How can I change the rendering to Software or DirectDraw (as opposed to Direct3D) like with the old config tool before the patch?

I'd like that tool as well, if possible. Although I have no idea how to get my email address through to you without posting it here.

I too would like this tool. I've tried the latest wine-git build (currently version 1.1.39) but the game basically fails to render the background as far as I can tell.
* Edit
After searching for the tool for a while I found the Divine Divinity demo somewhere. (Just google for it, plenty of sites have it). The demo has the original conftool.exe, which I copied to my GOG Divine Divinity directory. After running it I could choose the software rendering options, after which it works perfectly under wine.

A couple of links so you don't end up with the Beyond Divinity demo instead:
http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/541/Divine+Divinity+Demo
http://www.fileplanet.com/87654/80000/fileinfo/Divine-Divinity-Demo
http://download.cnet.com/Divine-Divinity-demo/3000-7537_4-10229634.html

Hi, can you please send the config to me also. I'm on my phone's internet connection and it's not that fast to load the demo version.
my email's neednofx <..> gmail com
thank you :)

Hmm..
I loaded the demo version of DD and used it's config tool, and now it asks me to insert disc 3 when I launch it.. What's with that? Should I reinstall the whole lot?
I try play on Mac with VMware Fusion, but it apparently wont work with the direct3D used in DD. Crap, I just wanted to play this game again but it seems impossible:(

I had no such problems. I'll send you the configtool I used when I get home.

It seems that you installed the demo? I believe that is the cause of you disk prompts. You don't need to install the demo, just retrieve the configtool.exe from the demo.
You may have to uninstall all, reinstall the GOG version and download the old configtool.exe from one of the links posted above using it to change your rendering.
Edit: Hummn . . . the link seems to have been deleted. Just copy the configtool.exe from your demo to a temp directory before you uninstall the demo . . .=)

This was definitely a fix for slowdown on my 64 bit version of Windows 7. You DO need to install the demo if you can't get the config tool directly. After you've installed, you'll find the executable in the folder where you installed the demo.

Some compressed executables are password protected and the files can't be accessed other than by installing. Many of the old demo setup.exe's can be right clicked and, using "Open" or "Extract Files" in the resulting dialog, you can extract the needed file without an install. I suggest trying that before installing the demo. It requires that a file compression program be installed prior to the attempt. (WinRAR, WinZip, 7-Zip) Vista / Win 7 have their own limited compression program that may work as well.
I like the 7-zip program because it is free and handles most compression formats . . . =)
You could also create a restore point, install, retrieve the file, uninstall and revert back to the restore point to avoid any conflicts that may be caused by registry entries the demo may leave behind.

Anyone know if this is possible for Beyond Divinity also? I run Linux, and Divine Divinity works great after switching the renderer to DirectDraw as described here (using the demo configtool.exe).

I'd love to play Beyond divinity in Linux as well, and it looks like the same issue is present--graphics are corrupted just as Divine Divinity's were in wine before switching the renderer.

I've tried the config tool from the Beyond Divinity demo, but it doesn't have the option to switch renderers. Anyone know if Beyond Divinity supports DirectDraw, and how one might change the renderer?

Try setting your default system res to 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600 and then set the game res to the same res you set your system res.

Also skip the intro videos as they are bad on both my boxes but the game looks fine. If you find the game looks ok, set the res to the desired setting and try skipping the intros . . . might be playable if you don't mind missing the videos. I can't seem to get into BD even though I really liked DD . . . =)