So there have been a lot of players coming back to the game recently with new and improved PC's and operating systems. Unfortunately, the newer the windows version the harder it gets to play this beloved oldie.
That being said, there are ways to make it work (without lag) as I was able to get it working perfectly myself and help a few other people achieve the same.
Step 1. Download the program DxWnd, it is free. I got it from sourceforge.net. It is essentially the same sort of software as the normally recommended d3dWindower but it works much better. Not only does it take less configuration, it also gives you the ability to re-size the window on the fly. I play 1080p and granted it is a little grainy but it works great.
Step 2. Go to wherever you have Aranock.exe and right click it. Go to Properties, then click the Compatibility tab. Here set the game to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 2), you can try sp 3 also. You will want to set the game to run as administrator. Click Apply/Ok.
Step 3. Go to where you have dxwnd.exe. Right click it, go to Properties, go to the Compatibility tab and set it to run as administrator. Changing the compatibility mode is not necessary.
Step 4. Open DxWnd. Click Edit, then Add. On the Main tab, fill in the Name: field as whatever you want, i.e. Aranock. In both the Path: and Launch: fields put the fully qualified path of Aranock.exe. Easiest just to click the button next to the field, manually select and then copy and paste into the other. Then click Ok.
You may be able to play the game at this point without any further configuration. If it is not working or is lagging keep reading.
Step 5. Included in the Aranock download are two folders. One labeled DirectDraw Fix1 and the other DirectDraw Fix2. Now you must determine, through trial and error, which of these two fixes will get the game working. I can say people with Nvidia GPUs have better luck with Fix1, I myself have an AMD GPU and use Fix2. Now, pick your poison (or in this case antidote), select all of the files in the folder of your choosing and move (or copy/paste) them into the same folder as Aranock.exe. Open DxWnd if it is not already and double click Aranock or whatever you named it in the small DxWnd window. Create your character or log-in to your existing one and see if it works. If it does not try the other fix, BUT BE SURE TO REMOVE THE FILES FROM THE PREVIOUS FIX YOU TRIED.
That's all folks! It should be working for you now. If it is not, try going through this guide one more time to see if you missed something. If you are sure you did all of this and it is still not working you can PM me, I will answer and assist as much as I can when I have time.
For anyone who found a different solution, or wants to critique this feel free to leave a reply.
Admin if you feel it would be useful to make this Sticky, please do.
Good luck, and may you pass the last gate.
Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:57 pm
