Same problem here, as soon as I enter Escatons Palace the game crashes.
I'm also using Win 7 64 bit.

Edit: Tried every compatibility mode,hardware acceleretion and software mode but whatever I choose, the game crashes right after entering the dungeon.

With my retail copy of MM8, I don't encounter the bug on Windows 7 64 bit. I'm beginning to wonder if the MM7 and MM8 releases are bugged due to the number of reports of issues with them.

Found a workaround for this issue. Before entering Escatons Palace, turn off the music in the options-menu. Now when you enter the dungeon, it won't crash anymore.

You can turn the music back on after entering, but when you load a save inside Escatons Palace with the music turned on, it'll crash again. So I recommend playing this dungeon without sound.

Thanks Seth that worked for me too. All finished now.

I think M&M 8 really was quite lack luster compared to 7, but good nostalgic fun nevertheless.

Turning the sound off just to enter Escaton's palace to avoid the crash worked well for me.
Once I was inside i turned all the sound back on, no issues.

many thanks to the original poster for this solution

That worked for me as well, many thanks.

This worked perfectly and I turned the sound back on after entering with no probs. Huge thanks!

Thx could finally finish the game for a second time :)

PS: am i the only 1 who found the earth plane the hardest dungeon? i must admit im using a melle party (melle dark elf (duel wield sword) melle vampire (double dagger) and knight with duel wield spear+sword)
but still, escatons palace was for me just holding in a and lifesteal would+regen would outheal the little damage mobs could do before they died.
But in plane of earth, i had to use divine intervention 2 times (or i could have teleported out, but im lazy)

having the same crash bug, will try the fix. Had no problem in the Plane of earth tho.

Using Knight with Spear/Sword, Vampire with Axe/Sword, Elf with Sword/Dagger, Cleric Mace/Shield and double Dagger Lich. Definitely would recommend this party.

The Plane of Earth is the hardest place in the game. I've beaten the game several times and still haven't had a party there that beat it without having to retreat. It's partly a matter of luck. What happens is they earth elementals can hurl rock blasts at you, dealign more damage than any other monsters in the game, and each attack hits your whole party. If you get lucky, you won't be hit by so many of these attacks, in any given room or fight. And it helps to draw the monsters to you around corners, but the rock blasts bounce off walls until they strike you or run out of time and just explode, so you are almost never completely safe.

I didn't have any trouble with the Plane of Earth really, I thought the Plane of Fire and it's subsequent mini-dungeon were far more of a nuisance.

Thank you so much for the fix. I was seriously annoyed, getting so far and thought I couldnt finish it.

As for the plane of earth, oh that place screwed me over hard. In the end I had to more or less bug it out. Put a beacon up the top of the left. Go down, try kill a few, port back up. Jump down, lift auto goes back up and brings up half the mobs. Was easy from then, if I was more luckly my armor wasnt destroyed by that time, which seemed to happen way too fast, one hit all of them destroyed.

Thanks for the fix. I was wondering if I was just going to have to be satisfied with just getting to the last dungeon.

What's funny is this is my second time playing the game and I have no memory of going to 3 of the elemental planes. ( but i do I remember the air- plane . . . . )

I too felt that the Earth realm the hardest, but it was also the least fun.

I have an issue when entering the prison for the earth lord, my game crashes if i attack, use a spell or interact with the lord's door. i have had a couple of times where it has crashed for me just moving. Is there anything that can be done?