Setting up Dual Installs

I am pretty sure that most people know how to do this ... but this information is always useful. Here are the steps for setting up a dual install of v3.17 and v3.19 of BtS.

1. open file explorer and locate your BtS system folder - look under C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 for 'Beyond the Sword'
2. copy that directory and rename the copy to 'Beyond the Sword v317'
3. if you play older pbem (play by email) games under vanilla or warlords then locate the 'CvGameCoreDLL.dll' file under the assets directory of both and copy those (the v319 will patch those files to the BtS version and can cause pbem problems)
4. patch your game to v319

You will now have something that looks similar to this (this pic shows the active BtS version is v317) ...


You can set up shortcuts to the exe file under each but there have been some reports of problems with pbem games using this method. The method I use is to manually rename the 'Beyond the Sword' folders as required. You can also change the theme color (manually or using civscale) so that v317 has one color and v319 has a different color - that will give you a clue to which version you have just loaded if you forget to check.

ruff_hi,

I have a problem trying to run BtS3.17 using a dual install.

- I made a copy of my Beyond the Sword folder and renamed it \BtS3.17.
- I downloaded the 3.19 patch to my \Beyond the Sword\Patches and ran the patch.
- I opened BtS version 3.19 and it runs fine.
- I try opening a game file that was made using HOF3.17 and I get an error from Windows (XP) that "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 : Beyond The Sword has encountered a problem and needs to close."
- I try opening BtS from the \BtS3.17 folder, it starts loading, but then hits the same error message.

Any ideas? If not, no big deal. The only unfinished business I have is BOTM20.

That is happening because the save is trying to open the Beyond the sword/Mods/HoF 3.17 mod ( simply following the registry keys info ). Change the name of the 3.19 install folder to something else and call the 3.17 folder "Beyond the Sword" and try again

I had short cuts to the required setup but I found that just caused problems. I use the manual 'rename of the directory' method - dull but at least it works.