I installed the game to D:/games/GOG.com/Freespace 2/ on a XP PRO machine.
I click on FS2.exe, a message pop up saying
"Please configure your system in the Launcher before running FS2
The Launcher will now be started!"
I click OK, a error message pop up to say
"Freespace2/Fred2 cannot be run from a drive root directory!"
Any ideas how I can solve this?
thanks

Try running the launcher directly from the game directory.
And it almost seems to be that the Fred2.exe is in d: itself.
Karl

I run FRED2.exe and that opens up fine but it is just a mission editor.
Is the launcher something else?

That just gives the same message as in my first post
Ah, crap, I didn't mean to mark this as solved. I didn't know what that a little arrow meant.
How do I undo this?

Hey there! try setting compatibility mode to windows 98 in those exe's
I remember being plagued by that same error msg.
and the solution issue? I think you need to speak with some of the GoG staff for that.
Anyways, I hope that helps and you don't need additional sugestions :D

Sorry, Ithought you misunderstood what I was getting at.
I have an idea that had worked for previous games of mine. Try reinstalling to d:gamesFreespace2
Hope it works.
Karl

Karl has a point there, maybe that dot in Gog.Com folder is messing the FS2 launcher.

Hey shaobohou,
Just wondering if you've had any luck?
Karl

I hope he's playing FS2 like mad, so he can' t come here and tell us if it worked :D

You might be right...
Karl

I'm having this same problem on XP. FS2.exe FRED2.exe and FreeSpace2.exe are all in "C:\Program Files\GOG.com\Freespace 2"

I know the solution!!! Right click on the freespace2 and select properties, go to compatability tab and click on the run in 256 colors. The game will run after that.

I still can't get mine to work :(

I'm running XP with graphics card: Nvidia GeForce 7600 GT

I've tried all the advice on this thread so far:
changed install directory to get rid of gog.com
set compatability mode to win98 and 256 colours
tried running directly from fs2.exe
moved cutscene files to data folder
downloaded and ran openAL

launcher part works and recognises my 3D graphics card but when I start game I get a blank black screen. I have 2 monitors so can pull up task manager on the other monitor which tells me the game is not responding.

Any other suggestions?