When I patched BtS to 3.17, whenever I started a game, the tech tree screen window comes up and its blank. Then if I click ok at the bottom of it, it gets into the game but the interface is gone. I alt-tab out and back in the game and the interface comes back. Still the tech tree is gone, I can click on the technology button but only a blank technology screen comes it without anything on it. I uninstalled and reinstalled twice and it still was doing it so I finally reinstalled and patched just to 3.13 and it is ok now. So obviously it is something with the 3.17 patch.

sounds like a bugged patch install - its not the patch itself... how did you patch?

I extracted it and ran the patch like I normally do, all seemed ok. What I had noticed is I am not seeing many people reporting this. I am beginning to wonder if it has something to do with my video card and the new patch. I may be able to redownload 3.17 and try patching again in case the download was not good but it patched all the way through and appeared ok. I may have to uninstall all of CIV4 and reinstall it but I hope not.

could you post a screenshot of your about this build screen?

Yeah check it out...

the build...
http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/50/750/5/19/40/2710519400045792659XyzfSc_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2710519400045792659XyzfSc)

what it does...

right when starting a new game
http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/55/55/3/44/57/2334344570045792659wkTZip_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2334344570045792659wkTZip)

http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/60/760/0/92/1/2945092010045792659nCjwsd_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2945092010045792659nCjwsd)

:hmm:
please enable logging in the game by opening
my games\beyond the sword\civilizationIV.ini
and setting all items with log in their name from 0 to 1 - save that file
then start a game - open the tech tree - close it - close the game - post all contents of
my games\beyond the sword\logs
as a zip file here :)

Sure here is a zip of that. Also notice in my screenshots above how the third shot the interface is missing. Just after I close that blank tech screen which comes up the game begins and this is what it does. If I would then alt-tab out and come back in, the interface will appear.

did you ever put anything into the customassets folder?
or did you alter the game files before patching?

No, this game was never modded nor was anything ever altered.

something in the game files got changed or is inaccessible. What operating system are you using? I fear you'll need to reinstall - but maybe there are ways around this...

Running Vista 64. I was also thinking of doing a complete uninstall of all of civ4 and reinstall to see what happens.

did you give the game in installer and the patch installer administrator rights?
there are quite a few troubles with these admin rights in Vista...
anyways - the following is a list of things to do for a complete reinstall of the game (if you do not have warlords - ignore that):


install the most recent version of DirectX 9c from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3&DisplayLang=en)

then do the following for a clean reinstall:

Uninstall and Reinstall Civ4 Warlords BtS :

Try to follow this order when doing stuff:
Use Control panel to uninstall Beyond the Sword, then Warlords, then Civ4
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\my documents\my games\sid meier's civilization 4" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\my documents\my games\warlords" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\my documents\my games\beyond the sword" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\application data\my games\sid meier's civilization 4" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\application data\my games\warlords" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\application data\my games\beyond the sword" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\local settings\application data\my games\sid meier's civilization 4" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\local settings\application data\my games\warlords" manually
Delete "...\documents and settings\<username>\local settings\application data\my games\beyond the sword" manually
(note: application data is a hidden directory so you need to configure windows explorer to show hidden files, also these directories in application data are sometimes removed by the uninstall routine)
Delete "...\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\{CFBCE791-2D53-4FCE-B3FB-D6E01F4112E8}" (Civ4)
Delete "...\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\{3E4B349F-10B5-4586-9D99-489A90A8B228}" (Warlords)
Delete "...\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\{32E4F0D2-C135-475E-A841-1D59A0D22989}" (BtS)
(note: InstallShield Installation Information is a hidden directory so you need to configure windows explorer to show hidden files).
Install Civ4, immediately patch it to 1.61 (download it fresh from here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=3))
Install Warlords, immediately patch it to 2.08 (download it fresh from here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=3344))
Install Beyond the Sword, immediately patch to 3.17 (download it fresh from here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=9800)).

Uninstalling and reinstalling everything done the trick. Have no idea how it got that way but at least it works now. Thanks alot for your help!