It seems that with recent updates, Age of Wonders I has ceased to function yet it sold on GOG, which is kind of not what we signed up for.

If you run Age of Wonders I, it crashes-to-desktop as soon as you finish the intro and open up the menu screen.

Yes, I have looked at the other posts ideas, and they don't work.

I'm using Windows 11, V 10.0.22631. Isn't everybody using Windows 11 nowadays since it updates automatically?

I'm also using a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card.

Pretty much the same set up as me. I downloaded the offline installers via the website, installed, watched the intro and then chose the tutorial option and the game started fine. Are you by any chance using Galaxy? If so, it might be worth trying to play bypassing the launcher completely to see if that will work. Good luck.

No. For example, I'm not using Windows 11.

Been there, done that.

Finally found the solution, which is to go into the registry to replace.

$ DWM8And16BitMitigation HIGHDPIAWAREDisableNXShowUI

with

$ DWM8And16BitMitigation HIGHDPIAWARE DisableNXShowUI.

At the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Wisdows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatLayers\Layers.

Entry for Age of Wonders 1.

are you saying that you fixed it by putting a "." at the end of the line, or is it the space before Disable? because i see no difference between those two statements otherwise. i found most of that statement in the C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Age of Wonders\AoWCompat.exe line and no other but it ended at HDPIAWARE. Are you saying to add the Disable... portion? does this need to be added to every entry in this location, or just the .exe lines?

Also is that supposed to be "Windows NT"?

You need to add this at the end of the AoW.Exe registry key "DisableNXShowUI"

Just chiming in to say that I have the exact same issue as OP, on two different system - a Windows 10 PC, and a Linux Mint laptop. Nothing suggested here works.

I really need more details on how to do this. Step by step please, assume this is the first time I used a computer.
You lost me at go into the registry. I can open reg edit, but I have not idea what to do after that.

I figured it out, and using threr solutin and the mapreader fix pathc, Age Of Wonders is up and working fine.
You might want to contact GOG support, since the regedit fix and the Map reader ptach got it up and running on my Windows 11 computer.
And GOG should have fixed this a long time ago.

Would you be willing to help a bother out with some steps?


Edit, nvm I figured it out.

It is hilarious how people keep coming here with the problem, saying they can't figure out how to fix it using the vague instructions in the thread, coming back and saying 'nevermind' they fixed it, and not giving the step-by-step procedure that they were hoping for in order to help the next poor gamers.