Anyone else have a problem launching this game? I am in contact with The Adventure Shop regarding the error message I get and hope to hear from them. I thought maybe someone else posted here that they had this problem "RATOF.exe has encountred a problem and needs to close." If so how did you 'fix' it?I have downloaded the 4 files provided in their email and installed the game twice with same results when I try to play it....I send Gina into the Crypt in the cemetery and the game crashes to my desktop, cannot seem to get any further than this. Thanks for any suggestions
Love, Betty Lou

They'll most likely ask you to update your audio and video drivers. Which isn't a bad idea - are they current?

There's also a patch available - have you applied it?

Runaway 3: A Twist Of Fate Patch 1.11

Short of that, you might try asking for a save game near the point you're crashing. I'd be surprised if someone didn't have one.

One of these days I've got to pick up a copy of the game, I really enjoyed the first two.

I BAAGed mine as a download from The Adventure Shop got it cheaper that way.
Thanks for that link to the DriverMender software, and I have tried to download it but it will not 'launch' as it says "Ariel Font does not support Regular" whatever that means?
I could ask in HINTS etc for a saved game but will this solve my problem? Won't the game continue to give me trouble if that one file is bad?
Love, Betty Lou

I think you followed the wrong link. You want to download the game patch (not the advertisement for Driver Scan). Because you have a download version it may already be patched (Dave at Interact will know).

Your game may or may not continue to crash if someone can get you a save just past that point. It's impossible to know without trying.

If you know your PC specs post them, as well as the audio and video driver versions. Then we can look to see if you're current.

Inferno has a set of instructions at the top of the fourm (under the Grand old Threads).

OK, I'll dump that DriverMender. And I've done a Belarc analysis of my computer = WINXP Home Ed Svc Pk 3 Build 2600. Processor = 2.80 gig Pentium 4, 16 KB pmc, 1024 KB smc. Drives = 320.05 GB Usable Hard Dr Capacity, 182.41 GB H D Free Space Display = NVIDIA GeForce FX5200
Does that help? And Thanks
Love, Betty Lou

The latest driver for that card is 175.19 - if yours is older than that, download and install it from the link below.

GeForce Release 175

You can identify your current driver from Dxdiag. Click Start, Run - enter DXDIAG and press Okay. Once the utility collects all your information peruse to the Display tab to view it(it's in the Drivers section).

While you're there make sure all DirectX Features are enabled.

Hi Betty
I don't think your video card is supported for this game.

According to the system requirements I found, the game needs a 128 MB DirectX 9 compatible graphics card. According to ***this***, both the AGP and the PCI versions of the Geforce FX 5200 are DirectX 9.0b compatible. So as long as the card has at least 128 MB of discrete video RAM, the specs say it should work. However the specs could be a lie.

Well, I've also done the DXDIAG and it says my approx. total memory is 128.0MB, DDI Version 9 or higher...did all the tests involved and it says everything AOK. BUT I looked at one list in that diagnosis and it says "DirectX Files = directx.cpl is an old version (1997)and could cause a problem" it has a yellow triangle in front of it (in the list) with an exclamation point on it. is this helpful at all? Am I just "out of luck"? Thanks for your help
Love, Betty Louy

Click the Display tab in Dxdiag and look at the driver version - it looks like this:



What are the numbers after Version: ?

The cpl is just the applet in Control Panel - that wont cause any issue so fa as I am aware.

OK. DirectX Drivers Version 6.14.0011.7519 (Enlish)
Love, Betty Lou

Your video drivers are as up to date as they can be -

Edit -

There are a couple of things you can try. Older drivers are still available on nVidia's web site; try the 93.71 set from the page below. These generally work better on older hardware.

NVIDIA Driver Downloads

There are also drivers available at LaptopVideo2Go (which has Desktop drivers as well)- I'm running a set authored by Microsoft, unfortunately their download section in having issues so I can't provide a link yet. As soon as it's resolved, I'll post it.

OK. I clicked on your link, and after several attempts to get to the downloads I finally did. Here is what I have done: NVIDIA, Download Drivers, Product Series (? 5 FX - cause I have 5200FX ?, not sure if I did that right but believe so), Product GeForce FX5200, SEARCH (clicked on that button and it gave me this = "Recommended by NVIDIA" + GeForce Release 175.19 July 7, 2009 WHQL.....Download = Agree/Run, already on PC, overwrite? YES! and "restart computer now?" YES.
I then reloaded the game and played from the beginning (cancelled my 2 other saved games) and saved again just before going behind the crypt...crash! and I have tried 3 or 4 hardware acceleration settings to no avail. I await your next link to see what I can do there. Thanks for your help
Love, Betty Lou

The 93.71 drivers would be these
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_93.71_2.html

Ah - I see my link didn't carry the information I entered.

Use the link Jenny pointed to - let us know if the help.

"Download Accelerator" utilities should be disabled when downloading any drivers.
This is one of the 'hints' I am reading before downloading drivers as they instruct me to do. What does this mean and where do I find this "DA"?
Love, Betty Lou

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download_accelerator
Examples would be GetRight or GoZilla.
As far as I can tell, you're not using one.
Just download like you usually would.

OK, I used your last link Jenny100 (not the wikkpedia one) and downloaded the driver and when asked "run" did so got message (you have already, overwrite? and said Yes, finished download and launch and automatically restarted computer. Started game again and it still crashes. I am going to ask for a saved game in HINTS and see if that will do the trick to get me past the very beginning without crashing. If you have any further helps for me I will keep checking back here and I will let you know if I am successful or not in proceeding. Thanks to you both for your kind attention
Love, Betty Lou

A save would be easiest if this is the only place where the game crashes. Let us know if you continue to have problems with crashing.

I haven't found anyone (yet) with a saved game to 'share' with me. I expect if someone has one they will contact me either here in Hints or by email. Thanks for your help. I will keep you advised if/when something comes of it.
Love, Betty Lou

I don't have this game.
Asking in Hints is your best bet.

Hi, Betty Lou! Ah, misery loves company. I'm experiencing the exact same problem. My game crashed in Chapter 3 (discovery of Madagasgar queen spider). Error message the same...RATOF.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. My audio and video drivers are more upto date than any applied patch (no I don't want to apply an older version!) I've downloaded patches, uninstalled, reinstalled, only to arrive at the same frustrating place...unable to launch game!!! ANY SUGGESTIONS from the technical staff???

So it lets you play up to a certain point in Chapter 3, and after that won't even let you start the game anymore?

That sounds suspiciously like the situation described in the description of this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKUPYMxkbVY

The information about "trigger functions" is also found on the ***SecuROM website***.

SecuROM has versions both for disc and for online activation. If the game is a downloaded game, it's still possible for one of the authenticity checks to fail (for example if SecuROM is trying to access the Internet during the game and a firewall blocks it).

Yes, Jenny, I'm in Chapter 3 and when I launch the game there is sound but no video with error message as described above. SecuRom may definitely be the player in all of this. It's beyond my understanding! And here I thought a simple patch would do the trick...silly me! Any support from the publisher- Focus Home Interactive?

Check your PM's Michele -

Thanks, InlandAZ for all the info. I received a link from Runaway Int.(patch.111). I first uninstalled the entire game,then, updated my drivers (most recent update from Nvidia released 7/10), reinstalled the game, and lastly downloaded and ran the patch.
Starting play from the beginning. Hopefully this sequence of steps will be the ticket. I won't know until I arrive at that magical moment in Chapter 3. Stay tuned !

Let us know how it goes -

FYI - game now works like a charm! I'm well into Chapter 4 and truly love the Runaway series.

Glad you go it sorted out -

This game has been on my radar for some time - I've really got to get a copy.