I installed the game tonight, moved my previous saved characters into new directory and started the game.

Loads fine, I choose to play EXPANSION version.
Choose my previously saved characters
click next
Screen goes black and stops responding.

I'm running Vista

Help please

You're trying to import your previously saved characters?

If so, you may be having the same issue that I had with importing. Specifically, one of the recent updates to the C++ library makes it unable to read the .RES files in the character folder. This is the biography information for the character. If you delete that file for each character you want to import, it solves the issue. Of course, this means you can't look at or create a biography (the game will crash if you try to do so), but you can play the game normally other than that.

Hopefully this will solve your issue.

I'm having the same problem trying to start a new game without importing, running Windows 7. Works fine up to the point at which I select start new game and choose full game, then the screen goes black and locks up. Any ideas?

I'm on Win7 Pro 64 bit, Core i7 920, Gigabyte motherboard, 6 GBs of RAM, and an EVGA GTX 560 Ti video card (with the latest driver installed). Here's how I installed my game:

Run the installer as Admin
Install outside Programs or Programs (x86)
Once installed, right click on the desktop launcher icon, select 'Properties', and choose the 'Compatibility' tab.
Check the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for' and choose Windows XP Service Pack 3.
Put a check in the 'Run this program as an administrator' box as well.

Run the Config utility in the main Icewind Dale Complete folder. On the Graphics tab, make sure you have a check mark in the 'Use OpenGL Acceleration' box with the Default OpenGL Driver. As well, check the 'Use 32-bit textures' box. I've also got it at 32 bit 2D Color Depth, Fullscreen mode, and with all the Game Options (Dithering etc.) checked except Sprite Mirroring.

Hope that helps.

The game works flawlessly for me even with a bunch of mods installed (widescreen mod, Unfinished Business mod, and IWD Tweaks)

Thanks. Turned out that the key in my situation was to run not just the installer, but the game itself as admin. Works fine when I do that.

Thank you! Been trying to get this game working for the past hour. Your solution works just fine!

Right click desk top shortcut. Select "run as administrator".