PK: Black Installation Issues HELP!!!

[mrandoc]

I installed PK: Black and played through the first 4 chapters successfully until I got to the 4th boss. Upon beating the boss I came across a bug that stalled the game out (didn't crash, just hung) and refused to allow me to advance to the next level. I installed the 1.61 patch and beat the boss again, this time it allowed me to advance. However, installing this patch created "scripting errors" every time I tried to save the game. This got very annoying and I decided to save my saved games and reinstall.

Well I uninstalled, and now reinstalling is not working. It asks if I want to install, I say yes, and then it just sits there and does NOTHING.

Does anybody have any idea what is causing this? Thanks very much in advance.

[mrandoc]

After restarting my computer and doing seemingly nothing else of consequence, I managed to reinstall. Now, when I try to start the game, it waits a few seconds and then DIES and gives me the "do you want windows to send an error report" window. It continues to do this post-patch. My God, what do I have to do to get this game to work?

[Varus77]

Welcome to the forum...

OK...posted by JoeKolba from PCF advice:


As there may have been corruption during the installation, please
uninstall Painkiller through your Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs
utility. Then, delete the Painkiller folder as follows:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on the Run button.
3. Type "C:\Program Files\DreamCatcher" without the quotes into
the Open box, and click OK.
4. Right-click on the Painkiller folder and select Delete.
5. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
6. Once deleted, click on the Start button.
7. Click on All Programs, point to the Dreamcatcher folder,

right-click on the Painkiller folder and select Delete.
When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.

Next, restart your computer using a clean boot procedure by following
these steps:

NOTE: You may experience a temporary loss of some services functionality
when you follow these steps. Restoring the settings restores the
functionality, but may result in the return of the original error
message or behavior.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type "msconfig" without the quotes, and then
click OK.
3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
4. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the following check
boxes:
-Process SYSTEM.INI File
-Process WIN.INI File
-Load Startup Items
5. On the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft
Services check box, and then click Disable All.
6. Click OK, and then click Restart.
7. Once your computer restarts and the notification window for
the System Configuration appears, place a checkmark in the box to hide
the window from future sessions and click the OK button.

For your save problem:

NOTE: Version 1.61 includes all changes and enhancements from previous
Painkiller updates. Also note, installing this patch will break
any previous savegames that are not autosaves.
^^ delete all older saves and check and delete empty folders inside of the savegames folder too.

[mrandoc]

Thanks for the help, I will try this stuff when I get home. I have to say, though, having to start up my PC in a limited mode like that just to play Painkiller is more than a little inconvienient.

As for the patch/save issues, I knew the old non-auto savegames would no longer work, but I didn't realize the game would go nuts and create "script error" dialogs whenever I tried to make a NEW save. That seems very sloppy. Shouldn't I be able to hang onto at least the autosaves? If not, is there anywhere I can download an autosave with the 5th chapter unlocked?

Thanks

[PeTjA]

Write me a PM, 5 Star finished Savegame?

[mrandoc]

Well I've uninstalled and reinstalled a few times now, and I just cannot get the game to launch. After my latest reinstall, the opening DreamCatcher movie starts playing for about 2 seconds before the whole thing crashes and dumps me back to the desktop. Installing the 1.61 patch does not seem to change anything, nor does the "clean boot" procedure you outlined. I am making sure before each reinstall that there is no Painkiller folder remaining before I reinstall, like you said. Is it possible that registry entries are doing this? I am getting very close to giving up here.

Again, thanks in advance for the help. Oh, and to Petja, thank for the offer, but of course I can't use the savegame until I can actually get the game to run.

[Varus77]

I guess we have at all different failures causing this problems.

Can you copy your CD/DVD to HD? (Looks like you have a bad CD now).
((don't patch before the game is installed and running successful))

[mrandoc]

It's almost as if the DVD is degenerating before my eyes. Now the installer program on the DVD bombs out (and does the error report thing) when I try to run it. I think it's either time to give up or send it in to Dreamcatcher and get a replacement disc.

[mrandoc]

Ok, this is the fault of a flakey DVD drive. I scavenged the DVD drive from my old PC and now the game works fine. Can someone just give me a quick recap of what happens in the 4th cutscene? I missed it.

[mrandoc]

At the end of the 5th chapter I got the same lockups on the replaced DVD drive. There is something wrong with the DVD. I wonder has anyone else had problems with their Painkiller Black DVDs?