Jump to content

Sacred Underworld install on Vista, Windows 7, 32bit, 64bit


Recommended Posts

Sacred vs. Vista

 

 

Important:

  • Sacred is not optimized to run with Vista but it will work in most cases.
  • 32-Bit Vista has least trouble running Sacred (that I know of)
  • Patch 2.28 required

How-To: installing Sacred on Vista to prevent trouble, as posted by Tharkane

 

What follows is a mystical, magical ritual you must perform in order to have a working install of Sacred on your Windows Vista PC:

 

First, uninstall Sacred and all it's components if you tried installling it already and had problems. Chances are, you did.

 

Then go into Control Panel using the Classic View. You want to access AutoPlay. In the dialogue window, change the autoplay option for "Software and Games" so that it says "No Action." This is important.

 

After doing this, proceed with a new installation. It will be necessary to access your CD/DVD drive from the Computer folder in order to run the install program from Sacred disc 1. A small price to pay considering you will end up with Sacred Underworld alive and well on your Vista PC.

 

Important: If you're like me and possess both the original release of Sacred and the original release of Underworld, you should first install original Sacred, then install Underworld with the overwrite option, then install the 2.28 patch.

 

After the installations of original Sacred and Underworld are complete, you will receive an error pop-up box stating that the wrong disc is in the drive. This is pretty normal: I've seen that on a Windows XP machine I ran Sacred on for years. Simply remove disc 2 from the drive, insert disc 1, then click on retry. That will solve the issue.

 

Apply the 2.28 patch after you are finished with the installs. You might receive a pop up window informing you that the patch might not have been installed properly, like I did. Select the option that says install using recommended settings. Odd. After doing that, you shouldn't see that weird pop-up box again.

 

Common problem solving:

  • For MP problems, a lot of trouble is overcome by setting your connection speed to 56k, this is done in the Options menu you see at your main screen.
  • XP SP2 Compatibility mode:
    • Right-click the shortcut
    • Select Properties
    • Compatibility tab
    • Tick the box: Run this program in compatibility mode for: and select XP SP2.

    [*]Run as admin:

    • Open your Sacred folder
    • Rightclick sacred.exe
    • Select "run as Admin"
    • Hit the OK button.

    [*]Disable User Account Control:

    • Open Control Panel.
    • Under User Account and Family settings, click on the "Add or remove user account".
    • Click on the user account you use.
    • Click on the "Go to the main User Account page" link.
    • Under "Make changes to your user account" click on the "Change security settings" link.
    • In the "Turn on User Account Control (UAC) to make your computer more secure" click to unselect the "Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer" option.
    • Click on the Ok button.
    • You will be prompted to reboot your computer. Do so when ready.

As posted on the SIF.

Gathered from several threads on the SIF, thought it would be nice to share.

Link to comment

I have vista and play's fine exept screen's and the fact I must run as administarator but I can't remeber downloading the 2.28 pach

what does it:)

 

ups forgot not installled underworld yet :woot:

Edited by Erling
Link to comment

It has the normal bunch of fixes, and there was lots of trouble with older versions in regard to playing Sacred on Vista.

That's why I advised using patch 2.28

Maybe you were lucky :lol:

Link to comment
  • 9 months later...
  • 1 year later...

I think this is called necro posting but I have to ask. I only recently say a thread, something about Sacred Gold-the original Sacred. Well I like Sacred 2 so much, I sort of want to see where it came from. But my computer runs with Vista. Would the 10 bucks I saw the original on sale for be a waste? Something about playing as a vampire intrigues me.... ;) Thanks.

Link to comment
I think this is called necro posting but I have to ask. I only recently say a thread, something about Sacred Gold-the original Sacred. Well I like Sacred 2 so much, I sort of want to see where it came from. But my computer runs with Vista. Would the 10 bucks I saw the original on sale for be a waste? Something about playing as a vampire intrigues me.... :thumbsup: Thanks.

 

Other then the fact that there are no longer servers to play closed, it would not be a waste.

 

The graphics are better in 2, of course, but the original is fun.

Link to comment
  • 4 months later...

I have vista and tryed to download Sacred the original I download it and when I put the first disc in and click to play it keeps telling me to "Please insert Sacred CD1 into your CD/DVD drive and restart the application" I have tried clicking out of it and clicking the shortcut I have tried to go to my computer and right click it there and start and I have reinstalled it 5 different times can anyone help me?

Link to comment
I have vista and tryed to download Sacred the original I download it and when I put the first disc in and click to play it keeps telling me to "Please insert Sacred CD1 into your CD/DVD drive and restart the application" I have tried clicking out of it and clicking the shortcut I have tried to go to my computer and right click it there and start and I have reinstalled it 5 different times can anyone help me?

 

 

Hello RaZoRReaper! I just wanted to pop in and welcome you to the Forum.

 

I expect one of our members with Sacred Underworld knowledge will be along shortly to help you out. Great to see you post!

 

Loco

Link to comment
Well I dont no how to fix your disk being ignored, but if you download the last Sacred Underworld patch (2.28) it removes the disk check from the game allowing you to play without the CD inserted.

 

how would I do that I only have the first game regular Sacred

Link to comment
Well I dont no how to fix your disk being ignored, but if you download the last Sacred Underworld patch (2.28) it removes the disk check from the game allowing you to play without the CD inserted.

 

how would I do that I only have the first game regular Sacred

I tried to download the patch but it wont let me unless I have Sacred Underworld downloaded and I dont have it just the first Sacred

Link to comment
  • 3 months later...

Will the method at the top work the same for Windows 7? I have the same error message as RaZoRReaper. I've been trying to get this installed FOREVER and it is driving me crazy!

 

Also: does anyone know if Sacred Gold is supposed to work with Windows 7, if I could ever find it? This may be the wrong section but I'm desperate here... sorry!

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

on the premise of better late then never:

 

sacred gold patched to 2.28 under vista and win7 64 bit is no problem.

 

for sacred/ sacred plus and 64 bit systems, using a no-cd from gameburnworld or gamecopyworld removes the disk check. the game is compatible, the copy protection is not.

 

per pm from Anca Adelina Finta on the official sif forum:

 

Hello,

 

Sorry if my answer wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear. I spoke with the team once more about the topic.

In the SiF are "cracks" and "modding" topics which were never allowed, but we decided in you case to make a exception. The exception is only for this case and we hope to help the players by that.

 

So this is a "go" from our side.

 

Greetings,

Anca

Link to comment
  • 5 months later...

There's a legitimate and easy way to install and run Sacred Plus and / or UW under Vista without having to disable UAC or running as an admin or even resorting to things like cracking; I have one set of licenses (Plus+UW) running under Vista 32 (laptop), and there's no problem running either one. The icons / links to both installations aren't set to 'run as administrator', either.

 

Here's how:

 

- Firstly, get rid of the idea to install Sacred (or any other game) into its default directory. Get it out of your head, use a blowtorch if necessary. :P

- Install Sacred Plus into something like c:\Sacred, and update to 1.8.26 using the full retail patch

- run once, to get the update mechanism going. (requires Sacred Plus CD 2 in the drive, like in the old days)

- Install UW into another directory, like c:\Sacred Underworld, choose separate installation

- update to v 2.28

- run and enjoy

 

Multiplayer caveat:

 

- Start Sacred or UW

- Go to Options: set transfer speed to Modem/ISDN

- Get your character into the MP game

- Once in the game, go to Options again and change back to DSL before doing anything else.

 

 

Reasons for doing the installation my way:

 

Vista needs all the protection it can get, and UAC/not running things as admin are important mechanisms. UAC prevents changes to the default paths like c:\user in order to try to prevent BAD things from happening. Turning off UAC if you want to / have to run Vista isn't a very good idea, try to avoid it. Simply using a different directory, on a path outside the Windows defaults, will amend most of your gaming ailments under Vista.

Edited by Last Man Standing
Link to comment
  • 5 months later...

So I found a copy of the Sacred (original, not Gold), but I get an error saying that it will not run on a 64-bit system. I tried as much of the "dummy" stuff like running as admin, using every different service pack available (I'm on Win7), and using the "troubleshoot this program utility".

 

After a decent search here, and a quick lookaround at the SIF, I haven't seen this exact issue before, so I thought I'd post about it. I am assuming that I will need to figure out which version I got, and then apply the appropriate patch... IIRC the "full patch" or "retail patch" (and I'd guess its the full patch for my retail version).

 

I will try the uninstall/re-install without using the auto-play from Tharkane's OP... and changing directory advice given by Last Man Standing tonight to see if that helps... but if anyone else remembers the exact fix for this issue I would appreciate any advice or links, etc!

 

Many thanks!

Link to comment

I've not tried to install it in my win7 64bit but I did notice a while ago that there is a Win 7 addon package called Windows XP Mode. It's a virtualization that sounds as though it might be a solution to your problem sjm. If it does work I would love to read about it. Maybe you could make a simple guide to show the rest of us the way. :)

 

How To Configure & Use Windows 7′s XP Mode

Link to comment

I've not tried to install it in my win7 64bit but I did notice a while ago that there is a Win 7 addon package called Windows XP Mode. It's a virtualization that sounds as though it might be a solution to your problem sjm. If it does work I would love to read about it. Maybe you could make a simple guide to show the rest of us the way. :)

 

How To Configure & Use Windows 7′s XP Mode

 

XP Mode is NOT for gaming! XP Mode is strictly for normal business apps that don't like to run under Vista/7. The virtual graphics adapter just isn't enough to handle anything beyond the basic Solitaire game that comes with Win XP.

 

Oddly enough, the 32 bit version of Windows 7 likes Sacred just fine.

Edited by wolfie2kX
Link to comment

We need to clarify 32-bit problems from 64-bit problems. Sacred has not worked w/ 64-bit from the very beginning. I found a post by Halenthal from 2006, and TornadoX1 says the same, that the Sacred problem w/ 64-bit has to do w/ the copy protection software (which was made by a 3rd party, not by Ascaron). This makes the best solution to be updating all the way to Underworld 2.28 (which removed the CD check).

 

That said, you can try Oron Orcbane's suggestions:

To address your problems, try the following:-

 

1) Make sure you're patched up to the final version of S1 - patches are available from the official Sacred homepage. There's very little chance of it working properly if you're using an earlier version. You want 1.8.46 if you're running Sacred Plus (assuming the English-language version, the version-numbers vary for other languages), or you want 2.28 if you're running Sacred Gold or Underworld. You say you've patched up already, but check the version numbers to make sure you've got the latest.

 

2) Set processor affinity in Vista so that S1 runs on only one processor, assuming that you're using a dual-core machine (which seems likely if you're running Vista). Some people can get it working without doing this, and on the other hand some people can't get it working even after doing this, but it does seem to fix the problem for a lot of people.

 

3) Set the connection type (in the Options within Sacred, once you've got it to start running) to Modem, even if you're actually connecting over Broadband. The Broadband option doesn't work at all in Vista, but the Modem option works even when the connection is actually broadband (no, I don't know why this is so, but it's true).

 

Edit: Oh, I almost forgot Dobster's method which had high success: http://forum.sacred2.com/showpost.php?p=648411&postcount=2 (hmmm, so it might be possible to do the install in XP mode and then copy the whole folder to Win7 and then run)

 

Edit: if you want to search more on SIF, do an advanced search, look only S1/UW and subfolders and look for "64 bit" (just be warned a few idiots posted Sacred 2 problems in the S1 area so read closely before following any advice.)

Edited by masteff
Link to comment

EDIT:

Just realized you highlighted the most important part masteff. Agreed. The removal of the security check as part of the 2.28 patch is likely the whole solution. While googling the error message I got, "Error loading x64 driver. Did you forget to reboot?", I read several mention that DRM was causing the problem. Great info!

 

Woohoo, cool. :D

 

Well I just had to give this a try and it went very well. So here's how it went for me:

 

My basic specs:

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

DDR2 8gb Ram

ATI 4890

UAC is active the whole time

Security Essentials protection active the whole time

 

How I ran the installer:

Browsed the install disc and ran as admin

 

How I set the shortcut:

Compatibility - XP SP2

Run as Admin

Forget setting compatibility. I just turned those settings off and left the shortcut as a normal shortcut and the game still runs fine.

 

How I set sacred underworld's config.exe found in the install folder of Underworld:

All Graphic settings off

Sound activated on

 

After running the installer I tried to run the game which gave me an error. "Error loading x64 driver. Did you forget to reboot?". After some googling I finally realized that I hadn't installed the Underworld patch 2.24 to 2.28 yet. I ran the patch and as soon as it finished I was able to play Underworld. No problems that I can see. Tried running an SP game and a LAN game, both of which worked just fine.

 

 

So on my system it was a pretty smooth process.

 

EDIT:

One problem I had at the very start was that the window froze when I first tried to run the cd installer. When I ejected the dvd only then did UAC ask for permission to run the installer. A slight glitch in the UAC process...

Link to comment

Ok... I want to try patch 1.8.46 as a "learning lesson". Get Sacred Plus (ie the box you would buy in-store, which I did) working on a current system. I would have to agree that buying UW and patching to 2.28 will fix the issue as everything I have read says so.

 

the main issue now is finding the patches... the wiki link is broken, methinks :)

 

Hopefully you haven't wandered too far, Schot... you were just here ;)

Link to comment

Yeah... I found 1.8.26 pretty easily. Googling Sacred Plus 1.8.46 returned moslty non-english sites with some 1.8.26 thrown in for :Just_Cuz_21:

 

I assume I would find Underworld as a seperate download at DLGamer? If I go that way...

Link to comment

We've been trying to get DLgamer to sell Underworld but no luck yet. If you were to get Underworld then you could probably skip on the Plus download since it's included in Underworld.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up