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A workable solution to Intel graphic chipset problems.

If you have an Intel graphic card and you have tried these solutions:

*Running game in Windows 95 compatibility mode.
*Updating your baldur.ini file to show OpenGL 1
*Disabled desktop composition
*Updated to the latest drivers, either through Intel or forcing them through on you system for updating to occur.

And you are still frustrated by choppy video, laggy walk speeds when near water and troublesome spell lag...

Then this is the final cure. I say final as it is quite radical. It works for me on my Intel Core Duo processor with Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics chipset... and it works as this cure bypasses the sorry excuse of a driver for the Intel 4 chipset family.

First read all the instructions and check you are ok with what is asked. I managed to make a mess of it a couple of times, my computer is fine, but I cannot take responsibility if something goes wrong on your computer.

That said and you’re happy... Here we go :)

You are going to be using Ubuntu, through wubi. A linux package, which can be installed alongside windows. It can run Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition fine on your computer simply because it uses its own set of drivers meaning the Intel ones are now redundant!

Step 1. Defrag your computer. Use windows own disk defragmenter (I like to use Wise Disk Cleaner)

Step 2. Reboot for the hell of it... You may have updates to install, something in the memory whatever a reboot never hurts.

Step 3. Download Wubi 12.10 from Ubuntu at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer SAVE IT, DO NOT RUN THE PROGRAM YET ! ! !

Step 4. Ensure 32 bit architecture is installed. For reasons unfathomable to me at present, Wine, an app needed to run on Ubuntu to make BG:EE work will not run with 64 bit architecture installed. You don't even need to know what the OS architecture means or even count to the dizzy heights of 32 and 64 (I don't) as we are going to create a shortcut.

Right click on the downloaded wubi.exe, go to create shortcut. A shortcut will appear. Right click the shortcut and go to target. Simply edit this by placing --32 at the end of the target address. As you can see on my picture it shows C:\Users\Andrew\Downloads\wubi.exe --32

image

Step 5. Double left click the SHORTCUT to run the Wubi.exe. You will get some options, I would leave as is, although you may consider lowering the amount of your C: drive partitioned to Ubuntu. As a person with a 500GB drive 18GB is not a problem, however you can lower it to 5GB. You will also need to type in a memorable password.

Step 6. Let Wubi do its magic. Warning do not interrupt the magic as it can hurt your computer, in the same way that disrupting a Windows 8 from 7 install will hurt your computer. Please be careful. It took 20 minutes on my machine. It will then ask if you would like to reboot. Say yes. On reboot you will get a simple option screen for you to choose to load Ubuntu or Windows. Choose Ubuntu.

Step 7. You have just installed Ubuntu. Welcome to the world of Linux minus crappy Intel drivers! Whoo! Look top right and click the empty wifi signal / cable connection and connect to the internet using your key code as normal.

Step 8. You will now see a list of icons on the left of the screen. Click the shopping bag to load up the Ubuntu software central. Please feel free to browse at your leisure, but we want to get BG:EE working so click onto the search bar and type WINE.

Step 9. Your search results should appear. Click the top of the list WINE META INSTALL option. Allow it to install. This took an episode of Coronation Street minus adverts to install (25 minutes to the rest of the world). You may also see an icon bottom left with a number next to it... These are updates to the Ubuntu apps already installed. Go ahead and update... Again, as your first run it may take some time.

Step 10. Nearly there... Loading BG:EE. Click on the folder icon near the top left of the screen. You will see the Home folder. At the top is a bar with the word Home with a small < icon next to it. Click the < to go up one to see another screen of folders. Click again on the disc drive icon that appeared where the < icon was... (I will get pictures as soon as I can figure out how to print screen on Ubuntu) Now search the folders until you find the one labelled Host. Click on the Host folder. You have now found all of the windows programmes on your windows C:\ drive! These will all be read only... But that’s all we need. Find your Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition folder, click. The BGEE installer exe will not run in Ubuntu, ignore it. Every time you run it in windows it will update it as normal, you can then check if they have fixed the Intel issue every now and again before returning to Ubuntu to play. Now open up the Data folder, click. Now open the folder 00766.

Step 11. So close... Now right click the Baldur.exe. On the option choose to load with the Wine up loader option. Easy to spot. It has a wine glass next to it.

Step 12. Weep tears of joy as BG:EE runs flawlessly on your computer, whilst wife asks in a concerned voice about who has died (I did... but then I tried about 14 different versions of the above steps...)

Other things to consider.

You can uninstall Ubuntu really quickly by going to Windows control panel and uninstalling Ubuntu like any other regular programme. Done!

Ubuntu and Wine are both free to use. Donations, although I have no affiliation with the brain boxes behind them, would, I believe, be appreciated.

Let me know of your success stories...
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Comments

  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    If you are wondering how to read these instructions while in Ubuntu... You can simply use the browser Firefox that comes with Ubuntu as standard :)
  • RedGuardRedGuard Member Posts: 672
    lol Corrie. Didn't expect to see that referenced.

    Thanks for the guide @Anduin although I might just wait and see myself. I'll think on it for a while as I'm not too confident about doing that to my computer just yet. Still, good effort. Kudos.
  • MilochMiloch Member Posts: 863
    Whoa, @Anduin - you're solution is to run the game through ubuntu? I have ubuntu on a machine but never considered running games through it via wine. If somehow that fixes things, there has to be a solution for Windows.
    Weep tears of joy as BG:EE runs flawlessly on your computer, whilst wife asks in a concerned voice about who has died
    Lol.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @Miloch There must be a solution through windows... The hardware is not the problem. Intel drivers, the software, is the problem. Believe it or not the app WINE actually does a list of programmes it can run without issue or with minor tweaks such as World of Warcraft and Diablo III. It is used as a work around... Hell they have a thread about running BGT through it.

    @Shandyr This is a windows solution as you need windows to run Wubi. The wubi installer takes all the hard work putting the Ubuntu OS onto the system.

    Lastly, I would much prefer a Windows fix... But at present BG:EE don't work... AND I GOT DESPERATE !

    P.S. Just got to the Friendly Arm Inn... It took so long to get here... *sob*
  • reedmilfamreedmilfam Member Posts: 2,808
    The OPEN GL 1 trick worked PERFECTLY! My daughter's computer was having issues with lagging/stuttering and this solution makes it run optimally. She is gathering parties and venturing forth with the best of us now!
  • ibitatoibitato Member Posts: 64
    I was hoping (at least on my old crappy laptop) for a fix for this
    since I am not waiting anymore, yes this works and rocks
    Install Linux on Windows, to play a Windows game, LOL
    anyways, nice thread.
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @ibitato Glad to hear you got it working! Was the guide useful? Any hints about making it more useful? I love constructive feedback :)
  • SagrariusSagrarius Member Posts: 11
    Anduin, I've tried, but when I try to run the game through Wine, a window appears saying "You have signed out of the BeamDog Player. Please sign in and try again.", then another window come "Application corrupt"... I didn't understand. I've already logged in on beamdog site, but it just doesn't work... Jesus, why is the universe conspiring against me and my wish to play Baldur again?1

  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @sagrarius The simple answer is... Are you clicking on the baldur.exe in folder labelled 00766? You shouldn't need to log onto the Beamdog site or click on the exe in the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition folder...

    More complicated... Did you use the BG:EE standalone installer or went with the Beamdog client installer? I used the standalone. This does not require you to log on to play.
  • ibitatoibitato Member Posts: 64
    Sagrarius said:

    Anduin, I've tried, but when I try to run the game through Wine, a window appears saying "You have signed out of the BeamDog Player. Please sign in and try again.", then another window come "Application corrupt"... I didn't understand. I've already logged in on beamdog site, but it just doesn't work... Jesus, why is the universe conspiring against me and my wish to play Baldur again?1

    use stand alone installer
  • ibitatoibitato Member Posts: 64
    Anduin said:

    @ibitato Glad to hear you got it working! Was the guide useful? Any hints about making it more useful? I love constructive feedback :)

    everything went fine.
    yo should add thtat this solution is only feasible on Intel 3 or 4 HD series
    old GMA945/950 won't work
    the game does not run properly
    tested myself
  • P0dbiP0dbi Member Posts: 19
    @Anduin: Thank you for your solution. It works for me on Intel Chipset 4500. It is a little bit hacky, but better than nothing.
    I'm going to share it for those, who need it.
    Thanks again!
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @P0dbi I would like to give you a well done... But unfortunately there is no button to click. Have a like instead :)

    @ibitato noted... This is the kinda stuff people need to know.
  • SagrariusSagrarius Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2012
    Anduin
    Anduin said:

    @sagrarius The simple answer is... Are you clicking on the baldur.exe in folder labelled 00766? You shouldn't need to log onto the Beamdog site or click on the exe in the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition folder...

    More complicated... Did you use the BG:EE standalone installer or went with the Beamdog client installer? I used the standalone. This does not require you to log on to play.

    "Anduin", I used the standlone installer, but the game keeps asking me to login on Beamdog... Strange, cause when I open Baldur in Windows 7, the game opens normally (except by the issues we're talking here)... By the sons of Bhaal, why is this happening?
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @sagraruis in windows. Open up your BG:EE folder. Then open up your data folder. Then open up the folder labelled 0766. Then click on the baldur's exe. If you are not asked to log on, you should be able to do exactly the same thing in Ubuntu. If you are asked to log on in Ubuntu then something is seriously wrong... You have a programme that should be running the game asking you to go on the Internet! You sound so close to playing as well... Aargh! I feel your pain!
  • ermoermo Member Posts: 81
    @Miloch said:

    Whoa, @Anduin - you're solution is to run the game through ubuntu? I have ubuntu on a machine but never considered running games through it via wine. If somehow that fixes things, there has to be a solution for Windows.

    As I understand it, the reason it works on older Intel IGPs under Ubuntu is that Ubuntu uses an actively supported OpenGL-capable graphics stack (Intel contributes to that graphics stack). The reason it doesn't work for Windows is usually that people don't use the newest available driver OR that the newest available driver typically doesn't support OpenGL very well on Windows 7 (but the same chipset may in fact have good OpenGL support on Windows XP).

    The 'proper' solution is to get Intel or the laptop manufacturer to provide working OpenGL drivers for Windows 7. Everything else is a workaround.
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    ermo said:


    The 'proper' solution is to get Intel or the laptop manufacturer to provide working OpenGL drivers for Windows 7. Everything else is a workaround.

    @ermo I would like to give you 20,000 agrees... But I can only give you one.
  • SagrariusSagrarius Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2012
    @Anduin, the "sign in issue" persists... I was searching about this curse and I find a topic about it, look:

    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/8625/wtf-you-have-signed-out-of-beamdog-player-please-sign-in-and-try-again

    Although, as you know, this only happens to me when I use Ubuntu.

    I was looking a little more about the "Sign in issue" and found this page, of another person fighting against the problem, on Beamdog site:

    http://www.beamdog.com/forum/forums/general-discussion/topics/the-game-wont-start

    Have you some salvation words able to make me happy?

    Anyway, I thank you too much for your constant efforts and dedication at help desperate players like me...
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    I found this bit of wisdom. I think something is corrupt. Try this in windows @sagrarius.
    Jalily said:

    Go to your Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data folder and delete the .beam and .status files, then open the launcher again. If it still doesn't detect the update, try clicking the button that looks like a map marker on the bottom right and choosing "Repair install."

    This advice was given for the exact same reason . It solved it.

    Fingers crossed.
  • SagrariusSagrarius Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2012
    @Anduin, I deleted the specified files, but there's no difference when I try to open BG in Ubuntu... I didn't find this "Repair install" function, where is it?

    I've found another Beam files: BeamDog.dll, BeamTransfer.dll, LICENSE.BeamTransfer

    Can I delete these too or will it hurt the game some way?
    Post edited by Sagrarius on
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    edited December 2012
    @Sagrarius Not abandoning you :) Did you then start the launcher again so it updated? At present I think something is broke. The repair install button is in the bottom right. Click around there to highlight it. Also check if you are using the standalone installer. It should look like this. Do this in windows.

    Post edited by Anduin on
  • SagrariusSagrarius Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2012
    @Anduin, BG just worked! Unbelievable! Now, I can spend BGEE at his perfect state and graphics! Thanks for everything, and keep the excellent customer service, among the entire team of you! May the Gods of BeamDog keep theirs good deeds on BGEE 2!

    Post edited by Sagrarius on
  • Knuckles217Knuckles217 Member Posts: 5
    awesome! this worked for me without much of a problem!
    the only issue i've got (i'm a fist time ubuntu user) is when i alt-tab out of the game and then alt-tab back in the game doesn't work properly (ie, only a part of the game window actually rezzes in and i'm unable to click anything)
    anyone know how to fix this or what i'm doing wrong?

    and most importantly, THANK YOU ANDUIN! (... and ubuntu)
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    Awesome @knuckles217 and @sagrarius !

    Is it rude to ask for a click on the insightful button under the first post as it was so helpful?

    ( @redguard is the only one to click it so far and the poor beknighted dude is the only one not using the solution!)
  • RedGuardRedGuard Member Posts: 672
    edited December 2012
    Ha!

    Edit: I should probably point out that I'll get round to it, but I've had other things taking up my time (like replacing a dead PS3 for one) and when I look at all the steps it takes, I think "maybe tomorrow".
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    @redguard Are you working Christmas? You can then play all day Boxing Day!

    @knuckles217 thank you. It is rude to ask. But I am two insightfuls away from 50, (also 19 likes from 500!) and I would like the badge for Christmas!

    Jinglebaals, jinglebaals, jingle all the way!
  • albinocobraalbinocobra Member Posts: 56
    Works like a charm, which makes knowing that you do have the hardware even more frustrating.

    A fair warning - do NOT try to be "smart" and ignore step 4 :)
  • phonzeephonzee Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys, especially Anduin,
    I registered on BD only to say a big THANK YOU for sharing this idea (btw, contrary to Ibitato's comment, I have an old 965 chipset and it works perfectly).
  • ibitatoibitato Member Posts: 64
    phonzee said:

    Hi guys, especially Anduin,
    I registered on BD only to say a big THANK YOU for sharing this idea (btw, contrary to Ibitato's comment, I have an old 965 chipset and it works perfectly).

    can you share your specs?
    if it works for you id like to know why is not working for me
    thanks


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