Guide on how to run the game on windows 7, 8 or 8.1

[DeadEye]

First you'll want to go to this site and do steps 1 and 3 (personally I didn't do step 3 and it works for me)
https://rentry.org/7fix
Install explorer suite and then open it (specifically cff explorer)
go into your local files for palworld and then navigate to the exe file for palworld
(palworld > pal > binaries > win64)
In here you're looking at "Palworld-Win64-Shipping.exe", drag and drop this file into your explorer suite window and click no if a popup appears asking about loading only the first 40mb
when you are in navigate to: Import directory > Kernel32, in the window that appears find a row that says "CreateFile2", double click this and rename it to "CreateFileW"
make sure to save the exe after this is done


next you will need to get dxvk and vkd3d, you can get them here:
https://github.com/HansKristian-Work/vkd3d-proton/releases
https://github.com/Sporif/dxvk-async/releases

you will need to check which version you need to use by checking your gpu's driver version, you can check this here: https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/wiki/Driver-support

I personally used the 1.10.3 version of dxvk and 2.6 version of vkd3d, you will also need to install 7-zip zstd as vkd3d uses an odd compression format that the normal version of 7-zip is incompatible with, you can find the releases of this software here:
https://github.com/mcmilk/7-Zip-zstd/releases

unzip dxvk and vkd3d and use the x64 files, inside both folders you will find .dll files, you will need to copy these files over into: palworld > pal > binaries > win64

finally go into the properties of palworld on the steam launcher and in the command line argument type in "-dx11"

once this is done you should be able to launch the game on windows 7, 8, 8.1 or other operating systems

(if you are coming into this thread to suggest any combination of "go to windows 10/11" or "use linux" please think about the fact that suggesting those is not a solution to "making the game work on windows 7, 8 or 8.1")

[JohnWick]

Originally posted by Arkanu of Galatiel:

Alright, so I used CFF to examine Palworld-win64-shipping.exe and where it should say "CreateFile2" in KERNEL32.DLL, it already says "CreateFileW". I already copied the .DLL's to the Win64 folder and specified the -dx11 argument in steam, but when I launch it, nothing happens (in task manager, it appears briefly, then immediately terminates). Attempting to launch the .exe directly results in the "KERNEL32.dll can't find 'CreateFile2 entry point' error.

Any ideas for what's going wrong?

-------------

After the game is updated to a patch version,
you must manually modify Palworld-win64-shipping.exe again

Remember to press no after loading the file using CFF Explorer

Make sure "CreateFile2" in KERNEL32.DLL, change 2 to uppercase W,
Save overwritten file

[JohnWick]

Originally posted by Bones:

Originally posted by Khergit Horse Archer:

just buy a win 10 key and update to win 11 or alternatively just switch to linux

Why would anyone using Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 buy a Windows 10 or 11 key? All 3 versions qualify for a free upgrade.

Microsoft quietly stopped win7/8/8.1 free upgrade to win10 in October 2023
You will not be able to use these legacy keys for official launch

[DragShot]

Ah, finally, the thread I was waiting for.

I just enjoyed my first 2 hours of Palworld at 60fps after following the steps of this guide. Thank you very much for your findings!

[DragShot]

Originally posted by Wikarian99PL:

Originally posted by Arkanu of Galatiel:

Alright, so I used CFF to examine Palworld-win64-shipping.exe and where it should say "CreateFile2" in KERNEL32.DLL, it already says "CreateFileW". I already copied the .DLL's to the Win64 folder and specified the -dx11 argument in steam, but when I launch it, nothing happens (in task manager, it appears briefly, then immediately terminates). Attempting to launch the .exe directly results in the "KERNEL32.dll can't find 'CreateFile2 entry point' error.

Any ideas for what's going wrong?

I had this too
In exe by default there are both "CreateFile2" and "CreateFileW", just find it and change this with "2" to "W"
To be honest, i dont even know what that does, but it works

It simply swaps a call for a function used to write data into files with a former version of itself that does exactly the same, but was available since before Windows 10 was released.

Why make a function that is essentially a duplicate of another function that existed before it? I don't know, go ask Microsoft.

[Minute-globe]

NIIIICCCEEEE windows 7 forever

i might make a windows 7 pc build just for fun

[Minute-globe]

Originally posted by Stalking Reaptor:

Originally posted by DeadEye:

>guide of how to make game work on X
>just update to Y bro
>you are no longer on X
So esentially it doesn't work because you're in a different operating system, really helpful guide

Windows stopped supporting Windows 8 in 2016 and stopped supporting Windows 7 in 2020.
This means software devs will no longer consider it worth while to make sure their product can work with it.
There is no reason to not update to the newest OS, or at the very least Windows 10.

the reason is that people LIKE windows 7

[Eevee]

Originally posted by Minuteworld94:

Originally posted by Stalking Reaptor:

Windows stopped supporting Windows 8 in 2016 and stopped supporting Windows 7 in 2020.
This means software devs will no longer consider it worth while to make sure their product can work with it.
There is no reason to not update to the newest OS, or at the very least Windows 10.

the reason is that people LIKE windows 7

pretty much windows above 7 has zero purpose to exist!

[Arkanu of Galatiel]

Originally posted by DeadEye:

Originally posted by Arkanu of Galatiel:

Alright, so I used CFF to examine Palworld-win64-shipping.exe and where it should say "CreateFile2" in KERNEL32.DLL, it already says "CreateFileW". I already copied the .DLL's to the Win64 folder and specified the -dx11 argument in steam, but when I launch it, nothing happens (in task manager, it appears briefly, then immediately terminates). Attempting to launch the .exe directly results in the "KERNEL32.dll can't find 'CreateFile2 entry point' error.

Any ideas for what's going wrong?

make sure you are editing the pal world shipping exe not the one found in the base folder

Oh, yes. Sorry I took so long. It's the win-64-shipping.exe located in Pal\binaries\win64. Gonna try verifying file integrity to see if it gives the "regular" win-64-shipping.exe (and hopefully it will have the CreateFile2 entry point)

The only other thing I can think of would be that I didn't install the DLLs properly. I was sure I was supposed to put them in the same directory as the win-64-shipping.exe file.

EDIT: Even after re-validating, the exe still has "CreateFileW", but still gives the "Can't find CreateFile2" entry point...

[Wikarian99PL]

Originally posted by Arkanu of Galatiel:

Originally posted by DeadEye:

make sure you are editing the pal world shipping exe not the one found in the base folder

Oh, yes. Sorry I took so long. It's the win-64-shipping.exe located in Pal\binaries\win64. Gonna try verifying file integrity to see if it gives the "regular" win-64-shipping.exe (and hopefully it will have the CreateFile2 entry point)

The only other thing I can think of would be that I didn't install the DLLs properly. I was sure I was supposed to put them in the same directory as the win-64-shipping.exe file.

EDIT: Even after re-validating, the exe still has "CreateFileW", but still gives the "Can't find CreateFile2" entry point...

Did You read what i said before?
As default You have
000000000818BBC4 000000000818BBC4 00DA CreateFileW
and
000000000818C834 000000000818C834 00D1 CreateFile2 <--- change this one

[Rhynocx]

Originally posted by DeadEye:

Originally posted by D's Journal:

Guide; Update to 11.

>guide of how to make game work on X
>just update to Y bro
>you are no longer on X
So esentially it doesn't work because you're in a different operating system, really helpful guide

wrong, it will still work. the steps you quoted are absolutely correct and will solve the issue. if your car has a flat tire and you just add air, you're not fixing the issue, just prolonging it. same exact thing staying on windows older than Win10

[Getsu Fuma]

Okay I'm going to be that guy here. If you all hate the way Windows is going just switch to Linux. Does not matter which distro Just pick one and stop giving Microsoft your money. You can still play this game, you don't support something you hate and you get a better OS. It's not even hard to use Linux now thanks to distros like Linux Mint.

[0wnz0r]

subbed to this discussion in case i wanna run this on my laptop thanks tc

[RUI]

Thanks a lot!
It works!

I am still on windows 7 and waiting for windows 12 now.
I really need this.

But I have a question.
I cannot find vkd3d you mentioned, only to see DXVK with Async patch.
The game can run even without vkd3d.
What is vkd3d for?
Where can I find it?

[Ho Lee Fook]

Imagine being such insufferable f*cks that you have the second you see a guide for Windows 7 through 8.1 you gotta fling ♥♥♥♥ around and make people as miserable as you

[DeadEye]

Originally posted by Rhynocx:

Originally posted by DeadEye:

>guide of how to make game work on X
>just update to Y bro
>you are no longer on X
So esentially it doesn't work because you're in a different operating system, really helpful guide

wrong, it will still work. the steps you quoted are absolutely correct and will solve the issue. if your car has a flat tire and you just add air, you're not fixing the issue, just prolonging it. same exact thing staying on windows older than Win10

nice false equivalency, that's akin to a broken pc part ♥♥♥♥♥♥