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Discussion: Multiple BG2 Installations


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Just tried it with ID1; whereas BG1 and BG2 have BGmain.exe as well as baldur.exe, ID1 only has the equivalent of the baldur.exe -- which may be the reason why my computer reboots every time I try to exit from playing my ID1 clone... :rolleyes:
Well, it shouldn't be, cause for me at least, the IDMain.exe doesn't start the Front End -program that has the Play/Config etc. buttons, as it just start the game.
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Guest TJHoenecke
Well, it shouldn't be, cause for me at least, the IDMain.exe doesn't start the Front End -program that has the Play/Config etc. buttons, as it just start the game.

 

My bad -- first of all, there is no ID equivalent to baldur.exe, there's just IDMain.exe. Now, here's the strange part -- even on my original install, ID launches from its default shortcut right into the BIS movie, even without just directly clicking on IDMain.exe, and doesn't start the front-end program at all. In any case, when I try to exit the game, clicking on that very last exit button, my computer automatically crashes and reboots. SOMEtimes, but not always, I get a split-second glimpse of a BSOD right before the reboot, but not enough to be able to read any of it. This is with nothing bu IWD, HOW, and TOTL installed. :rolleyes:

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Guest TJHoenecke
My bad -- first of all, there is no ID equivalent to baldur.exe, there's just IDMain.exe. Now, here's the strange part -- even on my original install, ID launches from its default shortcut right into the BIS movie, even without just directly clicking on IDMain.exe, and doesn't start the front-end program at all. In any case, when I try to exit the game, clicking on that very last exit button, my computer automatically crashes and reboots. SOMEtimes, but not always, I get a split-second glimpse of a BSOD right before the reboot, but not enough to be able to read any of it. This is with nothing bu IWD, HOW, and TOTL installed. :)

 

a-HA! Found the culprit -- under the graphics tab in the Icewind Dale Configuration Utility, I had the Use OpenGL 3D Acceleration box checked, and after unchecking it, the game now exits normally to the desktop. :rolleyes:

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My bad -- first of all, there is no ID equivalent to baldur.exe, there's just IDMain.exe.
Actually, if I remember it right, there is, it's in the Play CD... :D

 

a-HA! Found the culprit -- under the graphics tab in the Icewind Dale Configuration Utility, I had the Use OpenGL 3D Acceleration box checked, and after unchecking it, the game now exits normally to the desktop. :)
:rolleyes: Hmm, Are you sure you didn't accidentally reinstall some old DirectX update... that's outdated by nearly 5 to 10 years, as that might be a culprit.
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Guest TJHoenecke
:rolleyes: Hmm, Are you sure you didn't accidentally reinstall some old DirectX update... that's outdated by nearly 5 to 10 years, as that might be a culprit.

 

Nope, I'm pretty vigilant about those Direct X updates -- plus, like I said, it exits just fine now that I unchecked OpenGL.

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Hello guys and gals,

 

I would like to ask very noob question and will be very grateful for help.

 

I have installed BWP with bunch of mods and made some progress in playing. Didn't play lately but have all intention to continue some day.

 

Now I would like also to make two separate installations to betatest two different mods. I've spot this handy tool, but don't have a clue how to use it.

 

Now, I would like to make one clean BG2 +TOB install plus maybe Fixpack and another clean BGT install + Fixpacks.

 

So in total there should be 3 different installs on my drive:

 

1. My heavily modded BWP install I actually play.

2. BG2+TOB+Fixpack install to test a pure BG2 mod.

3. BGT + Fixpack to test other mod for BGT.

 

I'll be very grateful for tips how to do it.

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...

So in total there should be 3 different installs on my drive:

1. My heavily modded BWP install I actually play.

Well, the easiest thig to do here is, copy the whole BWP game folder to another location... it won't work by it self but it will be a back up... and when you edit the [Alias] -lines in the game folders baldur.ini so it gets a correct folder, it will work.

 

And the step two is to completelly uninstall the BG2 original game using the Control Panel, clean the BWP files from the folder and then reinstall it on a clean slate, patch it if needed and take it from there. You might wish to make a clean back up too without the BG2 Fixpack, as a .rar archive... And when you have the 2), just copy that directory to another place, edit the baldur.ini files [Alias]'es lines in the new location to point to the new location and then install the BGT in it... easy.

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Jarno thanks for quick answer.

 

So, if I understood correctly it's a matter of making backups of each version and then just changing Aliases if needed?

 

So. I have to make backup of my modded BWP install from p.1 first and then uninstall only BG2+TOB? What about BG1? Should I reinstall it too, or should I concern only with BG2?

 

As I understand it right now, that BG1 install is kind like a base, and it's a matter of backuping/reinstalling/modding of BG2 only? And then I only need to change aliases depending on which install I'd like to use?

 

But then which baldur.ini should I mess with? In case of BWP backup should I use the one in backup folder? Or maybe the one in clean install? The same question concerns executing file? Is this should always be bgmain.exe from new clean install folder or the ones from backups?

 

As I understood from any of this, BWP backup shouldn't be possible to run from this backup folder, because it's "uninstalled". So the way I think that I should mess with baldur.ini in fresh install and when I change aliases there the game will use resources (override etc.) from backup folder instead of freshly installed game?

 

Am I even thinking correctly? I fell like being in Matrix or sth :)

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So in total there should be 3 different installs on my drive:

 

a) My heavily modded BWP install I actually play.

b) BG2+TOB+Fixpack install to test a pure BG2 mod.

c) BGT + Fixpack to test other mod for BGT.

 

I'll be very grateful for tips how to do it.

 

Assuming that you "heavily modded BWP install you actually play" folder name is "BG2-BWP"

 

1. Make a separate copy of "heavily modded BWP install you actually play" to "BG2-BWP2" folder

2. Uninstall Baldur's Gate 2 from Control Panel/Programs and Features, you have to remove "Installation Registry Keys" to be able to make another, clean installation of BG2. It should screw up everything in BG2-BWP folder, but you have backup.

3. Delete "BG2-BWP". It's useless anyway now.

4. Rename "BG2-BWP2" to "BG2-BWP" this is installation a)

4. Install BG2 + ToB + Latest ToB Patch again in "BG2" folder, don't install FixPack yet.

5. Make a separate copy of "BG2" folder as "BG2-FixPack"

6. Install "BG2 FixPack" in "BG2-FixPack" folder, this is installation b)

7. Rename "BG2" folder to "BGT"

8. Install BG-Trilogy + Fixpack into "BGT" folder, this is installation c)

9. Copy my tool: Infinity Engine Game Launcher to BG2-BWP, BG2-FixPack and BGT folders

10. Run it once, [Alias] -lines in baldur.ini will be corrected and you can start each separate game by running "BGMain.exe". Don't run game from launcher as it depends on registry!

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So I am going to have a second installation of BG2

There are certain folders that I definitely have to copy (characters, data, eReg, music, override, portraits, save, scripts,

sounds, temp, tempsave) and certain files, including baldur.ini (in which one line must be corrected)

I do NOT have to copy folders CD2, CD3, CD4

Now, what of some other folders, -- cache, eReg, mplayer, script compiler, and ScrnShot? Which of these must be present in the secondary installation folder?

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sounds, temp, tempsave) and certain files, including baldur.ini (in which one line must be corrected)

I do NOT have to copy folders CD2, CD3, CD4

Erhm, if you wish to modify the game, you need the CDx data folders for the game not to get totally screwed during the install... you can delete the folders after and redirect the [Alias] -paths after the mod installs to safe space. The temp and tempsave folders as well as the cache folder you can and actually should remove as fast as you can. The mplayer folder has only internet links, and the ScrnShot folder is there only if you have taken Screen Shots... you can delete that if you don't need another.
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Erhm, if you wish to modify the game, you need the CDx data folders for the game not to get totally screwed during the install... you can delete the folders after and redirect the [Alias] -paths after the mod installs to safe space.

There is no general need to have local copies of the CDx directories while installing mods. Maybe some particular mod needs it, but that's wholly a defifiency on their part. WeiDU (and NI) does just fine so long as the ini file(s) correctly point to where the CDx directories can be found.

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WeiDU (and NI) does just fine so long as the ini file(s) correctly point to where the CDx directories can be found.
Well, having advised people that use multiple drives and so forth... it usually best to copy the whole game folder, edit the baldur.ini in one go to the current folder, install mod.... and then change it back after all the mod installs etc. Same as the advice to not install the game to an external drive. It might be able to do things but the COPY_EXISTING *.* PATCH_IF codes will be processed at crawl speed of a snale.

 

I dare you to try install the EasyTutu from an external drive to external drive, using another external drive to store the BG1 data, one to store the BG2 data's CD1(HD0), CD2 and CD3, which having yet another external drive to store the CD4 and CD5.

It's going to be pretty slow I can tell you.

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