Tutorial: How to get the OpenGL renderer to work in Windows 8 and 8.1

[angelXwind]

Many of you who use Windows 8 and 8.1 may have noticed that SRB2's OpenGL renderer will only work on the first launch, then instantaneously crash afterwards.

This is due to some sort of unknown compatibility issue in Windows 8/8.1.

The solution is actually rather simple, and it's to enable the Windows 7 Compatibility layer for srb2win.exe.

You do that by right-clicking on srb2win.exe, clicking on "Properties", moving to the "Compatibility" tab, then selecting "Windows 7" from the drop-down list.

Alternatively (this is what I do), you may insert the following into a batch script:

@echo off
set __COMPAT_LAYER=WIN7RTM
start srb2win -opengl

Just thought I'd share this with the entire community, because it was quite a pain to figure this out.

...I always thought the Compatibility layers in Windows OSes only spoofed the Windows version to the application... apparently they do more than that.

All SRB2 versions except for Alam's srb2sdl builds are affected. Yes, this also includes older SRB2 versions, like 1.09.4.

 

[Bluecore]

Many of you who use Windows 8 and 8.1 may have noticed that SRB2's OpenGL renderer will only work on the first launch

I've never had any problems with OGL, in fact.
Win8 Does a fantastic job in OGL Mode.

If you can find a fix for Software mode, that might help more people.

 

[rocky]

Thanks for your suggestion angelXwind, I'm sure it will help many people out there. So it was some sort of compatibily problem.

Bluecore, you might have never had problems with it, but most people do, so yes this a fix to people that do have the problem, if people do have a problem on software mode, they will speak out. And you have a problem with software, then just make a thread about it and someone might help you.

 

[Revan]

I've never had any problems with OGL, in fact.
Win8 Does a fantastic job in OGL Mode.

If you can find a fix for Software mode, that might help more people.

not a good job... any times opengl in w8 and 8.1 lags! in software mode

update windows 8 and update software mode!