Hi,

I recently updated to Windows 8 and re-installed BoB2 but since doing so I cannot get BoB to run anymore.

If I run it normally it crashes to desktop immediately and if I run it in XP compatibility mode I can get into the game but the menu screens are all messed up.

Has anyone managed to get this game running with Windows 8 and if so how?

Thanks for your help,
Dusty

This isn't the answer that you're looking but nevertheless somehow related to the topic:
- Why would someone want to update from Windows 7 (64bit version) to Windows 8 IN A DESKTOP?!

Updating to Windows 8 is only usefull and "good" for TABLETS and LAPTOPS (specially the ones that supports touchscreens) and the reasons are (advantages of Windows 8 over Windows 7):
- Touchscreen support which usually isn't something usefull for a desktop.
- Less power consumption which is irrelevant for a desktop (since it doesn't get its power supply from a battery)
- Uses less RAM memory but you would only notice this in systems that have low RAM memory (like for example 1GB of RAM). Desktops usually have nowadays at least 4GB RAM or more so you won't notice any improvements regarding this (gain in performance in Windows 8) in a Desktop with 4GB of RAM or more.

Otherwise the performance in games is usually the same between Windows 7 and Windows 8 and some games even run better in Windows 7 than in Windows 8 and with the later you'll get lots of compatibility problems such as the one you're having with BoBII.

My advise: Don't use Windows 8 in your desktop. Install (or reinstall if it was the case) Windows 7 64 Bit! This problem that you have with Windows 8 will only be one is many that you will certainly have in the future regarding PC games (and not only)!

Hi

Go to A2A forums. Others there have been working the problem before.

Hi,

I upgraded from Win7 to Win8 purely on price. I needed another copy of Windows for a new build and Win8 was significantly cheaper than Win7.
I have installed approximately 30 games on the Windows 8 build and have only experienced problems with BoB2 so I dont agree with the comment "with the later you'll get lots of compatibility problems such as the one you're having with BoBII."

I have looked on the A2A forum as suggested but cannot see any mention of Windows 8 so if anyone has any suggestions? (Apart from go back to Win7 as this in not an option now)

Thanks,
Dusty

I would say that you've been "lucky" so far. I remember to have read that there was an another game but this one recent (sorry I forgot this game's name) that if you put it's graphical setting on Maximum (running on Windows 8) that you wouldn't see any graphics at all (despite the game being loaded aparently well) - You would need to set the graphics on Medium to run it OK. What I'm trying to say is that many wierd problems can occur while running on Windows 8 and many of them you would only notice sometime later and not imediatly. And of course the older the game is the higher the probability of having problems with an modern OS such as Windows 8.

And why don't you use your old Windows 7 copy in your new build?

Hi Dusty,

I haven't got Win 8 so I don't have a solution but I should think it absolutely possible that you can get the old girl to work with Win8, until proven otherwise.

I hope the BDG chaps have some ideas. They come by here once in a while as you can see from the recent postings regarding the release of BoB 2.12.

Hang in there Dusty!

I have posted in the BDG Beta Forum for anyone who has windows 8 and gave this link, but I know of "noone" running windows 8 on the BDG team and I have not had anyone asking for windows 8 help on the BOBII forum until your post.

Sorry, but we will need someone who has windows 8.

Sorry, must have been thinking CoD. Try the Win8 advice there. There were plenty of people having probs with Win8 there until a clever user came with a 'hack'. Maybe it will work with BoB2.

H

Hi,
I recently upgraded from vista 64 bit to windows 8 pro 64 bit. Installed BOB 2 from the disk to C:\Battle of Britain II then installed the 2.12 patch, everything runs great. I have an AMD 64x2 duel core 5000+ 2.6 processor and an nvidia geforce 9800gt video card and 4g of ram, not the most up to date system but BOB II seems to run faster than it did on vista which had 2.11 installed

Thanks for the post about BOBII and windows 8.

Did you do anything with any settings or did you just do a fresh install (no previous BOBII install) and run it?

I did not do anything with any settings, just a fresh install.

This may help

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=36078

CoD win8 fix info

H

Having a problem here too - on Win 8 64 now and NEVER had issues w BoB 2.11 prior to the upgrade on Win 7 64 (upgraded to Win 8 a few months ago). I'm getting an CTD EVERY time I fly - but to be fair I'm only flying one mission...Turkey Shoot IA...default mission settings. The error seems to be the elusive d3d9.dll error (log report below) but this never happened on Win 7. No hardware has changed either...using GTX 570 with latest drivers...and no compatibility issues with any other games, including legacy sims like Total Air War, European Air War, and JF-18.

The program opens fine, and the mission starts fine...smooth and looks great. Then - the longer I fly - I start noticing the water gets really grainy...and choppy...then finally the choppiness turns into macro stutters...which turn into long pauses...then CTD. The error is the same every time.

ONE bit of info that may help (although easygrip had no issues) - you can't "disable composition" or "disable visual themes" in Win 8 like you could in Win 7...not sure if that has anything to do with it. Background processes are at a minimum on my rig and I have my BoB folder excluded from my AV program.

Here's my log - any help would be IMMENSELY appreciated.

------------ Begin of section written with bob.exe, Build/Rebuild all date: Dec 21 2012 17:39:32 ---------------------------
bob.exe caused a EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION in module d3d9.dll at 0023:69267013
Exception handler called in drawloop.
Read from location 00000060 caused an access violation.
Code: ff 60 60 90 90 90 90 90 f6 46 18 01 8b 46 20 57
Stack dump:
Stack: 0023:69267013 (0x0A2AACC0 0x0A2AACC0 0x0A2AACC4 0x0A2AD768) d3d9.dll
Stack: 0023:69289D16 (0x0A2AACC0 0x00000004 0x00000000 0x00000000) d3d9.dll, DebugSetMute()+3167 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:69289832 (0x0A2AACC0 0x00000004 0x00000000 0x00000000) d3d9.dll, DebugSetMute()+1915 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:0052728D (0x12EB691C 0x000002AA 0x00862E60 0x00000002) bob.exe, DynamicVertexBuffer::Flush()+4637 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\lib3d\renderd3d9.cpp, line 1151+108 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:0052779A (0x00000001 0x00000002 0x00000000 0x13BDFB60) bob.exe, DynamicVertexBuffer::Render()+634 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\lib3d\renderd3d9.cpp, line 1380+12 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:00529B1B (0x00000001 0x6B3B239E 0x050686C0 0x05564348) bob.exe, Renderer::Render()+59 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\lib3d\renderd3d9.cpp, line 4045+29 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:005BB4B3 (0x00000001 0x131E20BC 0x050686C0 0x131E1D90) bob.exe, ThreeDee::DrawVisibleObjects()+1377 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\3d\3dcode.cpp, line 6558
Stack: 0023:0060183C (0x131E1D90 0x08542410 0x601ED457 0x09BC7310) bob.exe, ThreeDee::render3d()+2227 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\3d\3dcode.cpp, line 2073
Stack: 0023:00601C56 (0x084F0048 0x131E1D90 0x08542410 0xDFE57BD2) bob.exe, ThreeDee::render()+124 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\3d\3dcode.cpp, line 4840
Stack: 0023:0041A13E (0x09BC7310 0xDFE57ADE 0x00000000 0x12C5E010) bob.exe, View3d::drawloop()+357 byte(s), c:\merlin\bob\src\mfc\stub3d.cpp, line 1827
Stack: 0023:0042C8BA (0x0018FB28 0xDFE57AE6 0x00000000 0x12C5E010) bob.exe, _AfxThreadEntry()+218 byte(s), f:\dd\vctools\vc7libs\ship\atlmfc\src\mfc\thrdcore.cpp, line 109+5 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:004777B0 (0x00000000 0x76BE8543 0x12C5E010 0x13BDFFD4) bob.exe, _callthreadstartex()+27 byte(s), f:\dd\vctools\crt_bld\self_x86\crt\src\threadex.c, line 348+6 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:00477855 (0x12C5E010 0x13BDFFD4 0x77E9AC69 0x12C5E010) bob.exe, _threadstartex()+127 byte(s), f:\dd\vctools\crt_bld\self_x86\crt\src\threadex.c, line 326+5 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:76BE8543 (0x12C5E010 0x60735406 0x00000000 0x00000000) KERNEL32.DLL, BaseThreadInitThunk()+14 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:77E9AC69 (0x004777D6 0x12C5E010 0xFFFFFFFF 0x77F11D8E) ntdll.dll, RtlInitializeExceptionChain()+133 byte(s)
Stack: 0023:77E9AC3C (0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000) ntdll.dll, RtlInitializeExceptionChain()+88 byte(s)

Stack dump (old format):
13bdffdc: 004777d6 12c5e010 ffffffff 77f11d8e 00000000 00000000 004777d6 12c5e010
13bdfffc: 00000000

EAX=00000000 EBX=0000033C ECX=19569F08 EDX=00000000 ESI=13BDF6BC
EDI=69266FF8 EBP=13BDFFEC ESP=13BDFFDC EIP=77E9AC3C FLG=00010246
CS=0023 DS=002B SS=002B ES=002B FS=0053 GS=002B
Error occurred at 1/6/2013 14:39:36.
C:\Games\Battle of Britain II\bob.exe, run by Gino.
4 processor(s), type 586.
1024 MBytes physical memory.
OS: 6.1 build 7600 platform 2

Module list: names, addresses, sizes, time stamps and file times:
C:\Games\Battle of Britain II\bob.exe, loaded at 0x00400000 - 4464640 bytes - 50d4f336 - file date is 1/2/2013 14:33:50
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\d3dx9_30.dll, loaded at 0x08180000 - 2388176 bytes - 442d83c4 - file date is 3/31/2006 12:40:58
C:\Program Files (x86)\NaturalPoint\TrackIR5\NPClient.dll, loaded at 0x0a6a0000 - 9728 bytes - 50d2218f - file date is 12/19/2012 12:20:34
C:\Games\Battle of Britain II\English\text\boblang.dll, loaded at 0x0ad60000 - 679936 bytes - 437b62b2 - file date is 11/13/2007 13:40:50
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\Redit.ocx, loaded at 0x0b2b0000 - 393216 bytes - 45ab6ca9 - file date is 1/15/2007 07:59:38
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\REdtBt.ocx, loaded at 0x0b450000 - 389120 bytes - 45ab6cbc - file date is 1/15/2007 07:59:58
C:\Games\Battle of Britain II\muParser.dll, loaded at 0x10000000 - 225280 bytes - 428e0f2d - file date is 11/13/2007 18:25:56
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\Rbutton.ocx, loaded at 0x10100000 - 401408 bytes - 45ab6c8c - file date is 1/15/2007 07:59:10
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\RCombo.ocx, loaded at 0x10200000 - 466944 bytes - 45ab6c98 - file date is 1/15/2007 07:59:22
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\RRadio.ocx, loaded at 0x10500000 - 380928 bytes - 45ab6cf4 - file date is 1/15/2007 08:00:54
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\RListBox.ocx, loaded at 0x10600000 - 503808 bytes - 45ab6cda - file date is 1/15/2007 08:00:28
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\Rscrlbar.ocx, loaded at 0x10700000 - 376832 bytes - 45ab6d00 - file date is 1/15/2007 08:01:06
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\merlin\ocx\RStatic.ocx, loaded at 0x10a00000 - 385024 bytes - 45ab6d4c - file date is 1/15/2007 08:02:22
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\DINPUT8.dll, loaded at 0x662c0000 - 144896 bytes - 5010a805 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:20
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\nvd3dum.dll, loaded at 0x683f0000 - 15122280 bytes - 50b976f2 - file date is 12/3/2012 09:47:14
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\d3d9.dll, loaded at 0x69260000 - 1762304 bytes - 5010a8f5 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:14
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\dbghelp.dll, loaded at 0x6aeb0000 - 1107968 bytes - 5010884a - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:18
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\sfc_os.DLL, loaded at 0x6b030000 - 41984 bytes - 5010ab88 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:58
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\sfc.dll, loaded at 0x6b040000 - 3072 bytes - 5010ae2a - file date is 7/25/2012 20:40:44
C:\Windows\AppPatch\AcLayers.DLL, loaded at 0x6b050000 - 311296 bytes - 505a9cc6 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:45:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\WINMMBASE.dll, loaded at 0x6b2c0000 - 157184 bytes - 50108763 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:20:26
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\WINSPOOL.DRV, loaded at 0x6b2f0000 - 379904 bytes - 50108225 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:17:46
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\dwmapi.dll, loaded at 0x6b350000 - 92160 bytes - 5010899f - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:24
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MSACM32.dll, loaded at 0x6b370000 - 71680 bytes - 5010a963 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:08
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\WINMM.dll, loaded at 0x6b3b0000 - 125440 bytes - 50108681 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:20:26
C:\Windows\system32\uxtheme.dll, loaded at 0x6b3e0000 - 534528 bytes - 509b1161 - file date is 11/7/2012 19:56:54
C:\Windows\system32\apphelp.dll, loaded at 0x6b6c0000 - 675840 bytes - 505aa904 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:46:10
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\POWRPROF.dll, loaded at 0x74df0000 - 244736 bytes - 50108a3e - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:44
C:\Windows\system32\rsaenh.dll, loaded at 0x74ec0000 - 251400 bytes - 50108b66 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:33:46
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\CRYPTSP.dll, loaded at 0x74f00000 - 92672 bytes - 50108b87 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:12
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SHCORE.DLL, loaded at 0x74f20000 - 460800 bytes - 5076352f - file date is 10/10/2012 23:07:28
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MPR.dll, loaded at 0x74fa0000 - 66560 bytes - 50108b85 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:06
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\VERSION.dll, loaded at 0x75120000 - 16384 bytes - 5010aae0 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:20:14
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\midimap.dll, loaded at 0x751a0000 - 17920 bytes - 5010a96b - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:02
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\msacm32.drv, loaded at 0x751b0000 - 21504 bytes - 5010a75d - file date is 7/25/2012 21:17:46
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\HID.DLL, loaded at 0x751c0000 - 24576 bytes - 50108a90 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:36
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\oledlg.dll, loaded at 0x751d0000 - 102912 bytes - 5010a560 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:40
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\AVRT.dll, loaded at 0x751f0000 - 23656 bytes - 505aaa47 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:46:12
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ksuser.dll, loaded at 0x75200000 - 14336 bytes - 50108882 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:34:28
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\wdmaud.drv, loaded at 0x75210000 - 172032 bytes - 501085dc - file date is 7/25/2012 21:17:46
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SortWindows61.dll, loaded at 0x75240000 - 43520 bytes - 5010ab75 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:20:02
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\DSOUND.dll, loaded at 0x752b0000 - 523776 bytes - 5010a30c - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:24
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\AUDIOSES.DLL, loaded at 0x75340000 - 324344 bytes - 50986edc - file date is 11/5/2012 23:00:08
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MMDevAPI.DLL, loaded at 0x753a0000 - 307192 bytes - 505a95dd - file date is 10/25/2012 03:46:10
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\bcryptPrimitives.dll, loaded at 0x75440000 - 331952 bytes - 50108ae7 - file date is 7/25/2012 23:26:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\CRYPTBASE.dll, loaded at 0x754a0000 - 21504 bytes - 5010ad02 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:10
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SspiCli.dll, loaded at 0x754b0000 - 98816 bytes - 505a97f8 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:46:08
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MSASN1.dll, loaded at 0x754d0000 - 57344 bytes - 50108b91 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:10
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ole32.dll, loaded at 0x754f0000 - 1150160 bytes - 50986c95 - file date is 11/5/2012 22:48:28
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\USER32.dll, loaded at 0x75610000 - 1126912 bytes - 505a971d - file date is 10/25/2012 03:45:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SHELL32.dll, loaded at 0x75740000 - 17560576 bytes - 50986cf7 - file date is 11/5/2012 22:20:02
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\WININET.dll, loaded at 0x76840000 - 1775104 bytes - 509b0f06 - file date is 11/7/2012 22:25:36
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\comdlg32.dll, loaded at 0x76a00000 - 539136 bytes - 50108e6d - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:08
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\GDI32.dll, loaded at 0x76a90000 - 1022464 bytes - 507638e1 - file date is 10/10/2012 21:11:34
C:\Windows\system32\IMM32.DLL, loaded at 0x76ba0000 - 121344 bytes - 5010ab0f - file date is 7/25/2012 20:27:30
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\KERNEL32.DLL, loaded at 0x76bc0000 - 974848 bytes - 5010a926 - file date is 7/25/2012 20:19:22
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\CRYPT32.dll, loaded at 0x76cf0000 - 1591808 bytes - 50108aae - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:10
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ADVAPI32.dll, loaded at 0x76e80000 - 702464 bytes - 5010a891 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:17:50
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\msvcrt.dll, loaded at 0x76f30000 - 709632 bytes - 5010ae12 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:18
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\sechost.dll, loaded at 0x76ff0000 - 199168 bytes - 50108ade - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:54
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\clbcatq.dll, loaded at 0x771b0000 - 454656 bytes - 501081e2 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:06
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\combase.dll, loaded at 0x77230000 - 1247232 bytes - 505a976e - file date is 10/25/2012 03:45:54
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\WINTRUST.dll, loaded at 0x77370000 - 265216 bytes - 505a9691 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:45:44
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\imagehlp.dll, loaded at 0x773c0000 - 58880 bytes - 5010887e - file date is 7/25/2012 23:26:44
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\RPCRT4.dll, loaded at 0x773e0000 - 694272 bytes - 50108b02 - file date is 7/25/2012 18:10:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\DEVOBJ.dll, loaded at 0x77490000 - 120200 bytes - 501089c5 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:38:12
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MSCTF.dll, loaded at 0x774b0000 - 890880 bytes - 50a1abab - file date is 11/12/2012 22:19:24
C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.9200.16384_none_bf100cd445f4d954\COMCTL32.dll, loaded at 0x77590000 - 541184 bytes - 5010a807 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:18:08
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\PSAPI.DLL, loaded at 0x77680000 - 7168 bytes - 50108b86 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\OLEAUT32.dll, loaded at 0x77690000 - 551936 bytes - 50108a69 - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:40
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SETUPAPI.dll, loaded at 0x77720000 - 1752064 bytes - 5010810b - file date is 7/25/2012 21:19:58
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\CFGMGR32.dll, loaded at 0x778d0000 - 284456 bytes - 50108b0b - file date is 7/25/2012 21:38:12
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\SHLWAPI.dll, loaded at 0x77920000 - 246784 bytes - 501080af - file date is 7/25/2012 21:20:00
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\KERNELBASE.dll, loaded at 0x77960000 - 665600 bytes - 50988950 - file date is 11/5/2012 21:51:48
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\iertutil.dll, loaded at 0x77be0000 - 1684992 bytes - 509b240e - file date is 11/7/2012 22:24:24
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll, loaded at 0x77e40000 - 1409376 bytes - 505aaa82 - file date is 10/25/2012 03:46:12

------------ End of section written with bob.exe, Build/Rebuild all date: Dec 21 2012 17:39:32 ---------------------------

The d3d9.dll program is a windows program so I have no source code.

I think it is crashing in the module DebugSetMute which again I have no source code.

I would guess that you have not updated to the latest DirectX 9c level (which is a seperate DirectX that BOBII uses).

If unsure if you have the latest DirectX you can run the Microsoft Web installer here(it will update only what is needed):

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

Thanks for the reply Buddye...I definitely have the latest DX files...just yesterday I upgraded to latest NVidia drivers then to be sure...installed the DX9c June 2010 redist...followed by the web installer referenced. This is driving me crazy - not using any special NVidia settings...and double checked background processes - can't figure it out. Just hoping someone comes up with an idea that works as I DEF want to be able to fly BoBII!

Thanks again.

The latest Directx 9C is dated 4/11/2011 (per the web installer link in my post above). You state that you updated to the June 2010.

Possibly of some assistance
S!

http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=33428


EDIT
or maybe not

Got a brand new rig for my birthday and was a bit worried because it came preinstalled with Win8, but I have BOB2 running nicely under XP SP3 compatibility mode, with no problems now. FPS 50-60 with all settings maxed out at 1920x1080x32. Even my in menu videos are working again now! They haven't worked for years. BoB2 never looked better, I have to say. Phew!

Tried on Win7 compatibility but it didn't work.

Machine specs are:

Operating System: Windows 8 64-bit
Model: ASUSTeK G75VW.218
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (8 CPUs)
Memory: 8GB RAM
Gfx: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M Dedicated Memory: 3GB

Side note: I was a bit worried that BoB2 wouldn't run on Win8 so before I even tested it I had gone out and bought an extra copy of Win7, partitioned the disk and tried to install Win7 on the partition.

You can't install Win7 onto a Win8 machine. Only the other way around! Grrrrrrrr.

Luckily it proved unnecessary and now I have all my favourite games up and running on Win8.

Which btw for PC owners is a perfectly useless change from Win7 if you ask me.

H

Hmmm. So you just ask for WinXP SP3 compatibility? No other adjustments required?
...How much RAM does that allow? will it run WinXP but with all available RAM, or
does it top out at the 32 bit limit?

Nope, spoke too soon. Started a campaign, after 3 frags got the D3D9 error.

Oh well, can still run it on my old PC when I want to...but not good for the future of the sim if we cant fix this.