Lets try this again! Who is up for playing direct IP?

[Overmind One]

AHA!!!! So THAT's why the game looked so darn ugly to me! This screenshot looks a lot better than what I got when I played it. Tell me bro, what is the fix?

Try this RIGHT NOW. The difference is amazing.

EDIT: Making it easy...I have attached the file you need. Paste it in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are running 32-bit, or in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are 64-bit. Works in Vista or Windows 7.

1. Download attachment to desktop, rename to age2.bat
2. Go to game directory, and paste. Give permission to continue.
3. Play game the way its supposed to be seen!

 

[Joelist]

Try this RIGHT NOW. The difference is amazing.

EDIT: Making it easy...I have attached the file you need. Paste it in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are running 32-bit, or in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are 64-bit. Works in Vista or Windows 7.

1. Download attachment to desktop, rename to age2.bat
2. Go to game directory, and paste. Give permission to continue.
3. Play game the way its supposed to be seen!

Yep. Basically it's that AoEII is just too old to interact properly with the newer Windows Graphical Layer employed by Vista and 7. So you need to bypass it which the patch code does.

 

[Overmind One]

1. Yep. Basically it's that AoEII is just too old to interact properly with the newer Windows Graphical Layer employed by Vista and 7. So you need to bypass it which the patch code does.

Sometimes, you have to do it the old way:

1. Start the game
2. Do an Alt+Tab to minimize
3. Do an Alt+Ctrl+Del to bring up task manager
4. Click Processes
5. End explorer.exe
6. Click Programs, click empires.exe
7. Play game with much better graphics
8. When game ends, bring up task manager, click Start New Task, the type explorer.exe

The batch file is supposed to stop explorer, then start it when the executable is terminated.

 

[Joelist]

Sometimes, you have to do it the old way:

1. Start the game
2. Do an Alt+Tab to minimize
3. Do an Alt+Ctrl+Del to bring up task manager
4. Click Processes
5. End explorer.exe
6. Click Programs, click empires.exe
7. Play game with much better graphics
8. When game ends, bring up task manager, click Start New Task, the type explorer.exe

The batch file is supposed to stop explorer, then start it when the executable is terminated.

Yep. Stopping explorer is the trick to bypass the Graphical Layer (specifically the DWM).

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Try this RIGHT NOW. The difference is amazing.

EDIT: Making it easy...I have attached the file you need. Paste it in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are running 32-bit, or in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are 64-bit. Works in Vista or Windows 7.

1. Download attachment to desktop, rename to age2.bat
2. Go to game directory, and paste. Give permission to continue.
3. Play game the way its supposed to be seen!

Thanks. I've already made the batch file. (just saved it as "age2.bat" directly from notepad)
I'm wondering though how this is by itself going to work. Isn't there a little piece of information missing from the instructions you gave?
Should I have the shortcut to AOEII point to the batch file or something?

 

[Overmind One]

Thanks. I've already made the batch file. (just saved it as "age2.bat" directly from notepad)
I'm wondering though how this is by itself going to work. Isn't there a little piece of information missing from the instructions you gave?
Should I have the shortcut to AOEII point to the batch file or something?

Follow the instructions EXACTLY. You need to paste the batch file in the same folder as the executable. You do not need to click the batch file once its in the directory, as it will automatically execute when you start the game from the main directory or from a shortcut.

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Follow the instructions EXACTLY. You need to paste the batch file in the same folder as the executable. You do not need to click the batch file once its in the directory, as it will automatically execute when you start the game from the main directory or from a shortcut.

Okay.
Just out of curiosity, how does the program know it has to execute a batch file that wasn't there when it was made?

 

[Overmind One]

Okay.
Just out of curiosity, how does the program know it has to execute a batch file that wasn't there when it was made?

Its part of the way operating systems work. All batch files in a directory are executed first. If you want to know more you have to study the subject.

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Its part of the way operating systems work. All batch files in a directory are executed first. If you want to know more you have to study the subject.

Alright. Perhaps it will be in the study I am starting in September.

 

[Overmind One]

Alright. Perhaps it will be in the study I am starting in September.

Batch files execute commands on the operating system level. They get executed first. But the last line of the batch file doesnt execute until the main executable has stopped. This operation is the same in all operating systems, Windows, Linux, Unix, Solaris (Unix). Batch files are still used to map network drives and other stuff. This one closes explorer.exe as long as the main executable is active, then restarts it as the last line.

 

[Stonelesscutter]

Batch files execute commands on the operating system level. They get executed first. But the last line of the batch file doesnt execute until the main executable has stopped. This operation is the same in all operating systems, Windows, Linux, Unix, Solaris (Unix). Batch files are still used to map network drives and other stuff. This one closes explorer.exe as long as the main executable is active, then restarts it as the last line.

Yeah I got that last part from reading the file.
But thanks for explaining.

 

[Graybrew1]

Try this RIGHT NOW. The difference is amazing.

EDIT: Making it easy...I have attached the file you need. Paste it in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are running 32-bit, or in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires II\" if you are 64-bit. Works in Vista or Windows 7.

1. Download attachment to desktop, rename to age2.bat
2. Go to game directory, and paste. Give permission to continue.
3. Play game the way its supposed to be seen!

I can't find this file on my computer.

 

[Overmind One]

I can't find this file on my computer.

Sorry, the (x86) is for 64-bit. You are running 32-bit which means you will find it in: C:\Program Files\Age of Empires II\

 

[Graybrew1]

I went to program files, there is no Age of Empire II/......there is Microsoft Games and that has a folder of Age of Empires folder in it.

 

[Overmind One]

I went to program files, there is no Age of Empire II/......there is Microsoft Games and that has a folder of Age of Empires folder in it.

Cool, then paste it in that folder. The batch file will fix the graphics problem.

 

[Graybrew1]

Cool, then paste it in that folder. The batch file will fix the graphics problem.

Okay, I did it, let me check the game.

 

[Graybrew1]

Yes, the game is functioning correctly now. Thanks OM1.

 

[Overmind One]

Yes, the game is functioning correctly now. Thanks OM1.

No more red/green grass?

 

[Graybrew1]

No more red/green grass?

Looks much better.