Return to Krondor and WIndows 11

[ConejoLuchador]

I have read most (but not all) of the threads "troubleshooting" RtK both here and at GOG.

I had no problem launching the game.

I read that the game required a D3D wrapper (PCGamingWiki...where I almost always start for any games published prior to 2010) and copied the appropriate dgVoodoo files to the game's install directory.

I clicked the Steam provided shortcut and...voila!

The Sierra splash movie played. The PyroTechnix splash movie played (cool!). The intro movie played with classic RPG music (super cool!).

The menu worked (almost) fine.

Then, the "Windows cannot continue" error.

My machine:

Windows 11 Home
12th Gen Intel Core i7-12800H
nVidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (31.0.15.3699 driver)
Intel Iris Xe (31.0.101.5333 driver)

I have what I call three separate problems running the game, one of which is fatal.

1) I can spend hours manipulating the menu, and reading the text introduction after launching my "book". However, once in game, without fail, but with timing that changes each game launch, I get the "Windows cannot continue error" and am dumped back to the desktop.

My RtK.log shows the following:

Program exception: ACCESS_VIOLATION (C0000005)
: 767ED4FA (01:0008C4FA) in C:\WINDOWS\System32\msvcrt.dll

I have read many threads and the "culprit" file seems to change for each person depending on their hardware/OS. (One person had the error due to an ATI .dll and PCGamingWiki actually suggests everyone create the ATI .dll from d3d8.dll which I did before I knew any better. That "fix" was specific to that person.)

For me, msvcrt.dll ALWAYS causes the "ACCESS VIOLATION".

I refuse to replace the msvcrt.dll in my Windows system folder to play one 1998 game.

However, I did re-install several Windows C++ Redistributables (same thing Steam does when launching several games for the first time). Didn't work.

I placed several msvcrt.dll's from other games around that time period into the install directory. Didn't work.

I tried running my GOG version of the game. Same problem. So, the issue is with my hardware/OS (which makes community troubleshooting very difficult as the community won't necessarily have the same configuration...isn't PC gaming wonderful?).

I also tried the DEP adjustment for RtK suggested on these forums. Didn't work.

I tried running the RtK .exe in Compatibility mode for various flavours of Windows XP. Didn't work.

I forced the use of my nVidia card. Didn't work.

I then tried forcing use of the Intel GPU.

My best results so far (and I was able to stay in the game engine for about 5 minutes when I used the menu to quit out of it thinking the problem "fixed") was with my Intel GPU forced AND using WineD3D (only the wined3d.dll and ddraw.dll) instead of dgVoodoo.

However, later, the error occurred in that configuration.

2) When the game engine starts, and your character is in front of the gate in the wall, THERE ARE NO CHARACTERS. Those textures are COMPLETELY missing.

This also occurred with GOG's "customised" version of the game.

On one of my hundreds of troubleshooting permutations trying to solve the error in 1) above, I saw the three characters flickering. Unfortunately, I don't remember what settings I was using. Some configuration of dgVoodoo using the nVidia card with NO compatibility options applied to the .exe. The images were not at all stable. Vsync?

This issue could be part of the calls to the .dll causing the error in 1) above. I don't know. I'm treating it separately and trying to correct error in 1) above before focusing on this one. The errors may not be exclusive.

3) Selectable text is blurry.

The "Credits" text and the text options in the lower right corner of the menu screen look just fine. However, if I click "Credits", all the names look like there are 3 or 4 of the same letters offset by a pixel or two which makes the word blurry. Same for the file choices to "Load" after selecting a book. Same for the text intro screen.

The GOG version of the game has crystal clear text in all cases. Something to do with how GOG has configured their launch app that then calls the RtK .exe.

I installed the "Krondor" font to Windows 11. Didn't work.

I used Compatibility settings for the Rtk .exe to allow the game to control DPI and then the System and then System (Enhanced). Didn't work.

I believe this is a scaling issue.

No matter what I configure with the dgVoodoo control panel or by editing the .conf file directly, the game still displays fullscreen. Almost as if the game is ignoring APIs (but I know it's using them...the game won't launch without dgVoodoo's or WineD3D's ddraw.dll).

I started thinking that maybe all three problems are related to scaling.

Then I decided to post here. Just as much to organise my thoughts as to ask for help/suggestions.

Of the many old(er) games I have on Steam, this is the only one that I cannot get running from a single shortcut on my Windows 11 machine. I even got Dangerous Waters, Technomancer and Second Sight to run correctly.

Sorry for the length.

Am I the only one experiencing the text and missing textures issues?

[Smiley]

Not at all but I managed to get everything running on a previous machine. My new laptop is almost identical to the specs you mentioned and I am having the same issues. I went through many of the same fixes and finally created a ticket through GOG that resulted in: "maybe your computer is not compatible, maybe try using a different one." So pretty much same place. I'm sorry I don't have answers but I figure at least by responding, we might raise a touch of interest from someone more technologically adept than myself for a much needed fix.

[Dommain]

Disclaimer, latest version I am running is Windows 10 so all I know is how to get older games working for windows 10, 8 and 7. I can assume most issues will be similar but I can explain the issue and why the fix actions are required on W10.

Did you restart the computer and check the setting for the DEP protection shut off stayed for the ACCESS_VIOLATION issue? It might be one the windows 11 install issue that appears with certain games. Reinstalling windows fixes it for some but that drastic. CMD prompt with admin "bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff" is really bad bad bad idea, remember to restart. To check what the system sees, use "wmic OS Get DataExecutionPrevention_SupportPolicy" to check current set policy

0 AlwaysOff DEP is disabled for all processes.
1 AlwaysOn DEP is enabled for all processes.
2 OptIn DEP is enabled only for Windows system components and services that have DEP applied.
3 OptOut DEP is enabled for all processes. Administrators can manually create a list of specific applications that do not have DEP applied.
***
driver-controlled antialiasing is the problem with the character flickering usually. Using win-95 compatibility mode or shutting off anti aliasing ever where in the system is another option.
***
For the Blurry text, you might have to the system color down to 16 bit or 256 bit on some cards to stop the video driver interference. This must be done at the OS level and not setting or compatibility for it to work. I tried with compatibility but it would show everything pink or other weird artifacts everywhere because the screen will shift sizes on startup and the OS 32 bit color pallet breaks the game for some odd reason. Poor programming on the game devs. Same problem happens when you switch to full screen/minimize...

For some, Display > Advanced display settings> List all modes> set to 16 bit and lower and 60/59 Hz (one might work). If 16 bit/ 256 color is not listed, use an older monitor... Kinda this might be the problem... Worst case set for lower resolution such as 1024x768
***
x86 or X64 dgvoodoo 2 pack? Try the x86. You can try the "D9VK" install for WINE for the direct3D rendering mode but its a configuration nightmare.
***

LAST RESORT DANGER
Windows 10
Sometime enabling bit support for 16 bit works, but not safe for security. 16 Bit support will require enabling the NTVDM feature. To do so, press Windows key + R, then type: optionalfeatures.exe then hit Enter. Expand Legacy Components then check off NTVDM and click OK
FYI (NTVDM is provided as a Feature on Demand, which first must be installed using a DISM command. Run Windows PowerShell ISE as an administrator and use the following command: To enable NTVDM: DISM /online /enable-feature /all /featurename:NTVDM )

[ConejoLuchador]

Thank you for the replies.

I used the Win11 Advanced Settings -> Performance -> Data Execution Prevention option to add "Game Engine (RtK) TM" to the exception list.

I still received the fatal error and was dumped backed to the desktop after acknowledging the error message window.

I have "3" when I used "cmd" to type the "wmic" command you listed.

And this makes sense because I use DEP exceptions for 'Act of War' and 'Wing Commander: Prophecy'.

As far as correcting the "blurry" text, I am unwilling to make changes at the OS level.

My goal is launching all games across my distribution platforms (Blizzard, EA, GOG, Steam, Ubisoft, personal...yes, that's still a thing...'Ultimate Spider-man (2005)', 'X-Men Legends 2', 'Marvel Ultimate Alliance', 'No One Lives Forever', 'Rise of Legends', and 'Wolfenstein'...mostly the licensed Activision stuff before Activision ruined Blizzard) at the click of a single short-cut without adjusting systems settings to accommodate a one-off game. (I only bent my rule for 'Civilization 2 Gold' as the shortcut launches the otvdm executable and then you have to double-click the "civ2.exe" from the otvdm dialogue box. I tried to run a batch file, but otvdm paired with Alcohol...to get the cheesy advisor videos...doesn't like batch files. I love 'Civilization 2' too much to let my OCD interfere with playing it.)

Of hundreds and hundreds of games, I cannot get this one, 'FireFight', 'Abomination' and 'Age of Sail 2 - Privateer's Bounty' to work. Late 90s games are the worst. For games before that, DOSBox works like a champ. After DirectX and nVidia killed 3dfx, games are not too difficult to get running with modern hardware under modern OSs. But those late 90s games...grrrr.

[Mighty Matt]

All I can say is that the game won't work for me until I installed a old solitaire card game. It has some old direct x file i think this game needs. I think it was hoylce card game.

[TerminalSTRM]

This is how I fix the issues on my machine;

Right-click on Return to Krondor in your Library.
Navigate to "Properties"
Navigate to "Installed Files"
Click "Verify integrity of game files"
(this will re-download the missing 1 or 2 files causing most issues referenced online. I don't know why they are not present in the fresh install)

Right-click in Return to Krondor in your Game Library.
Navigate to Manage->"Browse Local Files"
Double-click "UpdatePaths.bat"

Note: You might need to re-run both steps each time you launch the game, as it seems launching the game changes or removed a file that then prevents the game working correctly again.

For those who do not want to run the very simple path update file provided.
All this does is update the "TrackDir" folder path in the INI file from a relative path (.\) to absolute path (C:/..) which you can get by clicking the directory in File Explorer if you want to amend that yourself.

Hope this helps, a lot of other changes did not do anything for me and this is the most consistent way for me to successfully launch the game again and again.

[ConejoLuchador]

Hello TerminalSTRM.

Thank you for the helpful reply. Alas, it did not work for me.

I did as you suggested. Upon verifying integrity of files, there was indeed 1 missing. (I may have deleted the file while "troubleshooting"...I don't know.)

I then ran the 'UpdatePaths.bat' in the install directory.

Same results as before. Somewhat garbled text on the menu screens. I launch into the game and can see the fountain and gate. After a few seconds, I get a Windows pop-up box declaring some type of fatal error and the game terminates.

At this point, I have almost given up. I'm trying to get Deadlock and 7th Legion to run on Windows 11. About ready to install the GOG versions. GOG tinkers a bit more with the code provided by whoever owns the original software. Steam is nothing more than a storefront (although my preferred storefront due to the way it organises and updates).