1. Uninstall the game completely from the hard drive. Use the Windows uninstaller located under 'Programs and Features' in the control panel. Manually deleting will cause problems later.
2. Restart the computer. This will clear out any temporary files that may interfere with a fresh install.
3. Reinstall the game from the DVD. When asked for an install destination, choose an alternative location outside the 'Program Files' folder. Create a new folder close to the root of the drive, or install the game on a secondary hard drive if one is available.
4. Download the official patches for the game. The latest addition at the time of publication, is patch 1.5. Older versions of the game may need to download the patches leading up to the current version. Refer to the patch notes for specific instructions on version compatibility. Install each patch in order.
5. Right click on the downloaded patch files and select 'Run as Administrator.' The patch will run with a full set of admin rights, helping to avoid a corrupted update. Repeat the procedure for all downloaded patches. Some patches are very large and may take a while to apply depending on the speed of your computer.
6. Download the Tagès installer and run it. Tagès is anti-piracy software that can interfere with legitimate games, preventing them from running. Since Tagès is a driver and not an application, it can be difficult to remove manually. Downloading the installer makes it easy to tell if the driver is currently installed, removing it if it is. 'The Witcher' 1.5 patch removes the need for Tagès, so it can safely be removed to prevent any further interference. If the Tagès install program asks if you want to uninstall, confirm the choice and restart. If the program asks if you want to install Tagès, click cancel as Tagès has already been removed from the system.
7. Start the game by right clicking on the shortcut and selecting 'Run as Administrator'. The game will run with full administrator rights, helping prevent any further conflicts.
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