Baldur's Gate I and II Frequently Asked Questions
This final FAQ for Baldurs Gate I & II is a work in progress. Much of the content was taken from solutions posted on our Baldurs Gate & TotSC Technical Support forums and the Baldur's Gate II: SoA and ToB Technical Support forums.
Support questions relating to Baldur's Gate I & II that are not answered by the FAQ can be submitted via the BioWare Support & Contact page. In addition if you see an error in the FAQ, or if we have missed anything, please let us know.
Return to FAQ Listing.
[BG/BGII] - General install/gameplay issues
Fixes for general install and gameplay issues in "Baldur's Gate" and "Baldur's Gate II:SoA"
Please select a question:
1.01: [BG/BGII] - Why do I get a "Component transfer error", "Data File transfer Error" or "CRC" error message when attempting to play or install? (Back to Top)
CRC error occur when the installer compares the file it just copied to your hard drive to the source on the CD and finds that they are different. There are two possible causes:
Bad CDs. Take your copy of the game and try installing it on another computer. If you get CRC errors then you need to get your CDs exchanged for new ones at the point of purchase.
Hardware issue. If you are able to install the game on another computer, you most likely have a hardware issue with your system. "General CD Install Troubleshooting" for other possible solutions.
1.02: [BG/BGII] - If you're having issues installing or playing the game, try the following before you do anything else! (Back to Top)
Drivers: UNINSTALL YOUR CURRENT VIDEO DRIVERS. Then download and install the latest drivers available for your hardware via your vendor.
DirectX: Ensure you have the latest version of DirectX installed, if you have recently reinstalled your drivers you may need to reinstall DirectX.
Patch: The latest patches for BGII can be found here:BGII:SoA Patch
If you have the "Throne of Bhaal" expansion installed you will need to download this patch instead: BGII:ToB Patch
The latest "Baldur's Gate" patches can be found here: Baldur's Gate Patch
If you have the "Tales of the Sword Coast" expansion installed with "Baldur's Gate" you will need to download this patch instead: Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast Patch
Virus Scans: Viruses can be responsible for many of the common errors and crashes that users encounter. Run a virus scan using an online scanner HouseCall as it will usually find things that are missed by Norton: HouseCall
Spyware/Adware: Ensure your machine is spyware free, you can download Ad-Aware a free spyware/adware detection/removal tool from here: Lavasoft
Hard drive: Ensure you have run scandisk and disk defragmenter. This is regular maintenance for your hard drive but may also improve performance and fix a number of loading/save related issues.
Windows Update: Run Windows Update and install the required Critical Updates for your O/S.
Uninstall/Reinstall: Sometimes the best way to fix an issue is to start with a fresh install of the game. If required, back up your saves and characters to a directory outside of the game install directory. Then completely uninstall the game and delete the install directory. Reinstall the game, and then apply any available patches for your install.
1.03: [BG/BGII] - How do I install "Baldur's Gate" or "Baldur's Gate II: SoA" under Windows XP or 2000? (Back to Top)
Do everything under "Do this before you do anything else"!
Get the Windows Installer 2.0 Update: Check this forum thread for help with updating your version of the Windows installer under : http://forums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=22196&forum=10
Or go straight to the files:
Win NT 4, Win2000
Windows NT 4 Only
Installshield: Also you may need to update the version of Installshield on your computer. Check out this section of the Installshield website for more information: InstallShield
Media Damage: Check your install media for damage, and perform a gentle cleaning of the play surface. Also, if possible try the disks on another machine to determine if the issue is environmental.
Compatibility Mode: If you are running the game under XP, attempt to start the installer in compatibility mode for Win9x. You can do this by navigating to the setup file on the install CD, right clicking on it and selecting properties, select the "Compatibility Tab", check the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and then select "Windows 98".
1.04: [BG/BGII] - Known issues with Wireless/multimedia Keyboard/mouse issues and Baldur's Gate II: (Back to Top)
There is a known issue with multimedia/wireless keyboards and the Baldur's Gate series. Try playing the game with a regular keyboard or attempt to disable the software that drives the special functions of the multimedia keyboard/mouse.
1.05: [BG/BGII] - Why do I stop getting experience? (Back to Top)
In order to keep them challanging, all games in the Baldur's Gate series have an experience point cap.
The experience cap for the original Baldur's Gate is set at 89,000
The experience cap for the Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast is set at 161,000
The Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn experience cap is set at 2,950,000
The experience cap for Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is 8,000,000 which allows for epic play at level 20+.
1.06: [BG/BGII] - I'm running Windows XP/ Windows 2000, Baldur's Gate (1 or 2) crashes with no error message and the computer reboots. (Back to Top)
When your computer restarts it could be due to a setting in Windows XP that has the machine restart on the occurrence of a "blue screen" or fatal error. This error message can provide you with valuable information that can help solve your issue. If you want to shut off: "Fatal error suppression" in Windows XP follow these steps:
Right click on "My Computer".
Click on the "Advanced" tab".
Click on "Startup and Recovery".
Under System Failure uncheck "Automatically Restart".
1.07: [BG/BGII] - 16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem error message (Back to Top)
This issue is not specifically related to BG/BGII, and may occur if one or more of the following files are missing or damaged:
These files are usually located at: C:\WINDOWS\system32 where C:\ is your harddrive letter.
Config.nt
Autoexec.nt
Command.com
WinXP users having trouble getting the files needed for this fix can try the following:
The Config.nt and Autoexec.nt files can be copied from the windows "repair" folder which is usually found at C:\WINDOWS\repair where C:\ is your hardrive letter. However, you may need your Windows XP Install Disk for the Command.com file.
When the files have been replaced ensure you reboot your system before attempting to install Baldur's Gate.
Please note that the "16-Bit MS Dos subsytem error" has nothing to do with your hardware configuration, which Windows XP Service Pack is installed or any autorun features which may be enabled. Unfortunatly, the Win 9x Compatibility Mode included with Windows XP will not solve this issue either.
1.08: [BG/BGII] - Why is there a directory called "scrnshot" and why is it filled with screenshots I didn't take? (Back to Top)
Related to "Mystery of the 7's" tech support forum thread found here: http://forums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=334797&forum=11
The problem of the screenshots is actually a common one, likely due to a misinterpreted command from a piece of hardware. The fixes suggested are:
-Make the "scrnshot" directory read only.
-A simple reboot of your system.
-stuck key on keyboard - bang on key to get it unstuck.
-Bad keyboard - try another keyboard.
-USB/wireless keyboard that BG doesn't like - Use normal PS/2 keyboard.
-USB hub sending strange input signals - unplug hub.
-SysTray Multimedia keyboard software - disable while playing BG2.
-Other background software interfering with input - Shutdown non-essential software running in the background.
-DirectX upgrade - Download and install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx
1.09: [BG/BGII] - How to properly uninstall and reinstall your video card drivers. (Windows XP) (Back to Top)
NOTE: BioWare accepts no responsibility for the use of these instructions. Official hardware support is available via your hardware vendor. Use at your own risk.
Click "Start"
Click "Control Panel"
Click "Add or Remove Programs".
Click on your current (old) video card drivers. If you have an GeForce series card your drivers will be listed as "NVIDIA Drivers" or "Nvidia Graphics Drivers". If you have a ATI Radeon Series card your drivers will be listed as "ATI Control Panel" or more likely "ATI - Software Uninstall Utility".
Click "Change/Remove".
A dialogue will appear asking you if you want to remove the drivers, click "Yes".
The drivers will now uninstall.
Do not restart your computer yet.
Now download the latest drivers for your video card from the manufacture's website.
If you have a Geforce Series card go to: http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
If you have a Radeon Series card go to: http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html
Either save them to your desktop and then double click the install icon, or open them directly after downloading.
At this point you will need to follow the on screen instructions through the installation process. It is quite simple.
At the end of the process you will be asked to restart your computer. Do so, and when the computer reboots your new drivers will be fully installed.
1.10: [BGII/ToB] - General CD-Install Troubleshooting. (Look here if your Game is asking for CD5 or CD0) (Back to Top)
If you are having problems getting the game to install or the game is asking for a CD5 or a CD0, you may want to try some of the following suggestions.
When changing CDs during the installation, let the drive spin-up and then stop. Then click OK and see if the installer recognizes the disc change. Do this for all the CDs that are requested.
Try checking for a firmware/BIOS update for your CD or DVD drive. We have had several reports of sucessfull installs of the game once a firmware update was applied. You will have to check with your CD/DVD drive manufacturer for this kind of update.
If for whatever reason you are unable to do a Recommended or Full install, but you can do a Minimum install, please read How to "fake" a larger install from a Minimum.
If you have multiple CD/DVD drives, only install from one and do not try to use all of your drives. For some reason, this is confusing InstallShield.
If you cannot do any install without getting some sort of error or crash and you have about 5 Gig of free hard drive space, you can try to copy all 4 CDs to your hard drive, then run the install from there. Please note, you must copy all 4 CDs to the same directory for the install to run. If you get prompted for the next CD, then you have not copied the files over properly, or you have missed some.
Try turning off DMA for your CD/DVD drive. For some people, this has allowed them to install. You can find this checkbox by going to your Control Panel, then to System, then to the Device Manager tab. Find your CD/DVD drive and bring up its Properties, then go to the Settings tab.
Try turning off your CD/DVD read-ahead. For some people, this has allowed them to install. You can find this slider by going to your Control Panel, then to System, then to the Performance tab. Down in the Advanced Settings frame, press the File System... button and move the slider all the way to the left. You may need to restart for this setting to take effect.
1.11: [BGII/ToB] - How to manually uninstall BGII: (Back to Top)
1.) Uninstall using the shortcut in the BG2 Start menu or the Add/Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel. The game files should be removed from the user's hard drive and the shortcuts removed from the Start menu.
2.) If step 1 failed, run "baldur.exe" from the CD. It should notify the user that the previous installation attempt failed and that they should try reinstalling the game using the program's Install button.
3.) If step 2 failed, edit the "baldur.ini" file in the directory where the game was installed. Look for the "Installing" key under the "Program Options" section, set it to 1 ("Installing=1"), save the file and repeat step 2.
4.) If step 3 failed, edit the system registry using the regedit / regedit32 utility. Remove the following keys:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ App Paths \ BG2Main.exe
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall \ {8DAE4336-2B71-11D4-9A6C-006067325E47}
5.) Go to your Program Files directory and find the hidden directory "InstallShield Installation Information" and delete the directory labeled "{8DAE4336-2B71-11D4-9A6C-006067325E47}"
6.) Manually delete all the files and directories created by the previous installation attempts (this should return the system to its state before the original installation attempt) and try again to install from the CD.
1.12: [BGII/ToB] - How to disable movies in BGII? (Back to Top)
Open the baldur.ini file in the main BG2 Directory under [Program Options] type Disable Movies=1 this will disable all FMV in the game and may fix issues with the game if it is crashing when attempting to
play certain movies. (i.e. the “Camp/Rest” movie)
1.13: [BGII/ToB] - How do I import characters from Baldur's Gate/TosC into Baldur's Gate II? (Back to Top)
Move your character file from the BG1 characters directory to the characters directory in BG2. Or, you can move your BG1 saved game into the BG2 saves folder. Regardless of what method you use when you start up BG2 and choose the "Import option", your character will be available for import.
1.14: [BGII/ToB] - In "BGII:Throne of Bhaal" When I enter my second challenge in the pocket plane nothing happens, how do I fix this? (Back to Top)
A trigger did not go off when it was supposed to and now the game doesn't know that you're finished the challenges. You need to manually tell the game that you have completed all challenges in the Pocket Plane. In order to do this, you first have to enable Debug Mode. Open up your BG2 directory and look for: baldur.ini
Open baldur.ini in notepad and find the [Program Options] section. Add the following line to that section:
Debug Mode=1
Now save the file and load up your save game. Press CTRL + SPACE to open the command console and type the following (it is Case SenSItiVE):
CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("ChallengesDone","GLOBAL",1)
Once you've done that, you can leave the pocket plane and face your destiny.
1.15: [BGII/ToB] - BGII crashes at start of new game: (Back to Top)
Try disabling 3D Acceleration in BGConfig.
1.16: [BGII/ToB] - BGII crashes when equipping weapons: (Back to Top)
Try disabling 3D Acceleration in BGConfig.
Set your desktop to the same resolution that you want to run the game in and follow the instructions in the first question to set your refresh rate in the game. (ie. If you want to play BG2 at 1024x768, set your desktop to 1024x768 before running the game)
1.17: [BGII/Tob] - BGII crashes when you try to move to a new area: (Back to Top)
Try clearing the game's cache and reloading. If this does not work, uninstall the game and then delete the Baldur's Gate 2 directory from your hard drive. Reinstall the game and when you start a new game, use the CLUA Console to move to the area that gave you problems.
1.18: [BGII/ToB] - BGConfig video test results in grey bar off center. (Back to Top)
This seems to have to do with refresh rate problems. Try disabling all 3rd party refresh rate locking utilities and then going into baldur.ini. Under Program Options, look for "Resolution". Match up your hardware (monitor or video card) with that resolution's max refresh supported, and enter this value into "Display Frequency".
1.19: [BGII/Tob] - ATI video card and BGII crashing: (Back to Top)
Download the latest patch for BG2, it includes a fix for ATI video cards.
1.20: [BGII/ToB] -Random crashes/ Reboots in BG2 while running a CMI8738/C3DX PCI Audio Device: (Back to Top)
If you have random crashes or reboots during BGII play, the solution most times is to go to http://www.cmedia.com.tw and get the newest drivers (version 632 or higher). Uninstall your old drivers and install these ones and the game should work correctly. This problem happens most often with Windows XP, but those with other OS versions may also want to look into it if they are having similar issues with this device.
1.21: [BGII/Tob] - General Solutions for issues with "Baldur's Gate II: SoA" (Back to Top)
Disable 3D Acceleration in BGConfig.
Delete the contents of the "cache", "tempsave".
Do a complete reinstall, deleting the BG2 directory from Program Files after you uninstall and before you reinstall.
Test your CDs on another computer to verify that the CD data is not corrupt.
Reduce your screen resolution. Your game may not run properly if you are running the game at an unsupported resolution, try reducing the game resolution to 800x600 or even 1024x768.
1.22: [BGII/ToB] - My BGII won't let me save or load and the message that comes up is An Assertion failed in InfScreenSave.Cpp at line number 1550. How do I solve this problem? (Back to Top)
This issue can be fixed by deleting the .bmp (bitmap) files from your saved games (the one that's giving you trouble). It is recommended that you move all other saves other than the one your working on to a different directory. If the process works, put another save back into the directory and continue testing until you can verify all saved games.
1.23: [BGII/ToB] - I can't find "baldur.ini" or I don't know how to view/edit it: (Back to Top)
Navigate to the install directory for Baldur's Gate II:SOA, this is usually: "C:\Program Files\Black Isle\BGII - SoA"
You will need to locate a file named "baldur.ini". Right click on this file and then choose "Open With..."
A dialogue box named "Open With" will appear. Select the program "Notepad" from the list and click "Ok".
The dialogue box will disappear and the file "baldur.ini" will be displayed in Notepad.
Perform any edits you require and then save the document using either "ctrl+s" or "File->Save".
Close "baldur.ini"
1.24: [BGII/ToB] - How to manually uninstall BGII:Throne of Bhaal. (Back to Top)
Here is the procedure to manually uninstall BG2: Throne of Bhaal. This will also uninstall BG2: Shadows of Amn.
Edit the system registry using the regedit utility. Remove the following keys under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\"
Remove the following keys under
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\"
- English: {B8C3B479-1716-11D5-968A-0050BA84F5F7}
- French: {43D4C77E-4339-11D5-96E7-0050BA84F5F7}
- German: {5B09F344-4406-11D5-96E8-0050BA84F5F7}
- Italian: {C3817924-440B-11D5-96E8-0050BA84F5F7}
- Spanish: {68F40945-449D-11D5-96E9-0050BA84F5F7}
Go to your Program Files directory and find the hidden directory "InstallShield Installation Information" and delete the directories labeled:
- English: {8DAE4336-2B71-11D4-9A6C-006067325E47} and
{B8C3B479-1716-11D5-968A-0050BA84F5F7}
- French: {43D4C77E-4339-11D5-96E7-0050BA84F5F7} and
{5E30BDEB-9307-11D4-9AE0-006067325E47}
- German: {5B09F344-4406-11D5-96E8-0050BA84F5F7} and
{5E30BDEB-9307-11D4-9AE0-006067325E47}
- Italian: {C3817924-440B-11D5-96E8-0050BA84F5F7} and
{5E30BDEB-9307-11D4-9AE0-006067325E47}
- Spanish: {68F40945-449D-11D5-96E9-0050BA84F5F7} and
{5E30BDEB-9307-11D4-9AE0-006067325E47}
Manually delete all the files and directories created by the previous installation attempts (this should return the system to its state before the original installation attempt) and try again to install from the CD.
1.25: [BGII/ToB] - In BGII:Throne of Bhaal NPCs respond with "X appears busy". (Back to Top)
There is currently a bug with Win2K users with Service Pack 2 installed, in which NPCs respond with X appears busy.
This is fixed in the BG2:ToB Patch
1.26: [BGII/ToB] - Dramatic Increase in Loading and Saving Times. (BGII:Throne of Bhaal) (Back to Top)
After a certain point in your adventure though Throne of Bhaal, you may find that your saves and loads are taking much more time. This problem was identified as probably being caused by the 26498 patch and has been fixed in the Throne of Bhaal 26499 BETA Patch. Only install this patch if you are
having this specific problem. For more information please see the beta patch information found at the bottom of the "Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal" official patch download page.
Direct link to the beta patch:
BGII: Throne of Bhaal "Beta" Patch v26499
1.27: [BGII/ToB] - The BG2 Installer fails to start. (Back to Top)
If you try to install BG2 and you get an error saying something like "interface not supported" or "failed to load type/library" you are most likely missing some critical Windows files called DCOM. You can download DCOM from Microsoft.
Windows 95
Windows 98
Please note that this solution is only for instances where the installer will not start. This will not address any other installer issues.
1.28: [BGII/ToB] - Installer stuck at 95% and asking for CD1 (Back to Top)
If you are installing BG2 and the installer gets stuck when it reaches 95% complete and begins to ask for CD1, but never recognizes it, we have a possible solution for you.
Please note: It is normal for the installer to ask for CD1 at 95%; the problem is when the installer doesn't recognize CD1 in the drive. The problem seems to be occurring because of an arbitrary assignment of the phrase "CD1" to the CD ROM drive, conflicting with a file name that is on CD1 called CD1.ifo. This problem only affects a small
number of people who happen to have a device name for their CDROM's called "CD1."
1) Open your config.sys file (usually found on C:\) in notepad and look for a line that looks similar to, but not necessarily exactly like, "devicehigh=C:\cdrom\taisatap.sys
/d:cd1". The key portion of the command to look for are the "devicehigh" and the "cd1". This is a command that will load a CDROM driver called CD1 into high memory. This may be present if you play DOS games that require CDs or have upgraded from DOS to Win95 to Win98. If you do have such a
line, change the "CD1" portion of the line to "CDROM01".
(note this device label is arbitrary - it's what your CDROM drive name was initially installed as. CD1.ifo is a file on the BG2 CD#1 and the overlap of the names appears to cause problems reading the CD1.ifo file). If you have any
other lines similar that load drivers for a second CD (i.e. CD2) you will need to change them as well.
2) Open your autoexec.bat file (usually found on C:\) in notepad and look for a line that looks similar to but not necessarily exactly like: "c:\windows\command\mscdex.exe /d:cd1". Modify the "cd1" portion of this line to "CDROM01". It's important that the exact same name change is made in both config.sys and autoexec.bat (to "CDROM01") for this to work. (note your CDROM will work exactly as before after making these 2 changes but the device name will now be changed to "CDROM01" in memory - this won't affect anything that you should be able to detect).
3) Reboot your machine after making both changes above. Then try the install again and see if that fixes the problem.
1.29: [BGII/ToB] - How to "fake" a larger install from a Minimum install (Back to Top)
Minimum to Recommended Install
1. Do a Minimum install.
2. Edit your "baldur.ini" file. Change the line "Install
Type=1" to "Install Type=2"
3. Copy the following files from CD2 to your BG2 directory, where [cddrive] is
the letter of your CD-ROM drive and [BG2] is the location of your BG2 install
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\CREAnim.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CREAnim.bif
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\CREAnim1.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CREAnim1.bif
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\GUIMosc.bif ===> [BG2]\data\GUIMosc.bif
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\MovHD0.bif ===> [BG2]\data\MovHD0.bif
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\NPCSoCD3.bif ===> [BG2]\data\NPCSoCD3.bif
[cddrive]\CD2\Data\NPCSound.bif ===> [BG2]\data\NPCSound.bif
4. Copy the following files from CD3 to your BG2 directory
[cddrive]\CD3\Data\CD3CreA2.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CD3CreA2.bif
[cddrive]\CD3\Data\CD3CreAn.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CD3CreAn.bif
[cddrive]\CD3\Data\CDCreAni.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CDCreAni.bif
5. Copy the following files from CD4 to your BG2 directory
[cddrive]\CD4\Data\CD4CreA2.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CD4CreA2.bif
[cddrive]\CD4\Data\CD4CreA3.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CD4CreA3.bif
[cddrive]\CD4\Data\CD4CreAn.bif ===> [BG2]\data\CD4CreAn.bif
You now have a Recommended install.
Minimum to Full Install
1. Do a Minimum install.
2. Edit your "baldur.ini" file. Change the line "Install
Type=1" to "Install Type=3". Also, you will need to edit the
[Alias] section. Make the following changes where [BG2] is the location of
your BG2 install
[Alias]
HD0=[BG2]
CD1=[BG2]\CD1
CD2=[BG2]\CD2
CD3=[BG2]\CD3
CD4=[BG2]\CD4
3. Copy the following directories (and all their contents) from the BG2 CDs to
your BG2 install folder, where [cddrive] is the letter of your CD-ROM drive
and [BG2] is the location of your BG2 install
CD2
[cddrive]\CD2 ===> [BG2]\CD2
CD3
[cddrive]\CD3 ===> [BG2]\CD3
CD4
[cddrive]\CD4 ===> [BG2]\CD4
You now have a Full install.
1.30: [BGII/ToB] - How to determine if the Bonus CD(s) are installed (Back to Top)
To determine if the either of the bonus CDs have been correctly installed go to the directory where you installed BG2. Go into the "override" directory and look for 2 files:
Bonus CD with the Collector's Edition - AR0702.bcs
Bonus CD for pre-ordering through InterPlay or EBWorld - AR0406.bcs
If you find these files in your override directory then you have had a successful install of your respective CD.
1.31: [BGII/ToB] - Random crashes with a VIA chipset motherboard (Back to Top)
There have been many reports of random crashing or crashing with the movies with owners of Intel VIA chipset motherboards. Please note: This issue does
not apply to AMD systems.
For most users, there is a BIOS update available from your motherboard manufacturer that will solve this problem. If you have the latest BIOS for your motherboard, you have to make an adjustment in your
BIOS settings. Go to the setting for "CPU IOQ" and make sure the value is set to 1 and not higher. Another solution for some, has been to adjust the AGP mutiplier setting so that the card cannot use faster than 1X speeds. For BIOS updates, you should check with your motherboard manufacturer
first before going directly to VIA.
Another solution has been to reinstall the VIA 4-in-1 drivers in standard mode as opposed to turbo mode.
Here is the VIA driver page:
www.viaarena.com
There have been reports of the latest BIOS from Tyan removes the "CPU IOQ" setting and therefore eliminates your ability to change the setting.
If you have a Micron computer, BIOS updates are available here:support.micronpc.com
If you have an Asus P3V4X motherboard (or have more interest in the IOQ setting), there is some information at:
www.netspace.net.au
If you are unable to resolve the issue of crashing during the movies, you will have do disable movies in the game by editing your baldur.ini file. Go the the section labeled "Program Options" and add a line saying "Disable Movies=1" anywhere in that section. All plot advancement is done through in-game cutscenes so you will not miss any plot points by disabling the movies.
1.32: [BGII/ToB] - BG2 suddenly not knowing it is installed (Back to Top)
If you have Norton WinDoctor or any other type of registry checking/cleaning utility it will delete the registry entries for BG2. While these entries are not wrong per se, they will be deleted by these kinds of utilities. Check to
see if your system utility has an Undo feature.
You can either not run these utilities while BG2 is installed or you should run them in a manual mode that allows to you confirm actions like this.
If you are comfortable messing with your registry, you can manually re-enter the setting. Find the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ App Paths \ BG2Main.exe
and edit the (Default) entry and make it point to the BGMain.exe file including the full path. Also, create two new String values called "Install" and "Path" and enter the full path to your BG2 directory.
This is fixed in the BG2 Patch
1.33: [BGII/ToB] - Crashing in item inspection with ATI cards (Back to Top)
There is a bug in the ATI OpenGL driver that will cause BG2 to crash with a Blue Screen of Death while trying to inspect/identify various items such as maces and other magical items. ATI has fixed the problem at their end and we have fixed our code with a workaround.
This is fixed in the BG2 Patch
1.34: [BGII/ToB] - Problems with Crystal Sound Codec (Back to Top)
If you are having various crashes with the game in the form of error messages or the dreaded Blue Screen of Death and you have the Crystal Audio Codec installed as a sound card on your computer, you may have to turn off all sounds in the game.
If you own an HP 6600, 6700 or 8700 series home computer, please see the following page for a new audio driver to fix this crash.
www.hp.com
The current Crystal Audio Codec drivers are incompatible with the game. This is a driver issue that Cirrus Logic (the makers of the Codec) need to fix. This issue is fixed for owners of certain HP home computers.
You can turn off all sounds in game by editing the baldur.ini file by going into the [Program Options] section and editing the following line:
Disable Sound=1
This option was added in the BG2 Patch
1.35: [BGII/ToB] - Line-of-sight bug (Back to Top)
There is a bug where the main character suddenly cannot see any further than about 2 ft. in front of him/her. We have figured out a temporary solution to this bug, until a patch is released. Simply cast one of the following spells on your afflicted character and your line of sight will be returned to normal:
- Heal (6th level cleric and druid spell, also available at a temple)
- Neutralize poison (4th level cleric and druid spell, also available at a temple)
- Cure disease (3rd level cleric and druid spell, also available at a temple)
This is fixed in the BG2 Patch
1.36: [BGII/ToB] - 3D in BG2 series games explained (Back to Top)
By turning on 3D mode in the game you essentially turn on 3 effects. All water is then rendered with a blending rather than a dithering effect, as is the fog of war. All effects in the game that can be brightened or blended will render
faster. Fading from one color to another will happen faster. There are no other changes to the way the rendering system works.
The differential in speed that you may notice is dependant on the video card you use and what features it supports. Not all 3D accelerators will notice an improvement and there are some video cards that will even render it slower or not at all. Unlike games that have massive amounts of polygons and require 3D accelerators to draw them really quickly, this is a sprite based game. All graphics are drawn out on to flat surfaces, not in a 3 dimensional environment, so the acceleration noticed by other games may not be noticed in the game.
1.37: [BGII/ToB] - I receive the message "Insert CD 0" when attempting to install or play BGII or BGII:ToB. (Back to Top)
The installer simply adds the next number in sequential order for the .cab files when it is searching for the next one. In this case, as soon as one cannot be found containing the necessary data or is otherwise damaged, it will keep asking for the next in line until it gets to one that can't be found at all (data6.cab).
The installation of ToB may require the SoA CDs if there are files missing that it needs. This problem is likely due to a damaged (or dirty) CD with corrupted info. The solutions are the same as the CD5 issue, and you'll need to try the general CD troubleshooting procedures as detailed above.
1.38: [BGII/ToB] - How to use custom character portraits in BGII: (Back to Top)
The measurements for player portraits are 38X60 pixels for the smaller portraits (8-bit color runs faster but it can be up to 24 bit color), and 110X170 pixels for the larger portraits. To use a custom portrait, place it in the
Portraits directory (in the install directory for the game)
and add an S to the end of the small portrait name and an L
to the end of the large portrait - otherwise the two names
must be identical. The names must be 1-7 letters long,
maximum - so the filename with the S or L added to the end
is no longer than 8 total characters. The portrait files
must be in BMP format.
For example:
XXXXXXXS.bmp for small (38x60, 8-bit)
XXXXXXXL.bmp for large (110x170, 24-bit)
For multiplayer, each player must have a copy of the
portraits, otherwise they will see a blank icon instead of
the other player's custom portraits. You will need to
manually send these portraits to your friends as BG2 has
no method of transferring them.
1.39: [BG/TotSC] - I have purchased "Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast" and I get a message informing me that I have the wrong distribution of my region. (Back to Top)
It appears that the publisher of the Baldur's Gate series may have inadvertently used several US/Canada exclusive versions of Tales of the Sword in foreign distributions.
If possible attempt to exchange the game at the point of purchase, have the retailer test the game in store to determine compatibility.
If you have a North American version of the game and are attempting to play it on a non-North American O/S apply both the International Game and DirectX patches.
If the above options don't solve the issue, go to the "Control Panel" for your Windows O/S and change the "Regional and Language Options" to "English" and "United States" (or Canada!)
1.40: [BG/TotSC] - Should I install the DirectX 8 Patch for "Baldur's Gate" and "Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast" when running later versions of Direct X? (Back to Top)
When you are installing either the original "Baldur's Gate" and/or "Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast" you absolutely must have both the Game and DirectX 8 patches installed. Multiplayer will not function on machines with later versions of DirectX unless both patches are installed.
1.41: [BG/TotSC] - Regarding issues With Assertion errors in "Baldur's Gate: The Original Saga": (Back to Top)
When Interplay created "Baldur's Gate: The Original Saga" they compressed the six CD version of the original game onto three CDs. In doing so they created some issues pertaining to accessing certain game resources. Unless this quest is a plot critical quest it is recommended you skip it and continue your game.
1.42: [BG/TotSC] - How do I use custom portraits in Baldur's Gate/TotSC? (Back to Top)
Create a folder in your root Baldur's Gate install directory named "portraits".
Place the portraits you wish to import into the game in this new folder. Ensure they are in .bmp format.
When you are choosing your characters appearance during character creation choose "CUSTOM" and you will be able to choose from the contents of your "portraits" directory.
1.43: [BG/TotSC] - How to manually uninstall Baldur's Gate:
(Back to Top)
In order to completely remove the original Baldur's Gate from your machine follow these instructions:
You'll need to go into the utility called REGEDIT Click on start, then run and type REGEDIT and press ok
Now, only remove EXACTLY what is stated below. If you remove the wrong information from your registry, your machine may not boot up.
You should see an item called HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Click the + beside that and look for the following (clicking the + each time):
SOFTWARE
BioWare Corp. (make sure it's the one with the period)
In there, you should find a folder called Baldur's Gate Right Click on the baldur's gate folder and delete it.
Then, under SOFTWARE, look for the following (clicking the + again):
Microsoft
Windows
CurrentVersion
App Paths
In the App Paths, find BGMAIN.EXE and right click and delete it.
One last thing to find. It's in the CurrentVersion section. Find Uninstall and click on the +
You should find Baldur's Gate (this is what lists it in the add/remove programs). Right click and delete Baldur's Gate (if you find it).
1.44: [BG/TotSC] - Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast Mission Pack save issues. (If you are having trouble accessing Ulgoth's Beard after defeating Sarevok.) (Back to Top)
The end of the game is still the battle with Sarevok. Here is a tip that should get you on to the Tales of the Sword Coast portion though:
1. Edit the baldur.ini file that you will find in the directory you installed BG
2. Add the line Cheats=1 to the [Game Options] section of that file.
3. Launch Baldur's Gate and load your final save. After the short movie, leave the temple through the door directly south of you.
4. Once outside, press CTRL and TAB to bring up the console.
5. In the console, type the following (this is CASE SENSITIVE). CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("MissionPackSave","Global",0)
Right after you hit enter, it should take you to Ulgoth's Beard.
1.45: [BG/TotSC] - Why can't I enter Baldur's Gate? (Back to Top)
You will need to kill Daveron in the Cloakwood Mines (remember to flood the mines before continuing), and of course you will need to be in chapter 5. To actually enter Baldur's Gate you will need to navigate there by heading north from the Friendly Arm to the "Farm South of The Baldur's Gate Bridge". Then head north again to reach the "Bridge to Baldur's Gate".
