I can't start the game via the install shortcut without any issues but I want to use that new graphic mode option and let's you choose resolution and a high quality filter. When I try to save or start the game via it I recieve an error.

Weird, mine doesn't have any problem. Using Win Vista 32 bit. Did you try run it as administrator?

I run Windows 7 64-bit and my login is admin. I will try though.

Using an admin login does not mean applications are run with admin permissions. The admin login just gives you permission to use those permissions, but by default it always runs application with normal user permissions unless you tell it otherwise.

Strange because usually when others seem to have admin-related issues because they use normal logins it works out of the box for me.

Anyway, I tried running the application as admin and I still recieve an error. :(

That was true prior to Windows Vista, but since the restructuring of system security in Windows Vista, admins are not really admins all the time, but rather only when specified.

What exactly does the error you are getting say?

I attached an image. In that case I saved the settings and while it happens the same if I try to start the game via it the error arrives too but then after I priess OK the application shuts down itself.

Are you running the configuration via the shortcut in the Start menu or directly by double-clicking the executable within the game directory? AFAIK, running it directly won't work as the shortcut specifies a game profile when the setup is run.

EDIT - I just tested this by running the graphic mode setup directly from the executable instead of using the shortcut and I was able to reproduce the exact error you got. I'm guessing this is definitely the cause of your problem.

But there is a way to unlock the true administrator account in Vista and Win7 so that everything you do is run with administrator privileges. I've put instructions for how to do this in Vista below. I imagine Win7 is similar, if not the same, but I've never tried this in Win7.


Logon to Vista using your normal username and password (if you have one set up).

Click on the Start button.

Click on Start Search.

Type cmd into the search field.

Right-click cmd, select 'Run as administrator' from the shortcut menu.

In the black 'DOS box', type the following at the command line:
Net user administrator /active:yes

Check the message : The command completed successfully

Trap1: There should be no space between the word 'active' and the colon.
/active :yes is wrong.
/active:yes is correct.

Trap2: You need a forward slash before /active
Net user administrator active:yes is wrong
Net user administrator /active:yes is correct

Trap3: Pay close attention to the command, it should be active, not activate.

Switch User, or logoff

From now on the Administrator account will appear as an option on the Welcome screen, along with any user accounts you may have set up. Use it like any other account.

If you want to disable the account and hide it, enter this command at an elevated command prompt (but not whilst logged in using the administrator account itself):

Net user administrator /active:no


Optionally, you can then add a password to this true administrator account.

That just unhides the hidden administrator account that has existed in Windows since Win 2000 (normally only accessible in Safe Mode), but doesn't change the default behavior for accounts that already have administrator privileges. I believe that can be accomplished by turning off UAC in Vista or Win 7, but I'm not 100% certain of that. I do know that turning off UAC does give administrator accounts the necessary access to add, modify and delete files in protected directories like Program Files, but I don't know if that changes the restrictions on how executables are run.

I know, I never that said it changes accounts with administrator privileges, I said it unlocks the true administrator account. If you do this and use this true administrator account then you run with administrator privileges without having to choose "Run as administrator". The other accounts will remain as they are.

Doing that is an incredibly insecure way to run your OS. You might as well go back to the way Windows 98 worked. Plus, you then lose the functionality of having separate user accounts on a single PC or are required to switch out from your normal user account to the admin account just for those games/apps that might require admin access. The "Run as admin" option just seems much more convenient to me.

I am in agreement with you on this and I don't actually use the true administrator account on my own machine. However, it is an option there for those users who do not want to have to use the Run As Administrator option. When I first got my machine I did test this out to see that I could get to it, but then disabled it again afterwards.

Everything I've needed to do has worked fine with a standard account with administrator privileges allowed, just using the Run As Administrator when needed. But then I also take other measures, such as installing games outside of Program Files folders so as to avoid possible problems with UAC and DEP.

Gawd I hate that about Vista. And mine is the d@mn 64 bit version and I bet its a 64/32 bit issue. That what all my error messages are saying. I kept thinking all Gog games work on XP and Vista, but I forgot that not all Vista software works on Vista. Leave it to Microsoft. No wonder people hated Vista and rushed to get WIn 7, Only Microsoft conveniently left out the fact that WIn 7 would be crap also, even worse than Vista, which was hard to believe before Win 7 came out. I guess XP was truly the last true Windows software compatible operating system. My biggest gripe about XP was that it was NTSF and not fat 16 or fat 32. but for the most part it wasn't that big of a problem. A really minor thing really when compared to what there is to bitch about on Vista and Win 7. This is the only time I have had this 64/32 bit issue on GOG, so I guess all griping aside, I've been pretty lucky overall.

Run the graphic mode setup from the shortcut in your startmenu instead of from the game folder.

Graphic mode setup.exe needs to run with the game name as a parameter in order to work.
If I look at the shortcut in my startmenu it says:
"D:\Games\Dragonsphere\Graphic mode setup.exe" GOGDRAGONSPHERE

Other GOG titles using DOSBox have the same problem.