Can't launch NWN

[Legacy_TheOOB]

               Everytime I try to launch NWN, I get a black screen for a second, and a dialog box that says "Neverwinter Nights has stopped working", and the game exists out. No matter what I try I can't get the game to work. For the record, I am using Neverwinter Nights Diamond edition on a CD. Here are my computer specs.

Windows Vista Buisiness 32 bit
AMD Athelon X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+
4GB Ram
ATI Raedon 4600 Series Video Card
Onboard ASUS motherboard sound

I have tried running the game in multiple different compadibility modes, resinstalling the game, altering the cpu affinity, updating ym drivers, and disabling the intro movies with no success. I have been abel to run the game on this computer in the past, but now it simply will not work. Any advice?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

TheOOB wrote...
 I have been abel to run the game on this computer in the past, but now it simply will not work. Any advice?

So exactly what has changed on this machine since it ran ok? 

Which version(s) of DirectX are installed now?

Diamond version was sold in CD form?  Hmm.  Thought it was only ever marketed as a DVD. :S
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOOB]

               Nothing hardware wise changed in the machine since it worked last, I haven't cracked the machine open to do anything other than clean in in quite some time. I'm running DirectX 11 according to the diag tool.

It is the DVD version, I mistyped.

Also I did install the most recent critical rebuild from NWNvault, the HotU version.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

TheOOB wrote...
I'm running DirectX 11 according to the diag tool.

Load a lower version.  All DirectX 10 versions would work just fine.

Although it is possible to run multiple DirectX versions in parallel (as some members have indicated in other threads), I would be of little help to instruct you how to do so (...Anybody have a procedure link to offer about this?). 

If you have a system restore available from when a previous DirectX version was being used, revert to it and retest running the game... at least that's the easiest method if one is available.  If it doesn't resolve the game crashing, it could be a compound problem with the DirectX as only one of the issues.

If you are using a Catalyst driver, there may be some tweaking needed via the driver utility.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOOB]

               I'm not sure if a system restore is reasonable, but I'll look into it. I am using a catalyst driver, but I wouldn't know what tweaking would need to be done.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Gorath Alpha]

               NWN1 was primarily OpenGL, and Radeon driver support for OpenGL has been spotty since the days of the X1900 XT.  You need the same driver that worked before, whatever it was.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

TheOOB wrote...
I'm not sure if a system restore is reasonable, but I'll look into it. I am using a catalyst driver, but I wouldn't know what tweaking would need to be done.

IIRC there is a version of DirectX on the Diamond DVD that you can use but you would need to uninstall the version 11 one there now.  At least, that is the way I would approach it.  However, if you have OTHER apps that require the latest DirectX version, you will need to figure out how to run both versions.

As for becoming familiar with the Catalyst Control Center, if you poke around some of the topics here in the tech subforum, especially those that address issues with ATI/AMD, there have been recommendations about adjustments to be made to get NWN to run better.  Most are related to Win7 but still apply to Vista machines.  Though Gorath's suggestion is certainly valid, the newer Catalyst drivers will work as well but may require some settings experimentation.  identifying the original "functional" driver is a short cut to the experimental route.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Skildron]

               No need to uninstall DirectX 11, DirectX 9 can be installed alongside with it. And about the ATi/AMD graphics drivers, the last version that worked flawlessly with NWN in my experience was 11.4. In all newer versions, there are subtle changes to the openGL version which comes with the driver that render NWN and the toolset unstable.

Greetings
Skildron
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ShinsFortress]

               I think it's the driver.  I too have an ATI card and now NWN1 no longer runs.  NWN2 is fine, but NWN1 has stopped working.  Literally.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TheOOB]

               I eventually rolled back the driver, and the game is working now. Thanks for the help all.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_R-TEAM]

               Hi,

haved an similar problem....
Just stoped NWN working ... crashes after screen goes black for the Atari logo ...
Have found that one of the newer ATI drivers (have 12.4 actual) breaks the compatibility with NWN AND CatalystAI .... if i switch off catalystAI the game runs fine ...

BUT - without CatalystAI - no character is shown on screen - all ghostet ...
Solution -> Disable CreatureEnvironmentMapping as it crashes the poor opengl ati drivers without optimization (rewrite) of the catalystAI ... and catalystai stoped working with NWN 1 ...

Regards
R-TEAM