Splinter Cell Blacklist & Conviction Crash / Drive Fix

[RealRufoo]

Update:
- Added missing / required GameuxInstallHelper.dll to archive. Link updated.
- Added GDFInstall binary download link. See Solution section.

Introduction:

This fix is applicable to users who experience startup crashes or wish to run the games from a drive that is not C drive. This can also be useful for users who may have re-installed their OS but retained their game binaries in hopes of not having to reinstall but experience these issues as a result.

Splinter Cell Blacklist:

• The game loads the first copyright screen then bombs back to desktop without any error prompts.

Splinter Cell Conviction:

• The game immediately bombs back to desktop without any error prompts.
  
• The game loads but the menu does not render correctly, allowing the player to control Archer.

Both:

• Running the game from any other drive besides C:\.

These symptoms are interrelated.

I have published this guide to aid users who have these problems and to combat the slew of misinformation from well intended idiots that ranges from “Windows 10 is so fresh that old man Sam Fisher can’t handle it”, “You totes need the latest video drivers to play that game from a decade ago”, “Na, bro. You need to fornucate with these ini files and toggle compatibility mode for Windows 2000 Champion Edition HD Turbo Remix” all the way through to “Ubisoft hates everyone. They release a game then beat your wife”.

Solution:

*UPDATE* GDFInstall Direct Download
For ease and because both Blacklist and Conviction only make GDFInstall briefly available during the InstallShield process, I have provided a download link to the retained binaries here[s000.tinyupload.com].

Both games as well as some other Ubisoft titles use a tool called GDFInstall.exe during the install process. You will require this tool, you may already have it on your machine as some Ubisoft titles retain it while others, such as Blacklist and Conviction, create it during the install process then remove it once completed.

A simple search should find it, either internet or local. It is roughly 85KB.

This tool hooks and registers a special DLL that exists in each game. Without the DLL being registered, you get the symptoms mentioned above. This is especially true of games that exist on drives outside of C:\ as the games will assume all streaming data files (UMDs) are present on C:\ regardless. The DLL effectively registers/translates the path of where the game actually is.

You only need to register the DLLs once.

1. Open a command prompt.
   
2. Navigate to the folder where GDFInstall.exe is located.
   
3. Type the following commands depending on which game, quotes included, then press enter:
   
   Splinter Cell Conviction:
   
   GDFInstall.exe /silent /allusers /installpath "X:\PATH TO CONVICTION DIR GOES HERE\" src\system\gdf.dll
   
   Splinter Cell Blacklist:
   
   GDFInstall.exe /silent /allusers /installpath "X:\PATH TO BLACKLIST DIR GOES HERE" src\system\SC6.dll
   
   
4. Close command prompt.
   
5. Deliver some fifth freedom.

[SquidNipples]

GDFInstall download link doesn't seem to be working any more

[Worlav]

https://www.pconlife.com/viewfileinfo/gdfinstall-exe/ this is the only working link I have found for the gdfinstaller but they have Md5 specifically for Far Cry 3-4 and AC4. Also the command returns "'dgfinstall.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file." I do not know how to make my pc recognize the dgf installer.

RealRufoo, if you are still around, I humbly call upon you, help us please.