Hi, Whenever I try to run lotr2 the only thing that happens is my resolution changes, I get a black screen, and my mouse turns into that blue loading circle.
I am running windows 7. I don't get an error message but when I try to alt tab end the process I do get this
Description:
A problem caused this program to stop interacting with Windows.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: AppHangB1
Application Name: Lords2.exe
Application Version: 0.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 3396efaa
Hang Signature: ac05
Hang Type: 2048
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Hang Signature 1: ac0507478d1c5bd693cfc4fe3987e900
Additional Hang Signature 2: ac05
Additional Hang Signature 3: ac0507478d1c5bd693cfc4fe3987e900
Additional Hang Signature 4: ac05
Additional Hang Signature 5: ac0507478d1c5bd693cfc4fe3987e900
Additional Hang Signature 6: ac05
Additional Hang Signature 7: ac0507478d1c5bd693cfc4fe3987e900

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Thanks

same or at least similar problem with me ... so far no help :*( - I think some of it may have to do with the pre-set compatibility settings in the properties tab. I'm going to try running it Wine, ironically sometimes Wine actually has better compatibility with these old games

I'm having a similar issue as well. It opens, asks to allow to change resolution. Which I allow and then I hear the music of start up and proceed to the main menu, but the whole time all I have is a black screen. I'm also using Wine.

Update: Ugh, GOG?!? I just installed LOTR_RE from my old disks (made ISOs and did a virtual mount) -- no problem. Installation was smooth, vids run fine, game is great. Didn't even have to mess with 'compatibility settings.' The distorted spinning disk appears for a brief second and then the intro movie loads.

Can anyone verify that the file currently available for download actually installs a functioning version on Vista?

FAVOR: Would someone for whom LOTR2 runs report back about the contents of your 'sierra.ini' file (likely in install dir, possibly in windows dir) -- GOG's installer didn't include one for me and I am wondering if that has contributed to my problem.

At least your spinning disc is blue ;-) I have graphical distortion + spinning (psychedelic) blue disc. I am currently trying to diagnose this problem w/ GOG Tech Support, will let you know if anything comes of it.

As it stands: I have a fresh install of Vista Ultimate 32bit on a Lenovo X200 (Core2Duo, ICH-9 GM45 intel integrated graphics). Half-a-dozen GOG games work fine, LOTR2 & Earth2150 are the big failures. Both seemingly crash when Smacker video files are loaded (Earth2150 freezes and LOTR2 gives me this spinning disc status.txt shows the last thing attempted was loading the intro movie).

LOTR2's status.txt debug report also shows an error, "could not read sierra.ini" -- an understandable problem, given that I have no such file on my computer. Kludging together one based on a wine appsdb post got rid of that error, but got me no further along in trying to launch the program.

I've tried every variant of compatibility mode, DEP, UAC, killing explorer, etc. Everything ends up the same: spinning disk. Given that this system doesn't have a laptop, I have even tried installing a virtual cdrom drive before installation--no dice.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Try this.
Under Compatability:
Run compatability in windows 95.
Run in 256 colors
Disable visual themes.
Run this program as administrator.

Under shortcut tab:
click on advanced
Run as administrator

I don't have a sierra.ini but I do have a sierra.inf.

Just tried your suggestions. No love. Thanks for letting me know about the ini.

The disk version I have runs without the 256 color tweak. At least I can thank this situation for getting me to play again! (Even if my inability to start the GOG version is immensely frustrating.

Just wanted to add that I've been able to successfully get LOTR2 to work on my setup (CrossOver Games 10.1.2/Mac OS X 10.6.8) by setting WINE to emulate a virtual desktop in 640x480. Apparently the game will only run in that resolution, otherwise it will start up to a black screen. I'd wager that setting Windows to 640x480 might resolve the black screen issues people are having as well.

I've gotten the black screen as well. Both on Windows 7 and on Crossover Games for my Macintosh.

Getting some of these older games to work can be a pain, especially if they were only designed to work with Win95/Win98.

I'll see if the virtual desktop solves my problem. If not, then I'll guess I'll have to find other alternatives.

I got the game to run on Windows 7 by playing around with compatibility:

Compatibility Tab:
-Run on compatibility mode for Windows Vista.
-Disable everything you can disable.
-256 colors.

Take this text block between the lines and put it into a text file with the file extension .reg

-------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\GOG Games\\Lords of the Realm II\\Lords2.exe"="DWM8And16BitMitigation 256COLOR DISABLETHEMES DISABLEDWM HIGHDPIAWARE RUNASADMIN WIN95"
"C:\\GOG Games\\Lords of the Realm II\\mapl2.exe"="DWM8And16BitMitigation"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\GOG Games\\Lords of the Realm II\\Lords2.exe"="$ DWM8And16BitMitigation 256COLOR DISABLETHEMES DISABLEDWM HIGHDPIAWARE RUNASADMIN WIN95"
"C:\\GOG Games\\Lords of the Realm II\\mapl2.exe"="$ DWM8And16BitMitigation"

-------


Double-clicking will import the reg file which will set the correct Application Compatibility Flags to run GOG Lords of the Realm II on Windows 10 (most of these get created automatically when running the GOG installer). This assumes the game has been installed to the default installation path; if you change that path, alter it in the reg file accordingly.