Fixing "Available memory less than 15mb!" and black screen during intro on Windows 7

This guide describes how to fix various compatibility problems using Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6 for Windows 7

Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6

Application Compatibility Toolkit is a free utility from Microsoft for solving specific compatibility problems with applications and games. ACT Version 5.6 is intended to be used with Windows 7.

How to get ACT:

• Open http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7352 in your browser.
  
• Click Download.
  
• Select ApplicationCompatibilityToolkitSetup.exe
  
• Proceed with downloading.
  
• Install it onto your computer.

Creating a compatibility database using ACT

First make sure, you are logged into a Computer administrator account. Then click the Start button and enter "Compatibility Administrator (32-bit)" to launch it. If your account is a limited user account, you will get a message "You do not have administrative rights. Some features might be disabled." and the application will not work.

After succesfully launching Compatibility Administrator click the "Fix" button on the toolbar, you will be presented with an assistant.


Fill out the description fields with meaningful values like shown in the screenshot and use the "Browse..." button to navigate to your copy of vampire.exe. It is located inside the Steam library folder you selected during installation. Then click the "Next >" button.


In this window you can choose various predefined compatibilty modes like "Windows XP". This is merely a shotgun approach, and can cause additional issues like application crashes. So we only solve the specific compatibility problems this guide covers. Note: The "Test Run..." doesn't work here, because the game DRM requires it to be executed by Steam.

Select "DisableDWM" to disable the Desktop Window Manager during execution of vampire.exe. This fixes the black screen during the intro video. Click "Next >"


In this screen there is a large list of compatibility fixes for very specific problems. The 15 MB problem is caused by an integer overflow due to too much RAM installed in your machine. So we tell Windows to lie to vampire.exe about your installed memory and only report 2 GB. Scroll down to GlobalMemoryStatus2GB and mark the checkbox beside it. Then click on "Show Selected".


In this screen you can review the two compatibility options applied to vampire.exe. Click "Next >".


Now you tell Windows how to make sure, that the application fix is only applied to this specific game version, so it doesn't cause issues with other games using a "vampire.exe". If you going to use fan patches, you can leave out this step and click "Finish", otherwise check "SIZE" and "CHECKSUM" and click "Finish".


Now you have successfully created an application fix. You can review your settings in the right section of the Compatibility Administrator. The next steps are naming and saving the database to your disk.


Open the context menu by right-clicking on "New Database(1)" and then on "Rename".


Enter a meaningful name like shown in the screenshot. Then click Save on the toolbar and give it a meaningful filename like "vampire.sdb".

Installing a compatibility database using ACT

Now we're going to install the configured compatibilty database, so it gets applied automatically when Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is executed from Steam.


Right-click on your compatibility database and choose "Install".


Note, this requires you to be logged in with an computer administrator account.


Now you can navigate to "Installed Databases" and review your installed compatibility database.

You can close Compatibilty Administrator now. You do not need to execute it again until you reinstall Windows. The settings are applied automatically when you start the game from Steam.

(Update) Notes on later versions of Windows

This guide was specifically created for running the game on Windows 7. The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.6 isn't supported on later versions of Windows (8, 8.1, 10). It has been replaced by the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), you find here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install

However later Windows versions also miss the DisableDWM compatibility option, which switches Windows 7 graphics drivers into a Windows XP compatible display mode, helping older games struggling with DirectDraw. So there might be different compatbility options needed on these versions of Windows to run VtMB or it might not work at all. Suggestions welcome!

[QWEEDDY2]

Ms ACT 5.6 still can be used on latest version of Win8.1 x64 (even if it labeled as not supported) - and better install it for many games (dxprimaryemulation - disablemaxwindowed).
Each build of Win10\11 have own compatible build of Windows ADK.

[Greyduelist]

this is kind of useless for windows 10 users which is going to be the majority of people

[Morte Wulfe]

For anyone having issues, I got a potential workaround. Last summer my video card died. In the time I was without, I was trying to find out what could run off an HDMI from the mother board. I tried VTM and it started although it never did in the past! Once past that hurdle, I was able to get into it without a problem afterwards.

[lordhelios88]

I followed the instructions and Im still getting "Available memory less than 15 MB". Such bologna.

[Paredão]

I did everything as explained and my game still crashes. I'm using Windows 7.

[Ic3man]

Hi, people dou you know if I can play it on Windows 10 64mb OS?

[The cookie]

i cant find vampire.exe, i get to the VTM:B folder in the steamapps/common but all the folders are empty. I haven't been able to get past a black screen when I launch it so far.

[johnny.black]

Maravilha funcionou muito bem! Great Work!!! Greetings from Brazil! Worked for me too!

[76561198314861298]

i did everything but it just crashes now...

[Monk]

Odd, I've done every step to the T and it still crashes, no error but it just stops working.. any fixes?