It's really annoying. I'm having to switch disks almost every time I enter a new area and I have the full install. Is this supposed to happen? Is there anything I can do to stop it? BGI wasn't like this...

You have the full install? If you aren't very far in the game, you could always reinstall...

/me waits for Fel to save the BG2 day

No, not very far. I was thinking of starting over anyway. So this means that I souldn't have to switch? Maybe I'll try that.

IIRC Athkatla area is in Disc 1, and outside areas, such as De'Arnise Keep, or Trademeet, are in Disc 2...so everytime you go outside the Athkatla, you have to change the disc and vise versa. That's what I did at my first run through...though soon I got a no disc patch (can't remember where I got it).

A full install should solve you problems.
BGI wasn't like this...No, it was much, much worse. With 6 discs (including TotSC), the disc-swapping was an utter nightmare. BG2 paid much more attention to this, and managed to structure itself better as a result. Unless, of course, you got the DVD version. ;)

EDIT: Athkatla (accept Temple) is loaded from disc 2. The surrounds & Temple are disc 3. Disc 1 is the "Install" disc, and never called upon during play.

Oh, and you should be able to use you old saves upon re-installation without a problem.

Hmm. I haven't used any disc but Throne of Bhaal since I first did a full install years ago. It's hard to remember, but... even without ToB, I don't think you should ever need more than Disc 2 if you've done a full install. I'd guess something went wrong when you plugged it in, but I'm nobody's expert. :rolleyes:

Most strange. I only use the ToB disc and when I played SoA only, I didn't have to change discs with a full install.

Actually BG1 depending on how you went about exploring wasn't that bad for switching disc's either. Disc 2 was middle of the map in the small area including and between Friendly Arm Inn and Beregost. Disc 3 was all the area's on the bottom of the map below beregost if I recall. Disc 4 was Cloakwood and the area's north and west of FAI. As well as the Sewers of Baldur's Gate. Disc 5 was Baldurs Gate itself(Which in my opinion might just be larger than Athlatka) as well as the revisit to Candlekeep and the dungeon for the end of the game below the thieves guild.

TotSC was only the places it added on. It wasn't that hard usually to explore without changing disc's too much usually.

I played that way for a long long time before I did a full install of the first game. And then later moved on and I've got a DVD format version now that has a few maps that are a little different and a couple of small things moved that I currently have installed. But it's a full install so I don't need anything but the expansion disc.

[ March 25, 2006, 20:02: Message edited by: starwalker ]

Shonaii, open up your Baldur.ini file and tell us what it says under then "[Alias]" subheading. If you've done a full install it *should* list paths for the CD data that points to directories inside your installation folder.

BGI wasn't like this... No, it was much, much worse. Not if you had a full install; then all you need is disc 2 or the TotSC disc. Plus the disc changing alerted you to when you were 'supposed to' venture to certain places. I tried going to Larswood right away my first time (without a full install), and was a little worried when it asked me to insert disc four. Sure enough, we got slaughtered by Black Talons and I reloaded the auto-save. They did think when they put the areas on each disc. :p

And Shonaii shouldn't have to be switching discs with a full install of BG2. I just doesn't make sense. I'd also suggest checking out what Luiz put up, since that controls where your game looks for the area files when you enter a new area.

changing areas in bg2 isn't 2 bad compaired 2 bg1 (i don't have full instulation :( , not enf space with all the movies i download lol.). But wat i find really annoying is every time i play bg2, i need 2 put the tob cd in 2 load the game then i need 2 change disks to load my saved game :( really annoying anyone know a way around this?

I had a full install of BG1 and I still had to swap discs.

I have a full install of BGII and I never have to swap discs.

really annoying anyone know a way around this? Full install. One way or another you have to have the files on your hard drive to not have to switch discs so you could read the files you need from them. Of course, you can use a shortcut. The game requires a disc to play even with a full install (usually asks for disc 2 or the TotSC disc with a full install), so you can leave off the material from the asked-for disc and still not have to switch discs.
I had a full install of BG1 and I still had to swap discs. Then you did something wrong. You do not have to switch discs with a full install.