Hi all,
A few days ago the game stopped working. I open Gog galaxy and hit "play" and it starts the launcher, but if I click "Warcraft II" or "Warcraft II Classic" the game just starts and immediately crashes.

I tried opening the game folder and opening Warcraft 2 from there, but it crashed just the same.

I have Diablo also on GoG and it still runs fine.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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P.S. (Also posted below).Update as of January 21st: Now it works perfectly. I didn't do anything to change it, must have just been some software issue that got updated.

Computers are so weird.

Same happened to me

Same here. Tried repairing, reinstalling, changing resolutions, windowed/fullscreen mode, Admin mode... nothing. Keeps crashing after I choose "Warcraft II" or "Warcraft II Classic".

You guys can try using a different ddraw library such as the open source cnc-ddraw you can find on youtube it fixes most graphical glitches in game :-)

Look to PCGW Wiki Troubleshooting guide section.There is a lot of reading, yes.

If suggest alternatives - Narzoul's wrapper 2.0.1./3.0.x (depend on OS), WineD3D-for-Windows or more better for subj - fork of cnc-ddraw made especially to War2bne to bring widescreen hack. Released on war2ru forum initially. War2 Widescreen Hack called i guess. But it is first are cnc-ddraw with widescreen is just an one of the options. And its forked to make version exactly for Warcraft 2 Win version. Should be better to use (in theory).

GOG version should work. I didint ry GOG Galaxy version, but doubt it will not. There is something related to Galaxy client or game installation/rights.
Restar galaxy.exe(!)(and NOT the game!) as admin. Check Galaxy for updates. Restart in admin if needed to restart. Force game validation twice in a raw (eince client no more report result and always redownload something).
Start game directly from Galaxy (to keep admin mode enBled for game as well). Alsi it will finish installation process at first launch, same as any else clients do. And same as else flients validation process reset install process to next game launch. Galaxy will recreate/reset contiguration of the game. After that you need admin mode for game and game launcher to reset GOGs wrapper settings

Try By application/disabled for every options in Launcher (Aspect ratio to Keep as default) at first.

3rd party AV/security services still can be paranoid for apps installed to system drive or root directories of else drives. Reinstall 3VERYTHING games related to D/Games/GOG/ and games to X/Games/Game-name-2x/. Use admin mode for installupdatevalidate and first launches. Restart without admin.

I cant say for sure default Windows Defender and else security services really always respect admin run mode. Whatever if W.Defender temporary add launched executable to temporar exceptions - its still restrickt access to own folder both by Defender and UAC. No Program Files or system drive should be involved!

Keep VirtualStore and UAC services enabled and at default states. Its mean when you start app from Program Files that use own folder for ini it will use VirtualStore folder instead. When you start by admin - scren should be blocked and UAC pop-up promt appear. If its not happened - UAC disabled - it mean BY DEFAULT there is no admin mode. It is Windows decide use or jot VirtualStore and give app full access to own folders. Disabling UAC is only disable(minimise) popup promts you see by default UAC state.
Do not disable it. And if you use custom warez repacked Windows OS - doublecheck it did not disable UAC and VirtualStore (VirtualStore settings hiiden deep in REGEDIT)(do not miss it with Registry VirtualStore section itself). Of course better reinstall to official legit version.
_________
Starting exactly game as admin required if it is not Galaxy but GOG offline version. In that case reinstall it to X:\Games\Warcraft-2x\
without alterations.Exact this one install path.
For gaming clients it is client first who need full acces to own and games folders. And never ever use Desktop links in the case of clients (not even just Steam issue, but general issue).

If you dont want to bother of required time to time admin mode. Set gaming clients - galaxy.exe (and not the games) - to admin mode in exe file Properties. And always start games from its Library. So it be always armin mode. Its better than ignore admin needed.
Still X/Games/ required as folder for everything games related.
For 3rd party security services you need add Games to exception list. Widnows Defender dont care about whole folder, but still need sometimes admin mode.

And now it works perfectly. I didn't do anything to change it, must have just been some software issue that got updated.

Computers are so weird.

The game got a bug that is causing a crash sometimes on startup (uninitialized variable). If it happens, just restart your PC and it may work again. If not, restart again

Game have a bug is aplliable to game only if this statement is correct. Glitch is something during game play. So crash is just crash. Its OS who make that crash. Maybe because its game bug. Maybe not.
And since i didnt faced requirement of restarting (maybe once and im not notice that), i suppose game is not the source of the issue (it is bug, but not game one).

Maybe sometimes 6ou need restart PC. Fommon issue and solution for any Windows. For nowadays Windows to restart you must 3nd session exactly by restart commend and not shutdown.

I know it's a bug in the game for sure since I made a patch for it already, currently the patch is only available in the widescreen patch though (I'm the creator of the widescreen patch and a bunch of other patches BTW).

I could share the patch with the GOG staff if they want to include it in their installer

Why i didnt faced this bug? I have both Retail (2.1A install.mpq version EU disc but Support folder refer to Blizzars Support as domestic one, this EU disc identical by CRC32 to US disc) +2.02 patch and GOG version (2.0 install.mpq + 2.02 patch).

It's a rare bug, it also took me quite some time to be able to reproduce it. But when it happens it will do it over and over again until you reboot

Hm. Maybe language depend on it? I play Eng version on Eng and Rus MUI of Windows. Launch many times. Usually i end session by hibernation although did restart too.

Im not sure if a believe or still doubt. Launching issues are far more into system(os/drivers) unlike crashes during gameplay or navigating menu. I know one old game (v.1.0, been fixed later) crashed (and one freezed) on non-English MUI for Eng version and German localised game version for this example on non-German OS MUI. But in that case it should be more guaranteed CTD on launch (and at specific circumstances during game).

Although im on Win7. Windows 8 and especially Windows10+ are very worst of dealing with memory. Worse than previous WinNT. And worse to dedicate memory to apps. At same time never really close theme when need to. PC become smart-tablets, not a real Desktops this days. (x64 Unix based OS fix it a bit, and there is ARM64-Desktop variations too).

There is general stability fix called LAA fix to fix Win10+ issues, but applied as patch to the games exe's. Even jf game already got back then own x64/4+ram/Vista7 fix need to be fixed again somehow.

probably coz blizz just added war2bne to thier launcher , guys posting they cant log in there
anyways combat edition better still