I installed Icewind Dale 1 yesterday, and today, as I ran it, I instantly notice that my fps had dropped to about 10 or 5.

I've spent a long time with a google search handy to try and fix it. Windows Compatability Toolkit will not help me, as I'm told that I need to "ForceDirectDraw" but such an option does not appear.

I've also ticked "Disable Visual Themes," "Disable Desktop Composition," and "Display Scaling..." I am running the game in Compatability mode for Windows XP SP3. I've had the game running in 16bit and I've enabled GL acceleration. Lastly, I run the program as an administrator.

I've also been told that I should disable DirectDraw in dxdiag, but, for some reason, you cannot disable DirectDraw in Windows 7.

Despite all of this, nothing happens. This is becoming very frustrating, as it worked once, but not again.

Download & install the Compatibility Administrator from here http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=7352 (the 12.2 meg one)
Run the 32bit version.
It will start with New database(1) [Untitled_1] highlighted.
At the top, click on Fix.
Name the file to be fixed ( IWD1 ) Then browse to your idmain.exe file.
Click next, to the compatibility mode screen. Ignore that & next again.
At Compatability Fixes, tick "ForceDirectDrawEmulation"
You can click Test Run to make sure.
Then next, then Finish.
Then right click on New Database(1) & install.
Then go up to Applications (2nd from top under System Database (32bit)
Expand it & scroll down to IcewindDale 1 & disable all the default fixes (they don't work for you.) Undo all that shit, you won't need it. Yes you can, it just requires a bit more work.

Download the DXSDK from Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=6812
It's a large download, but it will give you all the old DX libraries (as apposed to the latest "backwards compatible" ones)

It will also give you a way to disable Hardware Acceleration for Direct Draw.

Go to:
Start
All Programs
Microsoft DirectX SDK (June2010)
DirectX Utilities (Not the 64bit version)
DirectX Control Panel

On the DirectDraw Tab, untick Use Hardware Acceleration.

Hello Everybody,
I had the same problem and stumbled upon this thread. I just wanted to thank Olnorton for his helpful post. I'm not sure the compatiblity administrator helped really, but turning of directdraw the way you described worked like a charm. The game runs super fast now, thank you again.

I had been trying for hours to get Icewind Dale 1 to work correctly under Windows 8 (Mostly the same as 7), but nothing worked completely.

Forcing the DirectDraw emulation got rid of the lag but gave me horrible black boxes around my mouse cursor, making the game unplayable. Removed all the compatibility fixes and got everything back to normal to try something else

Messing around in the IWD Config utility didn't do anything either. But then I noticed that after setting the things to my liking and pressing ok, nothing actually changed, it all looked changed in the utility itself, but when I checked icewind.ini in the game's directory everything was still at their default values.

I went to the properties of my Icewind Dale folder, under security I ticked every box for every user type I could, and saved. After that and running the configuration utility as administrator and setting 3d acceleration in the video options to enabled, I saved it, ran Icewind Dale and everything worked! No lag, no glitches.

Sorry for this incoherent mess, but what it came down to, for me all that was needed to fix the game was making sure I had the rights to change everything in the game's folder, and then setting it up as I normally would!

I've been trying to play Might and Magic VI on my computer and am getting this error message:

ddraw -> setdisplaymode() failed

I found a couple forums with posts relating to this situation in Google searches, but none that offer resolution.

I wanted to try disabling Direct Draw, but as you know this isn't as simple as just turning it off.

Would disabling hardware acceleration using the DXSDK as olnorton described above be a potential solution to this problem?

I had terrible lag when using spells like spikes growth or spike stones. But everything works now fine. Thanks Olnorton