I am fighting with crap2000, too
and I am getting similar crashes as well [img]graemlins/madhell.gif[/img]
My current hardware is the following:
Motherboard: K7N2 Delta L
CPU: Athlon XP 2200+
RAM 1 GB (That's why I cannot run w98. I am not about to pull a memory chip out of my computer whenever the windows crashes such a way that a reinstallation is necessary).
HD Caviar 40 GB
Video: GeForce Ti 4200 TD 8x
Sound: SB Live 512
CD, CDRW, Zip, etc.
Operating system: eCS and, well, crap2000 with sp2 [img]graemlins/confused5.gif[/img]
Here is my current experience:
1. Be an administrator. You cannot play as a user. Don't forget that a "user" under Neanderthal Technology is a being which cannot be trusted at all and which must not be allowed to install or run anything, not even a printer driver. All games are "near kernel" applications that try to compensate inefficiency of windows by using "low level" APIs. Such applications cannot be run at the user level successfuly.
2. Unpack the .avi files by means of Virtual Dub. Otherwise, you cannot play at all.
At this moment, I was able of ALMOST everything - except using items on another objects (using keys on locks or using the Bauble Stick on the crystal) but I was able to use potions on myself or cast spells on myself. I was also able to pick items from the ground, disarming chests, entering all houses in Valeia and so on. I was also able to insert crystals into receptacles.
3. Activate the compatibility layer and play using the w95 layer.
This seems to solve the problems with the keys and similar items. Well, the result is still unsatisfactory:
a) The game crashes significantly more often than it did under w98.
b) Once the game crashes, I get a permanent false white cursor in the middle of the action window. Quititng the game and restarting it does not help, the cursor is there again! Only restarting crap2000 helps!
c) The Save Game screen is extremely jerky.
Nevertheless, I am able to run the game somehow.
Note: I have removed DirectX and replaced it with DirectX comming with W&W.
Therefore, I see the following possible sources of Willow's problems:
1. sp2 at least is needed.
2. some application thread is guilty, the system threads should not be guilty.
3. incompatibility between DirectX and crap2000.