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Mods, Cheats, and Vista


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#1 -Anon-

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Posted 02 December 2007 - 08:45 PM

Hey guys, I?m hoping you can help me out here. Please bear with me, this is long?

I recently installed BGII with ToB on my new laptop, which runs on Windows Vista. The game itself seems to work fine, but adding anything on seems to be ineffective (which, at the moment, consists only of the Dungeon-Be-Gone WeiDu mod and the ?Debug Mode=1? line in baldur.ini). I can?t even alter the baldur.ini easily, as attempting to save any changes only results in the message ?Cannot create the C:\Program Files\Black Isle\BGII ? SoA\baldur.ini file. Make sure that the path and file name are correct.? Instead, I have to copy the contents of baldur.ini to a new notepad file and add the ?Debug Mode=1? or ?Cheats=1? line, save it under a different name, move it to the BGII ? SoA file, delete the old baldur.ini and rename the altered file. This still doesn?t enable me to bring up the CLUAConsole, though. Similarly, WeiDu mods act like they?re just not installed ? in DBG?s case, the guide that should get you out of the dungeon never appears. Further, my WeiDu log doesn?t seem to change or have anything added to it, other than acknowledging that new mods have been installed. I?m assuming BioWare?s official patch and the Baldurdash fixes work, but only because they?re non-WeiDu.

I don?t have any real knowledge of how any of the coding or programs of BG work, but I?ve got to assume that Vista is to blame. I can accept not having mods ? sorta ? but I?ve had a few problems with BG on my two previous computers and not having access to the kind of fixes the CLUAConsole can provide is a pain. Anybody have any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks a lot.

#2 Azkyroth

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Posted 02 December 2007 - 09:32 PM

It sounds as though some kind of protection system is kicking in to prevent changes to the program once it's installed...the sort that might stem from viruses, for instance. Unfortunately, having studiously avoided using the abomination that is Vista, I have no idea how to fix it.

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#3 Jarno Mikkola

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Posted 03 December 2007 - 01:07 AM

Anybody have any ideas on how to fix this?

To modify any parts of the game, you have "to turn off user account control and run as administrator, and perhaps change compatibility mode to windows XP or Me(for .exe's)". <_<

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#4 Lord Ernie

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Posted 03 December 2007 - 02:48 AM

What also might help is changing the default installation directory. Vista protects the Program Files folder from being messed around with by anything else than Windows Installer, so any changes Weidu tries to make are simply blocked off. I've yet to try my own install, but I've been working in my usual installation directory for games (very aptly in C:\Games\), and I for one have had no trouble with editing baldur.ini

Of course, I also work in admin mode and have UAC turned off (to do so go to Config Panel -> User Accounts and turn it off) since I think it sucks <fill in gross implement of your choice>.

Edited by Lord Ernie, 03 December 2007 - 02:48 AM.

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#5 -Anon-

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Posted 03 December 2007 - 07:10 AM

To modify any parts of the game, you have "to turn off user account control and run as administrator, and perhaps change compatibility mode to windows XP or Me(for .exe's)". <_<


Boy is my face red. Simply turning UAC off is enough to make everything work great, and even clears up the bizarre baldur.ini editing problem. Thanks for your help, everyone.

#6 Zyraen

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Posted 03 December 2007 - 10:20 PM

UAC is terrible beyond words. I think its part of a self-destruct mechanism that some saboteur inside Microsoft put in to try to reduce Windows Market share.

I hate to say it, but Vista becomes decent after you switch UAC off.

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#7 Jarno Mikkola

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Posted 03 December 2007 - 11:24 PM

UAC is terrible beyond words. I think its part of a self-destruct mechanism that some saboteur inside Microsoft put in to try to reduce Windows Market share.

Sorry, but you are wrong. It's ment as a network tool for schools, libraries etc. So, it actually expands the market, not reducing it. I don't even have Vista yet, so... :lol:

Correction, I now have the SatanVista in my work station, and very thing works fine without the UAC. :devil:

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 27 March 2008 - 12:18 AM.

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#8 Sticz

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Posted 05 December 2007 - 12:43 PM

I agree with Zyraen, UAC is horrid and does nothing to enhance the experience of windows. It is meant to prevent malicious programs from altering your files, but makes it impossible for anyone to work beyond MyDocuments files. I spent hours trying to figure out why my mods were not installing, why I couldn't unzip certain packaged software from zip files, and why I had to get repeated confirmation windows for deleting simple files. After I figured out that it was UAC, I had to basically start over with all of my settings for my various games, controllers, etc. because it did not recognize any user files that belonged to UAC accounts.

I just wish I had the money to upgrade to XP.

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Edited by Sticz, 05 December 2007 - 12:45 PM.

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#9 -berelinde as guest-

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Posted 27 March 2008 - 12:02 AM

What also might help is changing the default installation directory. Vista protects the Program Files folder from being messed around with by anything else than Windows Installer, so any changes Weidu tries to make are simply blocked off. I've yet to try my own install, but I've been working in my usual installation directory for games (very aptly in C:\Games\), and I for one have had no trouble with editing baldur.ini

Of course, I also work in admin mode and have UAC turned off (to do so go to Config Panel -> User Accounts and turn it off) since I think it sucks <fill in gross implement of your choice>.

Lord Ernie, you're a lifesaver. In the end, I had to move the game to a different directory, but I got there in the end, thanks to your advice.

#10 berelinde

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Posted 27 March 2008 - 02:00 AM

Alternately, you can uncheck the damn "read only" box... <_<

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#11 WizWom

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Posted 27 March 2008 - 11:51 AM

Vista automagically mirrors any .ini files under Program Files to a user directory; as such, the copy in the Program Files directory is the "default" which gets cloned whenever a new user tries to run that app.

Simplest way to overcome it is to install to a directory other than Program Files; Windows is too stupid to mirror any .ini files that are not in Program Files (or the Windows home directory).

However, I am surprised by Weidu messing up; as I understand it, Weidu ignores the .ini and just works from the base directory, assuming the dialog.tlk, chitin.key and override directories are available. Hrm, maybe if some of the data was in the CD directories - but I thought the only things not installed to Data were the movies.

#12 Soldarious

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 07:22 AM

hey i got a question then i recently posted on a different thread about my cheats = 1 line not working in the baldur.ini file since i installed dsotsc and no one really answered my question to the point that it helped me i know where to put it in becouse it was working before i installed dsotsc i was wondering if there is anything i have to do since i installed dark side to get it to work is there i different file it has to go into or do i ahve to add anything else to the baldur.ini file to get it to work again if someone could help me it would be greatly apreciated :unsure:
thanks
soldarious

Edited by Soldarious, 06 April 2009 - 07:23 AM.


#13 Jarno Mikkola

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 07:41 AM

...

So you were using it in Windows Vista OS, right? Cause that would explain why the Cheats=1 isn't registered into the baldur.ini, cause the Vista uses the baldur.ini as the original, not the modified version, because the game directory is in a Read-only state that can't be removed.

So turn the UAC off, and reinstall the whole game to non-Program Files -folder. Then right click the game directory and go to the properties, and uncheck the read only flag, and push OK. You then should see few files flying.

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 06 April 2009 - 07:52 AM.

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#14 Soldarious

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 07:42 PM

...

So you were using it in Windows Vista OS, right? Cause that would explain why the Cheats=1 isn't registered into the baldur.ini, cause the Vista uses the baldur.ini as the original, not the modified version, because the game directory is in a Read-only state that can't be removed.

So turn the UAC off, and reinstall the whole game to non-Program Files -folder. Then right click the game directory and go to the properties, and uncheck the read only flag, and push OK. You then should see few files flying.



thanks ill give it a try tomorrow
soldarious

#15 Soldarious

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Posted 07 April 2009 - 08:16 AM

thanx works perfect now!!!
soldarious