How I got AOE2:The Conquerors (original CD version) to work on Win. 7.

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Age of Kings Heaven » Forums » Scenario Design and Discussion » How I got AOE2:The Conquerors (original CD version) to work on Win. 7.

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Topic Subject: How I got AOE2:The Conquerors (original CD version) to work on Win. 7.

rakovsky
Squire

posted 11-18-20 00:40 AM CT (US)

1. I uninstalled security Update for Microsoft Windows KB3086255 This update is a common source of glitches where the game thinks that there is no CD and demands inserting one.

2. I installed AOK and AOE2:TC using the Gold Edition's 2 CDs.

3. I installed the 1.0c Patch (http://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=11438)

4. I installed Userpatch 1.5 using the "Run as Administrator" setting. (https://userpatch.aiscripters.net) I chose the Option in Userpatch to make a age2_x1.0c.exe file in the age2_x1 folder. (This age2_x1.0c.exe was able to see and run the Christmas Story campaign in the campaign folder even though the regular age2_x1.exe that Userpatch had upgraded could not.)

5. I went to my Control Panel and then my "Personalizations" settings there and changed my desktop theme to a basic theme instead of an "aero theme", which I had been using. I think that this could be a common source of problems.

Most other solutions, like performing the Voobly upgrade, the Direct Draw fix, the Compatibility Mode tab, The Desktop Screen Resolution Window, the .Bat Taskill Closing for Explorer.exe, and just running 1.0c and Userpatch together, did not work for me.

[This message has been edited by rakovsky (edited 11-18-2020 @ 00:42 AM).]

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rakovsky
Squire

posted 11-21-20 02:18 AM CT (US) 1 / 4

Here are all the pieces of advice that I found online as to how players can install the AOE2 CD version on Windows 7. I marked an X next to those that I tried.

X 1. COMPATIBILITY TAB: (Should you do it in conjunction with Userpatch or directdraw?) "Windows 2000 is an ideal choice for compatibility. Next, click the box that says "Run in 640x480 screen resolution". After, check the box that says "Disable visual themes". Finally, click the box that says "Run this program as administrator"." Still, it did not work.
" It also worked in "Windows XP SP3" but the colours were not quite correct in-game. So I would suggest the Win98 selection.". I also read to use 256 Colors and Admin privileges.

2. BATCH SCRIPT METHOD: (HOW DO YOU DO THIS?) SOURCE: https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/81tfxe/running_original_age_of_empires_2_on_windows_7/)

---------------------------------------------------------------
On 64 Bit Machines:

@echo off

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe

echo Starting Age of Empires 2! Have Fun!

empires2.exe

start explorer.exe
------------------------------------
FOR THE CONQUERORS on 64 Bit Machines:

@echo off

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II\age2_x1

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe

echo Starting Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors! Have Fun!

age2_x1.exe

start explorer.exe
------------------------------------------
2B. GameFaqs gives this batch workaround:
1. Create a file named "RunGame.bat". To do so open notepad and then press Save As. Then from Save As Type, select All files, and in the name type "RunGame.bat". Save it in the folder where the game files are present

2. Now in the file type the following:

taskkill /F /IM Explorer.exe
Age2X.exe
Explorer.exe

3. Now save the file, and close it. To run the game, all you have to do is run the file "RunGame.bat", by double-clicking it.

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

2C. Another explanation
Open up notepad, paste this in:

taskkill /F /IM Explorer.exe

age2_x1.exe

start explorer.exe

Save that as age2.bat in the directory where age2_x1.exe is, and then try running it.
---------------------------------------------

2D Another explanation
1) Open note pad and type/copy-paste the following code:

taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
age2_x1.exe
start explorer.exe

2)Save it in the directory of game. Save the file as .bat(batch file)
-----------------------------------------------------

X 3. DirectDraw (http://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=11108)

X 4. Forgotten Empires https://www.forgottenempires.net/install

X 5. Userpatch latest On top of Forgotten Empires (https://userpatch.aiscripters.net/)
The Installer must run with Administrator privileges.
" I would always install both the games, update the patches, install Userpatch and it would all work like a charm."
You need 1.0c before using Userpatch v 1.4: "As mentioned in the readme, you must install the v1.0c patch for The Conquerors before installing UP v1.4 or you will see the red x error due to missing language file dependencies. Please uninstall UP, install v1.0c from the link below, and then install UP again. Sorry for the trouble!
http://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=11438
Userpatch instructions say: "Extract SetupAoC.exe into the "Age of Empires II" folder.
It should exist next to files such as empires2.exe and eula.rtf."
But they don't mention anything about the other files in the Userpatch zip folder.
Uerpatch 1.4 says that it requires the latest 1.0c patch, but Userpatch 1.5 does NOT say that you need to already have installed any patches. But it looks like you do need 1.0c because I tried running Userpatch without the 1.0c patch installed and it said that there was something missing. After I installed 1.0c, it ran successfully.

X 6. REMOVING WINDOWS UPDATE KB3086255. "Apparently there are issues like ours." https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3086255
It says that it can create graphics problems.

- Uninstall Windows update - KB3086255 & KB2919355. (The latter is for Windows 8)
"These are so called security updates that are supposed to protect you from the games copyright
"protection being invaded by barbarian malware. "

X 7. Windowed Mode

8. w7ddpatcher Age of Empires Wiki says: "Patching the DirectDraw (with w7ddpatcher, for example) should fix the problem."

X 9. Using Voobly: "You can also install 1.0c by letting Voobly install UserPatch. You will have the option to play four different versions: 1.0, 1.0c, 1.4, and 1.4 RC each time you launch the game."

X 10. "disable aero themes before you start the game. This will work most of the time." (What are they?)

X 11. Terminate the Explorer process. Here�s what you do:

1. Run Age of Empires 2
2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and click Start Task Manager
3. Click the Processes tab, find explorer.exe, select and click End Process
4. Switch back to Age of Empires 2 with Alt-Tab

Presto! the graphics now work.

Once you are done playing, exit Age of Empires. If Task Manager is no longer running, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to get it back. Then click Applications, New Task, and type Explorer in the dialog.

X 12. have Screen resolution run in the Background (That worked for AOE1)

X 13, Use the Medium Graphics Quality setting under Options in the game.

rakovsky
Squire

posted 02-13-21 09:29 PM CT (US) 2 / 4

If this thread gets too low on the thread list, like below #50, then I think that it disappears from view. But I think that it's an important topic...

AFFA the Cleric
Squire

posted 02-14-21 12:33 PM CT (US) 3 / 4

I don't know why but I have the Age of Kings CD, and a Separed expansion for The conquerors expansion, I just insert CD on win 7 original laptop bought in 2010 and still working perfectly as it was bought yesterday, and after installation ends, just click play and the game works fine...

About the graphic glitch

1. Run Age of Empires 2
2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and click Start Task Manager
3. Click the Processes tab, find explorer.exe, select and click End Process
4. Switch back to Age of Empires 2 with Alt-Tab

Presto! the graphics now work.

Just start the game, reduce it to icon Ctrl+alt+del, then go to the control panel, change screen resolution, reduce this window to icon and resume the game!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MY GAME VERSION:

Age of Empires II The Conquerors 1.0 without any patches, just the ES release in August 24th 2000, proud to playing this game version!

rakovsky
Squire

posted 02-16-21 10:40 AM CT (US) 4 / 4

Affa,
You are talking about Steps #11-12 in my numbered list above, in my first Reply on this thread.

Unfortunately, those were two of the first steps that I tried and they didn't fix fit. I had to take the steps that I described in my OP to make it work. I tried a lot of them. I had Windows 7 and the Gold Collection CDs (AOK and Conquerors).

Age of Kings Heaven » Forums » Scenario Design and Discussion » How I got AOE2:The Conquerors (original CD version) to work on Win. 7.

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