After some tweaking in the Application Compatibility Toolkit, I found a fix for the Heavy Gear 2 culling issue in Windows 7 (everything renders inside out).

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the fix:
0. Install Heavy Gear 2.
1. Install the Application Compatibility Toolkit (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7352)
2. Open the 32-bit Compatibility Administrator app that comes with the toolkit.
3. On the left pane, under Custom Databases, click on New Database 1.
4. On the taskbar at the top, click on Database > Create New > Application Fix.
5. Enter the name of your fix, the vendor, and under Program File Location browse to your Heavy Gear 2.exe. Click Next.
6. Click Next again. We don't want to install any existing compatibility modes.
7. Now, under Compatibility Fixes, scroll down and tick the box next to DirectXTrimTextureFormats.
8. You can do a Test Run to make sure it works or just click Next.
9. Click Finish.
10. Now right-click New Database 1 on the left and click Install.
11. You should see a confirmation message and you can close the Compatibility Administrator.

If everything worked you can now run Heavy Gear 2 without culling.

Wow, thanks. This thread is certainly bookmarked now. Albeit, in my case I couldn't run HG2 at all on Win7 (with or without the culling problem), but apparently it was just my machine.

Ps. Do you feel HG2 is playable if you don't have a full keyboard with a numpad? E.g. a smaller laptop keyboard? The little I played HG2 myself, it seemed to use the numbad quite a lot, but I didn't check if it is easy to remap those keys to other keys.

I haven't tried since I don't have a laptop, but those keys can all be remapped so I don't think it's a problem. I did hear rumours about it breaking if you remap the controls, but mine works fine.

I just installed the game, got a DLL fix which allowed it to actually run without crashing, then applied the compatibility fix - and it worked :D

THANK YOU! :D

I think people have been searching for a solution to this issue for years,

Now I just need to figure out how to get Instant Action working without crashing at the end of the loading screen.
EDIT: The first mission of the campaign (at least) and the tutorials all work fine. There must be something wonky which only affects the Instant Action mode.

Where can I get this game?

HERE

Thanks!

My pleasure :)

My pleasure. I've played up to mission 11 or so without any serious hitch. It did crash a few times after missions, especially failed ones, but nothing major. Mine also crashes consistently on Instant Action. I'll play around a bit more with the compatibility settings and see if I can get it working. For now I'm just enjoying the campaign.

You are my new best friend.

Anyway, I read about your fix on facebooks HG2 group and it inspired me to try to fix the constant IA crashing.

I managed a couple of diffrient fixes, which sadly, only worked temporarily. I was only able to get about 5 launches per method with working IA before it completely crapped out. I don;t know if it was just luck that made it work, but still...

But, besides the IA fix I think I might have found a alternate way to remove the culling, although your method is better. (Mine takes 2 diffrient compat fixes, yours just needs 1) But then again, it could have just been luck that they worked.

Anyway, here are the notes that I made while working on it, as well as a youtube video from me testing a earlier fix.

http://pastebin.com/PZF3CtCZ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK6u41SNC9Q&feature=youtu.be

Anyway, I'm not going to be able to do anymore work on it for now. I decided to do a fresh install of HG2 to continue testing other ideas, but I've forgotten how I forced the IAS sound test to work (IThe program that pops up when you run HG2 for the first time) and until I can force it to work, I'm not going to be doing anything.

I didn't mention this in my notes, but I'd really like to find out what diffrences their are between Antivisions release of HG2 and Xplosiv's re-release of HG2. As for stuff in the notes, most of the good stuff is in the other section. It's pretty much my other idea's that I've yet to test, and my thoughts on just what is causing the constant IA crashes even though the campaign and tuts work fine.

Edit - As for control configs, you should be able to drop in modified control files and load it up. I think that this works, although I've heard that you can't actually modify the controls ingame on win7.

As for the config itself, I jokingly call this game the game with the control config from hell. Yes, it is that annoying.

Anyway, I have a control config file... somewhere. It's been a long time since I made it, but I do think that I wrote down the essential changes I made.

Ah, found it. I'm just going to copy and paste it.

I had to change almost every freaking control and use key combos as well (ctrl/alt + insert key here) I've changed all multiplayer stuff to f? - f?? keys and all squad stuff is now ctrl + num ???

Weapon cycleing is done with the mouse now. Left to fire, right to change mounted weapons, wheel to cycle hand held weapon.

If you use ECM/ECCM then its alt+e now instead of ctrl + e.

Anyway, most movement is done with the main keyboard now. foward and back are w and s, steer left and right are a and d, strafe left and right are q and e. I've left roll down to center torso (From commands list) the same since rarely use those particular controls. crouch and stand are ctrl + q and ctrl + e. Wheels (SMS) is ctrl + w. jumping is space, jumpjets are ctrl + w.

I tried to leave most of the weapons controls alone but there wrre some that i had to change. radar mode is now x. nearest enemy is f1, targeting laser is c and infared view is v.

Most other controls are the same, but there might have been something i missed but its most likely a control you won't need anyway.

Put on pastebin. Just copy it all to a txt, and save it as whatever.dff and place the file in HG2\Shell\bindings. After that start up hg2, go to options, control config and hit load. Select it from the list hit load again, accept then main menu.

http://pastebin.com/UUvB7GUV

Hmm.. holding down ESC while Instant Action loads seems to be doing the trick for me (so far at least) - thanks for the fix and for sharing your ideas :)

Thanks for your efforts. Pressing ESC to launch IA is the single most random fix I've ever come across XD But hey it works!

Man i love you, i have been looking for a fix like this for a long time.

Now i just have to find where i put my old HG2 copy.

I have a question. I used to play this on my old computer, I got a new computer, it installs but crashes as soon as you hit play. I am running Windows 7 and know that others play on Windows 7. I installed Directx 6.1 and then updated back to 11. Uninstalled and reinstalled. Cant figure it out!! HELP!!!

Is there a fix for the inside-out levels for Win XP?