Dont Install Windows XP service Pack 2

[Teigar]

I decided to try service pack2 and have had nothing but problems. It really messes up ToEE, you cant loot, talk to people, open doors and such. The game crash's and you will get an error when quiting the game. I uninstalled pack 2 and all the problems went away. It was also cause problems with many other games. And trust me, the extra options that it install will drive you nuts anyway. Good luck.

[LarkinVB]

Its not SP2 but TOEE which is buggy and incomaptible. I have no other problems with SP2. So its bye bye TOEE, not SP2 here.

[Teigar]

ToEE isnt the only game that has problems with sp2, Heres an article I read

XP Service Pack 2 to conflict with games
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New built-in firewall software to automatically block access of some popular games to the internet.

The impending release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP has prompted Microsoft to reveal a list of programs that may experience problems with the massive update. Included on the rather extensive list are a quite a few games, including such popular titles as Warcraft III and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Microsoft stated that most of the problems are associated with the new built-in Windows Firewall, where users must approve programs that attempt to make Internet connections. However, some programs use data pages that the firewall automatically blocks, as they are common attack routes for hackers. A workaround is built into the firewall software, as well as the ability for advanced users to simply turn it off.

The games affected by Service Pack 2 are as follows:

Age of Empires II: Age of Kings
Chess Advantage III: Lego Chess
Combat Flight Simulator 3 Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Conflict: Desert Storm
Dead Man's Hand
Earth & Beyond
Elite Forces Vietnam: Special Assignment 2
Freedom Force
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Medieval Total War
Midnight Outlaw: Illegal Street Drag MotoRacer
NASCAR Racing 2003
NBA Live 2000
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2
Roller Coaster Factory
Scrabble
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
SimCity 4
Star Trek StarFleet Command III
Star Wars: Knights: of the Old Republic
StarCraft
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
Tribes 2
Unreal II
Unreal Tournament 2003
Unreal Tournament Game of the Year Edition
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Collector's Edition

A full list of programs, and the versions affected, is available at Microsoft's web site. Service Pack 2 will be officially released to XP users via automatic update later this month.


-- By Benjamin Golze, GameSpot

[LarkinVB]

While carefully reading you might notice that most of this is about firewall problems. TOEE has completely different ones. Its ok to defend TOEE and put the blame on SP2 but I'm pretty sure that the loot problems and crash on exit are to be fixed with TOEE.

[Teigar]

Well for whatever good sp2 realy does, and whatever probems it may cause we dont know of yet. I have next to no problems with ToEE and I find its a good game. And Most of the extras sp2 installed drove me nuts. I find I rather play the game and be happy with my xp now, than not play the game and have a bunch of anoying new features forced apon me.

[Kalshane]

I don't think you can blame Troika for not anticipating Microsoft making changes to the way their OS works. And it's not just programs that require internet access that are suffering. Here's the list that Microsoft acknowledges so far:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2

[rc23]

I have this same problem. Tutorial looting works OK. Actual game looting doesn't.

I haven't installed SP2. So it's not to blame.

I am using DX9c and the current catalysts.

[Orrin Oakenshield]

It is not wholly SP2!
It is mainly directx9.oc.
FIX: If you have your OS disk.
Download directx eradicator. Takes a moment & it is free. Run it & use your windows disk to return your directx to the origional os version. Find a newer version to download. I found 9.0b out there. Reboot & play away!
This ol' dwarf needs to clean his ax now...

[darkentrees]

I don't think it's SP2 or DX 9.0c. I'm running ToEE with both just fine. I would reccommend turning off your firewall, virus scanner, any other security software you may have running - there's no need to have all that as well as your internet connection on while you're playing the game anyway, correct? The only thing I get under SP2 is a CDT on exit, which does'nt affect anything. To loot I do need to use the 'C' key when I notice my characters coming out of combat, but that's no big deal either... unless I'm asleep at the wheel and a cut scene removes me from the battlefield... damn I hate that! :roll:

[ordinaryjones]

Having to be in combat to loot is the problem, you shouldnt have to hit C.

[Nomad_Wanderer]

3.0.4 has a LOOT FIX.

so go get 3.0.4, and loot normally.

[Martinius]

Well, SP2 seems to really create some problems in a few cases - like actually protecting some files, so you may think you can patch a game, but it isn't really patched, because, hey-o hay-a, the target file was well protected!

Anyway, you can solve this manually, or you can configure what SP2 does, but unless you are a SysAdmin, which most gamers aren't, you are going to have some nasty surprises in stock.

I agree that it is not right to lay the blame solely with good ol' MS, because to do a good OS they have a testing period, during which everyone says the games work just fine... And then, suddenly it turns out they were not quite so thorough in their "bug reports". As for DirectX, yeah, the 9.0c seems to be a worsened version of 9.0b. Hopefully, they'll come up with a properly working 9.1 or 10? Until then, my laptop manages things just fine with XP SP1a and the DX 9.0b.

[taltamir]

First of all you should NOT install a service pack, instead you should download the full version, and use its integration function to make a slipstreamed CD, and make a clean install using it.

The articles you posted list programs whose online gaming are impeded by windows firewall, windows firewall was there before, but you had to turn it on manually, now its on by default and you have to turn it OFF manually, it can be done and solves all those problems with all those games.

That directX problem, thats just one reason why not to attempt an installation over and existing install, its just not good, never was, with any version of windows, EVER.

[darkwraith007]

Hi

This will solve your SP2 problems, with ToEE and 99.9% of other games, except maybe some ancient DOS ones that don't work on NT/2K/XP anyways.

Its called "nLite" and you can use it to, among other things, do an easy slipstream of your XP SP2 CD, and you can also completely (er...90% of it at least) remove Internet Explorer! Removing IE will make everything run MUCH better, trust me. Just be sure to leave the "IE Core" intact and installed, or you will have MANY problems. Now this won't help you unless you do a complete re-install, but its worth it, trust me. I personally have NOT had ANY problems with SP2, and my comp is actually MORE stable as a result. Who would've thought M$ could do something right? Actually, with nLite is the only reason its so good, but hey...
Get the SP2 on CD, its completely free, even free s&h. I mean after all you DID actually PAY for WinXP, didn't you? lol...

Oh, quick thing, to remove that annoying "file protection" you gotta modify the sfc.dll file or something with a hex editor, and also delete all files in the "dllcache" folder while locking the folder itself so no others get added. You can google and find more info on this if needed. Good luck!

Link to nLite here:
http://nuhi.msfn.org/

DarkWraith007

[Baldrick]

You ppl are lucky you can load it at all! I have tried to install the game several times, but each time open it I can't even create a player. The boxes to place the scores in are all over the place, and won't accept the die rolls. Also the cursor moves at the speed of a dying kobold crossing water
: ((

The intro game plays semi-OK. What a disappointment. Have just finished NWN + expansions, and was looking forward to ToEE.

All other games seem to play ok - BG, IWD etc - so is it XP SP2 - Directx9.0c - or ToEE??? Tried the ANY patch - still no go.

So sad

Any suggestions? (My restore points don't work either after a 2nd hard drive was installed, and the shop set it all up so that system restore monitors the E drive only!!!)

Cheers & TIA.

Baldrick

[darkwraith007]

You ppl are lucky you can load it at all! I have tried to install the game several times, but each time open it I can't even create a player. The boxes to place the scores in are all over the place, and won't accept the die rolls. Also the cursor moves at the speed of a dying kobold crossing water
: ((

The intro game plays semi-OK. What a disappointment. Have just finished NWN + expansions, and was looking forward to ToEE.

All other games seem to play ok - BG, IWD etc - so is it XP SP2 - Directx9.0c - or ToEE??? Tried the ANY patch - still no go.

So sad

Any suggestions? (My restore points don't work either after a 2nd hard drive was installed, and the shop set it all up so that system restore monitors the E drive only!!!)

Cheers & TIA.

Baldrick


Ok, lemme try something...

I'd recommend you back up all your data and do a clean install, but that's just me...

First, did you do a clean install of directx?
There's a freeware utility that lets you do that, remove directx completely then re-install it from M$ website.

Perhaps also completely removing (NOT just "uninstalling", but REMOVAL with a utility like Driver-Cleaner) your video card drivers and re-installing them might work. Be careful though, you wanna make sure you have something to fall back on when you uninstall your vid card drivers, like onboard video.

I recommend you get rid of system restore. Really. Its completely, absolutely, horribly worthless. There are SO many other free programs that are MUCH better then that pile of crap called "system restore".

I'll assume from your post you are using XP SP2 and DX 9.0c
I have the same OS and DX version, so your problems aren't releated to either of those issues.

Did you update XP or do a slipstreamed install? Check my previous post about prog that automates the slipstream easily.

If you want more help, some more detailed system specs would be nice (motherboard, sound card, vid card, etc.)

Later
DarkWraith007

[BeastSS]

I have had the same problems listed above. I am running WindowsXP Pro with SP2, the firewall enabled, Norton running, and after three reinstalls, got the game to quit without a crash, to start a new game without a crash, etc. I am using a properly installed DirectX9c. The final install was after the ToEE uninstall, a defrag and a reboot. I installed ToEE, the Patch2, then Co8 3.0.4.2. The only thing I would like to change is the loss of the 'fog of war'. I relied on that to remind me where I had not been.

[Carl Kolchak]

Long ago I installed ToEE = major suckage ensued
Uninstalled ToEE
wait
update windows over time
apply SP2 with numerous other updates (including NAV 2005)
defrag system
install ToEE (again)
reboot
apply patch 1
reboot
apply patch 2
reboot
apply CO8 update (key component!)
reboot

Enter gaming Nivana!