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Playing Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge on Windows 10

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Play Red Alert 2 and Yuris Revenge on Windows 10

In this tutorial im going to show how to play Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge on Windows 10. Both can work "out of the box" after install, but that's not always the case. You might see graphic errors where all he textures are green, you might get black screen, alt+tabbing crashes whole game, cannot play windowed, etc. but again we have to thank the active community that has made fixes to these.

This tutorial will work with Origin installation and it works if you have installed Red Alert 2 or Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge from original image files or CD.

Caution! This tutorial has parts that are outdated. This is link for the updated 2020 version of this article: https://wiretuts.com/origin-red-alert-2-yuris-revenge-with-multiplayer-and-obs/

Files:

Youtube video

Installing Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge on Windows 10 (Origin)

1. Install Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Yuris Revenge from Origin. Games are included in C&C Ultimate Collection.

2. Download and install fixed launchers for Ultimate Collections from this link: https://files.cncnz.com/cnc-ultimate-collection-launchers.zip . Installer should automatically detect your C&C games like in this image.

C&C Ultimate Collection Launchers 1.20 setup

3. Origin version of RA2 and Yuri's Revenge is already latest version, so we don't have to patch those manually.

4. Go to section Installing cnc-ddraw to Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge

Installing Red Alert 2 on Windows 10 (CD/Image)

1. Install Red Alert 2 from your preferred source.

2. After Red Alert 2 installation you have to patch the game to 1.006.
(If you are installing Yuri's Revenge expansion pack, you can skip patching step, because Yuri's Revenge expansion pack will do this automatically.)

3. Download and install RA2 1.006 patch from this link: http://files.bachsau.com/Westwood/redalert2/update/RA21006EN.EXE

4. Go to section Installing cnc-ddraw to Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge

Installing Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge on Windows 10 (CD/Image)

Note. You have to have Red Alert 2 installed before you install Yuris Revenge.

1. Install Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge from your preferred source.

2. After installation you have to patch the game to 1.001.

3. Download and install RA2 Yuri's Revenge 1.001 patch from this link: http://files.bachsau.com/Westwood/redalert2/update/YURI-1001-ENGLISH.EXE

4. Go to section

Installing CnC-DDraw to Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge

CnC-DDraw is GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic games for better compatibility with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and Wine. CnC-DDraw fixes many of the graphical bugs in the Command & Conquer games that use 256-color full-screen DirectDraw as graphics system. It was specifically developed for Command & Conquer Gold and Red Alert, but was developed further to support other games.

CnC-DDraw gets around game bugs by means of a ddraw.dll file put in the game folder, which then receives and handles all graphics output from the game instead of the real DirectDraw system. The CnC-DDraw dll then displays the graphics on a graphics surface which uses either GDI software rendering or OpenGL.

Besides the fixing of palette-related bugs, CnC-DDraw also contains options that allow extra game features like windowed mode, stretching of the game surface to custom resolutions, and frame rate limiting.

Added 03.09.2019
You can now skip some manual work by downloading this zip file: https://wiretuts.com/downloads/red_alert_2_fix.zip. This zip file contains cncdraw 1.3.4.6 + RA2.ini + RA2MD.ini -files. Files have been configured for 1280×768 windowed mode. Just extract all the content to Red Alert 2 installation root directory, and go straight to step 7.

1. Go to this site: https://github.com/CnCNet/cnc-ddraw/releases and download latest cnc-ddraw.zip and extract the zip file after downloading.

cnc-ddraw.zip content

2. Copy Shaders -folder, ddraw.dll and ddraw.ini to Red Alert 2 installation folder root.

3. Start Red Alert 2 for the first time and exit the game, and do the same thing for Yuris Revenge. When you start the games first time, it will create you RA2.ini and RA2MD.ini files.

4. Open RA2.ini and RA2MD.ini files from Red Alert 2 installation folder.

RA2.INI and RA2MD.INI on Red Alert installation folder

5. Add these lines below to both of the ini files. Put your preferred resolution to ScreenWidth and ScreenHeight values.

[Video]
VideoBackBuffer=no
AllowHiResModes=yes
AllowVRAMSidebar=no
ScreenWidth=1920
ScreenHeight=1000
StretchMovies=no

Add video configs to RA2MD.ini file

6. (Optional) If you want to run Red Alert 2 or Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge on Windowed mode, you can do it by opening ddraw.ini file and changing windowed=true and border=true.

ddraw.ini file on Red Alert 2 installation folder
Running Red Alert 2 windowed

7. Right click game.exe, gamemd.exe, Ra2.exe, RA2MD.exe, YURI.exe -files and uncheck all compatibility settings if they have any.

Red Alert 2 executable files
Compatibility settings

CAUTION! REMEMBER!
When you are playing Red Alert 2 or Yuris Revenge in windowed mode, it doesn't stretch movies to fullscreen. StretchMovies -option works only in fullscreen mode. It's also normal that menu isn't stretching to full screen. Mainmenu is hardcoded to specific resolution and it cannot be changed! So when you see lot of black area surrounding your menu, its normal. Or when you are playing in windowed mode and menu is really small window, its normal. If you want that your menu, movies, and game is filling your whole screen, then you have to play with native 1024x768 resolution and in fullscreen mode. And you have to make sure that your monitor supports that.
CAUTION! REMEMBER!

Installing working multiplayer on Red Alert 2 and Yuri's revenge on Windows 10

CnCNet provides working multiplayer solution for both games.

1. Download multiplayer patch from this link: https://downloads.cncnet.org/CnCNet5_YR_Installer.exe

2. Start the installer when download is complete and follow instructions.

Click accept the agreement and hit next.

3. Start Red Alert 2 CnCnet from shortcut and update it to latest version.

Red Alert 2 CnCNet updating files

4. Play online and enjoy

28 Comments

Harold Burton - September 11, 2021
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles.
Iskren Petrov - May 24, 2020
Hi thereI am getting this message when I want to play online [Video]I can play offline fine but I want to go online. Please help
Wiretuts - May 24, 2020
Try to launch the game/launcher as administrator, because it seems to be permission problem.
Iskren Petrov - May 24, 2020
still doesnt work
NoMercy - February 14, 2020
I have problem with Yuri's Revenge that screen freezing when start any mission or skirmish on map but the game is running and i can abort mission.
NoMercy - February 17, 2020
I solve it by installing CnCNet
jfoehr4 - December 14, 2019
when trying to do the steps for the cnc.ddraw file...I do not have a .exe file or a .ini file in my RA2 folder. All steps followed correctly up to that point, and the game is from origin. I'm trying to fix the black screen issue when opening yuri's revenge. Any tips or explanation why I'm not showing these files?
Wiretuts - December 16, 2019
If you can start the game, that means that there is executable file. So you have to be in wrong folder. If you want to make it easier to find your files you could install Everything - https://www.voidtools.com/ . Thats good tool for finding files.
Sai Han - October 8, 2019
i have some problems i bough cracked software on dvd no need to install can play imediately but when i play about 15minute and more time the game was stoped cannot play very
well i using lenovo i5 4gen ssd-120g + HD 1tb Ram 8 what should i do? i
like to play this game
ThoricWinner - September 18, 2019
Hey, i bought the CNC ultimate collection. i don't know if anyone else is having this problem, but when i launch RA 2 or Yuri's Revenge i can hear the sounds, but absolutely nothing but a black screen is displayed. i've tried these fixes, and none of them worked, so i don't know what to do about it. if anyone could help me out, i'd appreciate it
Kiwwoid - August 28, 2019
I can play the game but it is just such a terrible experience because the game is in 1920x1080 but the actual gameplay thing is in the middle at 800x600x16 or something like that, how do I change that, also I don't have the RA2MD.INIImages below to see how my screen looks. Image below to show that I only have RA2.INI and no RA2MD.INI
Kiwwoid - August 28, 2019
I will even show the launch of the game.
Kiwwoid - August 28, 2019
And I forgot to say that this is not a cracked version it is the origin version.
Wiretuts - September 1, 2019
I am more intrested about the changes in RA2MD.ini files, so what does section [Video] contain? Is the main-menu only problem, but gameplay is stretched?
Adrian Florin - May 13, 2019
Hello. I have windows 10 64 bit in the game I play for max 5 minutes and get stuck and stuck without doing anymore. to get out of it can only with "CTRL + ALT + DEL! you understand me what I say and I put it on compatible to windows 8 like 10 does not appear and in vain does not go stuck or what to do. have a link to this game to go to windows 10 leave me in a comment or facebook page pleas

Jans Bm - April 29, 2019
C&C Ultimate Collection Launchers 1.20Setup
There aren't any games of the C&C Ultimate Collection installed .
The setup will exit now.
What should i do ? Help me! please its not a spam
Wiretuts - April 29, 2019
Did you buy C&C Ultimate Collection from Origin store and install Red Alert 2 or Yuris revenge from Origin?
Jans Bm - April 24, 2019
help me
Henry Kurniawan - April 12, 2019
Hello. I cant patch yuri's revenge to 1.001 windows 10 said this app cant run on my windows version. Do you have another fix to patch the game to 1.001 or it is okay if i just straight to install CnC DDraw ? Pliss help
Wiretuts - April 14, 2019
What Windows version do you have? I have Windows 10 Pro 64bit and it works fine. But you can right click the patch and try to enable Compatibility mode and check Windows Xp SP3.
Henry Kurniawan - April 14, 2019
windows 10 home 64 bit. Im already tried installing CnC DDraw without patching to 1.001 but still occasional lag happened also when victory screen appeared the res always resized to something like 640 x 800 before blackened out and return to 1980 x 1080. It is safe ? O and im already check windows xp sp3
Wiretuts - April 15, 2019
You can also try to set AllowVRAMSidebar=yes from ini files
Henry Kurniawan - April 15, 2019
ok thanks i will try
steevensk - April 3, 2019
Hi! Does the local multiplayer work as well?
Wiretuts - April 4, 2019
Yes it should work. If it doesn't work you can use software called Gameranger.
Shaun Atkinson - March 15, 2019
Ra2 did work. Yuri was all green and purple tho. I've followed the instruction on my origin install. But now Ra2 is real stuttery (smooth for few seconds then locks up then back to smooth) and yuri won't load at all "error - unable to set video mode"
Wiretuts - March 20, 2019
Try to right click Ra2.exe and RA2MD.exe and on both executables select: "Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows XP SP2 (or SP3)" and test with and without "Disable fullscreen optimizations" -option.
Packie - March 26, 2019
Also set the same compatibility settings as for Ra2.exe and RA2MD.exe also for Yuri.exe . That fixed the issue for me to launch Yuri's Revenge. After that you will be able to choose any resolution you want in the game menu (resolution setting is applied only during gameplay).