I get the aforementioned message when I try to start the game. The game window pops out, whole black (nothing on it), then it minimizes and I get this error.

I use Windows XP installed on a quite old netbook (it should be enough to run this game though; model: Asus N10E).

I was really hoping to be able to play this game on it, but it seems that I'm out of luck.

Is there any solution to this problem?

edit:
Oh, how forgetful of me - I forgot to mention (preferably in the topic name), that the issue concerns Wizardry 8.

What graphic card have you installed in that laptop?

If it's just an older Intel GMA, they are quite buggy with many games

mobile intel 945 express chipset family

I didn't have issues with other games, though - Baldurs Gate, Planescape Torment, Vampire Masquerade Redemption and System Shock 2 (among others) work like a charm.

OK, I've found out what the problem is - it's the nglide. When I change the rendering option to DirectX 7, it works fine.

Too bad nglide doesn't work though, as I don't have neither higher resolutions, nor 32bit graphics availible.

Good thing that this netbook has a small screen, so it isn't that big of an issue.

I've tried it on a different PC (newer stationary PC, also with Windows XP). The game works with nglide here, but I cant increase the resolution and change colours to 32 from 16 (editing the cfg file doesnt work - I get a message that the video resolution is not supported).

Like I thought, he Graphics chip was the issue

But nice to hear you already found the workaround. I would have proposed you to try the same thing, since my Disc version also runs under DX7. Can't say I see much difference between both versions, btw

Use nglide_config.exe from game dir to change res. Don't edit cfg file. Also, nGlide works in 32-bit, you don't have to do anything.