

i think if you had deleted all the bif files in cache\data directory, you might have been ok,....

i typically delete the bifs every 3 sessions or so, it keeps the game very stable and trouble free...

if i have oo many problems, i use ghost to reinstall the os, from a known good point, something i do every 3 months anyway...

ps...you might also try regclean if regedit via the directions in this thread dont work...its shareware, and if you search mickeyshaft or yahoo you can download it...

regclean compares hives and keys to installed directories on the hard drive, so in theory its the safest way to do it, unless you understand the registry...

actually the safest way i know of is something i DO NOT recommend you do, cause its way complex...

using the regedit in real mode, its possible to load up windows in microkernal mode and reload the keys and hives by having the regedit utility itself scan your hard drive and prune any non existant entries...my windows registry book from nutshell claims its the best way...but its risky, and i dont knwo how many changes they made to the registry from win 95, (book is win 95) to whatever youre using...

but seriously, chan, you do have a ghost or fastback backup of your hard drive, right???at the very least a backup of all your data, right??? to cd rom...

boffing around the registry is not a good thing to do, even with explicit directions....

gosh, i hope you got backups...

Andy Strawn · #8 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002, 06:25 PM

I'll tell you the absolutely best way. Backup your stuff, format, re-install OS. Sure, takes an hour, but your system will be as clean as a virg.. um.. something. Anyway, it's worth it if you're desperate.

UserUnfriendly · #9 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002, 09:12 PM

andy is right...a little blubber lipped...giggle...but right...

in fact, andy, if you were paying attention to my ramblings about fast back and ghost, you would have noticed i was going to lead off to there in later replys...

ghost and fast back allows you to create images...a binary photograph of a partition, that can be saved to cd rom, and allows you to restore a gaming enviroment within minutes...fastback is the retail, ghost is the commercial type....ghost allows backup and restore via ip, ipx, tape and scsi device, but fast back is ok, too, if youknow what you are doing...

but this is the way i have my system setup...

i recently spent a few days backing up data, and reinstalling a very clean version of win98...then i created a binary snapshot of my c: partition to my extended partition, d:, and then burned a cd rom...

now, chan, if you got a cd rom burner, and you like games, this is the way to do it...backup all data to cd rom, then format, install, and create a ghost image...

if you only have a c: drive...then it gets a lot harder...i dont think you can handle linux fdisk, and partition magic is way expensive, so youre better off delparting and using fdisk...but hey, if you got a d: drive, most people do, thats the way to do it...fast back a image to d:. then burn to cd rom...

Aqua-chan · #10 (**permalink**) 07-22-2002, 06:00 PM

I'm bumping this, as I found something new and I still need help.

BS - I deleted the file for BG2 as your directions said, but now I'm looking back and I have found three other folders, each containing something I think may be causing my problems.

I'll list:

Red = Main Folder
Blue = Folder Inside Main Folder
Yellow = Folder with the Second Folder
(I hate technology

)

Folder: BioWare Corp
...Contains: Baldur's Gate II [TM]: Throne of Bhaal
Folder: BioWare Corp.
... Contains: Baldur's Gate 2
Folder: Black Isle Studios: A Division of Interplay Products
... Contains: Status
........Contains: Baldur's Gate
... Contains: User
........Contains: Baldur's Gate

Should any of these be deleted as well? I don't wanna go messing around with something that could make my computer explode and have nobody to blame it on this time around.

Bloodstalker · #11 (**permalink**) 07-22-2002, 06:56 PM

Sorry AC, I seem to have given you the wrong impression at first.
I meant to say to delete the Bioware Folder. Delete the Bioware folder containing SoA, and the Bioware folder containing ToB, the entire folders. That should clear out any files in your system that are hanging the program.

The Black Isle folder you shouldn't need to fool with, it should only contain BG1 or IWD if you have it installed.

I am sorry for the mix-up.

Aqua-chan · #12 (**permalink**) 07-23-2002, 04:52 AM

....

OK...

...

It's a good thing I didn't completely delete the thing I thought was supposed to be Deleted (That, too, is on my desktop

)

Now, we'll try this again...

EDIT: No go. The game does pop up, I press "Play", I get this message saying that it is the first time I am playing BG2, so I have to re-configure all of my settings, I press "OK" and then nothing happens.

How frusterating...... I'm getting a new computer and trying again!