Before I post my system specs I just wanted to ask:
I've just installed the game & on launch it comes up with a little error box which says 'pe17da5dca' then underneath 'write 1 err'. Help! What does that mean?

I can get the game to start playing but there is no introduction cut scene at all - is there supposed to be as it just launches straight into the gameplay area with no introduction at all (I get a menu screen okay!) Any help appreciated!

A Google search for pe17da5dca brought up a description that said

so pe17da5dca is part of the copy "protection."

I can't remember if there was an introductory cut scene.

After you hit New Game there should be a long introductory cut scene with Samuel and Cathryn, showing what happened before the fire back in the early 70s.

Thank you Jenny100 & Rushes. It does seem I'm missimg the beginning cut scene. Oh... I was having a discussion the other day about copy protection & the conclusion we came to was that it doesn't deter pirates & just makes it more difficult for honest people! I have E-mailed the makers of BM 2 & am just waiting for their reply. I will get back with any revelations if I get them!

Thank you both.

Hi Chrissie
Have you tried to uninstall and then reinstall the game ?

Here's a Youtube upload of the intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68SFe0yx_YM

Thanks Cathy for the suggestion, & Jenny for the youtube link. I have put those on hold as I have had a very speedy reply from the makers. I've sent them a DXdiag report & will post when I hear from them as I can't be the only person who has had this problem?

Chrissie:
I came very close to completely giving up on ever playing Black Mirror 2. I think I experienced every problem possible:
1. Game crashed during installation. (upgraded video card)
2. Video card wouldnt work. (installed new power supply)
3. Game would install but not pass validity check. (replaced DVD)
4. Game installed and passed validity but still would not initialize. (loaded latest video driver)
5. Game installed, passed validity, initialized, then got message about Direct X. (Loaded direct x from game-card driver CD.)
6. Yes! everything worked. (spent gobs of money to play a 30 dollar game.)
7. Was it worth it? Absolutely. BM2 takes graphics to a whole new level.

Thanks for the warning macmac!

The makers have yet again replied very quickly after sending the DX diag report. I've got an Nvidia Geforce 7600GT graphics card which they have advised downloading an update for - I was unaware that this was available last year as I've had no problems with any other games up until now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will do the trick! I really want to play this game!

Hi Chrissie
Could you check in your add/remove programs and see if you have a program called Protect Disc.
If you do that is the copy protection program that Jenny mentioned. HERE is the site where you can update the protect disc driver. Just download the file and click on it and it will update by itself. You should let us know what drivers you are using for your video card. A lot of people were having problems and we figured out that you may need an older video driver instead of a newer one to get the game to play correctly.
Good luck and let us know how it goe's.
Cathy

Hi Cathy

Thank you so much for posting that information. I will certainly let you know, when I can, what drivers I am using if it will help other players. I'm involved in other things at the mo but will definitely let you know how I get on when I get some time!

Good luck chrissie.

Cathy

I never got this game to work & have just tried again recently with updated everything including protect disc driver.

I'm still getting the 'pe17da5dca - write 1 err' before the game starts to launch - the sound is okay but I keep getting the message 'cannot be displayed in this video mode' although I have it on the recommended screen setting of 1280 x 1024 - I've also tried 1280 x 720. My refresh rate is 60HZ which seems to match that in the game config file - is there anything else I can try? I have emailed dtp again and attached another DX Diag report - I'm so disppointed I can't play the game. All suggestions appreciated!

System Specs:
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.100427-1636)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Dimension 5000
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A07
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 853MB used, 1605MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 7600 GT
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0391&SUBSYS_20B119F1&REV_A1
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Res:
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0012.6099 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/22/2010 06:23:22, 6359552 bytes

don't know if this helps but I have a GeForce 7600GT but the driver I have loaded is Version:6.14.11.9062 I played the game with no problems.

Thanks for your reply Winfrey, I've only just updated the driver & it didn't play before on the earlier version - I think it's possibly got something to do with the copy protection?

I think the game uses 1024x768.

Usually if there is a problem with the copy "protection" the game does not start at all and you don't even get as far as the "cannot be displayed in this video mode."

About the 'pe17da5dca - write 1 err',
A "write error" sounds like the game doesn't have enough permissions to run. You may have to install the game some place other than the C:\Program Files folder and play from an account with full administrator privileges. There may also be a problem with your antivirus or software firewall (if you use one) doing "real time protection" and blocking certain aspects of the game (or the copy "protection").

Thanks Jenny, I will try that game resolution!

I am the only account holder on my PC so I can't see the problem there - perhaps the anti virus real time protection is causing a problem - I know turning it off won't help with the display but maybe with the conflict with the copy protection? I'll try that!

Just tried changing the screen resolution & turning off real time scanning - doesn't work! I have a bog standard PC with a reasonable graphics card - why won't this game play?

Since your problem is to do with pe17da5dca and pe17da5dca is apparently part of the ProtectDisc copy "protection," have you tried a NoCD?

Do a Google search for
Black Mirror 2 NoCD
and look for a NoCD for the game.

NoCD's usually come as rar files, and you have to use WinRAR, 7-zip, or another archive program to extract the NoCD from the rar file before you can use it.

You might try both the English and the Multi5 NoCD's. I'm not sure which would work best. According to the site I found with Google, the Multi5 is the one for ProtectDisc and my Black Mirror 2 game had the ProtectDisc even though it was an English version of the game (which the site I Googled says uses Sisyphus copy "protection").

With the "English" NoCD you Replace the original BLACKMIRROR2.EXE file with the one you extracted from the rar file.

With the "Multi5" NoCD you Replace the original BLACK MIRROR 2.EXE & WHITEMIRROR.DLL files with the ones you extracted from the rar file.

Copy "protections" have been known to conflict with antivirus, even when the antivirus is turned off. Copy "protections" have even been known to conflict with other copy "protections." They also won't work properly if your CD/DVD drive is old or for whatever reason its rotation speed fluctuates enough to be out of range for the copy "protection's" tolerance level.

Hi Jenny, thanks for the info! I've never heard of 'NoCD' but willing to give anything a try but probably now in the next few days - will get back to you to let you know how it works out!

Have you tried loading it in safe mode?? sometimes that works.

Hi Winfrey, thank you for the suggestion - how would I do that? (I try hard but I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to technical things! )

Hi chrissie
Do you have a program called winrar on your computer ? If you don't you can get the free version HERE. Install that program and I will let you know what to do next regarding a no-cd patch ok ?
Cathy

Click Start and then click Shut Down.

In the drop-down list of the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.

As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 (you may need to hit F8 a few times quickly) when the boot menu appears.

Use the arrow keys to highlight the safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
Then load the game like you normally would... then shut down your computer and restart it and try the game... good luck

Thank you Winfrey, Jenny100 & Cathy1 for all your suggestions. I had another email back from dtp advising lots of Microsoft updates which didn't help but I was able to run a few other games better!

I tried uninstalling the game & reinstalling as an 'administrator' - the game launched, missed out the initial scene but I got graphics in the first gameplay area but forever after on launching the game I got 'cannot display this video mode'. So my system is capable of displaying the graphics.

I have tried 'safemode' - that doesn't work & tried both the english & multi5 NoCD downloads - one of them contained a trojan but that aside whatever I've done on launching the game I've always got the 'pe17da5dca - write 1 err' - the game tries to launch but it's back to 'cannot display in this video mode'. I've tried disabling absolutely everything to install & launch the game - nothing works!

So I've given up & paid for a download version from The Adventure Shop as I've read that they use different copy protection. But I'm furious as I'm having trouble with one of the links which just displays a page of code & nothing happens - no doubt something to do with the copy protection yet again. I've emailed support & hopefully it will be sorted out but I will never buy another game from dtp again!

I've got the disc version of Ghost Pirates of Voojoo Island which apparently uses exactly the same ProtectDisc copy protection so I doubt I'm going to be able to play that either!

It sounds like a link to a file that your browser is automatically converting to text instead of downloading. See if you can right-click the link and choose "Save As" to download it.


ProtectDisc may not be the problem since you are getting far enough into the game to see graphics. So don't give up on Ghost Pirates before giving it a try.