AGS progs won't run --at all-- on my Win7/i7 !! help !

[aspiring.guitarist]

I'm running Win 7 /64bit on a Intel Core i7 - with all the fixins'.
State of the art for at least a few years ( or so I was told at the store).

(Hello, the test game I'll reference for here is Indiana Rodent: Raiders of the Lost Cheese
(free version available @ http://crystalshard.net/index.php?g=17))

WHen i first started the game, it hiccuped several times (with sound and then froze.)
it stalled / hiccup/ music went on, but the game didn't.

a colleague recommended tinkering and right clicking on executable icon to negotiate xp compatibilty
mode. this time, music and screen loaded up, but still extremely slow given computer speed, but
the music started, title screen hiccupped, mouse cursor disappeared behind the window, A LONG LAG, and
then the set froze including music.

i ran the xp compat option one more time. still the same.

Apparently these problems (might?) only happen with AGS games (or probably any "90's era" adventure
point and click game dev kits, i dare say).

It HAS NEVER happen with all the new era 3d FPS games that I install (COD, BF2, etc.)

it almost seems as if the comp i have is (way too fast ...??)

[ could that be it ? ]

thanks so much in advance!

[HappehLemons]

I'm running an i7 with Windows 7 Pro 64bit and AGS games run fine. I've completed King's Quest I, II and am playing III now. I do not need to use XP compatibility or anything like that, fyi. Hope that helps.

[Gilbert]

1. One possible problem is display driver. Try updating your graphics card's driver and/or DirectX9 (NOT DX10 or DX11 or whatever, as DX9 is installed together with DX10/11 in Vista/7 you may need to update DX9 separately).

2. Run the games' setup and try to use the D3D9 rendering engine instead of DX5 (or vice versa) and try out different window settings too.

3. If there are some weird settings with nonsense names such as "Entertainment Mode" in your system, try to change it.

[Ghost]

I know for sure that Radiant (who made Indiana Rodent) prefers using an older version of AGS (2.7 or something). Could that cause the problems? Have you tried running a game made with a recent
version of AGS (3.x onwards)- if I remember correctly they have better "driver support".

[TassieDevil]

Well, I am having a similar problem - but just with one or two of the AGS games - 99% works fine.

The game comes up but the cursor doesn't go anywhere, it might render the start menu. It takes minutes.
Moving the cursor over some areas might display part of the next screen.
No way to play!

I tried Donna, well for the fun of it. Bugger downloaded so much and it is frozen on the the intro.

On Win7 I have tried all compatibly modes.
We have an Acer and a HP.

Pleas PM me, I don't read this forum on a regular basis.

[Wyz]

Does Windows7 still support DirectDraw? If not I guess that's the problem.

[TassieDevil]

Does Windows7 still support DirectDraw? If not I guess that's the problem.

Could be. This program defaults to DirectDraw5. It crashes if I change it to Direct3D9 with a script error.
I guess there is nothing to be done to fix it...

[Commodore]

I am having the same problem with my new laptop with i5/win7.  I have tried everything I can think of to get AGS games to run to no avail.  The problem seems to be with directdraw.  I can run AGS games in direct3d (tried this with snakes of avalon), but I can't get any AGS game to run with directdraw (and it seems that most AGS games only use directdraw).  I have tried changing power settings from high performance, downloading/updating directdraw, updating drivers, changing every setting that I could think of and nothing has worked.  Every non-AGS game I have tried plays perfectly, including old sierra/lucas arts stuff and games run in dosbox and scummvm.  It has been driving me crazy that I haven't been able to play any AGS games on this computer.  Does anyone have any other ideas or are we out of luck? 

[Gilbert]

Have you tried updating DirectX9 like I suggested earlier?

[Commodore]

Yeah, I have updated directx 9 several times using both the web installer and the full directx 9 download and it hasn't seemed to have any effect. 

[Commodore]

I finally got ags games to work on this computer!  The problem seems to be with directdraw and new laptops with intel integrated graphics.  I ended up getting the games to work using virtualbox.  I will outline the steps I went through for others who are having this problem.  Try this if changing battery settings, installing directx9, and changing your graphics settings doesn't work.  I am including as much detail as I can remember to try to make it easy for anyone to do.

- Download and install virtualbox.  It is a free program, you can get it here: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

- You then need to install a copy of windows xp in virtualbox.  You need a valid product key and either a physical xp installation cd or an iso.  You can try using the product key found on the sticker on the back of your old xp computer if you have one and your old installation cd.

- If your old xp cd isn't service pack 3 you will need to update it.  The automatic update feature from xp service pack 1 isn't supported anymore, so you need to download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=24 and install it.

- You then need to make sure you have directx9 installed on your virtual xp.  Download and run the directx web installer found here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35.  (You should be performing these steps through your virtual xp that you are running.)  To make sure that you have updated to directx9 type dxdiag in the search bar on the start menu, open dxdiag and it will tell you what version is installed on the front page.

- Now you need to install something to run the graphics on your virtual xp.  For this step you need to open your virtual xp in safe mode.  It might not pick up keyboard commands at startup (making it so you can't boot in safe mode by pressing f8 at startup), so you may have to enter safe mode by clicking start, then click run, then type msconfig, hit enter, click the boot.ini tab, and check the /SAFEBOOT tab under boot options.  It will then ask you if you want to restart, say yes and now you are in safe mode.  Now in virtualbox click the devices tab and click "install guest additions."  Follow the prompts and your graphics are setup.

- You should now be able to play your ags games in virtualbox.  A few notes about running your games in virtualbox:
   - You need to put the games in your virtual machine to run them.  So, either re-download them from ags or transfer them onto a     usb and then open the usb through your virtual xp and transfer them to the virtual xp drive.
   - The mouse might move really fast when you open your game.  To fix this click the machine tab in virtualbox and click "disable mouse integration," or use right ctrl + I. 
  - The game may run in a sort of small area surrounded by black.  If you are like me and like to play in full screen you need to use scale mode.  Use scale mode by clicking the view tab and selecting "switch to scale mode" or pressing right ctrl + C.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but it is the only way I have been able to get ags games to play on this laptop.  So, for me it was worth it.  I hope this all makes sense and helps anyone else who is having this problem.

[Construed]

My brother had that problem and all we had to do is simply right click the exe and click run as admin, because of win7 security garbage.

Hate to tell you after you've done so much work and im sure you probley already tried it, but it worked for us and hope it works for you too!

[Commodore]

Didn't work on my computer, but good suggestion for people to try before resorting to my method.

[ig299]

i did that and it didn't help

[Gilbert]

ig299, please don't hijack another thread without explaining what problem you are having that is related to the OP. Thank you.

[Yitcomics]

I also had problems on running AGS games on my win7,but I have found another method that seems to work for me,just right click on the AGS games and go to properties,then go to the "compatibility" and Run in 256 color.Well it work for me and a fast method too if you don't want to download Virtualbox and go install win XP.Hope this help.

P.S:Running as admin didn't work for me.

[Monsieur OUXX]

Since there will be more and more 64-bits systems, maybe we should start an informal list of games that have been causing issues, and try to find with what AGS they were made (2.7x or 3.x).
I have been experiencing issues myself on Windows 7 64-bits with games running surprisingly slow. It was always fixed by choosing D3D9 instead of DD5 (even though the games had no 3D features).

[Yitcomics]

I just found another better solution for AGS old games that run slow,ones without the D3D9 option,not sure if this advice will be the same for everyone.You have to open "Intel graphic and media control panel",to go there(my way)

1.Click the window icon and search "screen resolution" and click on "adjust screen resolution"
2.Then click the "advance setting" then there should be "Intel(R)graphic and media control panel" tab(if its not there then I don't know and of course you have to have intel in your laptop)
3.Click the tab and then go to "graphic properties".Now you have reach "Intel graphic and media control panel".If anyone know as faster way then do just that.

Then it will ask you(if it ask you) to enter which mode just pick basic it doesn't matter.At the Display option in the general setting,look at the "color depth" there should be option to change it,pick "16 bit" click apply and all done.When you finish playing the games you can adjust it back.Work for me,the game didn't run slow and no more ugly colors lol.

Note:Run the games as window mode,full screen always seems to cause problem for me.

Hope this help

[amateurhour]

Just found this thread and wanted to chime in with my .02.

I got AGS installed and did a build of the demo game, it defaults to DD5 @320x200 and I can't really make any changes in the winsetup without it crashing.

I'm on a win7 64 bit with Intel integrated graphics. I've tried adjusting screen resolutions, messing with winsetup, compatibility troubleshooter, etc and nothing seems to work. The demo game looks horrible in full screen, and it's too small to see in windowed mode.

edit: nevermind, easy fix.

Just go to winsetup, check the "4x multiply filter" option and check the "run in a window" box and then it runs @1280x800 and looks fantastic.