I installed riven on my computer and every time I attempt to launch it I get a quick blackscreen and the go back to desktop. I have been unable to get past this. Changing compatibility settings does nothing, attempting to run in a window such as dxwnd also just leads to a blackscreen (without it ever launching in a window)

You're using the supplied quicktime version?

If worst comes to worst, I've gotten Riven running nicely using the nightly build of scummvm. But I'd try a bit more to get it running natively first, as the videos render a bit better that way.

Interesting, I just updated to the latest version of Riven (automatically, via the GOG Galaxy client) and I ran into this same problem.

The previous version I had (installer version 1.0.0.10; dated 2013-10-22; MD5 sum e261a0e2ffceddc04ff6917c94a64e57) was working perfectly, and still is (I deleted Riven and reinstalled from my old backup, and it still runs fine). There is something wrong with the latest version on GOG.

I have contacted GOG support, but so far, all I've heard back is "update your DirectX and Quicktime". I'm re-downloading the newer version now so I can have a go at fixing the issue. I will report back if I find anything. But I think the easiest thing would be for GOG to roll back to the version they were serving in 2013.

I had this problem on my Win7 64-bit machine running Gog Galaxy Beta. Launch Riven, get black screen for a few moments, then it quits to desktop. What I did was uninstall the "QT Lite" program that the Riven installer installs, and install just the "QT essential files" during a custom install of the latest Quicktime from Apple (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/). The problem is that the QT Lite program is only QuickTime 7.6, but I read in another thread here at GOG that Riven needs 7.7, which is what the Apple website supplies.

So I updated to QuickTime 7.7, and the game runs fine, plays the videos, etc.

Of course, it now locks up when I click on the manhole cover on the telescope device just outside the starting area. I think I'm about ready to give up on playing this game for nostalgia! (I played it back when it came on 5 or 6 CDs.)

[Edit: more info here: http://www.gog.com/support/riven_the_sequel_to_myst/crashing_video_playback_issues_or_other_visual_glitches]

[Edit2: OK, I got all video crashing to stop, so now it runs perfectly. Go to C:\GOG Games\Riven - The Sequel to Myst, where the game is installed, right-click Riven.exe, choose Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, and uncheck *all* compatibility mode checkboxes, under "Compatibility mode," "Settings," and "Privilege Level". Do this again under "Change settings for all users". Click OK to save your changes. Now run Riven (through Gog Galaxy if you have it, or directly if you don't). When I did this, all crashing stopped.

So to summarize: update QuickTime to 7.7, Choose "Safe mode (GDI only)" under "Video" under the "Advanced" tab of the QuickTime Control Panel, and finally uncheck all compatibility checkboxes in the Properties for Riven.exe. At the very least, this works for me on a Win7 64-bit machine.]

Thanks for the details, Gwelty. It may be that the problem is the QT Lite program is the problem. Do you remember if GOG Galaxy offered to install QT Lite at the end of the download or not?

I've done some further investigation and filed a bug on GOG Galaxy here: http://mantis.gog.com/view.php?id=1982

I've gone and downloaded the latest version of Riven from the GOG.com website and (after removing all the other versions) it works perfectly fine on my system. Note that at the end of the installer, it asks "Would you like to install QT Lite?" and I said No. If I say Yes, it gives an error: "You must remove Quicktime to install QT Lite."

So if Gwelty is correct, and QT Lite is the problem, my theory is that GOG Galaxy is installing the *exact* same version of Riven, but it is also installing QT Lite without asking, and that is the cause of the crashes. That's what I wrote on the bug report. Hopefully someone will look into it.

In the mean time, Whinis, if you happen to be using GOG Galaxy, try uninstalling it and just downloading the standalone Riven installer from GOG.com.

I managed to fix this oddly enough by not using the GOG galaxy client to install riven. I don't know what is different but installing by downloading just the installer made it work.

Hey mgiuca, so sorry about the delay in replying! When I installed Riven through GOG Galaxy, yes, it asked me to install QT Lite at the end of the download. When I said 'yes' it *didn't* give me an error, probably because I didn't have any other version of QuickTime on my machine. (I purged my Windows machine of all Apple software over a year ago, after repeated fiascoes with iTunes for Windows.)

GOG Galaxy isn't "installing QT Lite without asking." It does explicitly ask at the end. But the version of QT Lite it installs (if you say 'yes') is QuickTime 7.6, rather than 7.7. That could be the source of the problem.

OK thanks for confirming. It sounds like all 3 of us are having trouble with the GOG Galaxy version of Riven, and the regular version is still working. I haven't had any activity on the bug (http://mantis.gog.com/view.php?id=1982), maybe you could add your voice there.

Also thanks for clarifying about the QT Lite at the end of the installation, I will update the bug.

So, if i uninstall, the Galaxy version it will work again, until this is patched?

Thanks for the info on this everyone. Same problem here.

Just to clarify, I'm not having any problems with the GOG Galaxy version of Riven. (In fact, *are* the installers different with or without GOG Galaxy? I thought the latter was just a shell that ran the same installers anyway.) My trick to get Riven running wasn't to avoid GOG Galaxy but to install Riven and then do this: "update QuickTime to 7.7, Choose "Safe mode (GDI only)" under "Video" under the "Advanced" tab of the QuickTime Control Panel, and finally uncheck all compatibility checkboxes in the Properties for Riven.exe."

gwelty: To clarify, you're still using the Galaxy version of Riven? In that case, you may be right but it's possible that the Galaxy version works *if* you do all those things, whereas the standalone version just works regardless.

(Obviously it would be ideal if we could get it working in Galaxy, which is why I'm persisting with this despite having it working on my machine.)

Unfortunately the fact that I have to do a 3.0GB download every time I install it (or import it) through Galaxy is making it hard to do Science, so I'm hoping they'll fix that. Thanks for adding a comment to my bug ticket.

The one time I installed from Galaxy, I honestly don't remember whether it asked me to install QT Lite, and if so, whether I said "yes" or "no". It's possible I said "yes" and that broke it, which led me to mistakenly suspect Galaxy as the culprit. But what doesn't add up is that when I say "yes" in the stand-alone installer, I get an error that says a newer version of QT is already installed. So maybe Galaxy acts different in some way with regards to installing QT Lite.

This worked for me. After an hour of troubleshooting, I thank you!

I was actually having the exact same problem with installing & launching Riven using GOG Galaxy, Win7 64-bit.

I followed these instructions and they worked, so thanks! Maybe tweaking a few things under the Compatibility tab of the .exe to get it to run its best, but I'm glad it at least works now.

Hey guys, glad that Riven now works for you.

And yes, mgiuca, I'm using the Galaxy version of Riven.

Work for me with defaut QT (which comes with game), but i also need to uncheck all compatibility options in riven.exe.
But game runs in small window (if i check 640x480 compatibility option in riven.exe its runs in it for a second but then change back to 1080p). Help!
upd. - when alt-tabbing game now works in 640x480

PS - still game hangs when i reach second island with beach and seals (?), maybe i NEED to install new QT after all..
PPS - or just wait for proper scummvm support..