Posted May 21, 2025
I just downloaded the UltimatePatcher from the link above. I have never used this before.
I went thru all of them and it ALL. WORKED. JUST. FINE.
This all points to you doing something wrong.
Or you are trying to use some random downloaded versions and not from GoG or other official sources.
Or you are using an Ultima already modified in a way the patcher is unaware of.
Or your system is not setup correctly in some really really weird way (installed in Program Files? That is a gamer no no. Ain't nobody should be doing this for decades).
Reality check:
"Lord British" has not touched these PC games in forever, decades even. Akalabeth was the last one even touched on an official release, the 1998 Ultima Collection CD, and it was just a port of the Apple II version to MS-DOS by a fan that was then made official by being included in this collection.
"Lord British", more than likely, does not care what anyone does with these old games as long as those "anyones" have a legit copy and they do not try selling it as their own, changed/modified or otherwise. Even then, he probably does not care anymore, and it would be EA who cares as it is they who control the Ultima IP since 1992. It would be EA mucking around with them if anyone. And based on my results above, they have not been mucking around in them, and seemingly they don't care either as long as it is legit copy and you don't try to sell anything as your own.
Attached picture showing proof that my Ultima 4 patched just fine with a number of the patcher options.
Based on the error you are giving, it is pointing to the patcher itself or its folder structure.
Does that folder, "Files" and "U4EGAUpgrade" actually exist with files in it? There should be 83 other folders under the Files folder. Attached snip of what it looks like for me.
Are you using 3rd party anti-virus tools? Windows built in anti-virus seems fine with the Patcher files, but maybe 3rd party tools get over zealous and block them. You would have to check that yourself.
Otherwise, the only other thing I can think of is that whatever you used to decompress the patcher did not do it correctly. Or you are trying to run the patcher from inside the compressed file itself (double clicking the exe file inside the compressed file). Windows usually warns about this though. And since you mention a D:\UltimaPatcher I assume it is at least partly decompressed into this folder.
Post edited May 21, 2025 by zandrag