New patch?! Just started the game again and its downloading something:

[Chocolade]

dunno.
I quit the game now run again after log in i clicked PLAY NOW and it started downloading something.
Something big.

I dont know if its a patch/fix or the whole game again cuz its big!
Im downloading on 1000KB/s and its not small file.

[Chocolade]

And there was an error cuz the game was on the background you should exit it and then choose RETRY.

[Sally]

The same thing has happened to me. I had installed BTTF and played for about 20 mins with problem, so saved and quit. When I went to try and play it again, it started downloading again from the 'launcher' - but this new file has messed up my installation and now I can't get BTTF to run. Hmmm - I'll leave it for tonight, and have another go tomorrow. The game is brilliant though, from what I've seen of it.

[Chocolade]

perfect

[lightblade84]

Hmm... Yeah, it is doing the same thing to me too. I let the launcher download the file, but it wouldn't install. I realized that it looks like the game was trying to install itself again. After that, the launcher wouldn't work (none of the graphics showed up, buttons wouldn't work).

I uninstalled it and I'm preparing to try again. I'll exit out of the launcher before the installation starts. Hopefully this should do the trick.

[Sally]

OK there's something very wrong here ... I downloaded BTTF again from the 'My Games' link, installed it and it picked up from where I had left my last game - played the game for another 20 mins without fault. Saved and exited - and I've tried to play it again from the launcher - and it wants to install the game AGAIN - this is a major bug. Telltale please help!

[jkporter]

Same problem the "update" has ruined my ability to run the game. Play button does nothing now.

[lightblade84]

Well, I reinstalled it the 2nd time without an error, and when I boot up the launcher I can click "Play" without it downloading again, but it won't do anything once I click that button... Hmmm... I'm not really sure what to do now...

Edit: It might be a good idea to note that under the episode title, it still says "Begin Installation."

Edit 2: Uninstalled and reinstalled the game again. This time, I was able to run the game. When the launcher booted up, the note under the episode title says something like "Ready, begin the game," or something of that sort. Taking Sally's experiences into mind, I immediately exited the game and reloaded the launcher. Now the note under the title says "Now Available!" and clicking "Play" will begin the download, once again. Pretty weird... At least this sounds like something that can be fixed somehow.

[Sally]

That's exactly the same error that I'm getting. There's something wrong with the launcher. Chocolade - I don't know whether this is possible, but would you be able to Edit the title of this thread to alert the Telltale team to look in it please, so that they can amend the launcher?

[corruptbiggins]

I just posted this in another thread but it might be more appropriate here:

I had that initially but fixed it by opening the properties for the shortcut (via the right mouse menu) and choosing advanced on shortcut tab and checked the run as administrator box (though really I only did that after manually selecting run as administrator a few times). It should be noted that I'm running Windows 7, and as I don't know what you're using I don't know if this'll help at all.

[StevenMcFlyJr]

lucky you guys ... i can't even login now

[Falanca]

Originally Posted by StevenMcFlyJr

lucky you guys ... i can't even login now

Did you actually buy the whole game?

[Tromeritus]

Hah! Thought the exact same thing. Game sure is in need of a patch to get this business sorted out before the free episode in February (and so bad word of mouth doesn't spread). The episode itself is fantastic.

[Dimensio]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

Yep, you're right. Here's the bug in more detail:

If you install the game and then choose to RUN it immediately when you've finished (by leaving the check box ticked at the end of the installer) it will work fine -- because you're already running it as an Administrator.

Once the game is installed, however, and you decide to play it again, you need run it as an Administrator manually, otherwise the Launcher will ask you to Log In and then redownload and attempt to install the game over itself(!).

This is some particularly lazy bug testing coupled with some bad programming, unfortunately. Someone never bothered to see what happens if you uncheck the boxes at the end of the installer -- or, if they did, they never bothered to see what happens if you install it on a default Vista or Windows 7 setup.

No game (or application, for that matter) should require Administrator rights (ie. the unrestricted ability to alter the user's computer configuration) to run... and users of Vista and Windows 7 should NOT disable UAC for this very reason.

Sounds like a QA shake-up is in order if you ask me!

Short answer:
Until TellTale fixes this bug, you need to run BTTF as an Admin if you're using Vista or Windows 7.

To do this:
1. Right click on the game icon on your Desktop (or in your Start Menu).
2. Select "Run As Administrator".
3. Click "OK" in the window that appears.

You will now be able to play BTTF: Episode 1.

A more appropriate solution:

Launch regedit.
On 32-bit systems, browse to HKLM\Software\Telltale Games
On 64-bit systems, browse to HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Telltale Games

Right-click on "BackToTheFuture101.exe" and select "Properties".
Grant the "Users" group "full control" over the subkey and click "OK" (alternatively, you could just add the user account of the user who will be playing the game, but you should only need to do this if you want to restrict access to the game).

The game will now launch properly under a user account.

The benefits of this fix are appropriate security controls and retention of saved games under the user account.

[Dimensio]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

Great job on getting to the specific cause of the problem!

Your solution is WAY beyond the average user here, though. I would NOT suggest that beginners start editing their registry. This may be a "safer" solution, but I don't think it's appropriate for these users.

Running the application as "Administrator" will result in saved games and settings being stored in an incorrect profile. Once the problem is fixed by the vendor, users who chose that less secure option will lose access to their saved games.

[Cyphox]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

Yep, you're right. Here's the bug in more detail:

If you install the game and then choose to RUN it immediately when you've finished (by leaving the check box ticked at the end of the installer) it will work fine -- because you're already running it as an Administrator.

Once the game is installed, however, and you decide to play it again, you need run it as an Administrator manually, otherwise the Launcher will ask you to Log In and then redownload and attempt to install the game over itself(!).

This is some particularly lazy bug testing coupled with some bad programming, unfortunately. Someone never bothered to see what happens if you uncheck the boxes at the end of the installer -- or, if they did, they never bothered to see what happens if you install it on a default Vista or Windows 7 setup.

No game (or application, for that matter) should require Administrator rights (ie. the unrestricted ability to alter the user's computer configuration) to run... and users of Vista and Windows 7 should NOT disable UAC for this very reason.

Sounds like a QA shake-up is in order if you ask me!

Short answer:
Until TellTale fixes this bug, you need to run BTTF as an Admin if you're using Vista or Windows 7.

To do this:
1. Right click on the game icon on your Desktop (or in your Start Menu).
2. Select "Run As Administrator".
3. Click "OK" in the window that appears.

You will now be able to play BTTF: Episode 1.

i think it also works when you install it in a different directory than program files. i did and have no problems at all. the problem with that directory in vista and 7 is, you have to have admin privileges to do changes inside it.

just install it in c:\games\bttf or something like that

[Sally]

Thank you! Running the game as Administrator fixed it for me :-)

[Dimensio]

Originally Posted by Cyphox

i think it also works when you install it in a different directory than program files. i did and have no problems at all. the problem with that directory in vista and 7 is, you have to have admin privileges to do changes inside it.

just install it in c:\games\bttf or something like that

Your assessment is incorrect. I install all games under Q:\, which is also mapped as C:\Games. Back to the Future would not launch properly until I granted the "Users" group "Full Control" of the registry key.

[Cyphox]

hmmm... interesting.

i did not have to change these registry setting. afair i disabled user account control (cant check right now, im not at home), maybe thats another step.

another possible solution could be to start the installation as admin, so the setup can set the registry settings the correct way right at the installation?

i'll check the permissions on the registry settings when im home

[Cyphox]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

This is precisely why people should not be messing with the registry. DO NOT DO THIS. You clearly do not have the knowledge required to fix anything if you change something you shouldn't. The game already runs as an Admin when you install it... otherwise it would not be able to install. Also, you should NEVER disable UAC, but since you've already done that, you do NOT need to alter your registry! (The whole point of altering the registry is so that you do not have to alter UAC/Run as Admin!)

uac is for wieners.

and i have the knowledge, im in the it-business and stuff. but as i said, i did not had to change these permissions, cause its working for me perfectly right from the start. as you said (and as i think) its because i disabled uac.

uac is evil and useless

i just checked the permissions:
creator/owner: allowed to do NOTHING except "special permissions"
system: full acces / read
admins: full access / read
users: read