Alright so I just got this game and started it up after installing it. The Sierra logo starts to come up and then abruptly freezes. I then press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to get out, but now the game doesn't start up any more even when I reinstalled the game. So what's going on here?

It could be, that on the first run, the game tries to create files or registry entries for configuration. If this is failing and the game crashes, further starts could be corrupted.

There are several things you can try.

1. Uninstall the game
2. Install it in compatibility mode (right-click the installer and set compatibility mode to Win XP or even older)
3. Install the game into a custom folder outside of Program Files (choose during installation)
4. Try running the game, wait to see if it's really a freeze or maybe just a timeout
5. If it freezes, try starting it as administrator

I tried that, but it still doesn't work. Any other suggestions?

Maybe it's a resolution problem of some kind.
Do you have any fancy configuration (dual screen, exceptional high or low desktop resolution, very old hardware etc. and what OS are you using XP, Vista, Win7 ... 32 or 64bit ?)

Make sure your graphics driver is up-to-date.

Try combinations of
- running the game in compatibility mode (with and without a forced resolution of 640x480)
- various Desktop resolutions (e.g. 1024x768); Desktop resolution should be equal or higher than game resolution;

The game stores video settings in \data\gcvideo.dat
Move the file to a backup location, so the game has to create a new file.
Now, when you start the game, a configuration window appears. Try different configurations, starting with the simple and standard ones.

I'm using Win7 32 bit version, and to the best of my knowledge I don't have any "fancy configuration".

Found the resolution patch for the game. It works now.

I thought so, there was a resolution conflict of some kind, which the patch solved. Probably it can be done without the patch due to configuration. Nonetheless, high-res is nice!

The resolution patches out there are all unofficial and not maintained by a modding community, which makes it riskier to install them. Especially with GC the game's executional files have to be replaced. Hence, check all these unofficial hacks using a virus scanner or better an online meta scanner. You don't want Ground Control to become Remote Control ;-)

Now I have the retail version of GC1 with the expansion (came free since I sent in a card showing I owned GC). I remembered having to apply a patch before the game would work (and boy did many of us get on the studios case over this - especially since some of us were beta testers and that version worked fine). Anyhow. I have tried compat settings all the way down to win xp sp1. No go.

I have checked all the boxes in the compat setting except for 256 and 640x480 (I did try the 640x480 but no luck either).

I didn't want to spend $500 on the Geforce 680m and since they were upgrading me (Alienware) for free from the 660m to the AMD 7970M, figure give AMD a chance. Well so far I wish I had spent $500 (sorry AMD but this has been the most problematic graphics card I have had since the Matrox G400 back circa late 1990's). Anyhow I went into the AMD settings and turned all the fancy AA, FXAA, etc. off or to the lowest (I miss my Nvidia Control Panel, so much more features I could adjust) but still no luck.

In terms of GOG version, I have seen many games that have had issues, with Windows 7 64bit and Win 8. I honestly do not know what machines they are using to testing, but they need to reveal the specs of the machines they did test it on, so buyers know. Also they might want to do a survey, so they can then try to test the hardware that seems to be the most used or something along those lines.

Ironically it works on my Desktop which is also Win 7 64bit but with an Nvidia 580 SC EVGA (yes I know it is all the other hardware and software that makes this an apples to oranges comparison).

However I discovered that the one on the Alienware never created the file gcvideo.dat. Also what could be causing issues is that the Ivy Bridge iGPU might be causing confusion for the game (I have seen this as an issue before).

Curious to know if anyone else found a solution without having to resort to the resolution patch or switching the graphics to discrete only.