I just got done installing the game, but upon launch, I get a error beep and when I go to see what it is, it just has the error box and the number 8 inside. A little strange, but I can't launch the game at all. I tried running it as admin, but that comes up with the same problem as well.

This is an error that I can't find a definite solution for. The best advice I have found is that it is a driver load error. Also given on occasion if your disk space is minimal.

I would start by disconnecting from the internet and disabling your firewall and AV. If the game plays, enable one and try again until you determine which is blocking the game. Usually making div.exe a trusted program in the firewall will cure a lot of problems. Both an AV or firewall program can stop a driver from loading.

Assuming you are on Vista / Win 7 did you:

install as an administrator? (Right -click the setup.exe and click "Run as administrator" in the resulting dialog)
turn UAC off before installing?
install in a directory outside of Program Files?
after the install, right click the game shortcut, click Properties, click the Compatibility tab and check mark "Run this program as an administrator"?
disable visual themes and desktop composition on the same compatibility tab?
try using different compatibility modes, starting with the newest and working back to the oldest?

Also, if you are trying to run the game from the desktop shortcut, try starting it from the Programs menu for the game. Win 7 / Vista can sometimes cause the created desktop shortcuts to be created with limited privileges. If the Program menu shortcut works copy it to your desktop and delete the old shortcut.

If you did the above then make sure your video drivers are up to date.
Click here for ATI
Click here for Nvidia

You might try installing / reinstalling DirectX runtimes.

If you have a dual / quad core CPU and the game starts, you can try setting the affinity to a single core? You can do it manually by starting the game, ALT-TAB out of the game, open task manager (CTRL - ALT - DEL ), find the [game name].exe on the Processes tab, right click the exe and click Set affinity on the resulting dialog. Un-check all but the CPU 0 check box. (See attached image) Close the task manager and play the game.

If this helps I suggest using RunFirst as it sets the affinity for the game without having to go thru the task manager process each time you play.

On some Vista / Win 7 64 systems, limiting the memory can help but I don't like to recommend that as it is a pain to do / undo every time you play the game.

I would look for a driver not loading / missing / wrong version and check my disk space. That's about all I can offer you at the moment . . . =)

Yup, tried all of those. Well, I'm on my wife's laptop for the weekend, so I'll try my desktop when I get back, but what happens if I can't run it. Would GoG give a refund for this since they report this game to run on Windows 7?

The knotty question. GOG's terms and conditions state that they do not provide refunds. Whether they would make an exception is up to them. However while their techinical support has been laughable at times since they moved out of beta (and in my opinion into alpha), they do have an ethos that they will work with you to get it working until they do.

So if it still doesn't work, it's a tech support issue. They should get back to you, and help you to fix it. If they don't please keep us informed. GOG tech support is a bit of a black box to us members. It would be nice if they went ITIL compliant.

If you read GOG's terms of use they state "All sales are final". Some games just won't run on some systems but run on the vast majority of systems. I have DD running well on XP, Vista and Win 7 so I would try it on another system.

I would also open a help ticket with GOG support . . . =)