Now, this is interesting. Are you using Galaxy? This is definitely something for support.

I second QWEEDDYZ's advice on Verok's wrapper, this is a great tool, especially for Disciples 2 which has been quite hard to get working smoothly for years.

Here's a link: https://verokster.blogspot.com/2019/03/disciples-i-ii-gl-wrapper-patch.html

Just follow the installation info on the page. It's also useful in Linux Wine if only for the speeding of turn calculations.

(the guy also has wrappers for HoMM 1/2/3/4, Cossacks 1/American Conquest and an awesome wrapper/mod for Blood Omen 1)

... Freelancer and Railroad Tycoon 2
But that wrapper - for hacking speed and resolution. not for solving game starting problems.

Kelefane
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35

If Steam version work, than - again - check game files in Galaxy (twice) or use offline installers. And check game settings - probably you set it differ in Steam version. Make sure you set proper resolution and refresh rate.

That wrapper is the only way I can get it to work. I also downloaded DX9c etc and all that too. Also uninstalled and reinstalled the game and no dice. So weird how Steams works and GOGs doesn't for me. That's a first.

GOG version of Disciples 2 are differ after recent update. Did you run dxcfg.exe tool? GOG do in recent games\updates a wrong default presets - that not is "Set by Application".

Dont forget to install Gold Upgrade from GOG Gold thread here. it also patch the RotE to 3.01, that initially half-patched in GOG (and in Steam too).
For Steam better extract all VPK archives and replace all exe files (+1 manual) from GOG\any drm-free digital version.

I never ran that tool, no. Whats it do exactly and where do I find it ?

Also, have a link to that patch?

Check Did GOG have GOLD version topic for gold\3.01 update.

dxcfg.exe must be in game root folder (one for GR and second in for RotE). Run it as adminnistrator and set all settings to "by Application" and "default".

Getting this error, nothing helps:


******* UNHANDLED EXCEPTION *******

Exception code: C0000005 ACCESS_VIOLATION

Module : D:\Disciples 2 - Rise of the Elves\Discipl2.exe
Creation: 2019-08-14
Write : 2019-08-14
Size : 4474880

Fault address: 7780DFED 00:0B64B6E8 C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll

Write to location 00b03572 caused an access violation.

Registers:
EAX:00000000
EBX:00B03570
ECX:00100000
EDX:00000000
ESI:00B30E10
EDI:00D40000
EBP:00A8E7B0
DS:002B ES:002B FS:0053 GS:002B
CS:EIP:0023:7780DFED
SS:ESP:002B:00A8E6E8
FLAGS:00010246

Bytes at CS:EIP:
32 43 02 a8 01 0f 85 ac 01 00 00 85 c9 74 26 8b
57 50 33 13 89 13 8b ca c1 e9 10 8b c2 c1 e8 08

Bytes at SS:ESP:
00a8e6e8: c28fe8b9 00b30e10 00d40000 00000000
00a8e6f8: 7d007c00 7f007e00 81008000 83008200
00a8e708: 85008400 87008600 89008800 8b008a00
00a8e718: 8d008c00 00d40000 00000000 93009200
00a8e728: 95009400 97009600 99009800 9b009a00
00a8e738: 9d009c00 9f009e00 00b30e10 a300a200
00a8e748: 00000001 a700a600 00000000 00d402a4
00a8e758: 00000001 00000000 b100b000 b300b200
00a8e768: b500b400 b700b600 b900b800 bb00ba00
00a8e778: bd00bc00 00000000 0100c000 c300c200
00a8e788: c5000000 c700c600 00000000 0101ca00
00a8e798: cd00cc00 00a8e0fc 00a8eaac 77849ea0
00a8e7a8: b5aa57c9 00000000 00a8e80c 77856bfb
00a8e7b8: 00b30e10 00b30e18 00b30e18 00d40000
00a8e7c8: 00000000 e700e600 e900e800 eb00ea00
00a8e7d8: ed00ec00 ef00ee00 f100f000 f300f200

Disciples 2 and Rise of the Elves constantly crash before they even launch. Disciples Sacred Lands, no problems.

Same issues. I thought it was my computer at first - because I just bought a new one. Won't load on the old now either. I get a black screen, 800 - 600 resolution, back to black screen, and finally back to desktop as normal..... I've no idea.

I've changed every setting known to man, no change. I'll be contacting GOG support and telling them of this on-going issue. Let's just not forget that GOG does great work 99.99% of the time. Everyone hits a snag at some point.

I'll post here when I've updated info.

i have issue for right now. Just back windows to last version before uptade. Go to settings>actualizations>recover>and back to last version of windows. For me work game runs and i will update windows after gog make it works. GL i hope i help:)

If all of you use GOG Galaxy - always check game files after installation. Twice. Then run configuration utility.

Last build bundled with GOG dxcfg utility. Set all options to *by application\default\off*

Check compatibility settings on exe files and remove all of them, except adminrun. Even with admin run games must be installed as admin in folder like X:\Games\GOG\. Same for GOG Galaxy.
If you launch game from Galaxy - set adminrun on galaxy.exe, and not on discipl2.exe.

BialyWilk
I think better ask on Microsoft Answers community... probably...

P.S. Windows 8 and Windows 10 officially not compatible with Disciples 1\2. But GOG still add some compatible sdb package, fullscreen optimsation (Win10 feut. only, way differ in Win8 as DPI scaling only) and dxcfg dll+exe. All that not needed on Win7.
sdb package - from Ms ACT tool. And remove that sdb possible only from that Ms ACT. Or manuallt from Windows regedit. Applicationcompatibilitychecker.exe allow remove all comp. options in one click, but not that sdb - only show them.

Had the same issue with black screen and visible mouse cursor. And author just released new version of GL wrapper. As he wrote in his blog:

"The problem was in conflict between GOG's dxcfg.exe utility and GL wrapper. So, to resolve this problem, you can remove or rename ddraw.dll. Or better - just dowload new wrapper version which has fix for this without needs to delete dxcfg.exe."

After following every action, troubleshooting tutorial, and game crash fix. Going to verokster and downloading Disciples 2 wrapper was the only fix that got Disciples 2 launched.

Best of luck to you all.

I have deleted ddraw.dll and... the game works right!
Thank very much!

you are my hero! Thanks mate